Revealing mistake: In the scene where Shen is seen walking down the road as he tries to hitch a lift, you can see all the cars are driving on the right side of the road. However, in some background shots you can see the traffic moving on the left side of the road as it is supposed to in New Zealand where the film is shot.
Continuity mistake: When Yankee goes into his bedroom after losing the baseball game in the sandlot, he tears a hand-drawn picture of himself, Babe Ruth and his dad off the wall. The pieces of the picture fall on the bedroom floor. A few shots later the pieces are missing. Yankee was the only one in the room, and he didn't move them. Plus the window is closed, so it couldn't have been wind.
Revealing mistake: Jesus is born without an umbilical cord.
Audio problem: When the kid's dad and Santa are singing about believing in Santa their mouth movements do not match the music well.
Revealing mistake: Right after McQueen asks what the Ghostlight is, it cuts back to the other cars. Luigi is right next to the firetruck and some gas pumps. The firetruck's door is very reflective, and the gas pumps are visible in it. But Luigi is right by the pump, and he is not reflected in the firetruck's door. (00:02:10)
Continuity mistake: In the scene with the regional spelling bee, Akeelah's turn is before Javier's. Then, when Akeelah's mother pulls her out into the hall, Javier's turn appears to be before hers as he stalls for time so Akeelah will not be disqualified. (00:56:35 - 00:58:55)
Factual error: Throughout the film, most Japanese words are spelled in Katakana. In real-life Japanese, however, Katakana is exclusively used for foreign words adopted into Japanese language, like 'table', 'television' (mostly it is abbreviated to 'telebi') and 'racing car'. But in the film, even indiginous Japanese words such as 'samurai' are spelled in Katakana, not - as they should be - in Hiragana (the syllable system used for native words).
Factual error: The drum kit that Courtney plays at the concert is wrong. It has too many cymbals, two bass drums (one is unneeded) and she didn't kick the pedals to play the bass drum and cymbals.
Audio problem: After Brian and Mary put their packages into six side-by-side (horizontal) lockers, Brian closed five doors then his hand was too far away (and the door off-screen) to be closing the sixth one yet the sound of it slamming shut was made. (00:32:05)