2004 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

VEHICLE HAD STRONG SMELL OF RAW GASOLINE FUMES IN THE CABIN AND OUTSIDE THE CAR. UPON REMOVING THE REAR SEAT TO ACCESS THE FUEL PUMP FOR INSPECTION, A POOL OF GASOLINE WAS FOUND AROUND THE FUEL PUMP AND SURROUNDING AREA TO INCLUDE THE ELECTRICAL WIRING FOR THE PUMP. IT APPEARS THE LEAK OCCURS FROM A FAULTY PLASTIC NIPPLE ON THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY THAT CONNECTS THE PUMP TO THE MAIN FUEL LINE. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH UNCOVERED THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT WITH THE MAZDA RX8. THE FIRE AND SAFETY HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ISSUE IS IMMENSE. I WOULD RECOMMEND A FURTHER REVIEW BY THE NHTSA TO ASSESS THE SEVERITY AND SPECTRUM OF THE FUEL PUMP ISSUE IN THE MAZDA RX8. *TR

STEERING TORQUE SENSOR THAT SOMETIMES FAILS TO PROPERLY REGISTER DRIVER STEERING INPUT, CAUSING THE SYSTEM TO REMOVE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) ASSISTANCE. *TR

I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 5/14/2013 AFTER A WEEK OR SO IT STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND MISFIRING , POPPING NOISE, TRANSMISSION WARMS UP. THE GEAR THAT I HOLD AND SHIFT JUST WARMS UP ALL THE TIME IT FEELS LIKE IT MIGHT FIRE UP. THEN I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. I TOOK IT TO MAZDA MECHANIC THEY CHARGED AROUND 900$. THEN IT DIDN'T FIX ANYTHING I WENT ANOTHER ONE AND THEY TOLD ME LOSS COMPRESSION IT WAS 115 THAT TIME. I KEPT DRIVING IT AND THEY SAID I NEED TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION TOO.. I PAID THIS CAR 6500. AND NOW IT S ALL BAD. AND APPARENTLY I NEED TO BUY NEW ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. I BELIEVE IT WILL COST ME ABOUT 6000$ .NOW ITS ON 129,000MILES. *TR

ON 2/9/12 MY 2004 MAZDA RX-8 WAS BROUGHT IN FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT AS PART OF A RECALL. SINCE THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT THE CLUTCH IS ENGAGING AT DIFFERENT PLACES OR STICKING TO THE FLOOR. ON 3/30/12 THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO DICK EDWARDS MANHATTAN FOR "...WHEN CLUTCH IS ENGAGED THERE IS A FUNNY NOISE COMING FROM TRANSMISSION & THERE IS A VIBRATION." IT WAS MISDIAGNOSED AND NOT FIXED. THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 6/26/12 BECAUSE "WHEN USING CLUTCH THAT THE FIRST HALF OF THE PEDAL IS EMPTY AND THE SECOND HALF ENGAGES BUT IF YOU TRY TO SHIFT IN THE MIDDLE IT WILL GET STUCK AND NOT COME OUT." IT WAS MISDIAGNOSED & NOT FIXED. ON 10/26/12 IT WAS TAKEN TO OVERLAND PARK MAZDA & IT WAS FOUND THAT "CLUTCH WAS STICKING TO THE GROUND AND TRACED TO THE MASTER AND SLAVE CYLINDER..." IT WAS MISDIAGNOSED & NOT FIXED. ON 11/9/12 THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO OVERLAND PARK MAZDA TO "BLEED CLUTCH AND ADJUST FREE PLAY FROM CLUTCH PEDAL PUSH ROD TO MAKE CLUTCH PEDAL MORE RESPONSIVE." THE PROBLEM WAS STILL NOT FIXED. IN 8/13 I BOUGHT THE CAR IN KANSAS CITY, MO. SINCE THEN I HAD THE CLUTCH DIAGNOSED AT RICK'S PERFORMANCE IN CALIFORNIA WHO FOUND "PLAY IN THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT - THE FLYWHEEL IS MOVING BACK AND FORTH OVER 1/2 INCH" & CONCLUDED THAT THE ENGINE REPLACED IN THE RECALL ON 2/9/12 AT DICK EDWARDS MANHATTAN WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT A PART HAD BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE ENGINE DURING ASSEMBLY. I TOOK THE CAR TO KEN HARVEY'S DUBLIN MAZDA IN DUBLIN, CA AND THEY CONFIRMED THE DIAGNOSIS BY RICK'S PERFORMANCE & RECOMMENDED MAZDA REPLACE THE ENGINE AS IT SHOWS SIGNS OF INTERNAL DAMAGE. HOWEVER, MAZDA REFUSED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AS IT IS OUTSIDE OF THE 1 YEAR/12,000 MILE WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH IT HAD BEEN BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE 4 TIMES WITHIN THE WARRANTY BUT WAS NEVER FIXED. ALSO, ONLY 9K MILES HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE CAR IN THAT TIME FRAME. *TR

POWER STEERING WAS LOST MID-TURN, HAD TO WRESTLE THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE TURN. FORUM SEARCH HAS REVEALED THAT MANY OTHER RX-8 OWNERS ARE HAVING STEERING ISSUES AND INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING LOSS. IN THE WORST OCCURRENCES, THE WHEEL BECOMES LOCKED TO ONE SIDE. USER-BASE HAS RESEARCHED AND FOUND SENSOR ISSUES THAT MAZDA MAY WANT TO ADDRESS. *TR

ELECTRICALLY ASSISTED POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL IT NO LONGER WORKS AT ALL. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. I FOUND THIS FACT BY JOINING THE RX8 CLUB WEBSITE. MULTIPLE OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS OBVIOUS THAT IT IS CAUSED BY POORLY ENGINEERED/MANUFACTURED ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS. SOME OWNERS HAVE GONE AS FAR AS REPLACING THE WIRE HARNESS ONLY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RECUR. MAKING THE PROBLEM WORSE IS THAT THE MAZDA WEBSITE HAS NO MECHANISM TO REPORT THE PROBLEM TO THE MANUFACTURER. CURRENTLY THE ONLY TIME THE POWER STEERING IF FUNCTIONAL IS ONLY FOR SHORT PERIODS AFTER THE CARE HAS BEEN THROUGH A CAR WASH AND THE UNDERCARRIAGE HAS BECOME WET, AND THEN IT IS ONLY FUNCTIONAL UNTIL THE UNDERCARRIAGE DRIES OUT. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SPORADICALLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85000.

RUSTED OIL COOLER LINES AND FITTINGS ON MY RX8 DRIVEN IN OHIO WHERE ROAD SALTING IS PREVALENT IN SNOW MONTHS. FILING THIS COMPLAINT SINCE THERE IS A RECALL ISSUED FOR MY SAME MODEL YEAR IN CANADA (SPECIAL PROGRAM 76) FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE DUE TO SNOW AND SALT. MODIFIED LINES ARE AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS ISSUE BUT MAZDA IS NOT EXTENDING RECALL COVERAGE TO U.S. REPAIR COST AT DEALER ABOVE $1K. *TR

THE ELECTRICAL ASSIST POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY STOPS WORKING. SOMETIME, WHEN STARTING THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING WORKS FINE. OTHER TIMES, IT WILL NOT WORK. *TR

POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING WHEN I WAS TURNING ON TO THE HIGH WAY. MAKING IT STIFF AND HARD TO TURN. CLUTCH PEDDLE COLLAPSED MAKING IT HAD TO SHIFT GEARS AND THE CLUTCH RATIO IS OFF, *TR