2004 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH PANEL THAT IS ABOVE THE AIR BAG CRACKS; WHICH CAN BE A SAFETY HAZARD WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG AND CAUSE INJURY TO INDIVIDUAL (POSSIBLY PREVENT DEPLOYMENT OR CREATE DASH PIECES THAT COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY). THIS IS HAPPENING TO MULTIPLE RX-8'S (GO TO RX-8 CLUB)! SINCE THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE WITH MOST IF NOT ALL RX8'S IT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED BY MAZDA. *TR

POWER STEERING JERKS AND SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING. VERY DANGEROUS. ALSO WHILE SETTING STILL STEERING WHEEL DID A COMPLETE 360. *TR

NOTICEABLE OIL LEAK, SCATTERED ALL OVER WHERE THE VEHICLE IS NORMALLY PARKED AS WELL AS ALL OVER THE DRIVER'S SIDE UNDERBODY. OIL LEVEL DROPS APPROXIMATELY 1 US QUART PER 2-3 DAYS, DRIVEN ONLY LIGHTLY TO AND FROM PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. 10 MILES A DAY TOPS. DIAGNOSED BY INDEPENDENT ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC AS SUBSTANTIAL LEAK FROM THE OIL COOLER LINES, DUE TO RUST AND EXTREME CORROSION. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEN IN A HARSH CLIMATE, AND GENERALLY NOT IN SNOW OR ICE. I SEE A RECALL FOR THIS IN SOME COUNTRIES, BUT NOT THE UNITED STATES, DESPITE BEING SUBJECTED TO THE SAME ROAD CONDITIONS. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

2004 MAZDA RX-8 TOURING WITH 6-SPEED MANUAL HAS A BROKEN CLUTCH PEDAL. THE ALUMINUM CLUTCH PEDAL WEAVES LEFT AND RIGHT. IT IS ON THE VERGE OF SNAPPING IN HALF. PLACED THE CAR AT JAX AUTOMOTIVE WHILE I PURCHASE A NEW OEM CLUTCH PEDAL WITH REINFORCED BRACKETS FROM RACE ROOTS. *TR

LOST POWER STEERING. CAR WOULD STILL TURN WITH HEAVY EFFORT. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO ELECTRONIC ASSIST. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED. THIS MADE IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER VEHICLE, MAKING DRIVING DANGEROUS. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH AND SMELLED GASOLINE FUEL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE OIL PAN, THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY, FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY, CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2004 MAZDA RX8. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SEVERAL DEFECTS IN THE VEHICLE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ABOUT A YEAR AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS STARTED FILLING UP WITH WATER. ALSO, THE VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING WITH NO WARNING. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, HE WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE NEEDED TWO OXYGEN SENSORS. AFTER THE OXYGEN SENSORS WERE REPLACED, THE STALLING CONTINUED. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED THE DEALER, WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WOULD SEIZE AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO VEER ABNORMALLY TO THE LEFT. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO MOVE OFF THE ROADWAY AND RESET THE POWER STEERING ASSIST THROUGH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE BATTERY TERMINAL HAD FAILED. AFTER REPLACING THE BATTERY TERMINAL, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY THEN ADVISED THAT THEY WERE INSPECTING THE WIRING HARNESS BEING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,500.... UPDATED 12/14/12 *BF UPDATED 12/19/2012 *JS

I HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH TO THE DEALER FOR MY RX8'S POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHEN IT SHUT OFF TWICE OF THE MANY TIMES, IT PULLED MY CAR TO THE HARD RIGHT AND I ALMOST RAN OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE OF IT. THE DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME THE FIRST TIME TO REPLACE THE BATTERY TERMINAL BECAUSE IT WAS LOOSING POWER TO THE STEERING UNIT. THEN MULTIPLE TIMES LATER, HUNDREDS MORE, THEY SAID THAT REPAIRING THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTORS WAS RECOMMENDED BY THEIR TECH LINE AND THEY SAID THAT MAY NOT BE THE LAST THING NEEDED. FIRST OF ALL, THE DEALERSHIP, HERITAGE MAZDA OF LUTHERVILLE, MD, SEEM TO BE WORKING HARD ON THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS TRULY IS A TRAFFIC SAFETY ISSUE AND ITS COSTING ME HUNDREDS IN A SHOT IN THE DARK TO FIX THE PROBLEM. CAN YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SAFETY MATTER, EVEN MIKE WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ADDED THAT IT WAS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. ON THE RX8 CLUB WEBSITE, THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME POWER STEERING FAILURE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR