2004 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

MY POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES OFF AND ON RANDOMLY. WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON MY POWER STEERING DOES NOT WORK, WHICH IN MOST CASES I AM ALREADY ON THE ROAD AND THIS IS VERY UNSAFE. THE POWER STEERING COMES AND GOES, SOMETIMES IT LAST FOR A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE IT TURNS OFF BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAY ITS THE RACK, WHICH I SPENT OVER $1000 TO REPLACE AND IT STILL DOES NOT WORK. I HAVE ABOUT 15 FRIENDS WITH THIS SAME CAR AND THEY HAVE ALL HAD THE SAME ISSUE. MAZDA NEEDS TO FIX THIS BEFORE A WRECK HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONES POWER STEERING GOES OFF WHILE THEY ARE DRIVING 70 MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE. *TR

THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP DUE TO AN ENGINE RECALL, AFTER THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY THE DEALER INFORMED ME OF LARGE OIL LEAKS. LEAKS ARE VISIBLE AND ARE COVERING PARTS OF THE WHEELS AND JOINTS WITH OIL. MAZDA HAS ADMITTED TO THIS DEFECT IN CANADA (FIELD ACTION NUMBER 142-36) AND ARE PROVIDING CANADIAN CUSTOMERS WITH A RECALL ON THIS FAULTY AND DANGEROUS PART BUT US CUSTOMERS HAVE YET TO RECEIVE SUCH TREATMENT. MY CAR IS A 2004 MODEL AND IT SHOULD NOT HAVE SUCH ISSUES. THIS IS A HAZARD TO BOTH MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS ON THE ROAD DUE TO THE AMOUNTS OF OIL THAT THE CAR IS LEAKING DUE TO POOR ENGINEERING AND BAD DESIGN. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIPS ARE CHARGING CUSTOMER AN UPWARD OF 1,600 DOLLARS TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE WHICH SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE TO BEGIN WITH IF THIS CAR WAS DESIGNED IN A RELIABLE WAY. *TR

VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW,2004. I HAVE EVERY OIL CHANGE, EVERY 2,900-3,000 MILES AND VEHICLE IS PERFECTLY MAINTAINED BY THE DEALERSHIP ( HARRELSON MAZDA -CHARLOTTE,NC ). ONCE 30,000 MILES WERE PUT ON THE VEHICLE, ENGINE BEGAN TO FAIL ( STOPPED AT RED LIGHTS, STOPPED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY,ETC.). AFTER ABOUT 5 RETURN VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP TECHNICIANS, MY ENGINE WAS FINALLY 'REPLACED' UNDER WARRANTY. NOW MY NEW ENGINE HAS FAILED AGAIN AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES FOR THE SAME REASON AS ORIGINALLY: MAZDA SPECIFICALLY ADVISES 10W-20 OIL IN THIS VEHICLE. BUT THIS IS ONLY TO SATISFY U.S. EPA STANDARDS. EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, MAZDA STRICTLY ADVISES 10W-30 OIL, BECAUSE ANYTHING LESS WILL ALLOW ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND FAIL. I WAS NEVER WARNED THIS. I WAS NEVER ADVISED THIS. I SERVICED VEHICLE BY EVERY RECOMMENDATION OF MAZDA, THE OWNERS MANUAL, AND MY MAZDA AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP/TECHNICIANS. MY SAFETY HAS BEEN PLACED IN JEOPARDY, SOLELY AT THE FAULT OF MAZDA, FOR NOT NOTIFYING BUYERS THAT THE ENGINE HAD INCORRECT MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS,ETC. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME ANYTIME FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, RECEIPTS OF SERVICE,MAINTENANCE, AND TECHNICIAN TESTIMONY. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS STARTING TO SQUEAK A LOT AND WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL. HOPEFULLY IT DOESN'T FAIL WHILE I AM DRIVING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH DOORS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 82,000.

I FIRST NOTICED A PROBLEM IN MY STEERING WHILE DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. THE STEERING FELT VERY LIGHT AND CRISP WHEN I WOULD TURN TO THE LEFT. WHEN I WOULD RETURN TO DEAD CENTER AND THEN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, THE STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF. THE NEXT DAY WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION" LIGHT WAS ON. POWER STEERING WAS COMPLETELY DISABLED AT THAT TIME. UPON DOING RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2004 AND 2005 RX8'S. *KB

FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH PETAL AS IT ATTACHES TO THE FIREWALL UNDER EMERGENCY DECELERATION. THE METAL ATTACHING THE PETAL TO THE FIRE WALL SHEARED ON THE VERTICAL ATTACHMENTS. CAUSED A NEAR ACCIDENT, DANGEROUS CONDITIONS OF A VEHICLE STRANDED IN A TRAVEL LANE, AND SUBSEQUENT TOWING ON THE VEHICLE. *TR

I JUST GOT THE CAR BACK FROM DEALERSHIP THEY HAD TO PUT NEW MOTOR IN AT 67000 MILES REPLACED MOTOR AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER 3 COILS AND ALSO TOLD ME THEY HAD TO FLUSH IT OUT AS IT WAS FLOODED I DROVE LESS THAN 100 MILES AND POWER STEERING WENT OUT? NOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK LESS THAN A MONTH LATER THIS IS CRAZY!!!! COST ME OVER 1100.00 TO GET IT BACK AND DRIVE 2 TIMES AND NOW BROKE AGAIN THIS CAR IS A PIECE OF CRAP SHOULD HAVE DONE HOMEWORK ON IT BEFORE BUYING. *TR

ENGINE STALLS AND LACK OF POWER. DEALER KEEPS SAYING ITS FINE. CANNOT EVEN DRIVE ANYMORE. IT STARTED WITH NOT STARTING THEN AFTER GETTING IT STARTED HESITATION AND LACK OF POWER KEPT GETTING WORSE. BECAME UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 MAZDA RX-8, WHICH HAD APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES AT THE TIME, WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING IN ONE DIRECTION AND STEERING BECAME VERY LIGHT IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. THIS PROBLEM DISAPPEARED THE NEXT TIME I STARTED THE CAR, BUT REAPPEARED INTERMITTENTLY FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES, EVENTUALLY CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE POWER STEERING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THIS WAS INTERMITTENT FOR A WHILE, AS WELL, BUT EVENTUALLY THE POWER STEERING CEASED TO FUNCTION ALTOGETHER. THESE FAILURES WERE ACCOMPANIED BY A POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT, WHICH REMAINS ILLUMINATED TO THIS DAY. THE FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED THE PHENOMENON, I WAS VERY STARTLED BY IT AND FEEL THAT, HAD THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AT AN INOPPORTUNE MOMENT, IT COULD HAVE VERY WELL CONTRIBUTED TO AN ACCIDENT. *TT