2004 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

OWN A 2004 MAZDA RX8 AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY BROKE WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE READ OF EVIDENCE ONLINE THAT WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS PART IS A DEFECT BY THE MANUFACTURER. I TOOK MY CAR TO PAUL MILLER FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY WOULD BE NEEDED TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT WAS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. THE COST TOTAL IS $440.98 THIS SEEMS RIDICULOUS SINCE I HAVE READ THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE DRIVER TO EXERT TOO MUCH FORCE ON THE PEDAL. THE RESISTANCE IS DETERMINED BY THE CLUTCH, NOT THE DRIVER. I THINK THEIR ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO OWN RX8'S AND EXPERIENCE THIS SAME PROBLEM. HOW CAN IT BE THAT WITH ALL THE ACCOUNTS OF PEOPLE THAT I HAVE REAL ONLINE ALONE THAT A RECALL HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN ISSUED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, APPROACHING A TURN AND SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR, THE CLUTCH PEDAL FRACTURED. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANEUVER THE CLUTCH SO THAT IT WOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL GEAR IN ORDER TO DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THE IDENTICAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS, THE CLUTCH PEDAL ON MY CAR HAS SQUEAKED AND GROANED WHEN DEPRESSED. THIS WOULD NOT BE CONSISTENT, AND VERY HARD TO DIAGNOSE. TODAY, WHILE DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE TOWARDS WORK (I LIVE AND WORK ON A MILITARY BASE), A METALLIC "POP" CAME FROM MY CLUTCH PEDAL WHILE BEING DEPRESSED AND NO LONGER DISENGAGED THE CLUTCH. THIS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS IT WAS "RUSH HOUR." I QUICKLY NOTICED WHILE DRIVING THAT MY CLUTCH PEDAL WAS ALMOST TOUCHING MY BRAKE AS I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN! ALSO, IF I HAD STOPPED MOVING AT ANY POINT, I AND MY CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED AS I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET MY CAR BACK INTO GEAR. UPON INSPECTION AT HOME, IT APPEARS A WELD ON THE RIGHT SIDE THAT HOLDS THE CLUTCH PEDAL MOUNT TO THE FRAME OF THE CAR HAS COME COMPLETELY LOOSE MAKING THE PEDAL LEAN LEFT. THERE ALSO APPEARS TO POSSIBLY BE ANOTHER ISSUE WITH THE CLUTCH PEDAL SPRING AS IT NO LONGER RETURNS THE PEDAL TO THE FULLY DEPRESSED POSITION, AND INSTEAD DEFAULTS TO 3 INCHES DEPRESSED OR FULL UPRIGHT DEPRESSED. THIS FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. THE CONTACT STATED WHENEVER IT WOULD RAIN, WATER WOULD LEAK INTO THE PASSENGERS SIDE TAIL LIGHT. THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE AND REPAIRS WOULD BE AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD BECOME EXTREMELY RESISTANT TO APPLIED PRESSURE OR WOULD SPORADICALLY LUNGE FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND COULD NOT OFFER A REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,500 THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, DUE TO IT NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY IN 1ST AND GEAR. UPDATED 07/06/10.*JB UPDATED 07/08/10 *BF UPDATED 07/09/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE CLUTCH PEDAL BROKE AND THE CONTACT COULD NOT SHIFT; HE HAD TO BE ASSISTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET WAS REPLACED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE SUN VISOR ALSO BROKE TWICE; THE FIRST TIME, IT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE SUN VISOR FAILURE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,728. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,400.

CLUTCH BRACKET BROKE IN TRAFFIC WHILE DRIVING ON LOCAL ITALIAN ROADS. NEARLY CAUSED TRAFFIC ACCIDENT. CAR RENDERED UNUSABLE. *TR

CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET BROKE ON THE RIGHT SIDE WHILE DRIVING. RESTRICTS VEHICLE FROM BEING ABLE TO GO INTO GEAR. PEDAL WILL NOT COMPRESS ALL THE WAY. *TR

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY ON 2004 MAZDA RX-8 HAS SPOT WELDS THAT HOLD THE ASSEMBLY TOGETHER. ONE OF THE SPOT WELDS FAILED ON MY CAR, CAUSING LATERAL MOVEMENT IN THE PEDAL, AND METAL FATIGUE (RIPPING) AROUND ONE OF THE MOUNTING BOLTS. THE CLUTCH MOVEMENT WAS ALSO AFFECTED. PUSHING THE PEDAL DOWN, IT WAS LOOSE ABOUT HALF OF THE NORMAL MOVEMENT OF THE PEDAL. ONLY THE SECOND HALF OF PEDAL MOVEMENT OPERATED THE CLUTCH SEPARATION. IT APPEARED THAT OVER TIME THE MOUNTING BRACKET OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY FAILED CAUSING THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO COME OFF OF THE FIREWALL. DOING A INTERNET SEARCH ON "RX8 CLUTCH PEDAL" REVEALED MANY OTHER TIMES OF THIS HAPPENING AND MAZDA NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE REPORTED MY INSTANCE TO MAZDA'S CUSTOMER SUPPORT. *TR

2004 MAZDA RX-8, UNDER 45K MILES. DRIVEN ON A 78 DEGREE DAY FOR 2 HOUR TRIP. STOPPED TO REFUEL AND 30 MIN SHOPPING. GET INTO CAR ONTO HIGHWAY WHERE I NEED MY ENGINE'S SPEED TO ACCELERATE ONTO HIGHWAY. I FEELS LIKE HALF THE POWER IS GONE. IT REMINDS ME OF VAPOR LOCK, IT'S GASPING FOR FUEL OR SPARK. THIS HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED MANY TIMES BEFORE AND NEARLY DANGEROUS WHEN IN BUSY TRAFFIC, AS HAD TO PULL OVER TO BIRM. I KNOW DEALER REPLACED COIL PACKS ONCE OR TWICE SO FAR...ALONG WITH PLUGS. THIS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS CAR I EVER OWNED. THE MOST RE-CALLED CAR I'VE EVER KNOWN OF. RIGHT NOW IT'S RUNNING FINE, MATTER OF FACT HAS POWER TO SPARE AS COMPARED TO IT'S 'WHIMPING OUT SYNDROME ". THERE MUST BE A CORPORATE SOLUTION FROM MAZDA TO ME. I AM READY FOR A LAWYER. *TR

CLUTCH PEDAL BROKE WHEN SHIFTING TO 4TH GEAR AND DISENGAGING CLUTCH. TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD SNAP WHEN I RELEASED THE CLUTCH. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RE-ENGAGE THE CLUTCH, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT LATERAL MOVEMENT AND LITTLE TO NO PRESSURE. HAD TO PULL OVER AND COAST TO A GRINDING HALT IN GEAR. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, COMING TO A STOP WHILE IN GEAR ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS. *TR