2004 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

REGULAR DRIVING LEAD THE CAR A 2004 MAZDA RX-8 6 SPEED CLUTCH PEDAL TO LITERALLY BREAK AT 3 OF THE SPOT WELDS, DISABLING THE ABILITY TO PUSH THE CLUTCH IN. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE CAR HOME AS IT HAPPENED DOWN THE STREET. IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY DURING A EMERGENCY DOWNSHIFT TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN GOD KNOWS WHAT COULD HAPPEN. I WENT TO THE LOCAL EXHAUST SHOP AND HAD THEM DO A SOLID BEAD ALL AROUND THE MOUNTING BRACKET FIXING THE ISSUE. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN ITS GOING TO SNAP OFF IT JUST DOES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE DEALER ADVISED HIM TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST PERFORMED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. UPDATED 02/26/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. UPDATED 06/10/10.*JB

THE CLUTCH BEGAN TO SQUEAK AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THEY FOUND THAT THE CLUTCH BRACKET HAD CRACKED AT ONE OF THE WELDED LOCATION. THIS HAPPENED UNDER NORMAL DAILY DRIVING TO WORK AND BACK. IT COST ME $369.00 TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW ONE. I DON'T THINK THAT THIS SHOULD HAPPEN UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM BECAUSE IF I DID NOT TAKE IT INTO THE DEALER RIGHT AWAY, THE CRACK WOULD HAVE LED TO A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

THIS IS REGARDING A 2004 MAZDA RX-8 WITH ABOUT 65,000 MILES. POWER STEERING ON CAR WORKS OK WHEN CAR FIRST STARTED. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES (AND USUALLY BY THE TIME I HIT THE HIGHWAY) THE CAR WILL JERK ITSELF TO THE LEFT AND BACK TO THE RIGHT VERY SHARPLY, ALMOST CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS. AFTER JERK, STEERING LIGHT WILL LIGHT ON DASHBOARD AND NO POWER STEERING ASSIST IS AVAILABLE. POWER STEERING HAS ALSO GONE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN, ALSO ALMOST CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. I FOUND OUT THROUGH RX8CLUB.COM THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, AND THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE UPWARD OF $2,000 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2004 MAZDA RX8 HAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE EXTERNAL OIL COOLER. THE PIPE THAT TRANSPORTS OIL FROM THE ENGINE TO THE COOLER AND BACK IS EXPOSED AND SUBJECT TO CORROSION FROM ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE, IN PARTICULAR THE ALUMINUM REINFORCING MATERIAL IN THE PIPE IS VULNERABLE TO ROAD SALT. THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN TO MAZDA. IN CANADA THEY HAVE ISSUED FIELD ACTION NUMBER 142-36, WHICH IS A RECALL IN WHICH THEY REPLACE THESE PIPES WITH A REDESIGNED PART THAT IS LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS DEFECT. THEY HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO EXTEND THIS RECALL TO THE US BECAUSE (QUOTING FROM THE RECALL DOCUMENT): "THE MAZDA RX-8 IS SOLD IN THE U.S., HOWEVER THROUGH REVIEW OF FIELD REPORTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS WHERE ROAD SALT IS USED, THERE IS VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE OF THIS CONDITION IN THE U.S. MAZDA HAS CONCLUDED THAT NO FIELD ACTION IS REQUIRED IN THE U.S. MARKET AT THIS TIME." THE REASON I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT IN MY CASE, THE PIPE PERFORATED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, SPRAYING A LARGE AMOUNT OF ENGINE OIL AT HIGH PRESSURE INTO THE INTERNAL ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND ONTO THE ROAD BEHIND ME. HAD I NOT KILLED THE IGNITION ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, I BELIEVE THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE VOIDED ALL OF ITS OIL ONTO THE ROAD. I BELIEVE THIS EXPOSED THOSE DRIVING BEHIND ME TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS, AND COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT (ALTHOUGH NONE OCCURRED IN THIS CASE). AGAIN QUOTING FROM THE CANADIAN RECALL DOCUMENT: "THE SMALL AMOUNT OF POTENTIAL OIL SEEPAGE WILL BE EVIDENCED TO THE CUSTOMER WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND IS NOT BELIEVED TO PRESENT ANY RISK TO SAFETY." CLEARLY I DO NOT AGREE WITH THEIR ASSESSMENT HERE! *TR

CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET SNAPPED WHILE SHIFTING FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR. CAR HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN TAKEN TO MAZDA DEALERSHIP, WHO INSISTED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE BRACKET. HAD BEEN MAKING A CLICKING NOISE WHEN CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. PEDAL BECAME LOOSE ON THE HORIZONTAL AXIS (E.G. COULD BE MOVED LEFT OR RIGHT WITH LITTLE PRESSURE. COULD STILL BE SHIFTED WITH CAREFUL APPLICATION OF PRESSURE, BUT NOT SAFE FOR CONTINUED DRIVING. *TR

1. THE EVENTS WERE MOST LIKELY COLD WEATHER, ALABAMA HAS HAD AN UNUSUALLY COLD WINTER DURING THE 2009-2010 PERIOD. 2. THE CLUTCH HAS BROKEN. THE WELD THAT HOLDS IT IN PLACE HAS BROKEN. 3. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH BRACKET DUE TO ITS BREAKING. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 MAZDA RX 8 HOME FROM WORK WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CLUTCH PEDAL DROPPED AND MY CAR WOULD NOT SWITCH GEARS, LUCKILY I COASTED ACROSS THE INTERSECTION. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A MAZDA DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME MY ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WAS DESTROYED TO NOTHING AND MY CLUTCH PEDAL WAS BENT, DUE TO BROKEN BRACKET ON CLUTCH PEDAL. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DUE TO A PART THAT WASN'T A WEAR AND TEAR PART. TOTAL COST IS $1490. *TR

BRAND NEW GOODYEAR TIRE WITH LESS THAN 100 MILES ON IT BLEW WHILE GOING DOWN HIGHWAY. *TR

DURING THE COURSE OF MY MORNING COMMUTE TO WORK THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE CAR WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO A SAFE LOCATION BY USE OF "REV MATCHING" SHIFTING AS DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH PEDAL WOULD NO LONGER ENGAGE THE CLUTCH AND THE PEDAL NO LONGER RETURNED TO THE PROPER POSITION. THE ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED, REWELDED, AND REPLACED. *TR