2004 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 11:15 IN THE NIGHT, I WAS ON MY WAY BACK FROM A LATE NIGHT FOOD RUN AT MCDONALD'S. THE DISTANCE FROM MY RESIDENCE TO MCDONALD'S IS APPROXIMATELY 2.2 MILES. AS I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN, ONE (1) BLOCK AWAY FROM MY RESIDENCE, I DEPRESSED MY CLUTCH PEDAL IN ORDER TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND THAT IS WHEN I HEARD A LOUD CLATTERY CLANG. IMMEDIATELY AFTER, THE CLUTCH PEDAL FELT EXTREMELY SOFT AND I FOUND IT VERY HARD TO CHANGE GEARS. BEING THAT I WAS SO CLOSE TO HOME I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO FURTHER EXAMINE AND EVALUATE WHAT EXACTLY HAD HAPPENED. HENCE, I IGNORED IT PARKED MY CAR AND WENT INSIDE. THE NEXT MORNING ON MY REGULAR ROUTINE I STARTED MY CAR TO GO TO SCHOOL, AGAIN THE CLUTCH FELT EXTREMELY SOFT AND MUSHY. TRIED TO PUT THE GEARS IN REVERSE BUT FAILED. THIS IS WHEN I FINALLY REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS DEFINITELY WRONG. MY FIRST INCLINATION WAS THAT THE CLUTCH DISC THAT HAD WORN, BUT AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET HAD BROKEN.*TR

I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN, START ENGAGING THE CLUTCH TO GO INTO FIRST GEAR AND I HEAR A CRACK. I AM IN FIRST GEAR AND AS I AM ABOUT TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR I AM UNABLE TO DO SO. I NOTICE THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL HAS NO PRESSURE AND IT IS NEAR THE BRAKE PEDAL. FROM HERE ON I WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. SO AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION I SEE THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL IS BROKEN AND CAN EASILY MOVE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. I AM JUST GLAD THAT I WAS ON THE STREET BECAUSE I WAS ON MY WAY TO CATCH THE FREEWAY. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND HAS TO BE FIXED, SOMETHING BAD COULD HAVE HAPPENED AND TO THINK I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY FOR LONG TRIPS IS VERY SCARY. *TR

THE AUTO LEVELING HEADLIGHTS IN MAZDA RX8S AND CERTAIN OTHER MAZDA VEHICLES ROUTINELY MALFUNCTIONS DUE TO CORROSION. THIS CAUSES THE HEADLIGHTS TO AUTOMATICALLY RETURN TO THEIR LOWEST POSITION IN MOST CASES TOO LOW FOR DRIVING CONDITIONS CAUSING A MAJOR HAZARD TO ALL DRIVERS BOTH OF THE MAZDA AND OTHER VEHICLES. MAZDA RECOGNIZED THIS ISSUE WITH A SERVICE BULLETIN IN 2007 HOWEVER NEVER RECALLED THE VEHICLES FOR REPAIR AND WEATHERPROOFING. EVEN IF THE HEADLIGHTS ARE MANUALLY ADJUSTED THEY WILL RETURN TO THE LOWEST POSITION ONCE THE CAR IS STARTED AND THE MALFUNCTIONING AUTO LEVELING SENSORS KICK IN. THE DEALERSHIP THAT WE PURCHASED OUR MAZDA RX8 FROM DOES NOT SEE THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THEREFORE WILL NOT REPAIR OR REPLACE THE SENSORS. AFTER CONFERRING WITH STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT INSPECTORS, THEY DIFFER IN OPINION AS TO THE AUTO LEVELING MALFUNCTION BEING A HAZARD ESPECIALLY IF THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. MAZDA SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL AND REPLACE THE MALFUNCTIONING SENSORS TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS DUE TO LACKING VISIBILITY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND NOTICE MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. I HAD TO SHUT OFF THE CAR TO GET IT IN REVERSE. I THEN TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND THEY SAID MY SLAVE CYLINDER WAS OUT. SO THEY REPLACED IT. LATER I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL TELLING MY CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY BRACKET WAS ALSO BROKE. WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN THE RESULT IN MY SLAVE CYLINDER TO FAIL. THE BRACKET WAS BROKE ON THE LEFT BOTTOM BOLT PATTERN THAT CONNECTS TO THE FIRING WALL. I AM GLAD THIS DID NOT HAPPEN OR COMPLETELY BRAKE OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING FOR THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A POSSIBLE FATAL ACCIDENT. I AM PUTTING IN FOR THIS BECAUSE APPARENTLY I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS BRACKET BRAKE. IT SEEMS TO BE ON THE SAME SIDE AS EVERYONE ELSE IS DESCRIBING. AS THE PEDAL BRAKES IT LEANS OR BRAKES TO THE RIGHT WHICH HEADS TOWARDS THE BRAKE PEDAL ITSELF. *TR

2004 MAZDA RX-8 CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET BROKE OFF DURING NORMAL DRIVING. NO CORRECTIVE ACTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN YET MAZDA REFUSED TO COVER IT UNDER THERE NEW EXTENDED WARRANTY. *TR

MY CLUTCH PEDAL BEGAN SQUEAKING ABOUT 4,000 MILES AGO. JUST YESTERDAY, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I DOWNSHIFTED INTO 4TH GEAR AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL SNAPPED. I WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT GEARS SO I HAD TO STAY IN 5TH UNTIL I COULD SAFELY PULL OF AT AN EXIT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING 1200 MILES FROM HOME DOING ABOUT 45 MPH ON THE LOCAL ROADS, AND MY CLUTCH PEDAL STARTED FEELING FUNNY, MAYBE A LITTLE LOOSE. THEN I HEARD A LOUD POP AS I WAS TRYING TO CHANGE GEARS AND CHECKED IT OUT. THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY BRACKET HAD FAILED AND I CALLED UP THE DEALERSHIP AS IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE IT AT MY COST ($600) AT WHICH THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT SO I SHOULDN'T BE LIABLE FOR SUCH DAMAGES, EVEN AFTER 59,000 MILES. AND ESPECIALLY AFTER SEEING THAT SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM, IT POSES A HUGE SAFETY RISK. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT BACK HOME, SHIFTING PERFECTLY TO MATCH REVS BUT WAS ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO START. SOMETIMES THE PEDAL WOULD BE PUSHED SO FAR BACK THAT IT WOULD RUN BEHIND THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT WORRIED ME SO MUCH THAT I MIGHT HAVE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED SO FAR TO GET SOMEONE TO FIX IT. BUT THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM! *TR

THE MAZDA PEOPLE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR FAILING. THEY HAVE A TSB OPEN ON IT. I HAVE A 2004 RX8 AND I JUST INSTALLED MY 6TH VISOR. UP UNTIL NOW MAZDA HAS REPLACED THEM FOR FREE, BUT NOW IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY AND I'M PAYING FOR THEM. SOMETIMES WHEN THEY FAIL THEY FAIL BY DROPPING DOWN AND INTERFERING WITH THE DRIVERS VISION. I THINK IT'S HIGH TIME THAT MAZDA ENGINEER A FIX AND REPLACE ALL OF THESE VISORS OUT ON THE ROAD. FROM NHTSA WEB SITE. *TR

1) NOTHING JUST DRIVING IT 2) FAULTY CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY SNAPPED RENDERING THE CLUTCH USELESS. 3) NOT YET CORRECTED. *TR

I NOTICED MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL LEAKING FROM UNDER MY 2004 MAZDA RX8 ONTO THE DRIVEWAY OF A FRIEND'S LANDLORD'S DRIVEWAY. I DROVE IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE OIL COOLER LINES HAD CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $1200. MAZDA DOES NOT COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY BUT HAS ISSUED A RECALL IN CANADA FOR THIS VERY ISSUE BUT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE IT IN THE U.S.A. LEAKS CAN BE FAIRLY SLOW AND UNNOTICEABLE FOR QUITE A WHILE AND COAT THE WHEELS AND BRAKES WITH OIL, CAUSING LOSS OF HANDLING AND TROUBLE BRAKING. *TR