2004 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LATCH IS DEFECTIVE. I CAN'T OPEN THE DOOR. I HAVE TRIED TO GET IT REPLACE, BUT THE AUTO BODY SHOP AND DEALER CAN'T DO SO. *TR

EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF POWER STEERING ON 2004 MAZDA RX-8 WITH APPROXIMATELY 25K MILES OF USE. PREVIOUSLY, POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY BUT WOULD CORRECT ITSELF AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING IT. WE REQUESTED SERVICING OF THIS PROBLEM IN APRIL OF 2008 BUT IT DIDN'T SHOW UP IN THE COMPUTER SCAN OF THE CAR SO THE DEALERSHIP TOLD US TO BRING IT BACK WHILE THE PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING. HOWEVER, IT WASN'T POSSIBLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SAFELY WHILE THE FAILURE WAS OCCURRING AND IT WOULD CORRECT ITSELF ONCE THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND RESTARTED. VERY UNSAFE TO HAVE THE STEERING FAIL/SEIZE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN OPERATION. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL JULY 12, 2009 WHEN IT FAILED COMPLETELY. CAR IS CURRENTLY BACK IN THE DEALER SHOP WAITING FOR PARTS THAT CONTAIN A SENSOR THAT SHOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM TO BE SHIPPED FROM JAPAN. THE REPAIR WILL REQUIRE REMOVING AND REPLACING MOST OF THE STEERING SYSTEM AS THE PART CAN ONLY BE REPLACED AS AN ENTIRE UNIT. WE WERE INFORMED THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY AS IT'S NOT A DEFECT AND OCCURS THROUGH NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. *TR

COMPLAINT IS TO MAZDA USA FOR THEIR WEAK CLUTCH PEDAL WELDS. I'VE BEEN DRIVING MY RX8 (2004) SINCE SEPTEMBER 2007 AND THE FIRST TIME IT SNAPPED WAS IN 2008 LATE SUMMER. I GOT IT REWELDED AT A LOCAL SHOP AND AFTER ABOUT 9 MONTHS THE BRACKET BROKE IN HALF, BROKE RIGHT THROUGH THE WELDS AND CRACKED THE METAL. SO I BOUGHT A NEW BRACKET AND AN AFTERMARKET REINFORCEMENT BRACKET FOR ABOUT 450$ WHICH SHOULD ALL BE COVERED BY MAZDA. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. WHILE DRIVING 40-60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAITED 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE DEALER COULD NOT REMEDY THE ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT CAN SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,206 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

I WANT TO GO ON FILE THAT I HAVE A CONCERN WITH THE SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM WITH OUR 2004 MAZDA RX 8. WE PURCHASED IT USED FROM A REPUTABLE FORD DEALER SEVERAL MONTHS BACK AND HAD AN ISSUE WITH STARTING THE CAR. AFTER SOME ONLINE RESEARCH WE FOUND OUT THE CAR IS PRONE TO GAS FLOODING WHEN NOT ALLOW TO RUN UNTIL THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS HALFWAY. IF SHUT OFF BEFORE THE ENGINE FLOODS WITH GAS. I TOOK IT TO CORY FAIRBANKS MAZDA WHERE THE VIN WAS CHECKED AND THAT THE CAR DID HAVE THE RECALL 4206F ALREADY DONE AND THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM IS TO LET THE CAR WARM UP. MY CONCERN IS THE CONSTANT EXCESSIVE FLOW OF GAS DURING START UP, RAW GAS CONSTANTLY FLOWING THROUGH THE CATALYTIC AND THE EXCESSIVE HEAT CREATED BY THESE ENGINES COULD CAUSE A FIRE AND INJURE ALL THOSE IN AND AROUND THE VEHICLE. I HAVE EMAILED MAZDA ALSO ABOUT MY CONCERNS AND FEEL THE SOLUTION IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. THE VEHICLE HAS BRIDGESTONE ALL SEASON TIRES. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIR PRESSURE IN THE TIRES AND NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. MAZDA SUGGESTED THAT HE TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE DEALER ONLY PLACED AIR IN THE TIRES. ON ONE OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING ALMOST 60 MPH, THE CONTACT FELT A VERY ROUGH VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE. HE ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE BLOW OUT. THE DOT NUMBER AND TIRE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,000. THE TAIL LIGHTS WOULD FILL WITH WATER. THERE WAS A STRANGE CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE MAY HAVE A STRUT PROBLEM. UPDATED 07/30/09.*JB

FAILURE OF POWER STEERING ON 2004 MAZDA RX-8. POWER STEERING SHUTS DOWN INTERMITTENTLY DURING DRIVING. STEERING THEN PULLS TO THE RIGHT DURING DRIVING AND AT A STOP, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL ROTATE ON IT'S OWN. DEALER HAS REPAIRED SUSPECTED SHORT IN WIRING HARNESS, CLEANED HARNESS GROUND CONNECTIONS, REPLACED A SENSOR IN THE POWER STEERING CIRCUIT. CAR IS CURRENTLY BACK IN THE DEALER SHOP WAITING FOR A NEW HARNESS "PIGTAIL" TO REPLACE ON THE ELECTRICAL STEERING HARNESS. CONTACTED MAZDA AND THEY SAID SINCE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, IT'S MY PROBLEM--EVEN THOUGH I CONSIDER THE CAR UNSAFE FOR DRIVING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CLUTCH PEDAL DETACHED FROM THE MOUNTS. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE IN OR OUT OF GEAR AND WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE A CRASH COULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 85,000.

CLUTCH PEDAL STOPPED WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD OF MY 2004 MAZDA RX-8. EVERYTIME I SWITCHED GEARS IT SQUEAKED UNTIL IT SNAPPED AND CAR STALLED. CONSEQUENCE IS THAT I COULDN'T DRIVE MY CAR ANYMORE AND HAD TO TOW IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP HAD TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY ACCORDING TO PAPERWORK. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY AS I SHIFTED GEARS THE BRACKET KEEPING MY CLUTCH PEDAL TOGETHER BROKE...HAD TO DRIVE REALLY SLOW BECAUSE DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH PEDAL CAUSES IT TO ALMOST GO INTO THE BRAKE PEDAL...PEDAL KEEPS SHIFTING TO THE RIGHT...THERE SEEMS TO ME A DESIGN FLAW AS MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPORTING THIS AND ON THE RX8CLUB.COM WEBSITE...THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS KILLED BECAUSE IT ALMOST CAUSED ME TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY...AND IT SEEMS LIKE MAZDA IS NOT TAKING ANY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, HAVING PEOPLE PAY ALMOST 400 OR MORE TO REPLACE AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW...PICTURES OF THE BROKEN BRACKET HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY MY MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE...PLEASE CONTACT MAZDA AND HAVE THEM ISSUE A RECALL OF SOME SORT...HOPEFULLY THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS HURT...BECAUSE I KNOW I ALMOST DID , BUT WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GAIN CONTROL.. *TR