2004 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

2004 MAZDA RX8 WAS REPAIRED ON 2/27/09 AT HERNANDO MISTUBISHI THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR GULFVIEW MOTORS, DUE TO THE FUEL GAUGE READING INCORRECTLY AND THE VEHICLE RUNNING OUT OF GASOLINE ON A READING OF A 1/2 OF TANK. ON 2/28/09, AFTER VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED , THE 2004 MAZDA BROKE DOWN DUE TO IN ACCURATE FUEL READING, A DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME BACK ON AND HAS CONSISTENTLY STAYED ON. JOHN MORRIS AND LINDA SANFORD WERE BOTH AWARE THAT THIS WAS A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT CLEARLY FAILS THE REQUIRED NYS MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED AT MAZDA AND IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GULF VIEW MOTORS. I HAVE DRIVEN TO SYRACUSE, N.Y. OUT OF MY WAY AND PAYING FOR GASOLINE TO SPEAK WITH MR. PAUL COREY, SERVICE MANAGER FOR MAZDA. *TR

DURING NORMAL DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE CLUTCH BRACKET OF MY MAZDA RX-8 SNAPPED DURING SHIFTING AND THE CLUTCH BECAME INOPERABLE. THIS MADE CHANGING GEARS IMPOSSIBLE AND CAUSED A SERIOUS HAZARD. APPARENTLY, THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS THE USAGE OF WEAK MATERIALS AND POOR QUALITY SPOT WELDS. UPON SOME INVESTIGATION, IT TURNS OUT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AS THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION THREAD SHOWS: HTTP://WWW.RX8CLUB.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=132912 TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THE CLUTCH BRACKET WAS REPLACED. IT IS APPARENTLY ALSO POSSIBLE TO WELD THE BROKEN PARTS OR TO INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT BRACKET TO PREVENT THE FAILURE. I DID NOT KEEP THE BROKEN (REPLACED) BRACKET, SO THE OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2004 MAZDA RX8 FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP IN DORAL, FL WITH 53M MILES ON IT, STILL UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY & I PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 2 YEARS.THE CAR HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 8 TIMES (THAT IS AVERAGING ONCE A MONTH) SINCE PURCHASE, BACK FOR VARIOUS REASONS INCLUDING: ENGINE LIGHT ON, COOLANT LIGHT ON, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT AND DANGEROUS-LOCKED POWER STEERING! OF THE 8 TIMES, 4 OF THOSE ARE FOR THE POWER STEERING LOCKING ON ME, EITHER WHEN I START THE CAR, OR WHILE DRIVING, IT'S RANDOM THAT IT HAPPENS, WHEN IT 'FEELS LIKE IT'. I CAN'T TRUST THIS CAR, AND THOUGH THE SERVICE DEPT AT THE DEALERSHIP HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR IT NUMEROUS TIMES, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT SUBSIDED. THE TIMES THAT I START THE CAR AND THE POWER STEERING IS NOT LOCKED, WHILE DRIVING THE WHEEL BECOMES VERY LOOSE, THEN THE CAR SHAKES, THEN THE STEERING LOCKS. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY AND HAVE GOTTEN SAFELY OUT OF TRAFFIC, BUT THE WHEEL IS VERY HARD TO TURN, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. I'M OFFICIALLY FILING A COMPLAINT B/C IT SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, AND I WANT THIS ISSUE RESOLVED. I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE MAZDA BUY BACK THE CAR FROM ME, SINCE, AT THIS POINT, I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN MY CAR, ESPECIALLY TO DRIVE LONG DISTANCES. BUT IF MAZDA CAN REPAIR THE PROBLEM FOR GOOD, I'LL BE SATISFIED. THANK YOU. *TR

I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THE SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE OF A CAR THAT WILL SOON BE KNOW AS THE LIVING COFFIN. THE MAZDA RX8 IS IN MY OPINION A DEATH TRAP. WHILE IN HOUSTON , MY CAR WAS ALWAYS IN THE SHOP BECAUSE IT WOULD STOP ON ME IN BUSY TRAFFIC. NOW I AM IN AUSTIN AND THE CAR STARTED STALLING AGAIN. WHAT DOES MAZDA DO TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM, THEY SENT OUT A DVD, THAT TELLS YOU HOW TO START THE CAR WHEN IT STOPS. WHILE, I WAS IN DALLAS, I MET PEOPLE ON LINE THAT ALSO HAVE THESE MAZDA RX8'S. THEY TOO ARE DISGUSTED. THIS CAR IS VERY UNSAFE, AND WILL STOP ON YOU AT THE DROP OF A HAT. MAZDA HAS BEEN SECRETLY REPLACING ENGINES, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE WARRANTY IS NOW AT 100,000 MILES. NOW THE CATCH: YOU TAKE THE CAR IN AND WHAT YOU THOUGHT WOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY ENDS UP COSTING YOU MONEY. I HAVE 70,000 MILES ON MY 2004 RX8, AND IT HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE. I HAVE ALSO TALKED TO PEOPLE, THAT ARE UPSIDE DOWN, AND THEN OTHER DEALERS ARE AWARE OF THIS CRAP OF A CAR. I HAVE CONTACTED YOUR AGENCY ONCE BEFORE, AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, MY NEXT COURSE OF ACTION IS A COMPLAINT WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. ALL I NEED IS A EMAIL ADDRESS FOR SOMEONE IN YOUR AGENCY, AND I WILL HAVE MANY STORIES. TODAY, MY CAR STOPPED JUST AS I CROSSED LAKE TRAVIS, AND AGAIN AS I ATTEMPTED TO CLIME A HILL. WE RX8 OWNERS NEED HELP. YOU PEOPLE ONLY REACT ONLY AFTER SOMEONE HAS DIED. IT IS OBVIOUS THERE IS A PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS, AND MAZDA IS DOING NOTHING. I NEED HELP AND I NEED IT NOW. *TR

CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET WELD BROKE OFF, WHEN DRIVING. UNABLE TO SHIFT IN OR OUT OF GEARS AND CAR NEEDS TO BE TOW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. THE CONTACT NOTICED A FAILURE WITH THE ENGINE ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY. SHE ALSO NOTICED A BURNT, RUBBERY SMELL COMING FROM THE PASSENGER CONSOLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND THEY STATED THAT SHE NEEDED A NEW MOTOR. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FIRST MOTOR IN JULY OF 2008 DURING HER THIRD VISIT. THE CONTACT NOTED THAT THE DEALER WOULD ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE ISSUE, BUT SHE WAS NEVER ABLE TO DRIVE HOME SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT A FAILURE OCCURRING. SHE WAS RECENTLY INFORMED THAT A SECOND NEW MOTOR WOULD BE NEEDED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WILL STALL WITHOUT WARNING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND A MECHANIC STATED THAT FUEL FLOODED THE ENGINE AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY REPLACED. IN ADDITION, IT TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE IN COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT CONDENSATION WAS PRESENT AND A VACUUM NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED, WHICH WOULD PREVENT WATER INTERFERENCE. THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE EXTERIOR LIGHTING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE WATER ENTRY. FINALLY, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BEARING FAILED, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED THE TIRE TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,000. UPDATED 020209 *BF THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS WORN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FRONT AND REAR COILS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 02/03/09. *JB

2004 MAZDA RX8 VEHICLE WOULD NOT START IN COLD WEATHER OR DAMP WEATHER. MANY TRIPS TO DEALER TO NO ONE COULD FIND WHAT WAS WRONG. PROBLEM PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE WOULD ONLY START WHEN IT WANTED TO, FINALLY GOT TO THE POINT THAT IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL. ONCE THIS HAPPENED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE IMMOBILIZER MODULE HOWEVER SERVICE TECH'S AT DEALER CAN NOT SAY FOR SURE THAT IT IS THE ONLY PROBLEM. HAVE READ COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS THAT OWN THIS VEHICLE HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM BELIEVE THAT IT IS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30-40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND ALL THE GEARS LOST POWER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR THE FLUID ISSUES AND HAVE THE SPARK PLUGS CHANGED, BUT THE FAILURES PERSIST. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 40,000.

CLUTCH BRACKET BREAKS OFF WHILE SWITCHING GEARS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY @ 60 MPH HAPPENS TO A LOT OF MAZDA RX8S 2004-2008. *TR