2004 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

I PURCHASED MY AUTOMATIC RX8 IN LATE JAN. 2004. AS I WRITE THIS, I HAVE AVERAGED 14.3 MPG WITH MIXED DRIVING CONDITIONS (CITY AND HIGHWAY) DURING MY FIRST 3000 MILES. MY WORST TANKFUL WAS 12.3 MPG. MAZDA NORTH AMERICA REFUSES TO ADDRESS MY ISSUE, WHICH IS: MY FUEL ECONOMY IS WELL BELOW THE ESTIMATED FUEL ECONOMY ON THE STICKER. EITHER THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY RX8 OR MAZDA HAS INTENTIONALLY MISREPRESENTED THE FUEL ECONOMY OF THE RX8.

THERE IS CONTAMINATION IN THE OIL. SO MUCH SO THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHECK THE OIL. I'VE GONE 3000 MILES AND NEVER BEEN ABLE TO CHECK THE OIL. EVEN AFTER WIPING THE DIPSTICK, SIMPLY PUTTING IT BACK RECOATS THE DIPSTICK, SO THAT THE OIL LEVEL CANNOT BE READ. THE DEALER SIMPLY CHANGED THE OIL, BUT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS, BUT WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. ALL LETTERS TO MAZDA-USA ARE IGNORED. WHY DOES MAZDA IGNORE SUCH A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS HAZARD? THIS COULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD IF THE ENGINE WERE TO SEIZE ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE OF LACK OF OIL. *AK

THE DUMMY PEDAL ON THE LEFT HAS A DESIGN FLAW WHICH ENABLES HIGH HEELS TO BE TRAPPED BETWEEN THE PEDAL AND THE FLOORBOARD. MY FOOT HAS BEEN TRAPPED FORCING ME TO STALL THE CAR AND PULL OVER FIVE LANES ON THE FREEWAY AND OFF THE ROAD TO REMOVE MY FOOT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT MAZDA DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE! THIS WILL AFFECT WOMEN WHO WEAR HIGH HEELS AND DRIVE A STANDARD MAZDA RX-8.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, AND IT HIT A POLE. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, BUT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BROKE. *AK

A NEW MAZDA RX-8 WAS PURCHASED IN THE FALL OF 2003. THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS STARTING IT IN THE COLD WEATHER. I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM MAZDA THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IT EXISTS FOR ANYONE THAT LIVES IN THE NORTHEAST. WHY WASN'T THIS DISCLOSED PRIOR TO BEING PURCHASED> ANY IDEA WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HAVE THE CAR RETURNED AND THE MONEY I GAVE THEM REFUNDED? THANKS IN ADVANCE. *AK

IF THE CAR STALLS AFTER A COLD START, IT IS EITHER VERY DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO RESTART. USING THE PROCEDURE IN THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR THIS SITUATION WILL WORK, IF THE BATTERY DOES NOT FAIL FIRST. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN TWICE, ONCE THE CAR WAS TOWED. THE SECOND TIME, THE BATTERY DIED WHILE ATTEMPTING A RESTART PER THE OWNERS MANUAL, BUT THE CAR WAS IN THE GARAGE AND I RECHARGED THE BATTERY AND EVENTUALLY GOT THE CAR STARTED.*AK

I BOUGHT MY CAR AROUND THE FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2003. IN THE FIRST MONTH I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES FOR REPAIR. THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ENGINE. APPARENTLY ONE OF THE ROTORS WAS NOT FIRING CAUSING A RAW FUEL SMELL TO ENTER THE CAR THROUGH THE VENTILATION. WITH ONLY 2000 MILES, THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AFTER THE THIRD VISIT. TWO MONTHS HAVE PASSED AND AFTER THREE DAYS OF NO DRIVING, THE CAR WILL NO LONGER START. *JB

THE RX8 ENGINE HAS A TENDENCY TO FLOOD IF THE CAR IS MOVED OR DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE AND SHUT OFF COLD. IN MOST INCIDENCES THE CAR MUST THEN BE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. ALTHOUGH MAZDA ACKNOWLEDGES THE ISSUE, THE PROBLEM WAS NOT DISCLOSED PRIOR TO PURCHASE AND IS NOT ADDRESSED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. MOST RECENT INCIDENT IS RELATED TO GASOLINE IN THE OIL AFTER SEVERAL DIFFILCULT STARTS. THERE WERE 2 PREVIOUS FLOODING INCIDENTS.*AK

RX8S MUST BE TOWED IF THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF OR STALLED WHEN THE CAR IS COLD. I WASHED MY CAR AND THEN PULLED THE CAR INTO THE GARAGE AND WAXED IT. THE NEXT DAY IT WOULD NOT START. NO WHERE IN THE MANUAL DOES IT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE FLOODING ISSUE, EXCEPT HOW TO "UNFLOOD" IT. PROCEDURE DOES NOT WORK. DEALERSHIP NEVER TOLD ME THIS BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR, EVEN THOUGH THEY FLOOD ALL THE TIME WHEN THEY ARE MOVED OFF OF THE TRAILER. VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I CANNOT WITH A GOOD CONSCIENCE SELL THIS CAR TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL. I COULD BE SUED, IF SOMETHING TERRIBLY BAD HAPPENED AND I KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP HAS "PROPOSED TO HELP" BY MAKING A PROFIT ON ME BUYING THE NEW CAR AND THEN BUYING IT BACK AT WHOSALE PRICE. THE CAR HAS 4000 MILES ON IT. A 2004 AUTOMOBILE SHOULD NEVER LEAVE ITS OWNER STRANDED, PERIOD. THE CAR ALSO CONSISTENTLY GETS ONLY 15 MPG ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER ROUND OF BUYBACKS FROM MAZDA, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I BOUGHT THIS CAR AFTER THE FIRST ROUND WAS COMPLETE.

MAZDA RX-8, PURCHASED DEC 24TH, 2003.F THE VEHICLE 'STALLS' WHEN COLD, THE ENGINE BECOME NON-RESTARTABLE (EVEN FOLLOWING THE MANIF'S DEFLOODING PROCEDURE) AND NEEDS TO BE RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE "FIXED". CAUSING A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AT RAIL-ROAD TRACKS, INTERSECTIONS, AND EXTREEM CONDITIONS (SUCH AS DRIVING FAR FROM HOME EG. CAMPING, AND MOUNTAIN DRIVING).*AK