2006 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA RX8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SMELLED A FUEL ODOR AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 51,000. . UPDATED 07/27/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER SAID THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK NOTICED AT THE FUEL PUMP WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR. UPDATED 08/02/2012 *JS

THE ELECTRONIC ASSIST STEERING ON OUR RX8 COMPLETELY FAILED IN 2007/2008 (APPROX 25,000 MILES) THE STEERING RACK, STEERING MODULE, AND STEERING WIRE HARNESS WERE REPLACED BY MAZDA UNDER WARRANTY. WITHIN A YEAR, THE STEERING FAILED AGAIN. ACCORDING TO MAZDA, IT WAS THE WIRE HARNESS WHICH WAS THEN REPLACED OR SERVICED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IT HAS NOW BEEN 4 YEARS AND STILL THE CAR ONLY HAS A TOTAL OF 60,000 MILES ON IT AND THE STEERING HAS FAILED AGAIN. THIS TIME THOUGH, FAILURE HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT. THE ASSIST WILL TURN OFF AND BACK ON AS YOU ARE DRIVING. THIS PRODUCES VERY TREACHEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS INCLUDING SUDDEN VEERING OR POTENTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL. DRIVING 10 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE STEERING ASSIST TURNED OFF & ON TWICE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME, I BARELY AVOIDED COLLIDING WITH A VEHICLE IN THE NEXT LANE AFTER A SUDDEN VEER. I WAS MUSCLING THE STEERING AND THE ASSIST CAME BACK ON. A DRIVER NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUE WHO EXPERIENCES THE PROBLEM FOR THE FIRST TIME COULD EASILY MAKE A SUDDEN STEERING CHANGE AND IT COULD BE FATAL. MAZDA IS NOW SAYING IT IS THE STEERING CONTROL MODULE YET THEY WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR ($1,400) BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. UPON SEARCHING ONLINE, THERE ARE 100'S OF REPORTS OF THIS EXACT ISSUE OF MULTIPLE STEERING FAILURES BEING REPORTED BY OTHER INDIVIDUAL RX8 OWNERS AS WELL AS OTHER MAZDA VEHICLES. MAZDA CONTINUES TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM FOR THE RX8 YET THEY HAVE ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF ALL 2007-2009 MAZDA 3 & MAZDA 5 STEERING SYSTEMS. WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO GET OUR CAR FIXED AND PAY THE BILL. MAZDA REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT EVEN AFTER I CALLED THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE. THEY FILED MY COMPLAINT THEN BASICALLY SAID TOUGH LUCK. THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'S CAR AND SHE CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. I AM LITERALLY SCARED TO LET HER DRIVE IT. IT IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

I AM HAVING AN ISSUE WITH POWER STEERING. IT WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND BECAME VERY HARD TO STEER. I PULLED OVER, SHUT MY CAR OFF, TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK. THEN LATER THAT DAY IT WENT OUT AGAIN BUT THIS TIME IT NEVER CAME BACK ON. I TOOK IT TO MAZDA AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE CONTROL MODULE. THEY ARE WANTING TO CHARGE ME $1400 FOR A BOX HALF THE SIZE OF A POPTART BOX (COULDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE HAHA). I CONTACTED CORPORATE AND THEY REFUSE TO SEE THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE. I DEFINITELY THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. I HAVE READ ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND FORUMS ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR HAVING THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM. IF THERE IS NOTHING DONE ABOUT THIS ASAP I GUARANTEE THERE WILL BE SEVERAL ACCIDENTS DOWN THE ROAD. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR

I WENT OVER TO MY FRIENDS HOUSE TO SWIM AROUND 1400 AND, AT THAT TIME, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. AFTER WE WERE DONE SWIMMING AND I GOT IN THE CAR TO LEAVE, I TURNED THE CARE ON AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON IN THE DASH. I PROCEEDED TO THE MANUAL WHICH SAYS IT IS DUE TO A POWER STEERING FAILURE. I'VE READ IN MANY FORUMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS CAR MODEL. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT IT IS USUALLY THE POWER STEERING HARNESS OR THE RACK (MOTOR OR TORQUE SENSOR). *TR

DRIVER & PASSENGER SUN VISOR SPLITTING APART AND DANGLING IN THE WAY OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER VIEW. THE VISOR IN THAT CONDITION WON'T STAY UP YOU HAVE TO REMOVE IT UNTIL YOU CAN ORDER A NEW ONE THEN TAKE IT IN FOR REPAIR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AROUND 35MPH ON THE CROSSING OF DEMPSTER AND GREENWOOD. AS I PRESSED IN THE CLUTCH TO SWITCH GEARS THE PEDAL SNAPPED. I DID NOT SLAM ON THE CLUTCH PEDAL OR ANYTHING. I WAS UNABLE TO SWITCH GEARS. I HAD TO DRIVE ON 2ND GEAR HOME WHICH WAS LUCKILY LESS THAN A MILE AWAY. I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE A SIMPLE DEFECT IN MY CAR, HOWEVER AS I DID MY RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT QUITE A FEW OWNERS OF THE MAZDA RX8 6SPEED MANUAL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED MAZDA DEALERSHIP IN EVANSTON AND ASKED THEM TO REPLACE IT SINCE IT IS A FACTORY MISTAKE AND MY CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY. THEY TOLD ME THEY WILL NOT REPLACE IT. NOW I CANT DRIVE MY CAR TO THE MECHANIC , AND THE CAR IS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY DUE TO BEING UNABLE TO SWITCH GEARS AND DRIVE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA RX 8. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN HE SHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR AND THE CLUTCH BECAME STUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE SERVICE WARRANTY. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE SECOND FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND RECOMMENDED AN EXTENDED SERVICE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

2006 MAZDA RX8 SHINKA FAILED CLUTCH PEDAL WHILE DRIVING IN LOCAL AREA. I TOOK IT TO MACHINIST NEXT DOOR, AND HE TOLD ME THAT THIS PEDAL IS UNBELIEVABLE HOW WEAK IT IS. THE METAL PART WHICH HOLDS CLUTCH PEDAL IS VERY THIN. NOW I'VE BEEN CHARGED AROUND $400 TO FIX IT, AND IT FEELS LIKE IT IS MAZDA'S FAULT. I COULDN'T GO TO SCHOOL YESTERDAY, AND MY SCHOOL IS PRIVATE COLLEGE, SO I WASTED ANOTHER $150 MISSING ONE DAY OF CLASS. *TR

PASSENGER SUN VISOR SPLIT ACROSS THE TOP. FELL OFF THE HOOK AND HUNG BY THE WIRES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA RX-8. EVER SINCE THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, THE FOURTH GEAR HAS NEVER WORKED. THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT, BUT FAILED AGAIN 4,000 MILES LATER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO ASSIST. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.