2005 MAZDA RX-8 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA RX8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OIL COOLANT LINE EXPLODED AND SPILLED OIL ONTO THE BRAKES. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKING DISTANCE AND TIME WAS INCREASED GREATLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A METAL PIECE THAT BECAME FRACTURED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY OR RECALL FOR THE PART. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,239. *TR

THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ALLOW A SHIFT INTO GEAR, CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY BROKE. *TR

THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET IN MY 2005 MAZDA RX-8 HAS BROKEN AND AS A RESULT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE GEARS. *TR

THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ON MY '05 RX8 BROKE. IT HAD BEEN SQUEAKING FOR SOME TIME BUT I DID NOT RECOGNIZE IT WAS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE LEFT SIDE SPOT WELD FAILED AND THE MOUNTING EAR SHEARED OFF OF THE BRACKET. MAZDA NA REFUSED TO APPLY THE 100K MILE WARRANTY TO MY 106.8K MILE CAR. *TR

I WENT TO START MY RX8 AND IT WOULD NOT START. I CALLED AAA TO HAVE IT JUMPED, THINKING IT WAS A BATTERY PROBLEM. THE AAA EMPLOYEE SENT TO JUMP THE CAR COULD NOT JUMP IT AND I HAD TO TOW IT TO MY MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY. MY PERSONAL MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT WAS A SPECIFIC PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE THAT WAS COVERED BY AN "EXTENDED WARRANTY" MAZDA ISSUED BECAUSE THE 2005 RX8S HAD SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. INSTEAD OF DOING A RECALL, MAZDA DOES EXTENDED WARRANTIES. THEY DID THE SAME THING WITH THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET, WHICH I HAD TO JUMP THROUGH HOOPS TO GET THE DEALERSHIP TO TAKE CARE OF IT AT NO COST TO ME. THEY ALWAYS WANT TO CHARGE, EVEN WHEN IT IS SOMETHING COVERED BY A WARRANTY. SO, MY HUSBAND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEARBY DEALERSHIP. AUTOMATICALLY, THEY TELL US WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE BATTERY BECAUSE THEY NEED TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC TEST TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM. BATTERY $185 WITH LABOR AND $150 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THEN, WE ARE TOLD THAT ONLY IF THEY ARE ABLE TO PROVE THAT IT WAS A SPECIFIC PROBLEM COVERED IN THE WARRANTY THAT MAZDA WOULD COVER IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. IF THEY FIND IT IS NOT THAT SPECIFIC PART, WE WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. I WAS TOLD BY MY PERSONAL MECHANIC IT WAS THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE WHICH IS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY, BUT OF COURSE, MAZDA WANTS TO DO THEIR OWN TESTS. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT AND IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR $4,000 WHEN A QUICK ONLINE SEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS SPECIFIC CAR. I THINK MAZDA SHOULD HAVE THEIR FEET HELD TO THE FIRE AND DO RIGHT BY THEIR CUSTOMER. *TR

**RESUBMIT-DIDN'T GO THROUGH** I WAS DRIVING APPROX 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY AND FELT A KICK/JOLT AND HAD A LOSS OF POWER. MY SPEED WENT DOWN10-15 MPH AND ALTHOUGH I TRIED TO ACCELERATE IT WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND TRIED TO EXIT BUT CAR REFUSED TO GO INTO GEAR. EVERY TIME I FORCED IT INTO GEAR, THE CAR WOULD CONSTANTLY STALL AND DIE. I HAD THE IGNITION COIL AND SPARK PLUG REPLACED BUT NOW THE CLUTCH JUST SINKS TO THE FLOOR. I'VE TRIED TO PUMP THE CLUTCH TO GET IT INTO GEAR BUT THIS IS QUITE DANGEROUS ON THE ROAD. MY VEHICLE HAS TROUBLE CONTROLLING ITS SPEED SINCE THERE'S A LAG SWITCHING FROM 3RD TO 4TH, 5TH TO 6TH SINCE I HAVE TO PUMP MY SUNKEN CLUTCH SEVERAL TIMES AND FIDDLE WITH THE SHIFTER TO ACTUALLY KICK MY CAR INTO THE NEXT GEAR. MY CAR IS NOW OVER 100K MILES AND JUST READ ABOUT THE MAZDA RX8 CLUTCH PEDAL RECALL ONLINE. THIS MALFUNCTION/SAFETY ISSUE WAS NEVER ANNOUNCED PROFESSIONALLY BY MY DEALER. MAZDA HAD NO PROBLEMS CONTACTING ME VIA PHONE, EMAIL ,MAIL REGARDING BILLS BUT FOR SOME REASON FAILED TO GIVE ME A NOTICE REGARDING THIS DEFECT. I'VE BEEN ADVISED THAT REPAIRING THIS PROBLEM IS QUITE EXPENSIVE AND SINCE MY CAR ALTHOUGH LESS THAN 8 YEARS OLD HAS PASSED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BASED ON MILEAGE, I'LL BE STUCK DRIVING THIS CAR WITHOUT PROPER REPAIRS? I FEEL MAZDA SHOULD'VE CONTACTED ALL RX8 OWNERS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER ANY FUTURE DISASTERS. WOULD THERE BE ANY CHANCE TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR THE CLUTCH PEDAL BASED ON MILEAGE OVER 120K? I CAN'T AFFORD TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR AT THIS MOMENT BUT NEED TO STILL COMMUTE TO WORK WITHOUT PAYING FOR REPAIRS THAT WOULD COST ME AN ARM AND A LEG AT THE DEALER? IF THIS IS A RECALL ISSUE, I WOULD FEEL MORE SAFE HAVING AN AUTHORIZED DEALER INSPECT THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN A CHEAP AUTO SHOP THAT ISN'T FULLY AWARE OF SPECIFIC DETAILS. *TR

THE CLUTCH PEDAL PEDAL ASSEMBLY BROKE LOOSE AND WENT SIDEWAYS UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL. *JS

FAILURE OF CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY. A PLASTIC PLATE CRACKED AND CAUSED AN IRRITATING PLASTIC BINDING NOISE, EVER TIME I RELEASED THE CLUTCH PEDAL. THIS APPARENTLY HAPPENS A LOT, SOMETIMES IT IS FIXABLE BUT IN MY CASE I HAD TO REPLACE MY ENTIRE ASSEMBLY, AS I WAS TOLD IF IT COMPLETELY CRACKED I WOULD LOSE THE FUNCTION OF MY CLUTCH PEDAL. FAILURE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER LOCK ACTUATOR. I HAVE READ MANY ACCOUNTS OF THIS PART FAILING. USUALLY BLAMED ON HOT OR COLD CLAIMANT, HOWEVER MINE JUST FAILED EARLIER THIS WEEK, WITH WEATHER IN THE MID 40'S. JUST FROM THE AMOUNT OF POSTINGS I FOUND WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO ME IT NEEDS TO BE REPORTED. *TT

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH AND CHANGING GEARS NORMALLY THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC BREAKAGE CAUSING THE CARS TRANSMISSION TO BECOME INOPERABLE. TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE DAMAGED TO BE FORCED INTO NEUTRAL TO COME TO A STOP. CLUTCH PEDAL HAD ALREADY PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPLACED IN 2009 AFTER IDENTICAL INCIDENT OCCURRED. MAZDA NORTH AMERICA HAS REFUSED TO HONOR A WARRANTY REPLACEMENT FOR THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT. *TR

VEHICLE ENGINE LOSES POWER AND STALLS AFTER DRIVING AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE IN HOT WEATHER. FAILURE SYMPTOMS ARE MOST NOTICEABLE AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, AND WILL PRESENT AS A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER FOLLOWED BY STALLING AS THE VEHICLE DECELERATES. MANUFACTURER HAS EXTENDED THE ENGINE WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES AND WILL DE-CARBON THE ENGINE AND REPLACE SPARK PLUGS WHEN REPORTED. HOWEVER, THIS SOLUTION IS NOT A PERMANENT REPAIR, AND SYMPTOMS RETURN UPON DRIVING WITHIN TWELVE MONTHS. *TR