Mazda RX-8 Complaints (2005)

162 consumer complaints on file.

#10371041December 17, 2010
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA RX8. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR MAT BECAME STUCK UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE UNTIL THE MATS WERE TAKEN OUT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO TOOK A COMPLAINT BUT OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 34,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10367874November 26, 2010
AIR BAGS
DRIVER WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE WHEN AN EXTREMELY LOUD POP SOUNDED RESEMBLING A BACKFIRE OR THE EXPLOSION OF AN AEROSOL CAN. AFTER PULLING BACK INTO THE SPACE, A FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE NOISE REVEALED A MALFUNCTION WITH THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG. THE DOOR PANEL HAS BEEN KNOCKED ASKEW RESULTING IN A BACK DOOR THAT WILL NOT OPEN. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SEAT BELT WAS JERKED TIGHT AND REMAINS COMPLETELY LOCKED UP. HAD A PASSENGER BEEN SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT, THE TIGHTENING OF THE BELT UPON THE MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRBAG WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY. THE OTHER AIRBAGS ARE OF GREAT CONCERN AT THIS POINT BECAUSE IF THERE IS ANOTHER MALFUNCTION WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION ON THE ROAD, SERIOUS INJURY WOULD OCCUR. THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT CONTINUES TO EITHER BLINK OR REMAIN CONSTANTLY LIT. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT YET BEEN ADDRESSED WITH THE DEALER AS I'M GUESSING IT WILL BE VERY COSTLY TO FIX. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10367211November 22, 2010
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
MOST MODELS OF THE 2005 RX-8 ARE EQUIPPED WITH HID HEADLIGHTS. IN ORDER TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS, THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE A "CUTOFF" THAT PREVENT BLINDING ONCOMING DRIVERS, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS REQUIRED BY LAW. THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE AN AUTOLEVELING FUNCTION WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO LEVEL THE HEADLIGHTS AT THE PROPER HEIGHT DEPENDENT ON THE POSITION OF THE CAR'S SUSPENSION. THE HEADLIGHT LEVELERS ARE CONTROLLED BY TWO SENSORS, ONE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT AND ONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL HUB, CONNECTED TO THE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THESE SENSORS WHICH CAUSES THE HEADLIGHT LEVELERS TO MALFUNCTION, AIMING THE HEADLIGHTS EITHER TOO LOW (WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IN THE RX-8) OR TOO HIGH (WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BY BLINDING ONCOMING TRAFFIC). THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR LOCATED BENEATH THE CAR AT EACH SENSOR THAT MOISTURE CAN GET INSIDE, CAUSING CORROSION. THIS CAUSES THE SENSORS TO FAIL AND THE HEADLIGHTS WILL AUTO-AIM THEMSELVES IN ANY ORIENTATION, AND THIS CANNOT BE OVERRIDDEN...I KNOW, I HAVE TRIED REPEATEDLY TO MANUALLY RE-AIM THEM MYSELF. MANUALLY RESETTING THE HEADLIGHTS WILL ONLY CAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS TO MIS-AIM THEMSELVES AGAIN WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED AND THE SENSORS RETURN FAULTY SIGNALS. CURRENTLY, MY HEADLIGHTS ARE AIMED FAR TOO HIGH FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND I ROUTINELY GET "FLASHED" BY OTHER DRIVERS. DRIVING MY CAR AT NIGHT IS UNSAFE FOR MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS DUE TO THIS DEFECT. AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THERE HAVE BEEN APPARENTLY ENOUGH COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT THAT MAZDA HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON THIS DEFECT, AND THE LEVELERS HAVE BEEN RE-ENGINEERED TO USE MORE HEAVY-DUTY CONNECTORS. I WOULD URGE THE NHTSA TO EVALUATE THIS ISSUE AND COMPEL MAZDA TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT ASAP. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION! LINK TO TECHNICAL BULLETIN: HTTP://WWW.FINISHLINEPERFORMANCE.COM/PDF/RX8/BULLETIN/09-008-07-1729A.PDF. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10366792November 19, 2010
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
OIL COOLER METAL HOSES HAVE CORRODED DUE TO ROAD SALT AND DRIVING IN SNOWY AREAS (MASSACHUSETTS). THERE IS A RECALL IN CANADA (SPECIAL SERVICE PROGRAM 76) FOR THE MAZDA RX8 DUE TO OIL COOLER LINES GETTING CORRODED. WEATHER IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF UNITED STATES IS SIMILAR - I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS ALSO NOT A PROBLEM FOR US AND THERE IS NO RECALL IN THE USA. THE REST OF THE CAR SEEMS CORROSION FREE AND THE CAR WAS WASHED EVERY WEEK IN THE WINTER AND ABOUT ONCE A MONTH IN THE SUMMER, SPECIFICALLY TO GET RID OF ROAD SALT. DEALER CHARGE WITH PARTS AND LABOR TO REPLACE THE OIL LINES IS $2100 !! CAR HAS 68,000 MILES ON IT AND IS A 2005 MODEL. MY GUESS IS THE OIL COOLER LINES WERE MADE OF A BAD MATERIAL IF THEY ARE CORRODING SO EASILY WHILE NOTHING ELSE CORRODES. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10363885November 3, 2010
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
MY 2005 RX8 CONTINUALLY LEAKED OIL TO THE POINT OF THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT COMING ON. SINCE RX8'S CONSUME OIL IN THE COMBUSTION PROCESS, AT FIRST THIS SEEMED SOMEWHAT NORMAL. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF ADDING OIL ONLY TO HAVE THE LIGHT COME BACK ON, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC BROUGHT ME OUT TO THE CAR TO SHOW ME THAT THE OIL COOLING LINES HAD BEEN RUSTED OUT AND AS HE PUT IT "WERE SPRAYING OIL". ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT MAZDA USED PARTS THAT DON'T RESIST CORROSION, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE LINES WERE LITERALLY SPRAYING OIL AND HAD THE POTENTIAL TO SPRAY OIL ONTO THE WHEELS/BRAKES CREATING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION. MAZDA IS NOW CHARGING AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T BE OCCURRING IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS EXACT PROBLEM HAS LED TO A RECALL IN CANADA, BUT MAZDA CLAIMS THERE AREN'T ENOUGH OCCURRENCES IN THE USA. THAT DOES NOT SIT WELL WITH OWNERS WHO COMMONLY HAVE THIS PROBLEM OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY THAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED ON THE INTERNET. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10363422October 31, 2010
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
MY 2005 MAZDA RX8 IS LEAKING OIL FAST. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME MY OIL COOLER HOSES ARE RUSTED OUT. IT WILL BE $1000.00 TO GET THIS FIXED. MAZDA ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS, BUT THEY SAY MY VIN# DOES NOT QUALIFY. I THINK THIS IS WRONG AND IF CARS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. I AM LEAVING A TRAIL OF OIL EVERYWHERE I GO AND COULD RUN OUT OF OIL EVEN WITH REFILLING AND CHECKING IT EVERYDAY. THIS CARE WAS BOUGHT IN CHICAGO AFTER BEING A DEMO DEALER CARE IN MINNESOTA SO IT HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO A LOT OF ROAD SALT. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10360340October 13, 2010
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA RX-8. WHILE DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE PEDAL IN PLACE BROKE AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL FELL TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 102000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10354477September 8, 2010
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
IDENTICAL TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE09045 MY CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY FAILED. CLUTCH UN-USABLE. 1. NO WARNING 2 CLUTCH PEDAL GOES LIMP, FALLS TO THE FLOOR UNUSABLE 3. CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND MASTERCYLINDER REPLACED(DUE TO BENT ROD CAUSED BY FAILURE). *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10353114August 31, 2010
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS OR SO THE CLUTCH PEDAL ON MY 2005 MAZDA RX-8 HAD BEEN MAKING A SQUEAKING NOISE WHENEVER DEPRESSED. THE NOISE SUBSIDED AFTER A FEW HOURS OF DRIVING. HOWEVER, THIS PAST MONDAY (8/30/2010), WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT I HEARD A SOFT CRACK. I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WHERE SHIFTING FROM 2 TO 3RD I HEARD AN EVEN LARGER SNAP AND THE PEDAL DEPRESSED COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD TO CUT ACROSS A FEW LANES OF TRAFFIC AND SAFELY MANAGED TO GET TO A GAS STATION. THE CAR WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO CHANGE GEARS AND THE ENTIRE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10350383August 18, 2010
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
CLUTCH DOSENT COME BACK ALL THE WAY UP. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10350129August 17, 2010
STEERING
THE PROBLEM STARTED IN JULY 2005, WHEN MY CAR LOSE THE POWER STEERING, THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DISTRIBUTOR TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY NEVER FIXED THE CAR, I SENT TO THEM FOR 11 TIMES BETWEEN JULY 2005 TO SEPTEMBER 2006. ONE OF THOSE TIMES THE CAR ( MAZDA RX-8) LOSE THE POWER STEERING WHEN I DROVE THE CAR AT 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE STEERING IT`S HARD TO MOVE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10348430August 10, 2010
POWER TRAIN
2 DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT THE CLUTCH MADE A CLICKING SOUND. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW NO PROBLEM. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR BECAUSE THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY HAD GAVE WAY. I WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND GET IT INTO 1ST AND HAD TO DRIVE HOME IN 1ST GEAR. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING THROUGH FORUMS ONLINE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY FREQUENT OCCURRENCE. I ALSO GOT A TICKET FOR FAILURE TO YIELD AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT 350.00 DOLLARS. I CALLED MAZDA AND THEY EVEN TOLD ME IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. IM WORKING ON THE ISSUE NOW BUT MAZDA WANTS 1150.00 DOLLARS TO FIX A "COMMON" PROBLEM. ITS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS. IVE COUNTED OVER 150 DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO THIS HAS HAPPENED TO BUT JUST GOT IT FIXED ON MAZDA FORUMS AND OTHER AUTO FORUMS. MANY OF THEM CAUSED ACCIDENTS AS WELL. I JUST DONT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE AND THEY GET KILLED BECAUSE OF IT.. IT WAS THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10343357July 14, 2010
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY 7/14/2010, THE CLUTCH BRACKET ON MY 2005 MAZDA RX-8 SNAPPED, RENDERING THE CLUTCH PEDAL INOPERABLE. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT ONLY BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT AND I WAS ABLE TO DISENGAGE GEAR AND SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10334186June 2, 2010
POWER TRAIN
I HAD JUST BACKED OUT OF A DRIVEWAY ON TO A SIDE STREET ABOUT TO PULL ON TO A MAIN HIGHWAY, I HAD PUT MY CAR INTO FIRST GEAR AND IT DID SO FINE AND I WAS ACCELERATING AND WENT TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR AND WENT TO PUSH IN MY CLUTCH AND I COULD NOT FIND IT FOR A SECOND IT WAS STUCK AND PUSHED SLIGHTLY BEHIND MY BRAKE, SO I JUST PULLED MY CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I HAD SOME BREAKING BUT NOT FULL BRAKING. I FOUND THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET HAD FAILED, A SPOT WELD ON THE FRAME HAD BROKE AND CAUSED MY CLUTCH TO MOVE FREELY, THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE, I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW PART OUT OF MY POCKET ALTHOUGH I WAS DOING RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THIS HAS HAPPENED ALOT ON MAZDA RX8'S. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10332314May 26, 2010
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
CLUTCH PEDAL IN MY 2005 RX8 BROKE WHILE DRIVING, LEAVING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT GEARS. IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE AMONG RX8 DRIVERS, BUT MAZDA HAS SO FAR REFUSED TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10330016May 11, 2010
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 MAZDA RX-8 HOME, AND AFTER A NORMAL DRIVE HOME WITH NO ISSUES, I WAS GOING FROM 1ST GEAR TO 2ND NEAR MY HOUSE AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR, THE CLUTCH WOULDN'T RELEASE AND I COULDN'T CHANGE GEARS. HAD THIS HAPPENED A DOZEN SHIFTS EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IN A HIGHWAY MERGE, AND MY SAFETY SERIOUSLY ENDANGERED. UPON INSPECTION WHEN I MANAGED TO BABY THE CAR IN 1ST GEAR HOME, THE CLUTCH PEDAL HAD BROKEN AT THE BRACKET. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD A CLUTCH PEDAL BREAK. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND FULLY EXPECT REPLACEMENT WITHOUT CHARGE, BUT BASED ON WHAT I'VE READ, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, DESPITE MY EXTENDED BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10326520April 19, 2010
VISIBILITY
I WENT TO MOVE MY DRIVERS SIDE SUN-VISOR TO BLOCK THE SUN AND IT SPLIT AND PARTIALLY CAME APART HITTING MY HEAD AND CUTTING MY SKIN. MORE URGENTLY, IT BLOCKED MY VIEW OF THE ROAD AND I HAD TROUBLE MOVING IT OUT OF THE WAY. FOR SEVERAL LONG SECONDS, I WAS TRAVELING 65 MILES PER HOUR, FIGHTING WITH THE VISOR, UNABLE TO ROTATE IT OUT OF THE WAY BECAUSE IT WAS BROKEN, WITH NO FORWARD VIEW OF THE ROADWAY. I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO MOVE IT TO THE SIDE AND HOLD IT THERE WITH MY LEFT HAND WHILE I TRAVELED TO MY DESTINATION. ONCE I ARRIVED I REMOVED IT WITH A SCREW DRIVER. UPON INSPECTION OF THE PASSENGER SIDE VISOR, IT IS STARTING TO SPLIT ALSO. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10325873April 15, 2010
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
I DRIVE A 2005 MAZDA RX-8 MT. IT HAS AROUND 73K MILES. THE CLUTCH STARTED SQUEAKING COUPLE OF DAYS BACK AND YESTERDAY WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED GREEN I ENGAGED THE CLUTCH AND I HEARD A SNAPPING SOUND. I COULD NOT ENGAGE THE GEAR LATER AND HAD TO GET MY CAR TOWED. I TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE AND I AM TOLD THAT THE CLUTCH BRACKET IS BROKEN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10325084April 12, 2010
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN. THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS SHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR AND THE CLUTCH TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. THE ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WAS $390.00. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CONTACT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 63,400. UPDATED 06/08/10. *LJ UPDATED 09/28/10
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10323457April 2, 2010
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON I-75 IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, THE CLUTCH PEDAL IN MY 2005 MAZDA RX-8 SUDDENLY MADE A CRACKING SOUND AND FELL TO THE FLOOR. THE CLUTCH REMAINED ABOUT 1" FROM THE FLOOR, ALLOWING MINIMAL DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION, SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW ME TO RETURN THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A BROKEN CLUTCH PEDAL, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE MASTER CYLINDER. THERE HAD BEEN SOME CREAKING AT THE TOP OF THE RETURN OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL OVER THE PAST 2-3 WEEKS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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