2005 Mazda RX-8 problems and owner complaints

MY MAZDA RX-8 HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, AND THE CLUTCH BRACKET JUST BROKE OFF FOR NO SPECIAL REASON. IT IS TO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES THESE COMPONENTS SHOULD NOT BREAK. MAZDA DID FIX IT FOR ME. FUNNY THING IS MAZDA TECH LINE SAIDS THIS IS A *ONE TIME WARRANTY REPAIR* ONLY. THIS CLUTCH BRACKET PROBLEM IS A VERY WELL KNOWN ISSUE IN THE RX-8 COMMUNITY, BUT MAZDA JUST KEEP REPLACING BROKEN BRACKETS AND WAIT FOR USER'S WARRANTY PERIOD IS OVER. I JUST DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT DO MAZDA MEAN BY "ONE TIME REPAIR" ONLY. WHAT I CONCER…

Owner-reported narrative. 34,116 miles reported. Look up ODI 10213547 at NHTSA ↗

CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FAULTY DESIGN. WHILE DRIVING AND SHIFTING GEARS (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY SNAPS, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF ABILITY TO SHIFT GEARS. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE CAR HAD TO BE STARTED IN 1ST GEAR TO DRIVE TO SAFETY. THE THIN METAL TEARS AWAY FROM AROUND ONE OF THE BOLTS THAT HOLDS THE ASSEMBLY TO THE FIREWALL. THIS IS HAPPENING ON OTHER RX-8'S OF PEOPLE I ASSOCIATE WITH TO THE POINT THAT WELDING UP THE OLD BRACKET IS BECOMING COMMON. MAZDA HAS NOT COME UP WITH A STRONGER ASSEMBLY SINCE THEY …

Owner-reported narrative. 61,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10235827 at NHTSA ↗

MAZDA RX-8: CAR WAS PARKED AT THE TOP OF A GRADUAL SLOPE, WITH PARKING BRAKE FIRMLY PULLED UP. NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR HAD BACKED UP INTO BOTTOM OF A DITCH. THE CAR WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF OVER $15,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE DUE TO THE FAULTY BRAKE. WITNESSES AT THE SCENE CONFIRM THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET.

Owner-reported narrative. 2,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10128671 at NHTSA ↗

FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED BY DEALER DUE TO DEFECTIVE FRONT BRAKES. BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED AND VEHICLE IS NOW EXPERIENCING SAME BRAKE PROBLEMS. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10140403 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 10-30MPH; PROCEEDING TO MAKE A TURN. THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO STICK WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE STEERED IN ONE DIRECTION. THE DRIVER MANEUVERED THE STEERING WHEEL IN A FORWARD AND BACKWARD POSITION TO RELEASE IT. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE POWER STEERING RACK. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT B…

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10311801 at NHTSA ↗

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

Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10350129 at NHTSA ↗

I OWN A 2005 MAZDA RX8 6 SPEED. THE VEHICLE HAS 14,000 MILES. ON 5/30/06 THE ENGINE BEGAN TO STALL, SPUTTER AND MAKE A CLICKING NOISE AT OVER 4500 RPM. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO A NEARBY MAZDA DEALER. I WAS TOLD BY SERVICE PERSONNEL THAT 4 OTHER RX8'S WERE CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEMS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM IS HEAT RELATED AND MORE PREVALENT IN HOT CLIMATES. SERVICE PERSONNEL ADDED THAT THE ECU WOULD NEED TO BE SENT TO MAZDA TO BE REFLASHED. IF THAT DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM THE MOTOR MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. I CALLED A…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,165 miles reported. Look up ODI 10159670 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA RX-8. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER TEN TIMES. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE ALSO MAKES A POPPING SOUND. WHILE DRIVING 35 TO 70 MPH, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED FAILURE WITH THE MOTOR AND STATED THAT OIL IS SEEPING INTO THE INLET TUBES. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT SHE WAS USING THE WRONG FUEL AND RECOMMENDED BURNING IT OUT. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE OVER 60,000 MILES. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THIS FAIL…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10191127 at NHTSA ↗

DT: THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A NEW MAZDA RX8. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED WHAT THE CONSUMER SUSPECTED WAS A PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED WHILE IN PARK AND THE RPMS INCREASED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILDUP WHICH AFFECTED THE OXYGEN SENSORS AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THIS COULD ALSO LEAD TO A FUEL TANK LEAK AND ULTIMATELY A FIRE. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE MAZDA DEALER. THE MAZDA DEALER NOTIFIED THE CONSUMER ABOUT A RECALL OF A SIMILAR NATURE CONCERNING THE FUEL TANK. THE MAZDA DEALER FROM WHERE THE VEHI…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10137647 at NHTSA ↗

PURCHASED A MAZDA RX8 2005, ON 7-16-2006. NOTE VEHICLE WAS NEW ONLY 159 MILES ON ODOMETER. I PURCHASED IT FROM CLASSIC MAZDA IN MENTOR OHIO AND THEY NEVER ADVISED ME OF OPEN RECALL REGARDING POSSIBLE FIRE FROM LEAKING FUEL TANK. FOUND OUT FROM ANOTHER MAZDA DEALER WHERE VEHICLE SITS AT THIS TIME WITH MECHANICAL ISSUE. MY FAMILIES SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED BY GREED OF CLASSIC MAZDA BY NOT INFORMING US PRIOR TO SALE OF OPEN SAFETY RECALL. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10167732 at NHTSA ↗

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH, THE ANTI-SKID AND CHECK ENGINE LAMPS ILLUMINATED. AFTER THE LAMPS ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE SPEED DECREASED FROM 70MPH TO 15MPH WITHIN 8 SECONDS. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OFF THE ROAD, WERE THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED WITH EASE, BUT THE ENGINE STILL REVVED HIGH AND THE LAMPS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE HOWEVER THE DEALER W…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10149188 at NHTSA ↗

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON THREE OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER EACH TIME WHERE THE BATTERY AND THE STARTER WERE REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 11,710 miles reported. Look up ODI 10171234 at NHTSA ↗