Mazda RX-8 problems and owner complaints

PURCHASED USED VEHICLE IN APRIL 2007, FIRST INCIDENT 8/14/2007 ENGINE STALLED (ENGINE INTERNAL FAILURE) AT 45,107 MILES ENGINE REPLACED BY MAZDA DEALERSHIP. SECOND INCIDENT SEPTEMBER 2007 POWER STEERING GOES OUT (POOR CONNECTION ON ENGINE ROOM HARNESS) CONNECTION FIXED STEERING GEAR REPLACED; THIRD INCIDENT OCTOBER 2007, STEERING PROBLEM (STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR MALFUNCTION) BROKEN WIRE REPAIRED--LEARNED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED 15 TIMES PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 45,107 miles reported. Look up ODI 10206845 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE A CREAKING NOISE WHENEVER THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A TEAR LINE CRACK IN THE LOWER CONTROL ARM IN THE SUSPENSION. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN 2005 FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V325000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT) AND THE MANUFACTURER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE FOR FREE. THE FAILURE HAS RECURRED, BUT THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE ACCORDI…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10250819 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION CLUTCH FAILED. DEALER INDICATED THE CLUTCH WAS MISUSED. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10075657 at NHTSA ↗

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A MAZDA RX8 6 SPEED (5/11/04). THIS CAR HAS HAD MORE PROBLEMS THAN I CAN EXPLAIN IN A SHORT MESSAGE. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IT WOULDN'T START ONE MORNING. I LATER GOT IT STARTED AND TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER. THEY DID A FLASH UPDATE ON MY PCM AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE AFTER THAT. APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS LATER I BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY TRANSMISSION. I WAS ON VACATION IN CARLISLE, AR WHEN THE CAR BROKE DOWN THE FIRST TIME (8/9/2004). MY CAR WAS TOWED IN TO NORTH POINT MAZDA IN NORTH LITTLE ROCK, T…

Owner-reported narrative. 11,960 miles reported. Look up ODI 10096214 at NHTSA ↗

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

Owner-reported narrative. 900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10054579 at NHTSA ↗

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…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10057098 at NHTSA ↗

MY BRAND NEW 2004 MAZDA TRIBUTE'S BRAKE FAILED AT 300 MILES, AFTER ONLY 4 WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP. BOTH ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041395 at NHTSA ↗

FAILURE TO START IN COLD WEATHER. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATLEY 45 MILES, SHUT OFF, PARKED IN THE GARAGE. CAR SAT FOR APPROXIMATELY 24 HOURS, CAR WOULD NOT RESTART, ELECTRICAL APPEARS TO BE IN ORDER. MAZDA TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AND NOTED THE BRAKES WERE FROZEN, CAR WAS FORCEFULLY LOADED ONTO TOW TRUCK. DEALER INSISTS THE PROBLEM IS COMMON AN UPDATE WAS PERFORMED, SPARK PLUGS REPLACED. ONE WEEK LATER THE CAR AGAIN IS NOT STARTING AND IS IN THE DEALERSHIP UNKNOWN TIME OF REPAIR. INCIDENTS REPORTED TO MAZDA AWAITING RESPONSE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 3,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10104861 at NHTSA ↗

MAZDA RX-8 , 2500MILES HAS TWICE FAILED TO START AFTER SITTING IN GARAGE FOR 7-10 DAYS. MAINLY A BATTERY PROBLEM MAYBE???*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10051157 at NHTSA ↗

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

Owner-reported narrative. 5,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10058967 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2004 MAZDA RX8 WAS PURCHASED IN OCTOBER OF 2003. SINCE THE TIME OF PURCHASE, THE ENGINE HAS MADE LOUD KNOCKING NOISES ON ACCELERATION AND OTHER UNACCEPTABLE NOISES WHEN IN IDLE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON NUMEROUS TIMES, AND ON CHECKING THE CAR ON AT LEAST 5 OCCASIONS, THE MAZDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS MADE ONLY MINOR REPAIRS OR DONE NOTHING AT ALL. THIS PROBLEM HAS WORSENED OVER TIME AND RECENTLY THE CAR STALLED AT A BUSY HIGHWAY INTERSECTION AND WOULD NOT RESTART FOR 20 MINUTES - THIS WAS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION NOT ONLY FOR…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10118220 at NHTSA ↗

AROUND THE MIDDLE OF JUNE I STARTED NOTICING STRANGE BEHAVIOR IN THE PERFORMANCE OF MY ENGINE IN MY MAZDA RX-8. WHILE MAINTAINING A HIGHWAY SPEED OF ROUGHLY 65MPH I WOULD HEAR A RATTLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE, LIKE MARBLES BOUNCING AROUND INSIDE. THIS WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER IN ANY GEAR. AT NO TIME DID THE TEMP GAUGE NOTIFY ME OF OVERHEATING. THE PROBLEM WOULD GO AWAY WHEN I EASED OFF THE GAS TO A DANGEROUSLY SLOW HIGHWAY SPEED. ONCE GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR WOULD ACCELERATE, BUT WITH NOTICEABLY REDUCED PERFORM…

Owner-reported narrative. 11,950 miles reported. Look up ODI 10133927 at NHTSA ↗