NHTSA Complaint #10118220 — 2004 MAZDA RX-8

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 MY DAUGHTER WHO WAS DRIVING AND STRANDED IN THE CAR WITH VEHICLES SPEEDING BY AND BARELY MISSING HITTING HER, BUT FOR THOSE VEHICLES APPROACHING FROM BEHIND. MAZDA SUDDENLY DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE OIL PUMP - SPECIFICALLY "CODE P209 POST CATALYST FUEL PUMP TRIM TOO LEAN." THIS CODE HAS COME UP ON THE DIAGNOSTIC PREVIOUSLY, WITHOUT REPAIR. THE CAR IS NOW JUST OVER 50,000 MILES AND THEREFORE, MAZDA REFUSES TO HONOR THE WARRANTY - DESPITE THE ON-GOING NATURE OF THIS PROBLEM. I BELIEVE MAZDA HAS ACTED FRAUDULENTLY IN THIS MANNER. THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM SINCE NEAR THE TIME OF THE PURCHASE DATE, FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, AND WHEN OUT OF WARRANTY, SUDDENLY ACCURATELY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND REFUSE TO PAY. IN ADDITION, I WAS INFORMED BY MAZDA THAT THE FUEL PUMP WHICH IS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM IS ON BACKORDER WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND UNAVAILABLE. I HAVE TO WONDER IF THE DEMAND IS EXCEEDING THE SUPPLY OF THIS PARTICULAR FUEL PUMP BECAUSE AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF RX8 OWNERS ARE ALSO BEING AFFECTED BY THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM