NHTSA Complaint #10160229 — 2004 MAZDA RX-8

I BOUGHT MY RX8 IN AUGUST OF 2004. AFTER THE FIRST 16000 MILES I STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. IT STARTED OUT WITH CHATTERING COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHEN THE CAR WAS BEING ACCELERATED. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER DURING ACCELERATION. I FIRST TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER ON 1/09/06. THE DEALER PERFORMED RECALL 3305G AND TOLD ME THIS WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS SOME IMPROVEMENT BUT LOSS OF POWER WAS STILL OCCURRING. IN THE MORNING OF 4/17/06 CAR WOULD NOT START. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND CAR WAS TOWED FOR REPAIR. DEALER ATTRIBUTED PROBLEM TO POWER TRAIN MODULE (REFLASHING). ON 5/23/06 CAR WAS AGAIN IN THE SHOP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, DEALER PERFORMED COMPUTER CHANGES. ON 5/25/06 THE CAR WENT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS TIME THE PCM MODULE WAS REMOVED AND SENT OUT FOR REPAIR. ON 6/19/06 CAR EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEMS (VIBRATION, STALLING AND LOSS OF POWER). THIS TIME I INFORMED THE DEALER THAT I NEEDED THE CAR FULLY REPAIRED OR REPLACED. I CALLED MAZDA AND STARTED A COMPLAINT FILE (#107953120). CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP AND I AM DRIVING A RENTAL PAID FOR BY THE DEALER. *JB