NHTSA Complaint #10166385 — 2004 MAZDA RX-8

I OWN A 2004 MAZDA RX-8 AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL RANDOM BREAK-DOWNS & THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. HALF THE TIME, MY CAR IS JUST PARKED AND WILL NOT START UP EVEN AFTER SITTING FOR AWHILE. MAZDA HAS REPLACED THE ENTIRE ENGINE, BATTERY, AND COILS. I WAS WITHOUT MY CAR FOR 22 DAYS. I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND 11 OTHER MAZDA RX-8 OWNERS WITH THE EXACT PROBLEMS. SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE ROTARY ENGINE. I WROTE MAZDA CONSUMER COMPLIANCE AND GAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION RELATED TO MY CAR AND THEY OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND GUARANTEED MY CAR WAS FULLY REPAIRED. THEY SENT ME A CONTRACT FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY AND BASICALLY SIGNING THE WARRANTY EXCLUDES ME TO EVER SEEK ANY MONETARY OR JUSTIFICATION FROM MAZDA AGAIN ON THIS VEHICLE. I DID NOT SIGN THE CONTRACT. I PICKED UP MY CAR AND 6 DAYS LATER MY CAR WOULD NOT START (SAME AS BEFORE). I TOWED IT BACK TO THE DEALER, WITHIN 2 DAYS THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT MY UNDERCARRIAGE WAS COMPLETELY TORN APART AND I MUST OF RAN OVER SOMETHING VERY RECENTLY AND IT WOULDN'T BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY ARE NOW CHARGING ME $250 FOR A REPLACEMENT OXYGEN SENSOR. I CAN CARE LESS ABOUT THE $250, IT'S JUST OBVIOUS THEY WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THEIR ENGINE IS DEFECTIVE BY DESIGN. I AM SURE MY VIN # IS FLAGGED AT THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF THE LETTER I WROTE TO THE MANUFACTURER, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE THE LETTER WAS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM BEFORE I SEEK LEGAL COUNCIL. I GUESS NOW THEY ARE IMPLYING THAT I AM PURPOSELY HARMING MY VEHICLE, WHICH IS ABSURD. I HEARD THAT THERE WAS A NEW RECALL FOR THE MAZDA RX-8 COMING OUT SOON BUT THEY ARE WAITING FOR NHTSA TO APPROVE IT. I AM HOPING IT'S FOR MAZDA TO BUY BACK THE VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAD SUCH A RECALL FOR THIS SAME VEHICLE IN THE PAST DUE TO FALSE ADVERTISING OF THE HORSE POWER OF THIS VEHICLE. IT'S UNSAFE TO HAVE YOUR CAR RANDOMLY DIE ON YOU. I JUST HOPE SOMETHING GETS ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE SOMEONE DOES GET HURT WHILE STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *JB