NHTSA Complaint #10173103 — 2004 MAZDA RX-8

PURCHASED A 2004 MAZDA RX8 DURING MAY 2004. AUG. 2004 THE CAR WAS IN FOR A RECALL ON HARD START/ LACK OF POWER ISSUES. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR 24 DAYS AND HAS REQUIRED 8 TRIPS TO THE SERVICE DEPT. FOR ENGINE RELATED PROBLEMS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PCM WAS SHIPPED TO MAZDA USA FOR A REPROGRAM. THIS SOLUTION DID NOT WORK AND THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE SYMPTOMS INCLUDE POWER LOSS, HESITATION, ROUGH IDLE, AND CEL LIGHT PROBLEMS. INITIALLY, I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A HIGH SPEED LEAN OUT CONDITION. ACTUALLY, THIS VEHICLE HAD A DEFECTIVE ENGINE FROM THE DAY IT WAS PURCHASED. THIS IS CONFIRMED BY THE FACT MAZDA HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON ALL RX8 ROTARY ENGINES AND THERE IS A RECALL ON ALL ROTARY ENGINES FOR TESTING TO SEE IF THE ENGINE NEEDS REPLACEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS FIX MAY OR MAY NOT WORK. OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD MULTIPLE ENGINE REPLACEMENTS. MY CAR HAS STARTED TO EXHIBIT THE SAME SYMPTOMS THAT LED TO THE FIRST REPLACEMENT. ALSO, THE ENGINES ARE REMANUFACTURED FURTHER REDUCING THE RESALE VALUE OF THE CAR. THE TREATMENT FROM THE DEALER AND MAZDA USA CUSTOMER MEDIATION IS ACTUALLY "CUSTOMER NO SERVICE" AND A DISGRACE. IN A PRESS RELEASE RX8 OWNERS WERE GUARANTEED "WHITE GLOVE TREATMENT". IT APPEARS THAT THE ONLY REMEDY SEEMS TO AN ATTORNEY AND/OR THE LEMON LAW. *NM