NHTSA Complaint #10384444 — 2004 MAZDA RX-8

I BOUGHT MY 2004 MAZDA RX-8 AT 52,000 MILES. AT 65,000 MILES I WAS ON MY WAY BACK FROM MALIBU WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ROADSIDE SERVICE TOWED MY CAR TO THE NEAREST MAZDA DEALER IN THOUSAND OAKS. THERE THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR NEEDED TO HAVE THE COILS AND SPARK PLUGS REPLACED COSTING $880. AFTER THEY FINISHED THE JOB, I WENT BACK TO PICK UP MY CAR FROM THE LOT. I TURN MY CAR ON AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON YET AGAIN, WASTING MY 2 HR. TRIP. AFTER FURTHER DIAGNOSIS THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY WIRING HARNESS, OXYGEN SENSOR, RADIATOR SENSOR, AND FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALL THIS COSTING AROUND $2600 WHICH AMOUNTS MY TOTAL EXPENSES TO APPROXIMATELY $3500. AFTER CHECKING FOR RECALLS ON MY CAR ON NHTSA, I FOUND A RECALL FOR ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING PROBLEMS WHICH, IF NOT FIXED, RESULTED IN ALL THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT I CURRENTLY HAVE RIGHT NOW. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE 100,000 MILES OR 10 YEAR ENGINE WARRANTY. WHEN I NOTIFIED THE DEALER ABOUT THE RECALLS AND THE WARRANTY, THEY REFUSED TO OFFER ME ANY HELP, STATING THAT MY CAR HAD ALREADY HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED AND THAT THE WARRANTY ONLY SPECIFICALLY COVERED THE 1.3 RENESIS ROTARY ENGINE AND NOT ITS RELATED COMPONENTS. THEY REFUSE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEMS THEY CAUSED BY SELLING A FAULTY PRODUCT. WHEN THE DEALER COULDN'T OFFER ME ANY HELP I DECIDED TO CONTACT MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY ALSO REFUSED TO HELP ME IN ANY WAY. THE PRICE THAT THEY ARE DEMANDING IS RIDICULOUS AS WELL SEEING AS HOW A BRAND NEW MOTOR COSTS $2200 AND WITH LABOR WOULD AMOUNT CLOSE TO WHAT I NOW HAVE TO PAY. SINCE MAZDA REMAINS FIRMLY RESOLVED ON THE ISSUE, I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO HELPLESSLY PAY THE MONEY THAT THEY ASK FOR. MY LAST RESORT IS TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT TO NHTSA AND HOPE THAT YOU MAY HELP ME RETRIEVE THE MONEY THAT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS TO ME AND TO FORCE MAZDA TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LEMON PRODUCT THAT THEY ARE SELLING. *TR