NHTSA Complaint #10447237 — 2006 MAZDA RX-8

THE ELECTRONIC ASSIST STEERING ON OUR RX8 COMPLETELY FAILED IN 2007/2008 (APPROX 25,000 MILES) THE STEERING RACK, STEERING MODULE, AND STEERING WIRE HARNESS WERE REPLACED BY MAZDA UNDER WARRANTY. WITHIN A YEAR, THE STEERING FAILED AGAIN. ACCORDING TO MAZDA, IT WAS THE WIRE HARNESS WHICH WAS THEN REPLACED OR SERVICED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IT HAS NOW BEEN 4 YEARS AND STILL THE CAR ONLY HAS A TOTAL OF 60,000 MILES ON IT AND THE STEERING HAS FAILED AGAIN. THIS TIME THOUGH, FAILURE HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT. THE ASSIST WILL TURN OFF AND BACK ON AS YOU ARE DRIVING. THIS PRODUCES VERY TREACHEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS INCLUDING SUDDEN VEERING OR POTENTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL. DRIVING 10 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE STEERING ASSIST TURNED OFF & ON TWICE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME, I BARELY AVOIDED COLLIDING WITH A VEHICLE IN THE NEXT LANE AFTER A SUDDEN VEER. I WAS MUSCLING THE STEERING AND THE ASSIST CAME BACK ON. A DRIVER NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUE WHO EXPERIENCES THE PROBLEM FOR THE FIRST TIME COULD EASILY MAKE A SUDDEN STEERING CHANGE AND IT COULD BE FATAL. MAZDA IS NOW SAYING IT IS THE STEERING CONTROL MODULE YET THEY WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR ($1,400) BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. UPON SEARCHING ONLINE, THERE ARE 100'S OF REPORTS OF THIS EXACT ISSUE OF MULTIPLE STEERING FAILURES BEING REPORTED BY OTHER INDIVIDUAL RX8 OWNERS AS WELL AS OTHER MAZDA VEHICLES. MAZDA CONTINUES TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM FOR THE RX8 YET THEY HAVE ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF ALL 2007-2009 MAZDA 3 & MAZDA 5 STEERING SYSTEMS. WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO GET OUR CAR FIXED AND PAY THE BILL. MAZDA REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT EVEN AFTER I CALLED THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE. THEY FILED MY COMPLAINT THEN BASICALLY SAID TOUGH LUCK. THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'S CAR AND SHE CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. I AM LITERALLY SCARED TO LET HER DRIVE IT. IT IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR