NHTSA Complaint #10670057 — 2004 MAZDA RX-8

IN EARLY 2012 I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHUDDER AS I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. AFTER A THE INITIAL WHEEL TURN THE PROBLEM WOULD DISAPPEAR UNTIL THE NEXT DAY, OR WEEK. THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE TO THE POINT THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED ALL TOGETHER FOR 3 MONTHS IN LATE 2013. INEXPLICABLY THE POWER STEERING RETURNED IN EARLY 2014, BUT IF THE TEMPERATURE WAS COLD THE STEERING WAS VERY HEAVY FOR A FEW DEGREES OF TURNING AND THEN THE CAR WOULD SENSE I HAD TURNED THE WHEEL A FEW DEGREES AND WOULD THEN ASSIST TOO MUCH AND THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK IN THAT DIRECTION. AS THE YEAR PROGRESSED THE PROBLEM CHANGED TO A CONSTANT SHAKE BACK AND FORTH WHEN I FIRST STARTED THE VEHICLE. THIS ISSUE WOULD HAPPEN AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 0-10MPH AND ONLY WHEN EITHER INITIATING A TURN OR WHILE UNWINDING THE WHEEL FROM A TURN. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, AS THE TEMPERATURE HAS FALLEN AGAIN, WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT AND ENTERING A GRADUAL CURVE IN THE ROAD (TRAVELLING AT ANY SPEED) THE WHEEL WILL NOT GIVE POWER STEERING ASSIST AND THE WHEEL IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN (COMPARED TO IF POWER ASSIST WAS WORKING CORRECTLY) AND THEN AFTER A COUPLE OF DEGREES THE ASSIST WILL JUMP IN AND THE CAR QUICKLY OVER CORRECTS AND VEHICLE VEERS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE STEER NECESSITATING IMMEDIATE CORRECTION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THERE APPEAR TO BE MANY COMPLAINTS FROM A LOYAL MAZDA FAN BASE ABOUT THIS EXACT ISSUE, AND HOW SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE FROM MAZDA. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO EXACT FIX ISSUED, NOT EVEN A SERVICE BULLETIN.