2004 MAZDA RX-8 Electrical System Problems

SPORADIC POWER STEERING LOSS, ALMOST GOT INTO 2 ACCIDENTS. WHILE DRIVING I WOULD LOSS POWER STEERING.

ELECTRIC-ASSIST POWER STEERING, RANDOMLY IN THE PARKING LOT THE WHEEL WILL TURN ALL BY ITSELF, ONE WAY TURNS EASIER THAN THE OTHER, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE NO POWER STEERING AND OTHER TIMES YOUR STEERING WHEEL TURNS LIKE BUTTER, I LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH A VERY WINDY AND DANGEROUS ROADS, I'VE TAKEN IT TO SEVERAL MECHANICS FINALLY ONE MECHANIC JUST UNPLUG THE WIRING HARNESS SO THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. IT IS VERY SCARY TO DRIVE ESPECIALLY WITH A NEWBORN BABY. THERE ARE A LOT OF CARS ON THE ROAD WITH THIS ISSUE I KNOW 10 DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE SOME SORT OF POWER STEERING ISSUE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I'M SURPRISED THERE IS NOT A RECALL YET ON IT. I'VE HAD TWO FRIENDS THAT ARE CLOSE TO ME THAT HAVE THIS ISSUE AS WELL, ONE FRIEND WRECKED HIS CAR THE OTHER FRIEND SOLD IT I BELIEVE TO PICK-N-PULL SO...

I BOUGHT A CAR THAT HAD A RECALL OF THE AIR BAG THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG HAD BEEN DEPLOYED WAS TOLD BY DEALER IT WAS UNDER RECALL.AFTER CHECKING WITH THE DEALER THE SIDE SEAT AIR BAG WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL WAS NOT REPLACED OR EVEN LOOKED AT .SO WE TOOK THE SEAT OUT TO SEE ANT OBVIOUS ISSUES AND WE FOUND ALL THE WIRES THAT PLUG INTO SEAT ALL WAY TO UNDER CARPET AGAINST FRAME ALL THE WIRES WERE MELTED.WITCH IS AN OBVIOUS MANAFATURING PROBLEM.WE HAVE READ MUPLTILE FORUMS WHERE TONS OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM BUT YET NO RECALL WE COULD FIND ON THIS ISSUE.MY MOTHER IS ON OXYGEN AND IF MY CAR CATCHES FIRE TO DO THIS AND NO ONE LOOKING INTO THIS IT CAN BE FAR WORSE.THIER IS ANOTHER RECALL ON FRONT END SUSPSION THAT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO REPLACE AT THIS...

"TAKATA RECALL"-CAR STARTS WHEN COLD,THEN IT DIES IN THE TRAFFIC,GOT ENGERYS PUSHING CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC,LIKE CAR BUT IT HAS LOTS OF RECALLS AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED RIGHT AWAY.WON'T DRIVE MADZA 2004 AFTER THIS HAPPENED. *TT THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PUSH THE CAR OFF OF THE HIGHWAY, AFTER IT DIED, HE LOST HIS GRIP AND WAS DRAGGED BEHIND THE VEHICLE. *JS

MY POWER STEERING GOES IN AND OUT AS IT PLEASES; ONLY WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO AND CUTS UP WHEN DRIVING AND HAD TO TURN OFF CAR TO MAKE IT WORK TO ONLY MAKE IT REPEAT AGAIN. DOES THIS ONLY WHEN DRIVING. AND NOT SAFE FOR ANYBODY WHO IS DEALING WITH THE NO POWERSTEERING ISSUES OR HAVE STEERING BUT WITH MANY FAULTS THAT CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS/DEATH MAZDA FIXED OTHERS BY WIRE TAPPING ALL DELETING THE POWERSTEERING CONNECTIONS. BUT ONLY HAVING THE ISSUE LATER DOWN THE ROAD THEY DID THIS AROUND FEBRUARY/MARCH OF LAST YEAR AND HAD IN AND OUT POWERSTEERING AFTER 3 MONTH OF THEIR REPAIR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, A BURNING ODOR ENTERED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE, LIFTED THE HOOD, AND NOTICED SMOKE. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE WIRES UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WERE MELTED. THE CONTACT ALSO SMELLED FUEL COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED DUE TO A FAULTY ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,777. UPDATED 10/17/17*LJ *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHEN SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR CONDITION PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE CENTER CONSOLE OVERHEATED TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS UNABLE TO BE TOUCHED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG COVER WAS BULGING AND COULD CRACK AT ANY MOMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,010.

I PURCHASED MY 2004 AUTOMATIC RX8 IN SEPTEMBER OF 2011. IT BEGAN GIVING ME TROUBLE WITH THE TYPE OF GAS IT TOOK. I FINALLY FIGURED OUT THAT BP PREMIUM SEEMED TO KEEP IT FROM "COUGHING". I THOUGHT THAT I HAD FIXED THE ISSUES AND IT DROVE FINE FOR A GOOD WHILE. I CHANGED THE OIL RELIGIOUSLY AT ABOUT 3000 MILES OR LESS. IT WOULD DISPLAY THE OIL LIGHT AFTER ONLY ABOUT 1500-2000MILES. I HAD A DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID THE OIL LEVEL WAS FINE AND THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT HAD THE LIGHT ON. THE OIL LIGHT NOW COMES ON AT JUST 300MILES INTO THE LAST OIL CHANGE. IN FEB OF THIS YEAR IS WHEN THE CAR STARTED DETERIORATING AT A RAPID PACE, AND I WAS COMPLETELY DUMBFOUNDED TILL I BEGAN DOING SOME RESEARCH AND SAW THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUES I HAVE...

POWERS STEERING FAILED. *TR

I HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH TO THE DEALER FOR MY RX8'S POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHEN IT SHUT OFF TWICE OF THE MANY TIMES, IT PULLED MY CAR TO THE HARD RIGHT AND I ALMOST RAN OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE OF IT. THE DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME THE FIRST TIME TO REPLACE THE BATTERY TERMINAL BECAUSE IT WAS LOOSING POWER TO THE STEERING UNIT. THEN MULTIPLE TIMES LATER, HUNDREDS MORE, THEY SAID THAT REPAIRING THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTORS WAS RECOMMENDED BY THEIR TECH LINE AND THEY SAID THAT MAY NOT BE THE LAST THING NEEDED. FIRST OF ALL, THE DEALERSHIP, HERITAGE MAZDA OF LUTHERVILLE, MD, SEEM TO BE WORKING HARD ON THIS PROBLEM, BUT THIS TRULY IS A TRAFFIC SAFETY ISSUE AND ITS COSTING ME HUNDREDS IN A SHOT IN THE DARK TO FIX THE PROBLEM. CAN YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SAFETY MATTER, EVEN...

I JUMPED INTO MY 2004 MAZDA RX-8 AFTER WORK STARTED IT UP AND WENT TO DRIVE AND NOTICED IT WAS REALLY HARD TO TURN AND I LOOKED AND NOTICED THAT A LIGHT THAT WAS A STEERING WHEEL WITH AN EXCLAMATION MARK NEXT TO IT SO I DROVE IT HOME NOT EVEN A MILE AWAY AND READ ABOUT IT ONLINE AND FOUND OUT IT HAPPENS A LOT. PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER VERY VERY SOON. *TR

PART NUMBERS FE03-51-21YD (REAR) AND FE03-51-22YC (FRONT). I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER WHEN THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATING CORRECTLY MY DRIVING AREA AT NIGHT. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER TODAY AND I WAS TOLD THAT THESE PARTS ARE NOT COVERED. THERE HAS BEEN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) ON THIS CAR CONCERNING THIS ISSUE FOR A LONG TIME. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE SENSORS BECAUSE THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE. THEY WERE FAULTY TO BEGIN WITH. IN ADDITION THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR A LONG TIME. *TR

MAZDA RX8: SIR, I HAVE BEEN THE SOLE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED IT, AND EACH TIME I'M ON A BUSINESS TRIP FOR ONE WEEK OR MORE, THE CAR HAS TO BE TOWED FOR SERVICES. EITHER FOR FLOODING OUT OR RECHARGING THE BATTERY. LAST MONTH I BOUGHT AN ADVERTISED DEVICE, CAR MD, TO HELP DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND IT INDICATES THERE'S AN ELECTRONIC SENSOR ISSUE, WHICH MAZDA CHOOSE NOT TO ADMIT. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 24,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN A LIVING NIGHTMARE SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. NOW, THE COMPANY WANTS ME TO PAY FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR REPAIRS WHEN I BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. REQUEST YOUR ASSISTANCE IN RECTIFYING THIS MATTER OR POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OF WHAT AGENCY HAS OVERSIGHT OF THESE MATTERS. *TR

MY VISOR LITERALLY FELL OFF THE CAR WHICH SHUT DOWN THE RADIO. AND NOW THE CAR IS STARTING FUNNY. I NEED HELP SOON. *TR

2004 MAZDA RX-8, UNDER 45K MILES. DRIVEN ON A 78 DEGREE DAY FOR 2 HOUR TRIP. STOPPED TO REFUEL AND 30 MIN SHOPPING. GET INTO CAR ONTO HIGHWAY WHERE I NEED MY ENGINE'S SPEED TO ACCELERATE ONTO HIGHWAY. I FEELS LIKE HALF THE POWER IS GONE. IT REMINDS ME OF VAPOR LOCK, IT'S GASPING FOR FUEL OR SPARK. THIS HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED MANY TIMES BEFORE AND NEARLY DANGEROUS WHEN IN BUSY TRAFFIC, AS HAD TO PULL OVER TO BIRM. I KNOW DEALER REPLACED COIL PACKS ONCE OR TWICE SO FAR...ALONG WITH PLUGS. THIS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS CAR I EVER OWNED. THE MOST RE-CALLED CAR I'VE EVER KNOWN OF. RIGHT NOW IT'S RUNNING FINE, MATTER OF FACT HAS POWER TO SPARE AS COMPARED TO IT'S 'WHIMPING OUT SYNDROME ". THERE MUST BE A CORPORATE SOLUTION FROM MAZDA TO ME. I AM READY FOR A LAWYER. *TR

I HAVE OWNED A 2004 MAZDA RX7 SINCE OCT 07 SINCE THEN THE ENGINE HAS BEEN REPLACED AT 26,000 MILES 2 SET OF COILS SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES, SENSORS, TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR RESERVOIR JUST FOR STARTERS. NOW THE CAR IS STALLING AT LOW RPM'S OR WHEN IT GETS HOT LEAVING ME STRANDED IN INTERSECTIONS AND ON BUSY FREEWAYS. MAZDA HAS A BULLETIN OUT ON THIS CAR BUT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT CONSIDER IT A SAFETY ISSUE THEY WILL NOT RECALL THE CAR. I BEG TO DIFFER!! BEING STRANDED IN AN INTERSECTION OR ON A BUSY HIGHWAY INCREASES MY ODDS GREATLY THAT I AM GOING TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER CAR AND POSSIBLY KILLED. THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOME TYPE OF GOVERNMENT BODY OUT THERE THAT CAN ENFORCE THESE MANY CLAIMS OF ENGINE FAILURE AGAINST MAZDA AND THERE ROTARY ENGINE BECAUSE THE LATEST DIAGNOSIS IS THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WILL STALL WITHOUT WARNING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND A MECHANIC STATED THAT FUEL FLOODED THE ENGINE AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY REPLACED. IN ADDITION, IT TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE IN COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT CONDENSATION WAS PRESENT AND A VACUUM NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED, WHICH WOULD PREVENT WATER INTERFERENCE. THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE EXTERIOR LIGHTING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE WATER ENTRY. FINALLY, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BEARING FAILED, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED THE TIRE TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,000. UPDATED 020209 *BF THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS WORN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FRONT AND REAR COILS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 02/03/09. *JB

2004 MAZDA RX8 VEHICLE WOULD NOT START IN COLD WEATHER OR DAMP WEATHER. MANY TRIPS TO DEALER TO NO ONE COULD FIND WHAT WAS WRONG. PROBLEM PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE WOULD ONLY START WHEN IT WANTED TO, FINALLY GOT TO THE POINT THAT IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL. ONCE THIS HAPPENED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE IMMOBILIZER MODULE HOWEVER SERVICE TECH'S AT DEALER CAN NOT SAY FOR SURE THAT IT IS THE ONLY PROBLEM. HAVE READ COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS THAT OWN THIS VEHICLE HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM BELIEVE THAT IT IS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2004 MAZDA RX-8 IN MARCH 2005 AND PROBLEMS WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON DID NOT START UNTIL APRIL 2006. AT THAT TIME THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 26,000 MILES ON IT (I HAVE A LONG COMMUTE 90% OF WHICH IS FREEWAY). THE FIRST SEVERAL TIMES BACK TO THE DEALER MINOR THINGS WERE ADJUSTED OR CLEANED SUCH AS THE SPARK PLUGS AND A SMALL VALVE A KIT TO A BUTTERFLY VALVE IN A CARBURETOR ENGINE. EVENTUALLY THE VALVE WAS REPLACED, BUT THE LIGHT STILL CAME BACK ON. IN FACT, ON ONE OCCASION THE CAR WAS PULLED OUT OF THE SHOP DOORS PRONOUNCED FIXED AND UPON MY STARTING IT AGAIN THE LIGHT WAS BACK ON. EVENTUALLY MAZDA APPROVED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BE REPLACED, WHICH IT WAS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS STAYED OFF SINCE THAT REPLACEMENT (ABOUT 3-MONTHS) , BUT OTHER PROBLEMS HAVE ARISEN. FIRST, EITHER THE...

ENGINE FAILURE, AFTER DRIVING SHORT DISTANCES ENGINE DOES NOT ALWAYS WANT TO RESTART; DURING TIMES OF SITTING IN TRAFFIC, CAR WILL IDLE ROUGHLY AND SPUTTER, SOMETIMES DIE AND WON'T IMMEDIATELY RESTART; CAR HAS DIED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START OUT INTO TRAFFIC; TRANSMISSION DOESN'T CHANGE GEARS PROPERLY... I HAVE HAD MY CAR SINCE FEB. 04 AND IT HAS BEEN SERVICED OVER A DOZEN TIMES FOR ENGINE FAILURE AND TRANSMISSION ISSUES ALONE. IT HAS HAD A NEW TRANSMISSION, LINKAGE, GEAR BOX, STARTER, BATTERY, AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY PUTTING IN THE 2ND REPLACEMENT ENGINE. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHY THESE CARS HAVE SO MUCH TROUBLE, BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE ANOTHER ONE IF IT WAS GIVEN TO ME. *NM

3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE OF 2004 RX-8 BATTERY AND SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TS ONE SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY WAS REPLACED TWICE AND HAD TO BE CHARGED THREE TIMES. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE COMPUTER WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED TO ALLEVIATE STALLING. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, 02 SENSOR, AMPLIFIER AND STARTER WERE ALSO REPLACED. *NM

2004 MAZDA RX 8 HAS MANY DESIGN DEFECTS, BATTERY WAS REPLACED, SPARK PLUGS AND OIL FILTER WAS REPLACED 3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. *TS THE STARTED WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS STALLING IN TRAFFIC AND WAS TAKING MULTIPLE TIMES TO TRY TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. AFTER NUMEROUS TIMES OF THE VEHICLE BEING TOWED, THE DEALERSHIP DECIDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. AFTER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS STILL NOT STARTING SMOOTHLY. THE DASH LIGHTS WERE BLINKING ON AND OFF AND THE HEAT WAS NOT WORKING. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, 02 SENSOR, AND A/C AMPLIFIER. THE HEATER CONTROL SWITCH WAS REPLACED. THE SUN VISOR WAS REPLACED. *JB

MAZDA RX 8 FAILED TO START. SECOND TIME SENT TO DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER HAS HAD CAR FOR 5 DAYS WAITING FOR A BATTER FOR MY CAR. *JB

I PURCHASED THE CAR IN MARCH 2004. DURING THE TIME SPAN OF JULY 2004-OCTOBER 2005 THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE DEPT. FOR FAILURE TO START AND ENGINE FAILURE DURING DRIVING THE CAR. OCTOBER 5, 2005 THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TO PICK UP THE CAR THAT IT WAS FIXED. I WENT AND PICKED UP THE CAR AND STARTED HOME IN THE CAR THE CAR QUIT RUNNING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MILES PER HOUR AND MYSELF AND TWO CHILDREN WERE ALMOST HIT BY TWO BIG TRUCKS. *JB

MAZDA 2004 RX-8 FLOODED AND FAILED TO START TWICE, EACH TIME IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED WITH NEW PLUGS AND UPDATE PCM. *BF *SC

MAZDA RX-8 WITH LESS THAN 3000 MILES HAS TWICE SHUT OFF AND FAILED TO START. MAJOR PROBLEM WITH FUEL DELIVERY AND/OR SPARK IGNITION SYSTEM. *AK