NHTSA — Power Train Problems

2004 Mazda RX-8 (Page 2 of 2)

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
79,887 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Mazda RX-8 drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2004 Mazda RX-8 Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #18

Apr 052011

RX-8 8-cyl

  • 80,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My clutch pedal was already replaced at 101,000 miles by another dealer part by Mazda that was suppose to be updated by Mazda because of so many clutch pedal brackets in the RX8's always breaking. Mazda even extended the warranty over 100,000 miles because it was becoming so common. The so called updated one they replaced, broke again, and it was new when it was put in. It lasted 50K miles and that's all. Im going on my 3rd clutch pedal assembly and Mazda will only cover the first breakage. I called Mazda corporate and they said that the replacement clutch only carries a part warranty of 30,000 miles. And that the clutch pedal assembly is a wear and tear item. Clutch pedals in every other car on the market last the lifetime of the car. And im going on 3 in this car alone. Mazda was suppose to have put an updated clutch pedal assembly in my car and they didn't. given, the work was done at Firestone because my car was the closest to that place because it was undrivable. But even if it was done at Mazda they still would have given me the same crappy warranty. Mazda says that the extended warranty only covers the first clutch pedal assembly replacement. The first one lasted longer than the second one! and the second one was suppose to be better. Come to find out. The Mazda dealer that sold Firestone the clutch assembly, sold them the old model one and charged me new pricing! my complaint to you is that since all of these RX8 owners are breaking their clutch still. Mazda is not holding onto their promise to fix clutch pedal issues. Is there any way you guys can force Mazda to cover the newer pedals that break too? I mean this whole thing is ridiculous.

- Zephyrhills, FL, USA

problem #17

Apr 102012

RX-8

  • 115,100 miles
This is the 2nd time this has occurred. My clutch pedal snapped the first time and it was covered by a recall due to the clutch pedal bracket failing. I had it replaced on 11-11-08. The 2nd time it happened on 4-10-12. Luckily, I was at a stop light. I pushed in the clutch to go when the light turned green, heard a pop, and the vehicle would not move. The clutch pedal bracket snapped again. I contacted the Mazda dealership where I had it replaced the 1st time. They stated it was no longer covered and the recall had just recently expired. Now, I know the car is out of manufacturer warranty, but this is truly a safety issue. This is welded metal breaking. What would happen if you were driving on the interstate and this happened when you went to change gears and your clutch pedal assembly snaps? all of the sudden no acceleration dangerous.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

problem #16

Mar 232012

RX-8

  • 92,000 miles
Clutch pedal bracket snapped while driving. Prevented car from going into gear and was left stranded.

- North Wildwood, NJ, USA

problem #15

Jan 222012

RX-8

  • 120,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My husband drove me to the grocery store and we heard a loud pop. The car barely went into first gear and started grinding when it went into second. We barely made it home!! it stalled in the middle of us turning into our road and we almost got hit. When we looked at it after we( luckily) made it home. The entire clutch pedal moved and angled to the right when depressed and went back to regular position when we let go of it.

- Timmonsville, SC, USA

problem #14

Jun 112011

RX-8

  • 82,326 miles
As my wife and I were driving home my clutch pedal stuck to the floor. I couldn't shift gears so I had to coast to the emergency lane.

- Louisville, KY, USA

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problem #13

May 202011

RX-8

  • 88,168 miles
1. clutch pedal assembly would make pop noise when being depressed and released. 2. clutch pedal bracket to firewall snapped causing clutch pedal to not return. Could not change gears or stop with car on. 3.had to replace with factory pedal (the same pedal that caused the problem).

- Clovis, CA, USA

problem #12

Oct 282010

RX-8

  • 83,023 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I own a 2004 Mazda RX8 with manual transmission. I had my clutch pedal break while driving. I originally though of it as an isolated case due to a bad component. I had the clutch replaced at my own cost but this part has broken again today. While searching for common issues I have found quite a few other people reporting the same problem. This part broke while driving on a local road but this came with no warning. Had this happened on a busy street or the highway it may have been a different issue. This part seems to be of very poor quality as it has broken from the same place again.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #11

Jun 162010

RX-8

  • Manual transmission
  • 70,000 miles
2004 Mazda RX8 manual transmission. The clutch pedal bracket has ripped at the upper outboard bolt to firewall. The clutch pedal return spring inboard retainer clip has broken off, outboard clip is intact but has multiple fractures. The return spring has worn into the bracket about 7 mm. Vehicle owner stated there was a snap like noise and the pedal fell to the floor. The vehicle lost its ability to shift. I have verified that the vehicle will not shift into any gear.. unless you have it in first when trying to start it. Even with clutch pressed in, the starter will force the vehicle forward. The bracket to firewall tear is about 3 inches long.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #10

Jun 142010

RX-8

  • miles
Everything started fine. While driving my clutch pedal failed on me and I was unable to properly maneuver the vehicle. Clutch pedal sticks to the ground and the gears get stuck and I have to rip them out. It happened once, because now the car is inoperable. To correct the failure I'm going to replace clutch pedal bracket assembly and possibly an new clutch altogether.

- Culpeper, VA, USA

problem #9

Feb 022010

RX-8

  • 59,548 miles
Driving on the freeway doing posted 55 mph, go do downshift from 6th to 5th gear because I was exiting and when I depressed my clutch pedal it snapped off causing my to not be able to get out of gear. I had to veer off the road kill the engine and wait for aaa to come tow me to a local repair. This is very very dangerous because if I were in town or residential area could of been trouble.

- Sebastopol, CA, USA

problem #8

Dec 212009

RX-8

  • 62,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving my 2004 Mazda rx 8 home from work when all of a sudden my clutch pedal dropped and my car would not switch gears, luckily I coasted across the intersection. I had my car towed to a Mazda dealership, they told me my entire clutch assembly was destroyed to nothing and my clutch pedal was bent, due to broken bracket on clutch pedal. My extended warranty would not cover the cost, even though it was due to a part that wasn't a wear and tear part. Total cost is $1490.

- Pueblo, CO, USA

problem #7

Oct 312009

RX-8

  • 68,081 miles
I own a Mazda Rx-8 2004 model and I was driving down the interstate on approx 10/31/09. I didn't realize it until I needed to change gears but I realized that my clutch was getting stuck behind my brake pedal and that I could not shift gears properly. I slowed down and after tugging and tugging I was able to switch gears. I stopped the car to call my friends thinking it was a bad clutch but no one could give me a straight answer. I called a tow truck and spent 200 dollars getting it towed and another 180 to get it fixed. The problem had been my clutch pedal bracket. Its made out of material so flimsy that it had snapped from the welds. I think this is a safety hazard and after doing my research I have found that many other people have had this problem. I for one don't want to ever be stuck O the middle of an interstate again.

- Port Royal, SC, USA

problem #6

Oct 132009

RX-8

  • 52,562 miles
It was approximately 11:15 in the night, I was on my way back from a late night food run at mcdonald's. the distance from my residence to mcdonald's is approximately 2.2 miles. As I approached a stop sign, one (1) block away from my residence, I depressed my clutch pedal in order to come to a complete stop, and that is when I heard a loud clattery clang. Immediately after, the clutch pedal felt extremely soft and I found it very hard to change gears. Being that I was so close to home I didn't have time to further examine and evaluate what exactly had happened. Hence, I ignored it parked my car and went inside. The next morning on my regular routine I started my car to go to school, again the clutch felt extremely soft and mushy. Tried to put the gears in reverse but failed. This is when I finally realized that something was definitely wrong. My first inclination was that the clutch disc that had worn, but after further investigation I found that the clutch pedal bracket had broken.

- Danville, VA, USA

problem #5

Oct 162009

RX-8

  • 48,469 miles
I was stopped at a stop sign, start engaging the clutch to go into first gear and I hear a crack. I am in first gear and as I am about to shift into second gear I am unable to do so. I notice that the clutch pedal has no pressure and it is near the brake pedal. From here on I was not able to shift into any gear. So after further inspection I see that the brake pedal is broken and can easily move from left to right. I am just glad that I was on the street because I was on my way to catch the freeway. This is very dangerous and has to be fixed, something bad could have happened and to think I have been driving the car on the highway for long trips is very scary.

- Inglewood, CA, USA

problem #4

Sep 222009

RX-8

  • 90,000 miles
1) nothing just driving it 2) faulty clutch pedal assembly snapped rendering the clutch useless. 3) not yet corrected.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #3

Nov 142008

RX-8

  • 46,000 miles
One night when I was leaving work I tried to reverse out of my parking space and my car would not go into reverse. After trying over and over the clutch finally engaged and I was able to back out. A few blocks later I was at a stoplight trying to get the car into first gear and same thing happened. I finally got home and took a look underneath the driver side dash and looked up to see one of the welds on the clutch plate holding the clutch pedal in place had broken. I am waiting to see if a friend who is a professional welder can re-weld it because the Mazda dealership where I live does not weld anything and will only replace the whole unit, which I cannot afford.

- Snohomish, WA, USA

problem #2

Oct 042008

RX-8

  • 44,000 miles
My vehicle has been in and out of the dealership for recalls ect. Last night I started my vehicle and started to leave, backing out of parking lot and the throttle started to surge. I stop turned it off and it stopped. I pulled out onto the highway and when shifted into 2nd gear the throttle stuck and was racing between 3500 and 4000 rpms. I put the clutch in and it pegged out on the RPM gauge, I managed to not hit anyone or anything and pulled off highway called Mazda for assistance, I shut vehicle off and started it back up after a few min to see if it reset itself, started it back up and it just surged and stuck between 3000 and 4000 rpms. I've had numerous problems with this vehicle but nothing like this and frankly I was very lucky. I would greatly appreciate any input or inquiry on this matter, needless to say I don't trust my car anymore.

- Charleston, SC, USA

problem #1

Nov 112007

RX-8 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 45,000 miles
2004.

- La Mesa, CA, USA

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