1990 Mazda RX-7 Owner Complaints

THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED FOR MY CAR FOR THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ON 02-17-1997, CAMPAIGN # 68702. MINE WAS ORIGINALLY REPAIRED ON 05-23-2006. IT HAS SINCE FAILED AGAIN AND MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER, # 23963, RAN A REPORT SHOWING THAT THE STATUS WAS CLOSED BECAUSE IT WAS FIXED ONCE. AS A SAFETY ISSUE, I THOUGHT THAT THIS RECALL COVERED THE PROBLEM FOR THE CAR'S LIFETIME, AT LEAST FOR THE ORIGINAL OWNER WHICH I AM. I WOULD LIKE YOUR HELP RESOLVING THIS ISSUE AS THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, THE ONE PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED, IS NOT WORKING AGAIN. THANKS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB

NHTSA ID

10735427

Incident

Jul 21, 2015

Mileage

151,426 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 MAZDA RX7. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT RETRACTORS WERE INOPERATIVE. THE MALFUNCTIONS OCCURRED FROM EXCESSIVE WEAR AND PREVENTS THE WEBBING FROM BEING EXTRACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 96V173000 (SEAT BELTS,FRONT;WEBBING), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

NHTSA ID

10258464

Incident

Jun 30, 2008

Mileage

81,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 MAZDA RX7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THE SHOULDER BELT WAS INOPERATIVE. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 96V173000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT,WEBBING), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000. UPDATED 3/16/09 *CN UPDATED 03/19/09. *JB

NHTSA ID

10257608

Incident

Jun 30, 2008

Mileage

81,000 mi

UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE PULSATION DAMENER ON THE PRIMARY FUEL RAIL FAILED, SPRAYING FUEL OVER THE ENTIRE ENGINE BAY, WHICH RESULTED IN A FIRE OF THE COMPARTMENT, WHICH WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED VIA HANDHELD FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE PART WAS REPLACED, AT A HIGH COST, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE WHOLE FUEL RAIL MUST BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NM

NHTSA ID

10138372

Incident

Jul 17, 2005

Mileage

153,000 mi

DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO HONOR THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT RECALL 96V173000. THE DEFECT ALREADY OCCURRED, BUT THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT IT WAS NOT THE SAME FAILURE AS STATED IN THE RECALL.*AK

NHTSA ID

10053782

Mileage

30,000 mi

PUSATION DAMPNER ON PRIMARY FUEL DELIVERY RAIL DIAPHRAM FAILURE. GASOLINE LEAKAGE IN LARGE QUANTITIES RIGHT ABOVE HOT ENGINE. VERY SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD.. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON RX-7'S IN GENERAL. PERHAPS MAZDA SHOULD HAVE PLAED THE PD AWAY FROM THE ENGINE. EXCESSIVE HEAT MAY HAVE HARDENED DIAPHRAM TO POINT OF BREAKAGE. FUALTY DESIGN. *AK

NHTSA ID

764067

Incident

Jul 10, 2002

THE PASSENGER SIDE BELT RETRACTOR IS JAMMED IN THE RAIL AND THE CABLE IS EXPOSED, THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHO THEN STATED THAT THE REPAIR COST WOULD BE $100, CONSUMER THEN INFORMED THE DEALER THAT THIS IS A RECALL ITEM (96V173000) WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY, CONSUMER STATES THE DEALERS ATTITUDE THEN CHANGE, THE DEALER THEN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO REMAIN AT THE DEALER THE ENTIRE DAY.*YH

NHTSA ID

562504

THE ABS HAS NOT FAILED, BUT IT LEAKS PROFUSLY. I NEED TO REPLACE ABOUT 1 OZ OF BRAKE FLUID PER WEEK. THE DEALER'S PRICE FOR A REPLACEMENT ABS UNIT (THEY WON'T REBUILD IT) IS A CRIME AT $2745!! IF THIS IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM (AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS), THEY SHOULD BE MORE REASONABLE $!*AK

NHTSA ID

735719

CONSUMER REPLACED ENGINE IN 1995, NOW FIVE YEARS LATER THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE THE APEX SEAL IS PARTIAL COLLAPSED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. NLM

NHTSA ID

555737

Incident

Jan 1, 2000

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 96V173000. I CONTACTED BOTH MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER AND MAZDA THEMSELVES. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE RECALL WAS OVER AND HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE ON THE VEHICLE IN 1996 AND WAS NOT APPLICABLE FOR RECALL NOW. THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OVER $1000 TO FIX IT, WHICH AT THIS TIME IS NOT FEASABLE. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM THIS RECALL IS IT IS A LIFETIME RECALL NOT A 1 TIME DEAL??*AK

NHTSA ID

724260

Incident

Nov 11, 1999

EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS LEAKING CARBON MONOXIDE INTO THE CABIN OF VEHICLE, CAUSING A HEALTH HAZARD. DEALER IS AWARE OF DEFECT. CONSUMER CLAIMS HE IS AWARE OF OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MODEL THAT HAVE THIS DEFECT. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

860740

ANTI-LOCK BRAKE UNIT LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. STARTED ABOUT 5/5/97. LEAKS WITH CAR PARKED, MAY LEAK WHILE DRIVING. STARTED GRADUALLY, NOW LOSES ABOUT TWO OUNCES PER WEEK. IF BRAKE FLUID LEVEL GETS TOO LOW WHILE DRIVING, IT CAN PREVENT PROPER BRAKE OPERATION AND INCREASE THE RISK OF ACCIDENT. THE ABS UNIT IS LOCATED NEAR THE ENGINE EXHAUST AND JUST AFT OF THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. I SUSPECT THAT BRAKE FLUID MAY DRIP ON THE HEATED EXHAUST SYSTEM; PERHAPS THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE. IF DRIPPING BRAKE FLUID GOT ON THE TIRE, IT COULD REDUCE TRACTION AND CONTRIBUTE TO AN ACCIDENT. ALL OF THESE POSSIBILITIES COMPRISE SAFETY HAZARDS. IN ADDITION, I HAVE CHECKED MULTIPLE SOURCES FOR USED ABS UNITS AND ALL ORIGINAL UNITS LOCATED ALSO LEAK. THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM. SOME OWNERS HAVE REMOVED AND BYPASSED THE ABS UNIT TO STOP THE LEAK. THIS IS PROBABLY ALSO UNSAFE. I SUGGEST THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPLACE ALL SUCH DEFECTIVE ABS UNITS AS A SAFETY MEASURE.

NHTSA ID

717889

Incident

May 5, 1997

RECEIVED NOTICE 96V173000 3 MONTHS AGO. BEEN CALLING DEALERSHIP OFF/ON EVER SINCE. BEEN INFORMED NO PARTS AVAILABLE FOR SEAT BELTS. WOULD NOTIFY WHEN BELT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

843583

Incident

Jun 14, 1999

HAD RECEIVED RECALL 996V173000 OVER 3MONTHS AGO & CONTACTED DEALER. BEEN CHECKING OFF & ON FOR 3MONTHS. CALLED LAST WEEK & WA S INFORMED NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE, AND DID NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR REPAIRS TO AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT. MANUFACTURER ONLY DID A SMALL AMOUNT, AND WAS NOT SURE IF HE WILL DO ANY MORE. *AK

NHTSA ID

839598

SHOULDER BELTS BROKE TO THE POINT WERE THEY DON'T RETRACT, AND ARE LAYING IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

833573

VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHT LIGHT SWITCH CIRCUIT BOARD MODULE OVERHEATS AND STARTS FIRE.THE LIGHTS TURN AND OFF INTERMITENTLY WITH NO WARNING.THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS DEFECTIVE. *AK

NHTSA ID

814969

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR SOMETIMES WORKS, TOOK BACK TO DEALER AFTER RECEIVG I RECALL # 96V173000 ; DONE SEAT RETRACTOR REPAIRS, DEALER SAID IT THE LATCH THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS, NOT THE RETRACTORS. *AK

NHTSA ID

808094

SHOULDER BELTS ARE NOT WORKING AFTER BEING TAKEN TO DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

809417

THE SEAT BELTS WILL NOT EXTEND FROM RETRACTORS. THE ACTIVE SEAT BELT STOPPED HALF WAY BETWEEN THE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED POSITION. *AK

NHTSA ID

804598

Incident

Jan 1, 1995

ENGINE HAS FAILED AT 40,200 MILES BECAUSE THE APEX SEALS HAVE ERODED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND GARAGE STORED.

NHTSA ID

546646

Incident

Jan 13, 1997

SYCAMORE FORD MAZDA SAID THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE RECALL AND MAZDA MANUFACTURER SAID THE CONSUMER IS NOT INCLUDED, BUT HE RECEIVED NOTICE AND HIS SHOULDER BELT IS BROKEN. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

808673

Incident

Feb 5, 1996

PASS. SEAT BELT RETRACTOR INOPERATIVE, INTERNAL FAILURE, REPLACED PASS. SEAT BELT RETRACTOR.

NHTSA ID

512433

Incident

Nov 6, 1996

THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WILL NOT RELEASE WHEN YOU PRESS THE RELEASE CLIP. UNDER INVESTIGATION PE 96 027. *AK

NHTSA ID

804783

Incident

Apr 20, 1996

#PE96-027, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR STOPPED WORKING . *AK CONSUMER STATES ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE RETRACTOR JAMMED JUST BEFORE TURNING DOWN B PILLAR, CONSUMER REPLACED IT HISELF THE FIRST TIME AND NOTICED THAT THE CABLE JUMBED OFF THE TAKE-UP SPOOL. *SLC

NHTSA ID

804582

SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT DISENGAGE.

NHTSA ID

510061

Incident

Sep 28, 1996