2004 Mazda RX-8 Powertrain (other) Problems

CLUTCH PEDAL BROKE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD

NHTSA ID

11308311

Incident

Jan 20, 2020

Mileage

140,000 mi

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND CAME TO A STOP LIGHT, ENGAGED THE CLUTCH HEARD A POP AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET INTO GEAR SINCE.I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED CAUSE THE COUCH WOULDN'T DISENGAGE TO BUT IT IN GREAT CAUSE THE BRACKET HAD BROKEN COMPLETELY.

NHTSA ID

11185119

Incident

Mar 2, 2019

Mileage

109,369 mi

AS I PRESSED MY CARS CLUTCH TO CHANGE GEARS (6 SPEED MANUAL ) WHILE DRIVING ON MY REGULAR SUNDAY DRIVE IN A CITY STREET, I HEARD AND FELT A VERY LOUD EXPLOSION AND NOISES OF METAL PIECES EJECTING FROM UNDER MY CAR. I WAS IN THE 60KM/H ZONE SO WAS NOT SPEEDING OR GOING FAST SUCH AS ON A FREEWAY ETC. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY WHILE ROLLING AS THE ENGINE HAD BEEN DISABLED IN THE EXPLOSION. I COULD FEEL MY LEFT FOOT WAS IN EXTREME PAIN. MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I FEARED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN UP. MY CAR IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED REGULARLY WITH NO MODIFICATIONS. WHAT I DISCOVERED WAS THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD DETONATED, THE GEARBOX BELL HOUSING WAS TORN APART (GOT PICTURES TO PROVE IT) AND I FOUND PARTS OF THE CLUTCH IN MANY TINY PIECES ALL OVER THE ROADS. THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED BY MAZDA 30,000KMS AGO AND AT A MAZDA DEALERSHIP USING OEM CLUTCH KIT. THE FORCE OF THE GEARBOX EXPLOSION WAS SO GREAT THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL IMPACTED MY LEFT FOOT AND SHATTERED THE BONES OF THE LEFT FOOT IN PIECES (YES I WAS WEARING THICK SOLED SNEAKERS) AND CAUSED SEVERE TRAUMA TO MY FOOT IN GENERAL. AT THE HOSPITAL, THE SURGEONS WORDS WERE " IT LOOKS REALLY BAD". I WAS OPERATED ON AND TITANIUM PLATES AND 4 SCREWS WERE INSERTED TO TRY TO HOLD MY SHATTERED BONES IN PLACE. 8 MONTHS AND A LOT OF HOSPITAL VISITS LATER, I AM STILL RECOVERING FROM THE DAY. I HAD FURTHER SURGERY FEW WEEKS AGO TO PERFORM A BONE GRAFT BECAUSE ONE BREAK WASN'T HEALING. I HAVE APPROACHED MAZDA REGIONAL HEAD OFFICE. INITIALLY MAZDA CONTACTED ME VIA PHONE ASKING FOR DETAILS OF THE CRASH. I SENT THEM PHOTOS VIA EMAIL. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM SINCE. I THEN ALSO CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. THEY PROMISED TO RING BACK AND THEY TOO, HAVE STOPPED. IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT TO FIND A LAWYER WHO CAN SEE THE OBVIOUS PROBLEM, THAT A VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BLOW UP, OR CATCH FIRE ETC NO MATTER WHAT AGE IT IS. HELP!

NHTSA ID

11175123

Incident

Jun 11, 2018

Mileage

112,000 mi

VEHICLE IN MOTION (3RD GEAR). SLOWED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. DEPRESSED CLUTCH PEDAL TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. PEDAL STAYED ON FLOOR. I PULLED IT UP WITH MY FOOT AND ATTEMPTED TO PUMP IT IN AN EFFORT TO BUILD PRESSURE. WITH CLUTCH DEPRESSED VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO GEAR UNLESS PUMPED MULTIPLE TIMES, THEN CLUTCH WOULD ENGAGE LESS THAN 2 INCHES OF TRAVEL FROM FLOOR. PEDAL MOVES BACK AND FORTH SIDE WAYS AS WELL..

NHTSA ID

11084202

Incident

Apr 9, 2018

Mileage

82,976 mi

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND I WENT TO SLOW DOWN AT A LIGHT AND WHEN I PRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE I HEARD A POP AND MY CLUTCH FELT LIKE IT WAS SHIFTING TO THE SIDE AND IT BARELY CUTS OFF ENOUGH TO COME OUT OF GEAR. I INSPECTED THE THE ASSEMBLY BY LOOKING UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL AND I FOUND THAT A WELD HAD SNAPPED.

NHTSA ID

11011858

Incident

Jul 31, 2017

Mileage

111,000 mi

"TAKATA RECALL" MY POWER STERING GOES OUT ALL THE TIME DOESNT MATTER IF IM SITTING STILL OR IM GOING DOWN THE HIGH WAY. IT DOES EVENTUALLY COME BACK ON BUT DOES GO BACK OFF. IT ALSO WILL CAUSE MY STERING WHEEL TO JURK LEFT AND RIGHT BY ITSELF CAUSE ME TO SWERVE IN AN OUT OF LANES. IT GOT TO THE POINT NOW WHERE I HAVE THE POWER STERING UNPLUGGED SO THAT IT DOESNT JERK MY WHEEL WHILE DRIVING. I JUST NEED TO KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL THAT WILL PAY TO FIX THIS CAUSE ITS GETTING DANGEROUS. PLEASE CONTACT BACK WITH ANY INFO

NHTSA ID

10990719

Incident

May 3, 2017

Mileage

140,000 mi

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY BROKE WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE VEHICLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CARD 21 MONTHS AGO IT WAS BROKEN. I HAD IT REPLACED BY A MECHANIC WITH AN OEM REPLACEMENT AND IT HAS NOW OCCURRED AGAIN BUT IN A DIFFERENT POSITION.

NHTSA ID

10979708

Incident

Apr 18, 2017

Mileage

72,000 mi

THE CLUTCH PEDAL (ALREADY A KNOWN PROBLEM BY MAZDA, BUT NO RECALL HAS YET BEEN ANNOUNCED) CRACKED WHILE I WAS DRIVING LAST YEAR. I WAS ON HWY 13 IN MINNESOTA AND BARELY GOT CONTROL OF MY SPEED (WAS BARELY ABLE TO MAINTAIN USE OF THE CLUTCH) IT SAT UNTIL I COULD GET IT REPAIRED, THE SAME PEDAL IS NOW CRAKING IN ANOTHER SPOT, WORKING ON GETTING IT REPAIRED BEFORE IT BREAKS AGAIN, THIS TIME WILL REINFORCE IT.

NHTSA ID

10908280

Incident

Jun 17, 2015

Mileage

102,000 mi

I WAS SLOWING DOWN AT AN INTERSECTION AND PUSHED IN THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND SLOW DOWN. WHEN I DID THIS THE CLUTCH PEDAL SNAPPED AND WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE CLUTCH TO SHIFT AT THIS POINT. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT I WAS ON A DOWNHILL SLOPE SO I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR AND GET ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO DRIVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME, BUT I WAS STALLED IN TRAFFIC UNTIL I DID GET THE SPEED I NEEDED TO GET INTO GEAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10705707

Incident

Apr 13, 2015

Mileage

103,800 mi

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY BROKE AS I WAS DRIVING IN THE FREEWAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10701638

Incident

Mar 24, 2015

Mileage

110,000 mi

I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 5/14/2013 AFTER A WEEK OR SO IT STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND MISFIRING , POPPING NOISE, TRANSMISSION WARMS UP. THE GEAR THAT I HOLD AND SHIFT JUST WARMS UP ALL THE TIME IT FEELS LIKE IT MIGHT FIRE UP. THEN I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. I TOOK IT TO MAZDA MECHANIC THEY CHARGED AROUND 900$. THEN IT DIDN'T FIX ANYTHING I WENT ANOTHER ONE AND THEY TOLD ME LOSS COMPRESSION IT WAS 115 THAT TIME. I KEPT DRIVING IT AND THEY SAID I NEED TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION TOO.. I PAID THIS CAR 6500. AND NOW IT S ALL BAD. AND APPARENTLY I NEED TO BUY NEW ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. I BELIEVE IT WILL COST ME ABOUT 6000$ .NOW ITS ON 129,000MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10594124

Incident

May 21, 2013

Mileage

108,000 mi

POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING WHEN I WAS TURNING ON TO THE HIGH WAY. MAKING IT STIFF AND HARD TO TURN. CLUTCH PEDDLE COLLAPSED MAKING IT HAD TO SHIFT GEARS AND THE CLUTCH RATIO IS OFF, *TR

NHTSA ID

10566866

Incident

Feb 20, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BECAME INOPERABLE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING BUT WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

NHTSA ID

10564850

Incident

Jan 15, 2014

Mileage

61,000 mi

WAS DRIVING NORMAL CONDITIONS DOWN A 35 MPH ROAD WHEN I WENT TO UPSHIFT GEARS AND DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL, I HEARD A LOUD POP AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET CRACKED AND POPPED OFF DUE TO POOR QUALITY AND BAD ENGINEERING, IN MY OPINION. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO LOCK UP AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT THROUGH LOSS OF CONTROL. I WAS NOT ABUSING THE VEHICLE/ HAVE NOT ABUSED THE VEHICLE.. THIS ITEM SHOULD NOT BREAK IN THE MANNER IT DID. *JB

NHTSA ID

10538614

Incident

Sep 2, 2013

Mileage

91,000 mi

WHILE SHIFTING FROM 4TH TO 5TH GEAR, I HEARD A SNAPPING SOUND COME FROM THE CLUTCH PEDAL, FOLLOWED BY THE INABILITY TO SHIFT GEARS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PRESSURE COMING FROM THE CLUTCH PEDAL. THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET HAD SNAPPED, CAUSING THE PEDAL TO MOVE AT AN ANGLE AND THE PUSH ROD THAT LEADS FROM THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER PUNCTURED THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER CAUSING IT TO FAIL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10512671

Incident

Apr 19, 2013

Mileage

85,000 mi

2004 MAZDA RX-8 TOURING WITH 6-SPEED MANUAL HAS A BROKEN CLUTCH PEDAL. THE ALUMINUM CLUTCH PEDAL WEAVES LEFT AND RIGHT. IT IS ON THE VERGE OF SNAPPING IN HALF. PLACED THE CAR AT JAX AUTOMOTIVE WHILE I PURCHASE A NEW OEM CLUTCH PEDAL WITH REINFORCED BRACKETS FROM RACE ROOTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10499890

Incident

Jan 29, 2013

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY BRACKET MOUNTED TO THE FIRE WALL CRACKED ON BROKE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE UNIT CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO BE UNUSABLE AND UNABLE FOR ANY FORWARD OR REVERSE GEARS TO BE ENGAGED. LUCKILY I WAS PULLING OFF THE ROAD INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THE TRANSMISSION OUT OF GEAR AND INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT USE OF THE CLUTCH. THIS IS DANGEROUS BEYOND BELIEF AND IS PRESENTLY COVERED BY MAZDA UNDER AN 8 YEAR 100,000 MILE WARRANTY EXTENSION PLAN BUT THIS SHOULD BE A MANDATED SAFETY RECALL REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE OR YEAR. THE FACTORY PART IS MADE OF TIN AS BEST I CAN TELL AND CAN BE BENT AND DEFORMED WITH BARE HANDS AT THE POINT WHERE ITS BOLTED TO THE FIREWALL, A CRITICAL MOUNTING POINT AS EVIDENCED BY THE GROWING NUMBER OF CASES FOR THIS EXACT DEFECT. I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO PURCHASE THE PART AT MY OWN EXPENSE BUT DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO SINCE THIS IS SUCH A BASIC SAFETY DEFECT THAT COULD HAVE DEADLY RESULTS TO THE DRIVER AND OTHER INNOCENT DRIVERS IN THE VICINITY OF THE AFFECTED MAZDA RX8. *TR

NHTSA ID

10479235

Incident

Oct 6, 2012

Mileage

104,500 mi

AT A STOP LIGHT, I DEPRESSED MY CLUTCH PEDAL. I HEARD AN AUDIBLE SNAP AND THE CLUTCH BECAME UNUSABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10467750

Incident

Jul 26, 2012

Mileage

111,301 mi

CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY FAILURE. CAUSING THE PEDAL TO SHIFT INWARD TOWARDS THE BRAKE PEDAL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10462154

Incident

Jun 1, 2012

Mileage

70,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND WHEN I WENT TO DEPRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO SHIFT UP A GEAR THE CLUTCH PEDAL SNAPPED. I CAN FORCE THE TRANSMISSION INTO FIRST AND UP, BUT I CANNOT GET IT INTO REVERSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10457716

Incident

May 7, 2012

Mileage

75,000 mi

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10457623

Incident

Apr 5, 2011

Mileage

80,000 mi

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10455039

Incident

Apr 10, 2012

Mileage

115,100 mi

CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING. PREVENTED CAR FROM GOING INTO GEAR AND WAS LEFT STRANDED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10453104

Incident

Mar 23, 2012

Mileage

92,000 mi

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10444843

Incident

Jan 22, 2012

Mileage

120,000 mi

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10406052

Incident

Jun 11, 2011

Mileage

82,326 mi