New Yorker

Reading the recall info from Mazda, while nearly every RX-8 is being recalled and will receive new ECU programming, only owners who have already experienced power loss and idling problems will even be tested for possible engine replacement. I would think that's a very small percentage of RX-8 owners.

But looking at press releases like those in "Automotive News", for example…

RX-8 engine problems go round and round
Dealing with issues in a timely, forthright and equitable manner is a good way to bond with customers. That's why the much-anticipated recall of Mazda RX-8s to replace faulty rotary engines will be a mixed bag for dealers and owners.

Mazda expects to recall RX-8s
After suffering a black eye from disclosing that it won't count RX-8 owners' opinions in its internal customer-satisfaction scores, Mazda says it may have to replace the engines in many of its flagship sports cars.

…any rational person would come away thinking the RX-8 has a serious engine problem requiring engine replacements in most of the cars. That's simply not true! I hope Mazda's P.R. people find a way to get "the truth" out without looking defensive or drawing even more negative attention to the issue. Maybe they could get Automotive News and other news sources to issue a new press release something like this (forgive me—I'm not a P.R. writer):

Update: Most RX-8's will not need new engines

Just my 2¢.

BlueSky

yes but they extended our warranties. So who knows how many engines they'll need to replace in the future.

VikingDJ

This engine recall, along with all the recalls, and reliability issues has simply been a crushing blow to an already suffering sports car. Hopefully Mazda will concede defeat on trying to sell this car in mass form, and keep production numbers limited on a possible 2 door version in the next generation. It would be great to see this car become limited in a future model, but I just cannot see the rotary ever being welcomed into the general market world. Just about everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. When all is said and done, I just don't think this car is gonna work out as a daily driver, and most owners will pass, and a new generaton of owners will take over, and have it as their fun car.

It reminds me of my former 1987 Starion I owned for 14 years, which suffered very badly in the market. All the original owners bailed on the beautiful, great performing, yet unreliable sports car, and it didn't take long for a new breed of owners, and now has a totally different type of owner fixes up and modifies this worthless machine as a total cheap fun car.

I never understood why they were producing massive amounts of it in 2004 when I purchased mine. Just seeing the dealer I went to have over 90 of them lined up in the lot waiting to sell made me think UH OH. It's time to pull an S2000 with this car. Make it a limited sports car to appeal to a specific genre of enthusiasts. Just my .02.

BlueSky

^^^did you have that saved somewhere to use for the right time?

RotorChase

is it just me or is it upsetting that they wont even run the test unless there is a power loss? i live in tx and its hot and humid every day, hell i feel power loss all the time. also another thing with this ecu reprogram, do we expect to see and diff in performance positive or negative?

zoom44

that number could be 0 as well as your larger number you imply here

BlueSky

I didn't imply any number. I said "who knows".

zoom44

viking since Toyota has already replaced more engines in the US than Mazda could renesis engines does that mean that Toyota should keep those affected vehicles in limited production? maybe that piston engine isnt ready for the "general " market

BlueSky

I find that the renesis (or my renesis at least) is very sensitive to weather. It runs really well in moderate weather and feels a bit wheezy in hot weather.

RotorChase

and i dont want to get flamed here but it almost sounds like mazda is getting fruggle, i mean one min its almost all engines and now its most wont even be tested. i mean its gotta cost a lot for just the platinum cat, let alone the entire engine.

BlueSky

Cats aren't made with platinum, I believe its palladium, a derivative of platinum.

Raptor2k

Has the sky fallen yet?

army_rx8

^yes..and i thurts when it lands on you.

hahaha

dtorre

no bluesky, our cats use platinum =)

two rotors

Actually they are 3-way cats using platinum,rhodium and palladium.Presumably that's why they are expensive.

BlueSky

^^^Interesting, thanks for the correction.

G-Rat

BLING, BLING!

New Yorker

If I understand it correctly, Mazda will run the test if you complain of power loss. If you feel power loss all the time, maybe you should, like, uh… tell them.

jeffe19007

I do not feel any power loss in my ride and it gets a touch warm here.

Be agressive with your dealer and insist on some testing. Or, wait for the recall, when I expect some techs will have a little more training and get the testing then.

In the meantime, go for 4oz of premix per tank of gas. It seemed to help my 8 a little, and if one of the problems with the car now is too little oil injected, you may avoid accumulating more damage to the engine you have.

And don't buy unique cars if you want them to drive linke Hondas! *(Which of couse even Hondas don't do...)

You can resume you thread now.

Clavius

I could only say that I've experinced it once when I had the A/C on and shifting my A/T into 4th. On a straight highway stretch my mph started to go down starting from a spirited driving speed down 1mph every second. I opened my windows turned my A/C off and put my car back into normal drive. Did it feel like my engine was loosing its well Umph yeah it did but I didnt freak and chaulked it up to me having the A/C running on 3 at the time. Though looking at how they are doing the road test maybe I should of rethought my logic. Thats been my only experince with anything akin to power loss.

When this recall hits my coast I'll tell them I've experinced something akin to powerloss once. Several fellow Rx-8 owners this weekend stated I might be the few (if any) to get it in our area soley by my Mpg (all where shocked by my lack of "decent" gas mileage), that and after telling them how many miles were put on my car in a 6month period (12k miles) then a 1 month period (5k miles) before I bought it.

The extended warrenty to me is great offering and isnt somthing to scoff at. Now if after this entire recall is said and done with if more than 10% of all Rx-8's needed replacing then yes Mazda should step up and extend our warrenty even further since to me 10% says that something is lingering within our engine.

rodmeister

That's me! I experience a slight powerloss at 80 degrees. A very noticable powerloss at 90 degrees. Severe at 100 degrees and at 110 degrees I have to pull over since I can only maintain 40 mph at full throttle.

Also, just because Mazda say or writes something it doesn't mean it's always right or the whole truth. Corporations would NEVER lie, right?

Clavius

Corporations and Governments never lie!!!! haha yeah right. sorry had to say that.

BlueSky

jeezus. now that's a problem.

wantan8

That seems a little unbelievable. That would mean an 8 wouldn't be sold in the southern half of the USA. You probably have a lemon.


Still, I keep hearing over and over about heat affecting the rotary. I live in Dallas, where its 100-110 everyday mid to late summer. If I bought an 8, would I have to stick it in a fricken ice chest? Does anyone own an 8 in ridiculously hot weather and Not had these problems?

zoom44

lots of people in texas and AZ andNevada etc have not had theses problems