So i decided to go ahead and get the second opinion on my car from a different Mazda dealership all together. Yesterday evening i took my Rx to John Finger Mazda, which is a pretty reputable dealership here in Greenville, very well known. Within the first few seconds of the road evaluation the technician driving my car could tell that something was wrong with the transmission, which i already knew. He told me that the 'grinding' noise I was hearing is definitely not suppose to be there, especially considering that the noise gets worse as you progress through the gears.

We pulled into the shop and he put it on a lift to check everything out. After about 20 minutes the shop manager came to me to explain the situation. He said that the transmission was for sure making the noise and that it needed to be replaced... problem is the replacement will only be covered by the drivetrain warranty if it is a defect, and not caused by driver abuse. If abuse is the reason then I would have to cover the cost of the transmission replacement myself, or in my case, the dealership where I bought it. I got all of this in writing from the shop so I can present it to Johnny's and explain that the problem was NOT fixed when they replaced the clutch, and that another Mazda shop is telling me that the tranny is bad. Hopefully they will be serious about fixing my car and offer to have the transmission replaced.. if they dont then I have no other option than to give the car back.

BUT im still not sure if I should try to have my car fixed, or just give up on it and give it back right now. While I was at the other dealership last night I was looking at a blue 04 Rx8 with 49k miles for $2000 cheaper than what I got mine for. Im kinda thinking i should give back my Rx and buy this other one in its place.. only hold back I have is that the car is blue, and I REALLY like the silver color I have now.. :-)

any suggestions guys...? thoughts..?

 

WB FTW! good luck getting them to take it back.

 

wtf does 'wb ftw' mean?? hahaha..

and i shouldnt have too much trouble giving it back, we already had a written agreement that they would fix the problem or NO DEAL... problem is not fixed.

 

wb ftw = welcome back, for the win = welcome back, WOOHOO!

 

winning blue for the win

all the blue owners think it's the best color, they're all wrong.

 

The biggest problem is this:
It's a 04. Stay away from them. As you experienced already, it' s not worth the risk.
Yes, some 04 are great but why take a chance, go with 06 and above.

 

well, the 04's are in my price range..
I saw a super sick black 08 Rx last night too, but it was $32k... or 24 month lease for $545/mo... umm no.

 

I KNOW!!

 

I think winning blue looks the best when i have black. Also, there is a "silver curse", sorry to mods. But honestly if i were in your position, I would trade it. Silver looks to bland in my opinion. But it is all up to you.

 

Thats good **** Debo. You now have a little leverage over the situation. But yeah, good luck with getting Johnny boy to replace the tranny for you....LOL he's gotta be a lil pissed that he replaced the clutch for a grand and that wasnt even the problem! Hope it works out.

 

I think that your plan sounds great. Take the letter and the car back to the dealer that you bought it from and tell them to fix it, or they have failed to deliver on the deal that you struck. Theoretically, they should be able to go after the Mazda dealer who put in the clutch since it was unnecessary. Let them figure it out, and if they give you any ag, back out of the deal, and sue them for the money that you have already put on the car.

Once the Silver car gets a new trans, it sounds like it would be a fine car, and as the owner of an '04 with 60,000 plus miles, they run fine. Mine has had only minor problems that I had fixed years ago under warranty. Best of luck.

 

04's generally have more miles on them so more chance of mechanical problems. They are also alot less expensive for those who do not want to spend more $$. 04's are no different from the 06s other than age. Just make sure they have had the recalls and tsbs done.

 

dude dont make the same mistake as me!!!! Mine was lik that and i said **** it, itll be fixed and life goes on. No, i kept having problems and now im trying to get rid of mine! Get rid of it asap!!!!!! And get ready for a lawyer bc i doubt theyll tske it back!

 

They will always take the option of fixing it.

It's a crap shoot. even if they take the car back and sell you another one....it doesn't mean the new used car will be any better over the long run.

 

dont give up dave. if the dealer doesnt fix the silver one (SS FTW!!) then get the blue one.

 

Let them fix it if its free.

I mean, let them REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION. Replace the whole thing, or take another car.

 

Have the sunlight sliver myself and do like it. Many probably think it is too plain a color but I think it is a bit classic in a way. Black Cherry would also be nice I feel, galaxy gray, and of course that winning blue color. Really do like that color of blue myself.

Good luck on getting it all worked out.

 

when i was looking for an 8, i didnt car about color. i just wanted to find a good one at a good price

 

Too many issues! IMO, I would give it back to the dealer you bought it from and purchase another RX8 possibly an 05 or 06 if you can afford it.

 

Look around more. Pick the car(color) you want and find it. Drive a few hundred miles if you have to.

No regrets.