TheDosDog

Perfect car? I don't think people could handle a perfect car. Where's the drama in that? The character on the 8 is what drives the debate here.

New Yorker

I agree, the 8 has problems. While I personally don't mind the engine cover/dipstick routine, I can see where many would. I'll never flood it because I know the rules, but I can see where other, more "casual" owners might. I wish I could lean on the center console cover without it coming off its track. I wish the spare tire didn't block the trunk light. And I'd pay extra for a functional oil gauge.

My point was simply that the 8 is a reliable car. Yes, there are problems, even recalls—which many cars have—but the 8 is not especially unreliable. Anyone spending hours a day here could easily come to that conclusion but, as I've said elsewhere, what you read here is skewed heavily negative, which makes perfect sense—it's generally the people who have problems who bother to find their way to this forum and post on it, looking for answers or, at the very least, a little sympathy. Nothing wrong with that, do it myself all the time. But if you could poll ALL RX-8 owners you'd find the car is not the reliability disaster that lives here.

6speed8

I never said it was unreliable, just that it has issues, more than a 30k dollar car should thats all. It's the little (missed or overloooked) details that add up to cause me to get frustrated.

Now that we'vew added another several pages to this thread, perhaps we can get back on track to the original engine replacement issue once more.

It's clear there is still PASSION on this forum, I like THAT!

puch96

Good thing that you didn't buy a $80k Viper or something....What makes you think that those cars don't have issues? As a matter of fact, fixing those cars get very expensive as well...The price of the car is not related to reliability.

I do agree with some of the frustration from our members in the forum. After all the Rx8 is not so cheap for a lot of people. But one thing is for certain.... I am willing to deal with all issues just to have a car that handles like many other cars don't and it's uniquenes...The rotary engine concept is one of the great engineering marvels. The only thing that we have to do now is be patient and hopefully some day, the right materials (although they are very good now) with the right combination of software calibrations and so forth will make the rotary engine the best engine, period.
So I believe instead of complaining about the RX8 and making people believe that it is a "Lemon", we should enjoy the car and support Mazda. Because after all, so far Mazda doesn't want to give up. And I can guarantee that if Mazda desides to keep making changes and improvements with the Wankel Engine, one day they will perfect it....It might take more time than we are willing to wait for??...

Sigma

Price and Reliabily are probably about as inversely correlated as it gets. Reliability has long been the bastion of the small, compact, primarily Japanese cars. And the expensive high-end, primarily European cars were (and generally still are) anything but reliable. Extraordinarily high-priced Exotics are generally also extraordinarily unreliable (not to mention $$$ to fix). Only with the advent of Lexus did reliability and higher-price go hand-in-hand.

Grizzly8

Mazda intended the RX8 to be a car used by the average Mum Dad as a sporty user friendly Family car .

Unfortunately for them because of the various Quirks of the RX8 , i believe the car Ownership is certainly leaning towards the rotary enthusiast type owner .

The average type of owner wants a turn style type car , with out character or headaches , and as we know the RX8 IS full of character and for some it does give them headaches

So in my mind Mazda failed in its Marketing of a user friendly sporty family car .

I have had my car for over 3 years fortunately i have the interest to learn about the cars character , the average punter cannot be bothered or just wants to get in and drive without spending time and energy learning / teaching themselves about the rotary .

Michael

ASH8

And don't forget WHEELS COTY in Australia...

BTW, apart from ECU Flashes, there has had no more TSB's than any other Mazda Rotary...

Actual recalls....
How many had their petrol tanks replaced.....?...1 or 2
How many had their lower control arms replaced?.....I have not heard of any.
Engines, well we will see...is it owner, or oil Type/Grade related, heat.

SOME owners had foggy head lamps and tail lamps and other small components that aren't actually made by Mazda, they are sourced like all other car manufacturers, it is these suppliers/manufacturers that have let the brand down.

The only components that MAZDA actually make are the body shell and engines.

ASH8

Lets not forget the 8 was a concept car first shown in 1999 at the Tokyo Motor Show that became a realtilty...

IMO like ALL rotaries since the first RX-7 in 1978 their appeal is for enthusiasts.

Yes, the 8 has 4 doors and seats, but its not really a daily driver for mums to use with the kids, sure they can if they want, but, rotaries are designed to be revved they are not like bangers. If you nurse a rotary expect performance/engine issues down the track.

The RX-8 IS and enthusiast car.

Shifty Devil

I wonder how much of the warranty extension is Mazda and this problem and how much of this is from Ford? I've seen recently how Ford was going to a 5-year, 60,000 mile drive train warranty. Coincidence? http://www.fordvehicles.com/features...ex.asp?id=1540

Astral

You could be right... Mazda is going to 3-year 36000 for 2007 models for bumper-to-bumper, but drivetrain is now 5-year 60000

Winfree

Agreed! Mine seems to like being redlined at the end of a run, to shake the oil off..

Marietta 8

Having been in the Mazda repair business for over 20 years and having owned rotary powered vehicles for over 27 years, I can easily say that the RX8 is the most refined rotary powered model that we have seen in the states. The fact that the PCM can be reflashed to remedy an issue speaks volumes for how far automotive technology has come. Problems come up, solutions are created and the machine is improved.

I am going to assume that most of us are contributing to this forum on Windows based computers. Are they all flawless and never prone to a crash? Does Microsoft provide updates to fix issues? I bought my first computer forever ago and wrongfully thought that because it was new and high-tech that it would perform without ever having issues. Did that work out for anybody anywhere?
Through patches and updates things get more stable it is a continuous path of improvement just like Mazda is doing on the recall.

Cut Mazda some slack for trying to make things better, enjoy your car for what it is (a machine/mechanical device) understand that all things need improvement and education as well as time to accomplish this and for God's sake, QUIT WHINING. It's a great car!

Oh, and before I step down from my soapbox, you may notice that I have an LS1 powered FC. Please do not read anything into this as far as how I feel about rotary engines. I will always own rotary powered sportscars and will continue to build V8 powered RX7's to provide folks like myself a perfect balance of "almost enough" power for a spectacular chassis.

Thank you and good day.

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

^^^^ perfectly written, bravo.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

rxeigr---something even better.
olddragger

RonInWaState

Wow
I can’t quite believe that a post can grow so large in such a short time the forum is faster than the cars. I did not have the time to read it all.

So it looks like the seals get carbon build up on em’ if they don’t get the correct fuel air mixture at all times and heat ranges so the problem has been detected and with the instant flash we get the correct mix in a awesome car.

I decided to buy a RX8 last week and found myself a FI car with low miles finalizing the deal now I would think the reprogrammed tuning has helped the motor in the car I am purchasing have a good chance of having nice clean cancer free seals.

I will take her to the dealer and have them do the proper testing and with any luck I will find out that I have the opportunity to do a complete tear down this winter to replace the seals.
Next summer when I’m driving down the coast on a nice sunny day I will know exactly what’s happening under the hood I will also have pride in knowing that my finger prints reside inside that motor well ok the heat will wash em off but I know my hands were in there and my grandkids (some day I’m a young 40) will know that grandpa rebuilt that motor back in the day when you could still run gas cars any time you wanted.

We live in a ever changing world always needing and wanting new and improved Mazda stands alone with this power plant they cant buy the other guys car and tear it apart and look inside and speed up the R&D process but they have given us a product we desire and asked us to bring it in so they can apply the fix they have found and applied to the assembly line of today’s RX8’s

I am paying full asking price to the current owner partly because it is well worth it but mostly because he stands on the front line to protect and safeguard each and every American’s right to express their opinion and there are a lot of us here doing just that.
I hope that the sale of his car brings his family closer to the American dream I for one believe all of our military families earn and deserve to live it.

I for one am looking forward to the step up I have owned four mx6’s six if you count the parts cars my 15 yr old son and I did a complete motor and trans swap in a day that’s 2 out and one in buttoned up the hoses and wires the next day and had my 17 yr. old daughters car ready for school Monday

So call for the sky to fall all you want I’m gonna get my 8 regardless and between the turbo and the suspension I think ill have a great time outrunning the big clouds that fall with it and come out smiling on the other side won’t you come join me Yippie Kia boys and girls. See ya on the streets.


Ron

ph0tic

Hrm, ya know when i was given my shitbird of a rental from Enterprise.. they did state it had to be either a Ford or Mazda or it wouldn't be covered by the... ok hrm what? where am i?

Imp

I would think Ford upped their warranty because GM is now doing 5 year/100,000 miles now for their 2007 models.

--kC

Tirminyl

Still no point in Ford upping their warranty if they can't match their opponents.

Japan8

If they can't match what about their opponents?

Tirminyl

If GM is doing 5yr/100k Ford should match, but I did read that certain vehicles are 100k powertrain.

Nemesis8

iTrader: (3)

Wow indeed - welcome to Washington

CarAndDriver

One piece of advice when you go in and have to deal with a clueless service manager who doesn't know about loaner car, gas and car wash.

PRINT OUT THE DEALER LETTERS TO TAKE WHEN YOU GO IN!
https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...60&postcount=7

dmc27

^ Except the problem is not that they are clueless and don't know about such programs. The problem is that they are crooked as*holes that are just trying to screw both Mazda and/or the vehicle owner out of $$$$.

CarAndDriver

From what I read on here, seems to be the case most of the time.

wankleman

well Key Mazda outside hilton head island South Carolina has been jonny on the spot lately, love them so far