chabinator

rx8 2004 90k miles
At 60 mph, i downshifted 5th to 3rd...the clutch broke...the dealer says the clutch broke apart in many pieces and it damaged the starter and the starter box.

Is it normal the clutch broke in many pieces?
Could the cause be a damaged, defective clutch bearing?

I bought the car a month ago....
On the contract, its written "defective clutch bearing"
For the month i had it, never felt there was a clutch problem
Maybe i can do legal proceeding if its impossible the bearing clutch is the explanation of the broken apart clutch

Razz1

Nothing wrong, 90k on a clutch is alot.

You abused it and it broke.

Nubo

That's a bit presumptive. I shift from 6th to 3rd occasionally. If done properly, it is not abuse.

Possibly the car suffered some abuse during its previous 90,000 miles?

Not unusual for a clutch to fail at 90,000 on a sports car, but normally the lining just wears out. Catastrophic failure shouldn't be looked at as "nothing wrong".

What kind of warranty, if any, came with this used car? Keep in mind that Mazda has been known to stonewall original owners with bumper-to-bumper warranties when it comes to clutch failures. With 90K on a used car, I think you may just have to eat it but I guess it depends on any warranty they may have given you.