general problems of the 2004 Mazda RX8 - part 2

Vehicle can turn left on its own with a faulty power steering rack and/or control module.

Loss of power steering. Restart engine ok. Happened twice again since then, same solution.

I don't even know where to begin with the problem I have had with my 2004 Mazda RX-8. I have owned it since September 2003 and it has had countless issues, parts replaced and failures. The incident I experienced last night put me over the edge and almost cost me my life. My RX-8, which was just at the dealer 2 weeks ago, had an engine malfunction while I was on a major highway in massachusetts. The speed of the vehicle went from approx 50mph to 10mph in a matter of a few seconds. Luckily I was able to make my way to the breakdown lane without injuring myself or anyone else; however, this is unacceptable. Every single part in my RX-8 has been replaced except for the engine mounts and engine. I have dished out thousands of dollars already and the vehicle only has 44,000 miles on it. Not only is this a safety hazard to those of us driving the vehicle, but it is also a safety hazard to those around us. Had the car behind me not been paying attention my vehicle could have caused a deadly car crash in the middle of rush hour on a major highway. I have contacted numerous dealerships, the bbb, and am now looking into a class action lawsuit. Mazda needs to be held accountable for their actions. Unfortunately because my car was purchased in 2003, bbb wouldn't have anything to do with the case, however I have 57 pages of detailed repairs that have been made to this vehicle since I owned it, which I am more than happy to send to you. Tons of people online have had similar issues; just from automotive. Com there are 30+ email addresses of individuals who have experienced problems similar to mine. Please help us get to the bottom of this faulty engine and make Mazda own up to their mistakes. People's lives are in danger and this is neither acceptable nor ethical. Ps- an employee of NHTSA has been contacted prior regarding this situation. Her name is cortney and her contact information is 1-888-327-4236 ext #: 1268. I received this from the automotive. Com forum.

The contact owns a 2004 Mazda Rx8. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph and making a turn he experienced a failure with the power steering which made it difficult to turn the steering wheel. The failure occurred on an intermittent basis. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed him that the electric power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

Failure of power steering on 2004 Mazda RX-8. Power steering shuts down intermittently during driving. Steering then pulls to the right during driving and at a stop, the steering wheel will rotate on it's own. Dealer has repaired suspected short in wiring harness, cleaned harness ground connections, replaced a sensor in the power steering circuit. Car is currently back in the dealer shop waiting for a new harness "pigtail" to replace on the electrical steering harness. Contacted Mazda and they said since car is out of warranty, it's my problem--even though I consider the car unsafe for driving.

I bought my 2004 Mazda Rx8 from an authorized dealership in doral, FL with 53m miles on it, still under powertrain warranty & I purchased the extended warranty for 2 years. The car has been back to the dealership 8 times (that is averaging once a month) since purchase, back for various reasons including: engine light on, coolant light on, and the most important and dangerous-locked power steering! of the 8 times, 4 of those are for the power steering locking on me, either when I start the car, or while driving, it's random that it happens, when it 'feels like it'. I can't trust this car, and though the service dept at the dealership has attempted to repair it numerous times, the problem has not subsided. The times that I start the car and the power steering is not locked, while driving the wheel becomes very loose, then the car shakes, then the steering locks. I have been lucky and have gotten safely out of traffic, but the wheel is very hard to turn, especially when driving at low speeds. I'm officially filing a complaint b/c it seems to be a manufacturing problem, and I want this issue resolved. I would prefer to have Mazda buy back the car from me, since, at this point, I don't feel safe in my car, especially to drive long distances. But if Mazda can repair the problem for good, I'll be satisfied. Thank you.

Purchased used vehicle in April 2007, first incident 8/14/2007 engine stalled (engine internal failure) at 45,107 miles engine replaced by Mazda dealership. Second incident September 2007 power steering goes out (poor connection on engine room harness) connection fixed steering gear replaced; third incident October 2007, steering problem (steering shaft torque sensor malfunction) broken wire repaired--learned that the vehicle had been serviced 15 times prior to my purchase.