general problems of the 2006 Mazda RX8

My vehicle experienced a defect known to Mazda to the extent of them issuing a recall (or ssp) in the canadian market due to use of corrosives and excessive wet seasons causing build up on and corrosion of the oil cooler lines. Mazda clearly stated in the canadian ssp (#76) that extensive corrosion could cause a leak and/or loss of pressure, and knowing that a loss of pressure or a significant amount of oil while the car was in operation would cause drastic mechanical engine failure by way of burning out the seals/rotors/bearings and eventual seizure or total loss of compression in the motor. The loss of oil pressure due to corrosion directly resulting from this caused my apex seals to overheat and no longer provide a seal to allow the motor to hold compression. Due to this failure directly caused by the known defect, and the fact that the issue was put in place for canada due to their high propensity for extended wet seasons and high use of corrosives to alleviate wintery conditions on the roadways, Mazda should also have issued regional or case-by-case recalls of vehicles that experience this same defect in areas of the united states that experience similar conditions. Had I been travelling on the highway and not on a 25mph city road, I could have experience a major accident or incident because of my motor failure. There are numerous other cases of this defect showing in american vehicles across the country, from near me (in new england) to California that have been reported online. I can contact the licensed mechnic who dealt with the vehicle for copies of his work orders, and I have receipts to prove that I purchased oil cooler lines as replacements before I knew of the loss of compression and ruined motor. Mazda USA was of no help in alleviating the problem, and I am now out thousands of dollars on a vehicle that I had recently purchased before the event occurred.

Clutch pedal assembly snapped in half at weld point, while shifting at normal speeds on highway.

I was driving on the freeway and as I was pushing the clutch in with my foot, I heard a loud pop. I wasn't able to change gears but luckily I was going to the offramp so I pulled over and looked at the clutch. The metal clutch plate had broke.

I was going to pull out of the parking lot when the clutch pedal bent over to the side (brake side). Because of the bent, I can not put my car into gear or turn it on.

The driver and passenger side sun visors have split open and flipped down spontaneously blocking my vision while driving. I've had multiple instances of the driver and passenger side sun visors splitting along the seams, causing them to disrupt my visibility of the road. I had my Mazda dealer replace the defective visors while under warranty on multiple occasions, but the defect continues to occur. Every single time I was informed that splitting sun visors was a common occurrence on all Mazda RX-8s. The lubricant inside the hinge of the visors would solidify during hot weather and cause the spring to expand, thus splitting the plastic sun visor along the seams. Since the visors hang in the downward position once the plastic has split, the only way to not obstruct my vision while driving is to completely remove them from their mounts. This, however, causes the added problem of not having any way to block direct sunlight that can shine on your face in the early morning or evening. The only recourse given to me is to continually replace the sun visors at $75 each every few months. I find that this is a potential safety hazard that should be addressed. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Around 07/04/2013, my clutch start to give me a few problems. The major one was that the clutch pedal would not respond how it normally should. I would stick and eventually made it very hard to shift into first gear and reverse. Since it was a holiday weekend, I had to wait till 07/08/2013 until my normal mechanic was open. While inspecting it, he found that the clutch pedal would shift and wiggle side to side, which is very abnormal. When I went to inspect it myself, I heard a "snap!" and the pedal shifted all the the way to the brake pedal. Upon further inspection, it was found that the pedal's braked, connecting it to the car's fire wall had snapped apart. I had heard that this was a known fact by Mazda, and they had sent out a recall on the part. I went to the Mazda dealership and was informed that there was not a recall, but a warranty extension, and my car is not covered by the extension and I would have to buy a new part, and pay the labor. The car is not drivable now, and I now have to pay for a known problem that Mazda refuses to fix. Even in the most extreme situations, this part should never break. It is still a very dangerous and possibly fatal defect, that is still known by the maker, and they refuse to fix a problem that is still happening to this type of car.

Sun visors repeatedly break and cause the visor to drop down and impair vision momentarily, then they wont stay in the up position. These cost about $200 each time to replace and then they break after about 10 times of use. I feel this is a safety issue and is a manufacturer defect.