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Problems with 2004 Mazda RX-8 STRUCTURE

On average, the 2004 Mazda RX-8 starts to “feel” problems with the STRUCTURE and its various aspects after 58 438 miles.

Components Affected by STRUCTURE Issues

We have classified the 9 complaints from 2004 Mazda RX-8 about STRUCTURE into the following categories.

BODY 8 FRAME AND MEMBERS 1

Recently reported STRUCTURE problems on 2004 Mazda RX-8

Seat builts need tighting

Severe outside paint degredation with 54,000 miles.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mazda rx-8. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 14v362000 (air bags). after the repair, the dashboard began to crack in the location where the passenger side air bags were replaced. the vehicle was taken to dealer where it was diagnosed that the dashboard failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mazda rx-8. while driving at 70 mph, the steering wheel independently turned in both directions. as a result, the contact crashed into a curb and the air bags failed to deploy. the contact did not sustain any injuries. a police report was not filed. in addition, the contact noticed that the rear passenger wheel well was curved and fractured. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 95,000. the vin was unavailable.

My passenger side dashboard over the airbag is cracked really bad like you can see the air bag i am afraid to have anyone in the passenger seat i feel like it is going to set the air bag off for no reason the dealership is telling me its going to cost around 700.00 to fix i have done some research on this it seems to be a common problem with this car. *tr

Front passenger air bag cover cracked and exposed.

Rx-8 cracked passenger dashboard. cracked in the outline of the faulty airbag shape. i am taking in for recall of airbag but am requesting dash cover replacement as it is clearly caused by airbag leakage/fault. *tr

Dash board no passenger side where air bag is for about the last 2 years dash started cracking in the shape of a h every summer when its hot the dash looks like its got a bow in it like the airbag is going to just pop out it has gotten worse each year now dealer said no recall but there is a defect in the airbag to deploy without a crash occurring many rx-8 owners are having this cracking where air bags are in passenger side but mazda want do anything to fix the issue until someone gets hurt or killed from these defective air bags on the rx8. *tr

The passenger side dash panel that is above the air bag cracks; which can be a safety hazard with the deployment of the air bag and cause injury to individual (possibly prevent deployment or create dash pieces that could cause serious injury). this is happening to multiple rx-8's (go to rx-8 club)! since this is a recurring issue with most if not all rx8's it should be recalled and fixed by mazda. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mazda rx-8. the contact stated that both doors on the drivers side would not open from the interior or exterior. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, but they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 82,000.

For the past 3 years, the clutch pedal on my car has squeaked and groaned when depressed. this would not be consistent, and very hard to diagnose. today, while driving a short distance towards work (i live and work on a military base), a metallic "pop" came from my clutch pedal while being depressed and no longer disengaged the clutch. this almost caused an accident as it was "rush hour." i quickly noticed while driving that my clutch pedal was almost touching my brake as i attempted to slow down! also, if i had stopped moving at any point, i and my car would have been stranded as i would not have been able to get my car back into gear. upon inspection at home, it appears a weld on the right side that holds the clutch pedal mount to the frame of the car has come completely loose making the pedal lean left. there also appears to possibly be another issue with the clutch pedal spring as it no longer returns the pedal to the fully depressed position, and instead defaults to 3 inches depressed or full upright depressed. this failure has not been corrected. *tr

The clutch pedal on my mazda rx-8 2004 model is making a strange noise everytime i step on it. the clutch doesn't feel like its working right, and myt break snap anytime soon just like what already happend to lots of rx-8's.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 mazda rx8. the vehicle has bridgestone all season tires. the contact was concerned about the air pressure in the tires and notified the manufacturer. mazda suggested that he take the vehicle to a dealer for inspection. the vehicle was taken to the dealer four times, but no repairs were made. the dealer only placed air in the tires. on one occasion, while driving almost 60 mph, the contact felt a very rough vibration in the vehicle. he attempted to move the vehicle off the road and the rear passenger side tire exploded. the tire and vehicle manufacturers were not notified of the blow out. the dot number and tire size were unknown. the failure mileage was 14,000 and current mileage was 23,000. the tail lights would fill with water. there was a strange clicking noise coming from the front of the vehicle. the vehicle may have a strut problem. updated 07/30/09.*jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving in normal conditions and no particular speed, the engine vibrates. the vehicle was taken to the local dealership for inspection. the dealer discovered two motor mounts were broken. the repair parts are on back order and no repairs were made.

Perforation - 2004 rx-8. the car is showing bubbling rust underneath paint, above passenger door. the dealer says they will not fix it until rust goes through the paint to the outside. great policy for almost new car! *nm

While driving my 2004 rx-8 6speed my clutch pedal broke. the actual welding broke along the inside of the car underneath the dash. it is not the clutch itself, but the actual pedal assembly. it was while i was driving and seems to be a pretty serious safety issue. i have googled this issue a bit and found a lot of other people with this exact same problem thanks *tr

My clutch pedal bracket broke from my 2004 mazda rx-8 at 62k miles. *tr

2004 mazda rx 8 has many design defects, battery was replaced, spark plugs and oil filter was replaced 3 months after purchase. *ts the started was replaced. the vehicle was stalling in traffic and was taking multiple times to try to restart the vehicle. after numerous times of the vehicle being towed, the dealership decided to replace the entire engine. after the replacement of the engine, the engine light illuminated and the vehicle was still not starting smoothly. the dash lights were blinking on and off and the heat was not working. the catalytic converter, 02 sensor, and a/c amplifier. the heater control switch was replaced. the sun visor was replaced. *jb

Driver and passenger doors have poor sealing against road noise & wind. at highway speeds, wind noise becomes highly intrusive on my vehicle through the drivers door. the same applies to the passenger's door. *la

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