Recalls: Mazda FE RX-8
Overview
Manufacturers, or importers, issue recalls for defects or faults which have the potential to cause injury. Generally, manufacturers will inform the original buyers if their vehicle is subject to a recall and of the steps required to remedy the defect or fault. Please note that the recalls below (if any) are for Australian-delivered vehicles only. Furthermore, the number of recalls should not be taken as an indication of a model’s reliability or its safety more generally.
Recalls: Mazda FE RX-8
2003-05 Mazda FE RX-8: electrical failures and potential fuel leak
In July 2005, a recall was issued for Mazda RX-8 vehicles that were manufactured from 24 April 2003 to 1 July 2005 and in the VIN range JM0FE103100100007 to JM0FE103100103562. For these vehicles, excessive thermal heat could built up around the exhaust system – this could cause electrical component failures and, at worst, could damage the fuel tank and cause a leakage (PRA 2005/7916).
2003 Mazda FE RX-8: cracked front lower control arms
In July 2005, a recall was issued for Mazda RX-8 vehicles that were manufactured from 24 April 2003 to 27 December 2003 and in the VIN range JM0FE103100100007 to JM0FE103100101513. For these vehicles, there was a possibility that the front lower control arms may develop cracks around the ball joint socket due to casting defects in the control arm. If the ball joint were to become dislodged from the lower control arm, the driver may lose control of the vehicle (PRA 2005/7917).
2002-04 Mazda FE RX-8: Takata airbag recall #1
In June 2014, a recall was issued for Mazda FE RX-8 vehicles that were available for sale from 22 August 2002 to 27 February 2004 and had VINs in the range JM0 FE1031 00 100237 to JM0 FE1031 00 100286. In these vehicles, inappropriate production/storage of the propellant in the inflator of the passenger-side airbag could result in insufficient propellant density. The propellant may therefore ignite abnormally at the time of airbag deployment, causing extremely high inner pressure of the inflator and rupture of the inflator case. If the case ruptured, the airbag may not deploy as designed – reducing its effectiveness – and fractured parts may cause injury to a passenger (PRA 2014/14172).
2002-11 Mazda FE RX-8: Takata airbag recall #2
In June 2015, a recall was issued for Mazda FE RX-8 vehicles that were available for sale from 22 August 2002 to 7 October 2011. In these vehicles, the front passenger air bag inflator may have been assembled with improperly manufactured propellant wafers. In the event of a collision, the combustion rate of the propellant may increase inside the inflator, causing internal pressure to rise suddenly during airbag deployment. Such deployment could cause the inflator housing to rupture and disperse metal fragments, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant. The recalled RX-8 vehicles had VINs in the range JM0 FE1031 00 100007 to JM0 FE1031 00 105664 (PRA 2015/14760).
Mazda FE RX-8: Takata airbag recall #3
In July 2016, a recall was issued for Mazda RX-8 vehicles because propellant wafers in the front airbag may absorb moisture over time – this could cause overly aggressive combustion of the airbag on deployment such that the airbag inflator housing could rupture and disperse metal fragments throughout the cabin. These fragments posed a risk of serious of injury (PRA 2016/15521). The recalled Mazda RX-8 vehicles had VINs in the following ranges:
- JM0FE103100100007 to JM0FE103100105664; and,
- JM0FE1032*0300005 to JM0FE1032*0301278.
2003-09 Mazda RX-8: fuel pump retaining rings could crack
In December 2016, a recall was issued for Mazda RX-8 vehicles that were available for sale from 10 July 2003 to 31 March 2009. Due to insufficient thermal insulation, the plastic fuel pump retaining rings on the fuel tank could be exposed to heat from the engine and exhaust pipes, causing heat deterioration of the plastic material of the pump retaining rings. In addition to the heat deterioration, a reaction force from the gasket (seal rubber) could be applied to the fuel pump rings. Continuous use of the vehicle in this condition could cause the fuel pump retaining rings to develop cracks and leak fuel. For the VINs of the recalled Mazda RX-8 vehicles, please see PRA 2016/15789.
2003-05 Mazda FE RX-8: ball joint casing could crack
In March 2019, recall campaign R021809 was issued for Mazda FE RX-8 vehicles that were manufactured from 10 July 2003 to 28 April 2005. Due to an inappropriate production process, the ball joint casings on the front lower control arm may crack. Under high load conditions, the ball joint casing may break and cause the ball joint to detach from the lower arm – this could result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a collision and injury. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2019/17407.
Search online for recalls by VIN
To see if a Mazda vehicle has been recalled, you can conduct a search on the Mazda Australia website using its VIN.
Problems and faults: Mazda FE RX-8
Overview
This section identifies potential problems, causes and fixes based on the experiences of owners and repairers, online sources and technical service bulletins. This information is provided solely for reference purposes and AustralianCar.Reviews recommends that only properly qualified persons carry out repairs or modifications. Furthermore, the number of items below should not be taken as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur.
To report a problem or fault to the AustralianCar.Reviews team, please use the Contact Us form. Note that AustralianCar.Reviews does not offer advice on automotive problems or disputes; such enquiries will not receive a reply. For vehicles purchased from dealers after 1 January 2011, please see our Australian Consumer Law fact sheet.
Mazda RX-8: oil consumption
Mazda recommends checking the oil level after every second fill of the fuel tank. When new, Mazda estimated that the Mazda RX-8’s 13B-MSP engine would consume around 250 ml of oil per 1000 miles (approx. 1600 km), though most RX-8 vehicles used less.
For the RX-8, Mazda specified 5W 30 Mazda Dexelia Ultra mineral engine oil. According to Mazda, the use of synthetic or semi-synthetic engine oil may cause carbon deposits to accumulate in the intake ports and in the combustion chamber – this could cause misfire, knocking and/or power loss as a long-term effect.
13B-MSP Renesis engine
- For prospective owners, a compression test by a rotary engine specialist or Mazda dealer is recommend to determine if the engine’s rotor tips have worn.
- Difficulty starting the engine when it is worn may be due to worn rotors or worn/damaged coil packs. For the coil packs, the RX-8 has four coil packs (one for each spark plug) which require replacement every 50,000 kms.
- Spark plugs and leads are sensitive to wear. Mazda specialists recommend NGK or Magnecor HT leads as replacements for the originals.
- A loss of power may be due to worn/damaged coil packs or failure of a secondary shutter valve in the intake manifold. The secondary shutter valve provided air to the secondary injection system – a broken valve could also be heard as a ticking noise in the engine bay.
- For some early Mazda RX-8 models, the ‘low oil level’ warning may come due to a faulty oil level sensor which also requires the oil pan to be replaced.
- A rough idle or low idling speed, accompanied by poor performance in warmer weather, may be due to carbon buildup in the rotor housings.
13B-MSP Renesis engine: avoiding fuel pooling (‘flooding’)
On start-up, fuel is injected into the 13B-MSP engine to warm it and the catalytic converter as quickly as possible. Turning off the motor when it is cold will cause fuel to pool at the bottom of the engine (‘flooding’). This, in turn,
- May prevent the engine from restarting; and,
- May cause fuel to be dumped into the catalytic converter, producing hot spots and shortening its life span.
The 13B-MSP engine should therefore not be switched off until it has warmed up.
If fuel has pooled in the engine, it is possible to remove it by disconnecting the fuel pump and crank angle sensor (CAS), then pumping the excess fuel through the engine. It is recommended that the spark plugs then be cleaned since they can also be flooded by fuel (see ‘Mazda RX-8: engine doesn’t start’, below) before attempting to restart the engine.
Mazda RX-8: engine doesn’t start
Mazda USA has issued two technical service bulletins for the Mazda RX-8 where the engine may crank but not start – this may occur after driving the vehicle a short distance without the engine reaching normal operating temperature:
- For 2004-08 Mazda RX-8 vehicles, service bulletin 01-015/08; and,
- For 2009-11 Mazda RX-8 vehicles, service bulletin 01-013/12.
The service bulletins attributed the ‘no start’ condition to:
- The spark plugs being flooded by fuel; or,
- The apex seals being locked into the rotor groove as a result of carbon accumulation, resulting in lower than normal compression.
The service bulletin described the repair procedure for each condition.
Manual transmission: clutch and heat shield
Due to short clutch life for early RX-8 vehicles, Mazda replaced many under warranty. Nonetheless, the clutch for the RX-8 may require replacement every 50,000 kms.
The manual transmission had a heat shield (Mazda’s ‘Dynamic Damper Heat Insulator’) which could crack or fall off.
Mazda RX-8: milky substance on dipstick
In November 2006, Mazda USA issued service bulletin 01-050/06 for 2004-05 Mazda RX-8 vehicles. On some of these vehicles, the owner may find a milky substance sticking to the oil level gauge (dipstick). According to the service bulletin, this substance did not affect engine performance or other vehicle functions.
During cold weather, moisture contained in blow-by gases (exhaust, oil, fuel and water vapour) would be cooled by the intermediate housing wall and condense due to the difference in temperature. The moisture would chemically react with the engine oil in the intermediate housing, thereby producing the milky substance. The substance would eventually dissipate when the engine reached full operating temperature.
A ventilation kit was developed as a counter-measure to keep the milky substance off the oil level gauge.
Mazda RX-8: DTC P0455 and EVAP leak
In January 2007, Mazda USA issued service bulletin 01-001/07 for 2006-07 Mazda RX-8 vehicles that were manufactured from 7 January 2006 to 2 August 2006 and had VINs in the range JM1FE173*60200012 to JM1FE173*70208462.
In these vehicles, the malfunction indicator light (MIL) may illuminate and the diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0455 may be issued (‘EVAP System Leak Detected – Large Leak’) – this may occur due to poor sealing between the fuel filler pipe and the fuel filler cap. To fix, the fuel filler cap was to be replaced with a modified cap (part number FEY2-42-250).
Mazda RX-8: secondary shutter valve (SSV) stuck open
In April 2008, Mazda USA issued service bulletin 01-019/08 for Mazda RX-8 vehicles that were manufactured prior to 18 April 2007 and had VINs preceding JM1 FE**** ** 213322. In these vehicles, the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may illuminate and Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P2070 be logged because the secondary shutter valve (SSV) is stuck open – this could be caused by carbon build-up near the SSV bushing, resulting in a lack of power and/or slow response to throttle inputs. A revised SSV with stronger actuator was subsequently introduced.
Mazda RX-8: squeaking seat
In October 2009, Mazda USA issued service bulletin 09-064/09 for Mazda FE RX-8 vehicles. In some of these vehicles, there may be a squeaking noise from the front seatback due to contact between the seat frame and seat frame spring. To fix,
- The headrest was to be removed;
- The seat trim and seatback pad were to be removed;
- Clamp B was to be widened to remove Spring A (see bulletin);
- Vinyl tape was to be wrapped around the clamped portion of the spring;
- The spring was to be fitted back into the clamp and the clamp squeezed to secure the spring; and,
- The seatback pad, seat trim and headrest were to be re-installed.
Mazda RX-8: front-end clunk after take-off
In January 2014, Mazda USA issued service bulletin 04-022/14 for Mazda RX-8 vehicles because some owners experienced a slight clunk/bang/buzz noise or jolt from the front of the vehicle during the vehicle’s initial forward movement after starting the engine. As per the service bulletin, this noise was due to a normal ‘Malfunction Detection Function’ being performed by the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) and did not require repairs.
Mazda FE RX-8: other problems and faults
- The air conditioning may not provide sufficient cooling or may vary in its performance; if so, the air conditioning amplifier may need to be replaced.
- The headlights may not automatically level and the warning light may illuminate due to corrosion of the leveling sensors.
- If the driver’s seat loses its memory function, the control unit under the seat likely requires replacement.
