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I just can't wait to dump this car off! You would think after two engine changes, new cat, new injectors and a whole bunch of other problems they might have had the notion to replace the spark plugs once...but noooooooo!

So now I have to replace them. The car has not been running smooth and the MPG and power have been in the toilet.

The dealer is now raping me for $305! At this point I am so sick of dealing with Mazda dealers I just don't have any fight left in me. I looked through my service receipts/printouts last night. I have taken my car into the shop 27 Frick'n times!!!


anybody have the phone number for complaining to Mazda Canada?

I'm just so sick of the bullsh*t! I feel like parking this car on a set of train tracks, set up a lawn chair, crack a beer and watch the ensuing entertainment.

hahaha...I caught the bastards trying to screw me over!!

Fist off....THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO ROSENTHAL MAZDA FOR ALL THE TSB AND RECALL LISTINGS THEY HAVE ON THEIR SITE.

It seems that there is this little issue of a recall that came out in August of 2006 that never was aplied to my car.

Recall - 2004-2006 RX8 Voluntary Emission Recall Campaign 4206F


It calls for a reprogram of the PCM and replacement of the Spark plugs!!!

What frosts my ars is 1.5 weeks ago when I had a hour long meeting with the service manager about all the problems I've had with the car and that they should know that I'm one or two repairs away from going postal, the guy brough up my service history and then spent 20 minutes on telling me there might not be anything he could do to help me and that he would try and work with me....blah, blah, blah!
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Oh great just as I post the last entry, I get a call back from the dealer saying that the warranty had been apllied when I bought the car. That's interesting considering that the car was purchased in July 2004 and the recall didn't come out until August 2006. Then the service rep starts back pedaling saying it was applied in October 2006 and asks me where it was done...I know where this is going.

1) If it was only done last year there is no way in hell that those plugs should be dead
2) Don't even try and tell me to go back to the dealer that performed the recall. As far as I remember, warranty work is covered across Canada.



I'm about to go postal!!

Mazda Canada can't do anything regarding their franchises. It's up to the owner of the franchise to insure his mechanics are competent.

90% of the mechanics that work for Mazda dealers are use to dealing with the normal 3's, 6's, SUV/CUV's that Mazda makes. But when it comes to the rotary, they have no clue!
It's extremely hard to find a competent Mazda dealer who can service a rotary vehicle well. Which is why alot of rotary owners take their car to dedicated rotary shops.

Sucks to hear you've been through all this. :(

I'd complain to Mazda Canada, hell mail them a copy of all your service receipts and say it's unacceptable.

Mazda Canada can't do anything regarding their franchises. It's up to the owner of the franchise to insure his mechanics are competent.

90% of the mechanics that work for Mazda dealers are use to dealing with the normal 3's, 6's, SUV/CUV's that Mazda makes. But when it comes to the rotary, they have no clue!
It's extremely hard to find a competent Mazda dealer who can service a rotary vehicle well. Which is why alot of rotary owners take their car to dedicated rotary shops.

Sucks to hear you've been through all this. :(


well in this one case I think they can help. If my spark plugs are worn out then it means that they were not changed with the recall like they should have been and claimed to have been. This means that Kramer Mazda cut corners if true. It then falls on Mazda to make sure that the recall was properly performed. If shouldn't matter at what dealer either. As far as I'm conmcerned, that's an internal issue.

you've had a lot of issues, but is it worth snapping over who buys the new plugs? i picked up my car yesterday after having the engine changed. had to pay 600 for a new starter. which i dont understand how my old one broke, started the old engine just fine. 800 for a new clutch which also wasnt showing any signs of slipping. to top it off my car still seems hard to start which was the intial problem.

This spark plug thing is interesting to me since I think mine need to be replaced (getting hard starts now at 56K and warranty's done). When I read your posts above, I thought I might have a chance at getting my plugs replaced free, but as I read through the 4206F recall thread from last year, it seems as as though the spark plug replacement was optional, not mandatory - what it depended on, I'm not sure. You should have a look at that thread, b/c you say in there that you had the recall done, but the plugs weren't replaced (post 117). Maybe that was on a different engine than you're on now?? Or are you now saying that the plugs should have been replaced ... ie that it shouldn't have been optional. I'm curious, b/c I'd just as soon not spend $300+ on spark plug replacement when I don't even know that it's going to fix my problem.

you've had a lot of issues, but is it worth snapping over who buys the new plugs? i picked up my car yesterday after having the engine changed. had to pay 600 for a new starter. which i dont understand how my old one broke, started the old engine just fine. 800 for a new clutch which also wasnt showing any signs of slipping. to top it off my car still seems hard to start which was the intial problem.


after all the crap that has filaed on my car...after all the fights to get Mazda to pay ofr anything...yes it is worth it to fight.

Call this guy and see if he can help you out

http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?p=2014664&postcount=5

your avatar sure suits your current emotion. I feel sorry for you dude. I hope despite the troubles, your rx-8 still give smiles when it is healthy.
And yes, the sparkplug thing is optional. The tech is supposed to check for signs first as indicated by the recall.

I've got my recalls done couple weeks ago, and I checked my car last week and they did replace the spark plugs, only the bottom (leading) ones. I was kinda pissed off at first because they never mentioned anything about recalls until they ask me to go to their freaking shop to do maintenance which I could give them business. I've read about those recalls too and they were suppose to put some campaign sticker after they were done, and they didn't. So i'm not even sure if they did all my recalls right, o well... This just shows Mazda (in Calgary at least) don't know what the hell they are doing...

Call this guy and see if he can help you out

http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?p=2014664&postcount=5



thanks...I'll try him


The dealer is charging me $265 for a set of plugs. Online they go for $105.

Good luck, rotten. Coolest avatar ever.

Your experience sucks, REALLY sucks, but you gotta realize it's extreme. There are guys on here begining to celebrate 160000kms on their 8's.

Maybe angry pussies shouldn't drive 8's ;)

Your experience sucks, REALLY sucks, but you gotta realize it's extreme. There are guys on here begining to celebrate 160000kms on their 8's.

Maybe angry pussies shouldn't drive 8's ;)



you can deny the problems all you want but go look at the engine replacement poll. The numbers are much higher than they should be.



Maybe Mazda should just stand behind their product and I wouldn't be an "angry pussy". :icon_tdow

Recall is only for leading plugs.
You will have to replace the trailing yourself - no big deal - $50 and about 10minutes work.

About the dealers though? I have to say I am in the camp - if it wasn't for the dealers I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another Mazda.

My only ever reason to go to the dealer for service will be warranty work.

It has gotten to the point that I would almost rather perform the work myself at my expense rather than let the dealer fix it "for free"

Example - last fiasco - simple sunroof tsb.
21 days for a 4hr job - complained about the rattle on the new roof - explained where the service tech could drive the car to re-create the rattle which was within 2 blocks of the dealership. When I came to pick up the car I asked the service tech if he fixed the rattle. Response was yes. I Asked what the rattle was? Response - something was loose. I Asked - did you test drive before and after to confirm? Response - no - I don't have time for that. WTF? How do you claim you fixed something if you don't know what to look for? Guess what - rattle is still there.

I have had the car since March 2004. July 2007 I will be shopping for a new car. Do you think Mazda will be high on my list?

The 8 - great car for what it is. Interior has more rattles than I would like, but mechanically, outside of a wire harness gremlin - been pretty much bulletproof.

I am getting close to the end of the warranty period and read all the tails of woe with transmissions and engines that scare me. With protection only to 80k and Mazda Canada not increasing the coverage that the US counterparts enjoy, I must say I am a bit afraid.

Rotten42 - be sure that you aren't alone. Although I can't say I have had nearly as poor an experience with the product - just mainly incompetent dealers.

Let's just hope Mazda has some trolls on the site that take notice.

I know of at least 5 potential Mazda customers that will not consider the product because of my experience with the dealer. It has become a kind of running joke.

Mazda should not take customer testimonials lightly - the 5 lost sales that I know of most likely is more like 500 with the and she told two friends exponential growth.

At this point - is the rotary worth putting up with Mazda Dealers?
My feelings about Rotary..
Buttery Smooth Idle? Nope.
Enhanced Engine Life? Nope.
Fuel Economy Advantage - Definitely Not.
Expanded Torque Curve? About 6000rpm usable which many piston engines can duplicate.
Small - Definitely
Loves being beat on - Beeps all day long and doesn't complain :)

Would I get another rotary?
Sure - the package size is good, throttle response is good, give me another 8 with a NA rotary with about 100hp more, slap an infinity or lexus badge on it and you have another sale.

Right now my eyes are on the new EVO X. Back to AWD and FI 2L motors. A step backwards you may think. But regardless of the black eyes Mitsu has had with recalls, etc. the Lancer is a legend - The 8 sadly will never live up to the FD. It wasn't meant to.

Until that day however, I will continue to enjoy the 8 for what it is. It really is a great drive, and has a look like no other on the road - it's just there are so many great drives, and only a limited amount of time to experience them all.

My next Mazda? Miata all the way. One that no Mazda dealer will get their hands on.

I would do some of the work myself but working a day job, running a home business and raising a family takes up all my time. AS much as I don't like the fact that they would cover the plugs I am really pissed at how much they charged for the plugs. %265!!!...yes, I did get ass raped.


I'm thinking of one of these cars for my next one:
Used 07 G35 coupe
G37
IS250 awd
IS350


But who knows for sure yet. That's coming up next summer.

Rotator, unfortunately bad dealers are everywhere not just Mazda. Mitsu techs in Canada will be clueless about the EVO's engine afterall how many Mitsu do you find in GTA and how many will be EVO?
We have owned Subarus, BMWs, Saabs, Mazdas and they have at one point or another disappoint from the dealership perspective. Their techs have no clue what's what. BMW these days replace their Service Advisors with girlie bimbos that do not know what an O2 sensor is.... Nissan is just as bad with stories of overfilling in oil changes and diagnostics is not part of their vocabulary.

If my spark plugs are worn out then it means that they were not changed with the recall like they should have been and claimed to have been. This means that Kramer Mazda cut corners if true. It then falls on Mazda to make sure that the recall was properly performed. If shouldn't matter at what dealer either. As far as I'm conmcerned, that's an internal issue.


Agreed. I was told that they were changed on deliveryand fine on this recall (20K km) And suddenly they need changing at 30K km.. come on.. and the damn car still runs the same and stalls all the fricken time..?

At least you've got a few years on me.. I've had enough of these guys and its been less than a year and half..
Dont get me wrong, love the car, hate the service dept..

Maybe we should all show up at the same time at the same place for service and make a scene? :cwm27: I need some testosteroney-type backup apparently, being a female is getting me nowhere... "Your plugs are bad because you have flooded it numerous times.."..:mad:

I hate to say this Rotten, but I'm with you man.. :crying: I dont want to lose her, but I hate these arseholes..

you can deny the problems all you want but go look at the engine replacement poll. The numbers are much higher than they should be.

Maybe Mazda should just stand behind their product and I wouldn't be an "angry pussy". :icon_tdow

Hey, I totally understand your frustration, I'm pretty pissed off about my car at this point too. I've had brake rotors, brake pads, coils, 2 engines, 2 cats, 4 taillights without counting recalls, I totally lost faith in my car. I just get the feeling that my car is going to leave me stranded on the side of the road soon...I only have 79000 kms

C'mon guys, based on the poll do you really think that nearly 20% of rx8 engines have failed?

That said, reliability can be an issue with this car, I'm on my 2nd tranny after all. But it's still way more reliable than my last car (1.8T Passat), and Mazda gave me no hassle about the tranny, and they sure could have (it only grinded at redline in the 3 to 4 shift...or 92 mph!).

All I'm saying is don't paint all 8's or all Mazda experiences with the same brush.

C'mon guys, based on the poll do you really think that nearly 20% of rx8 engines have failed?

That said, reliability can be an issue with this car, I'm on my 2nd tranny after all. But it's still way more reliable than my last car (1.8T Passat), and Mazda gave me no hassle about the tranny, and they sure could have (it only grinded at redline in the 3 to 4 shift...or 92 mph!).

All I'm saying is don't paint all 8's or all Mazda experiences with the same brush.



maybe not 20% overall but I do believe that that might be the case with 2004 models. Ask some of the people in the hot areas like Nevada.

3K left in warranty - original engine and tranny.
I wonder what's in store for me after 80K?

80k? i thought we had a 100k?

why is rx8 so weak????? i was worried about my car which would probably have the stall problem and lack of power, and eventually it happened to me just tonight!!!!stalled twice at light, it wasnt hard to restart it maybe because i have done recall already; i cant believe what just happened to me, thought i loved my car enough to let it last longer, but still, my 8 with only 44km, are facing the engine replacement. i dont know yet what i would do, i will see whats gonna happen tomorrow when i am at the dealer. hope i am lucky, at least i know this guy who is the manager there, hope he could help me a little bit.....
i am just so frustrated.

why is rx8 so weak????? i was worried about my car which would probably have the stall problem and lack of power, and eventually it happened to me just tonight!!!!stalled twice at light, it wasnt hard to restart it maybe because i have done recall already; i cant believe what just happened to me, thought i loved my car enough to let it last longer, but still, my 8 with only 44km, are facing the engine replacement.

Damn really? I have 39k, kms. I just signed the papers to keep my 8 (lease finished) today, hope mine doesn't blow up...

why is rx8 so weak????? i was worried about my car which would probably have the stall problem and lack of power, and eventually it happened to me just tonight!!!!stalled twice at light, it wasnt hard to restart it maybe because i have done recall already; i cant believe what just happened to me, thought i loved my car enough to let it last longer, but still, my 8 with only 44km, are facing the engine replacement. i dont know yet what i would do, i will see whats gonna happen tomorrow when i am at the dealer. hope i am lucky, at least i know this guy who is the manager there, hope he could help me a little bit.....
i am just so frustrated.


So it just happened all of a sudden?? Do you know if they replaced the spark plugs on the recall?

Nate340 - I stand corrected!

From www.mazda.ca

1998 - 2006 Models (Except Tribute, and B-Series)
Basic Coverage - 36/80
Service Adjustment - 12/20
Powertrain - 60/100
Perforation - 60
Emission - 96/128
Safety - 60/100
OE Battery - 36/unlimited

Phew.... Zoom Zoom until the lease is up.

Is Mazda Canada covering the engine mounts under general warranty?

"The basic warranty for Mazda vehicles covers all parts found to be factory defective for 36 Months or 80,000 km (60,000 km for the B-Series)"

I would say these mounts are defective if they fail.

Has anyone come up with a complete parts check list to go into the dealer just before 80K?

I did that with my Talon - worked great - but then Chrysler apparently pays their dealers for warranty work where as Mazda seems to screw dealers.

From what I understand talking to a few service managers is they really don't like warranty work as they tend not to get much $$

I find it really funny how most dealers treat customers regarding service, if in fact the service departments are the highest profit centres in the company.

Of course there are exceptional cases, and dealers that will go the extra mile - but a sweeping generalisation based on my experience has been nothing but resentment, distrust, and to not sugar coat it - general lack of professionalism and caring.

They just don't seem to give a F*%!k

Take rotten42 - unless the car has proven signs of abuse beyond what they consider normal, Mazda should be bending over backwards to help him.
The fact that they don't - means that this one experience with one person can have great consequences to sales. Never underestimate the power of a testimonial.

Dealers may bock - Enthusiasts expect too much - they bought a mazda, not a ferrari.

I had a 90 Integra and even though it was Acura's entry level car - never was I treated any differently than the guy who pulled up in an NSX.

I have a friend with a sooby - and he will be buying another for the simple reason that he gets great service at the dealers. And he just has a base impreza - not an Sti.

The really crappy thing about the incompetence of dealers, and the time it takes for them to fix things is really compounded by the fact that unless you purchased the MAP - Mazda Added Protection - you are SOL for a loaner.

If you don't have MAP - it is either up to the dealer to sympathise with your situation and give you a loaner (which to downtown mazda's credit I was offered - although not another RX-8), or you have to make arrangements with the mazda DPSM to get Mazda Canada to cover the cost. Good luck with that! There appears to be no hard and fast rules about what criteria qualifies for a loaner.

All I can be happy about is my experience with the hardware has been very very positive. I had an electrical gremlin that put me out for a couple months - but that was an isolated incident that I don't think was experienced by many.

So the driving experience, and the quality of the product for me far outweighs the hassle of dealing with Mazda dealers.

As Dehli correctly points out - Mazda is not alone in dealer service centre horror stories. I love the stories where a guy pulls up in his Jag for service and is given a focus loaner. But to Jag's credit - at least the guy got a loaner - no questions asked.

At least now - if any of us buy another Mazda - we know what to expect.


Rant off.... Time to fix the car.