Just a couple of things to take into consideration while we are being patient:

1. Some of us have already gotten our financing for our RX-8, and our preapproved loans are expiring. I have already gotten one extension, and the credit union won't grant another. I have to completely reapply for the loan if the car does not arrive by July 15th, and at 4.25% interest instead of the 3.9% I previously locked in at.
2. Some of us have already sold our old cars and must give them up or cancel the sale. I must have transportation to get back and forth to work. It would be nice to give a buyer a date as to when they can have this old car.
3. Some of us planned our summer vacations based on the date the dealerships provided us. We would like to travel in our new RX-8. My dealer stated May 15th. I know that Mazda sent a letter out in late April that stated July, but my dealer did not receive that letter from Mazda. However, he did have documents that stated May, Week 2 delivery. Then is was June, Week 2. Then it was July, Week 1. Now???? Since I must give 30 days notice for my vacation, it would be nice to have a firm date of when our new car will be available for pick-up so I can schedule my vacation.
4. Why does Mazda need a national rollout, if that is indeed the holdup? Most of these cars are preorders and will never see a dealer showroom. They will be picked up by eager buyers within hours of arriving at the dealership. Plus, there is absolutely no advertising on TV telling us this car will be available soon! Isn't a national rollout supposed to coincide with an advertising campaign?

We have been patient. I haven't cancelled my car. I haven't chewed out the dealership. I haven't lost it. But being patient doesn't mean we can't be frustrated by the lack of communication from Mazda. If I ordered any other item from around the country, the company would provide status whenever I asked. If Mazda would send us a letter stating that the cars are delayed until some future date, we could arrange different financing, cancel the sale my car, and reapply for our vacation dates.

How hard can it be for Mazda to email or call the dealerships? How about sending an email to everyone in the preorder program? A little TLC and respect go a long way in keeping the customer happy!

Amen.

BTW - Did you know if you order a Chrysler, you can track it the whole way, without having to find someone in the dealership to give you an internal update?

Or for next time, making sure the dealers know how to input MY order as a bloody PREORDER, not DEALER ALLOCATION.

I had to send over 10 emails and bitch at countless people to get it to happen, and while I'm on the pre-order list now.... I'm STILL NOT ON THE EMAIL LIST! :\

Well said !

It is scary to think that that if you had sent the very same letter to MNAO by FedEx , you could track its location to within 1/4 mile .

Why can't Mazda effectively communicate where these cars are. Most of us will be patient , we have no other choice !

How do you get yourself on the list? and how do I know if I'm on the list? I'm not sure if I'm considered a pre-order (although the dealer has indicated I am), and I'm certainly not on the email list... my book came from the dealer, not mazda directly...

Call Mazda and ask them. That's how I made sure. I was on my dealer's back every day until i was verifie.d

Maybe everyone should call Mazda NA every hour on the hour asking for an update until they send out a bulletin or something. I just got off of the phone with them. They said "July week 2", and I asked when exactly it would be released from the port as its been there for 2 weeks, they said they don't have any idea, its out of their control. I can understand that, but shouldn't they be able to get some kind of information to provide to the consumers - something relevant. I don't mind waiting, I just want to know how long I have to wait.

I'm in the same situation, I sold my car last week (couldn't pass up the offer at the time, and its so close {supposedly} to when the rx-8 is coming, and I rescheduled some minor surgery twice now, becuase the dealer says, "its coming, no its not, its coming, no its not... we don't know, call Mazda NA - they know everything".

It'd be cool if Mazda would post to the forum (hint, hint)...

I talked to my dealer today here in Beavercrek (Dayton) Ohio. He said my car is on the train to Woodhaven, MI. It left the coast on the 30th and should be in MI by the end of the week. He has been told to expect the first 2 cars (of which one is mine) on or around the 16th. The accessories were installed at port. Some of the theories about Mazda not releasing the cars until the train gets to Woodhaven almost sound legit if a lot of you are waiting on cars that have been only miles away in port for 2 weeks now. My dealer has been telling me third week of July since May.

Originally posted by Boozehound
Amen.

BTW - Did you know if you order a Chrysler, you can track it the whole way, without having to find someone in the dealership to give you an internal update?

Well, that did it - I cancelled my pre-order and bought me a minivan!

Sweet! Maybe its time I tried out the Town & Country - I hear has more torque.....

Originally posted by Boozehound
Amen.

BTW - Did you know if you order a Chrysler, you can track it the whole way, without having to find someone in the dealership to give you an internal update?

That would be a way make the customer less edgy. My dealer told me in an email (and I quote): "Also, with Mazda's ordering system, once we place the order, you will be able to track the car while it is being built and shipped. You can track it from point a to point z, factory to the dealership!! "

I hit up RXORDERS about it and got this response: "The online tracking system the dealership referred to is currently not
available. The online tracking system was something Mazda was
considering, however, it did not go through. You should still be able to get status e-mails from Mazda to keep you informed. "

Apparently it was something they hyped up to the dealers, but haven't put in place yet.

Like I really want to see tracking information for my car..
6-17-2003 sitting at dock
6-18-2003 sitting at dock
6-19-2003 sitting at dock
6-20-2003 sitting at dock
6-21-2003 sitting at dock
6-22-2003 sitting at dock
6-23-2003 sitting at dock
6-24-2003 sitting at dock
6-25-2003 sitting at dock
6-26-2003 sitting at dock
6-27-2003 sitting at dock
6-28-2003 sitting at dock
6-29-2003 sitting at dock
6-30-2003 sitting at dock
7-01-2003 sitting at dock
7-02-2003 sitting at dock
7-03-2003 sitting at dock
7-04-2003 sitting at dock
7-05-2003 sitting at dock
7-06-2003 sitting at dock
7-07-2003 sitting at dock
7-08-2003 sitting at dock
7-09-2003 sitting at dock
Lame.
Vince

hahahahahaha!!!!!

It's been sitting at the port longer than it took to build and deliver from Japan...

I think rather than status or location, (I know mine's been on port since 27 Jun) what we all really want is FULL disclosure. IBFUBAR2000 got the "official word" in a phone call recently. What they said was true (inspection teams going over every car), but it wasn't complete. That excuse is not sufficient to be causing this kind of hold up. There are a set of reasons and I'd like to hear every one of them. Not be expected to swallow one lame non-damaging story. I have a lot more respect for a company that comes clean than for a company that strings me along.

But hey, what should we expect from the marketing department anyway? Anybody know an engineer? We'll get the straight answer from them.

Originally posted by compaddict
Like I really want to see tracking information for my car..
6-17-2003 sitting at dock
6-18-2003 sitting at dock
6-19-2003 sitting at dock
6-20-2003 sitting at dock
6-21-2003 sitting at dock
6-22-2003 sitting at dock
6-23-2003 sitting at dock
6-24-2003 sitting at dock
6-25-2003 sitting at dock
6-26-2003 sitting at dock
6-27-2003 sitting at dock
6-28-2003 sitting at dock
6-29-2003 sitting at dock
6-30-2003 sitting at dock
7-01-2003 sitting at dock
7-02-2003 sitting at dock
7-03-2003 sitting at dock
7-04-2003 sitting at dock
7-05-2003 sitting at dock
7-06-2003 sitting at dock
7-07-2003 sitting at dock
7-08-2003 sitting at dock
7-09-2003 sitting at dock
Lame.
Vince
Makes me scared to think... my car just GOT to the dock a week ago! And if it stays that long... I'll totally lose it!

read back in my posts and you'll find that i had to do the same as herc since january. and 2 1/2 weeks ago i went thru another round when my car wasn't showing in the dealers inventory. long story short a car that has been diverted to me is on the boat that is coming to tacoma this friday. i'm starting to think i might get mine the same time as everyone else after all. think about it since they did the hands on inspections of every car that was in port already they know exactly what to look for on the cars arriving now. slap my changer in and load it on the truck with some that have been in port for the last 2 weeks.

Guess what: the RX-8 is going to be a company car! I got a promotion earlier this year at my work, and got to select a car that will be leased to me (via GE Captial Fleet Services) as a benefit. Rather than choose a black Mercedes, or Passat, or Audi, I ordered a Titanium Gray Mazda RX-8 (AT) around Feb/March.

I feel impatient because the dealer originally told me it would come in June. Towards the end of June he told me it would be coming in July. Yesterday, finally, at least I got him to look up the VIN to learn where it is: "at sea", i.e. on the boat from Japan to Vancouver. Well, that's a start.

The dealer mentioned that not just our Canadian-ordered RX-8's but also other Mazda vehicles and parts that have arrived from Japan have been sitting in Vancouver port for 15 days. He wasn't aware of any reason for the delay. I hope that mine will not suffer the same delay.