kcochran

I was shopping for a new car back in August 2012, test drove a few things and about 10 seconds after getting into the RX-8 I was sold. It was the only sports car that FELT like a sports car. I've never been in anything as crisp or sharp (in my price range!) and the engine feels so smooth and refined. I bought a 2009 R3 with 47k from a local used car lot, $23,900 + $2,000 for an extended warranty (spur arguments here) with a 4% financing rate and they gave me $1,000 for an old beater suzuki that ended up having it's engine blow withing a few months of them selling it to a friend of a friend. They put some ridiculous 20" MSR rims and westlake tires on the car, the previous owner sold the R3 rims and let the car go on snows. I got them to throw in the steel rims with a new set of snow tires.

The extended warranty is 7 years (though the in service date of the car was May or June 2008) and 160,000 km, covers everything, bumper to bumper, except you know anything that breaks. They've rejected about 4 claims so far, but I'll get into that.

I took the car autocrossing a week after I got it. I'll say the car deserved a better driver and somehow managed to drag me to somewhere mid pack. I'm almost embarrassed to look back at the attempt though.

A couple months after getting the car I took it to the nearest Mazda dealership for it's first oil change. I also had them take a look at a squeak (one I haven't heard anyone mention on this site) coming from the driver side left seat bolster. Every bump and most gear changes make a squeak and I still can't figure out where it's coming from. The dealership overfilled the oil, charged $50 to say that the seat doesn't squeak and didn't bother leaving a "next change" sticker or book another appointment. When I showed them the dipstick filled way past full they said that the machine is automated so it isn't their fault. Sigh.

No problems for a few months after this, mileage averaged tightly between 18-20 MPG no matter how I drove really, and oil needed top up 1-2 times between oil changes, seemed to match what others were reporting. The coolant level got a bit low and I had a hard time finding the green stuff Mazda uses in my area, particularly since for a week or so I couldn't get off work during dealership hours to pick some up there.

My first winter in the car was surprisingly good! Yep winter drove it through a Canadian winter, a fairly mild one but one snow storm in particular turned a 1 hour trip into a 7 hour nightmare. The car is great in the snow with a good set of tires. The traction control saves you without being intrusive. the low ground clearance isn't great, but isn't that bad either. We ended up taking the RX-8 over the Cobalt when it snowed since it was safer!

In the spring the keyless entry antenna on the rear bumper went bad. Apparently salt ruins the exposed antenna. $500 repair and the extended warranty company denied the claim. When I faxed them a copy of the contract highlighting "keyless entry systems" and a copy of a letter to the Better Business Bureau they changed their mind and paid for it. I got a free 10mm wrench out of it too! (sloppy mechanic...) Ironically the warranty cannot be done at a Mazda dealer, it must be done at the shop where I bought the car, and they don't know how to work on Mazda's.

A few months later the next big electrical problem. I put a few boxes in the trunk and I think one of them was pressed against the Bose stereo amplifier. There was a loud pop from the speakers, then something like 110 decibel static scream from the speakers. Not fun while going down the highway. I hit the radio button to turn it off, nothing happened. I shut off the car and it died, but as soon as I put it in accessory it started again. Unplugging the amp was the only solution. My ears rang for over a week and I had a migraine for 2 days it was so loud. I spent a could days checking over the wiring to the amp and it all looks fine, I cleaned the contacts and plugged it all back in and took it for a careful drive. Hit a bump and the speakers had this loud pop again and the front left speaker cut out, a couple seconds later another pop and the front right. I've tried a few times since, no more screaming but the fronts are lucky if they work for a half hour. The Mazda dealer says it might be the signal filter but wants a crap ton of money to even look at it. They said a new amp would be like $2500 plus install (4 bolts and 3 connectors, the horror). Replaced the unit but a nasty job, removing the seats and rear deck to get a screws you can see from inside the trunk!

Since I don't know the full history of the vehicle I decide to take it in for fluids, oil, diff tranny etc. The cars at about 54,000 km at this point (yeah I only drive like 10k/year) and all goes well, for about 300 km before the 5th gear synchro fails catastrophically overnight. I take it back in (still on the same gas tank!) and of course the car is two weeks out of powertrain warranty. A lot of hassling later they agree to a partial tranny rebuild if I pay for parts. I'm out $300, they're out about $1000 in labour. Third feels a lot stiffer since the rebuild (a bit of a thunk as in pops into gear) but otherwise everything feels great. It forced me to learn how to double clutch which I guess is an important life skill so we'll just call that drivers ed. I'm assuming the prior owner abused 5th on the highway, but I've heard it's not uncommon for SII's. I tried to get the bumper to bumper coverage to help out but of course since the car has power train warranty they won't touch it, even though the power train had ended. No paperwork helped this time.

This spring it was new tires. This car has been a learning experience for me in many ways. One way was don't trust a used car lot and the other was always check a tires date code. The brand new tires (both the new summers and the new winters) on the car were manufactured in 2006 and deteriorated over the winter. Good chance to dump the ugly and huge 20" MSR's for some 18" Enkei's and Continental ExtremeContact DW's. Great tire!


I'll say the whole thing may sound negative here, I absolutely love the car. I've never had this many problems with a vehicle that I've now cleared 11,000 km on in a year and a half. It almost seams like I've spent more time talking to mechanics and insurance people. Never again with the extended warranty, 4 claims led to 4 legal disputes. I love the car but it has definitely been a love hate relationship so far!