Buying the car was fantastic - best dealer I've ever done business with. My problem is with the service department, after your first oil change (which is free) find someone else. The day I picked up the car, it was horridly "detailed" with a dirty engine bay and bird crap on the roof - probably was an omen...

I'm going to try Ray Skillman which actually receives an RX8 club discount on service and parts. Ugh I need to stop talking about my car - all I want to do is get in and drive it! :(

I drove mine home the day I bought it. They washed the outside, but the inside was not as clean as I would have liked.

I really need to wash it. It's been really cold and/or raining since I bought it. I may just take it through one of those touchless things.

update: I had posted earlier in this thread that I was having the grinding going into 6th issue with my '09. They finally decided to give me a whole new tranny (after tinkering with mine three or four times and completely screwing it up), supposedly a 2010 tranny shipped straight from Japan. Finally got my car back after being at the dealership for 29 days. It hasn't done anything too weird since, just pretty stiff and I'm slowly breaking it in. Sometimes going into third is really tough, other times it's normal. So I guess I will see how this one goes.

On another but similar note... in that 29 days they still couldn't figure out how to fix my damn driver's seat... the lever to pump it up and down broke... well, it somehow works once in a while, but when you're lucky enough to get it to go up after you're driving for a while the entire left side of the seat will just FALL to the floor... scaring the hell out of you and leaving you sitting really crooked. They said they can't fix it til February? (How hard is fixing a damn non-electric seat????) Oh and I'm not a big bitch or anything, so my 120# didn't kill it I promise, lol. Anyone else having an issue with the seats?

I am completely in love with my car... but these issues are really turning me off quickly. Makes me wonder what might happen down the road... scary thought. Good luck to everyone in getting a new tranny. If all else fails, call MazdaUSA... if they don't help, file with the BBB and light a fire under their asses.

I'm sorry to hear that, I feel your pain. I cannot believe they had your car for 29 days!! My fear is that they're just f**king around with my car too and I'll end up having to bring it back for a new tranny.

I called to check on the status today, and (shocker) they've told me next Monday is the earliest I can expect the car. FURIOUS doesn't even come close to describing my frustration... is there anything I can do to expedite the process? Or perhaps light a fire under someone's ass?

If I would have known that this is how Mazda does business, I would have bought a WRX.

I wont say I'm a Mazda fanboi by any means, BUT it doesn't really matter what brand you buy from, you can experience the same type of service issue from any of them. It honestly comes down to your local dealership. I bought two cars from a dealership that has a great sales dept, but then NEVER went back because of their horrible service dept. Luckily I live in a big area and have a number of Mazda dealers to choose from and I have gotten some awesome service at the second dealer I choose and will mostly like stay with them until they screw me.

Bottom line, service is always going to be heavily dependent on the people that serve you regardless or dealer or industry.

Good god, a chair just falling like that is wtfbbq dangerous. I wouldn't stand and let them delay the fix on that. I'd go over their head and let them know what is up. If you can get video proof, that would be even better.

mAYBE THEY ALREADY ORDERES A NEW SEAT.

Anyhow, it is easy take it out. Look at it. Either it's fixable or isn't. Not fixable install new seat.

There still could be something under the seat that is jaming it.

Like your kids toy.

My transmission has now started to grind when downshifting from 6th to 5th, I'm 23,000 miles on the new transmission

Yeah... I wouldn't trust the mechanics at the dealership to take apart the tranny and put it back together... AFTER this all happened with my car, my service guy let it slip to me that mine was the first '09 tranny that the guys had ever seen up close... LoL. Comforting, right!?

To expedite the process... call MazdaUSA and bitch up a storm. Oh and file with the Better Business Bureau and/or your state's Lemon Law. Right now mine's under Lemon Law... I bring the car back in tomorrow morning for their "final repair attempt"... if the seat's not fixed in 10 days I go to arbitration and either try to get my money back or get a brand new car. At this point it might be smarter to go for the money back...

No shit a seat's easy to replace... the fact is that they had my car for 29 days and knew about the seat issue and did NOT replace it. They gave me some bullshit about how they need the proper way to fix it to come down from Mazda HQ.

There's absolutely nothing under the seat, I'm sure they would have found something if there was. And no, not like my non-existent kid's toy. I love how some of you people find the need for asshole comments when someone has actual issues with their car.

Yeah it's pretty retarded. I did go over their heads, I filed with the BBB. Going back to the dship tomorrow for it's final repair... we'll see what happens.

:wallbash:

Idk if if all rx8's are manufactured in the same area but would a "jdm" tranny be any different from the trannys on USDM?
and what about people like pettit, pineapple racing, partsgroup.com? I am pretty sure they have their hands on a new rx8 and would be able to find the flaw. I mean I would assume it would take Mazda forever to hear it's customers where the companies listed above are private and would be easier to deal with.

Personally I would rather find the flaw now rather than wait for Mazda to figure it out.

Mazda has pretty horrible customer service. Considering they are a smaller automaker, you'd think they'd try harder, but it seems the opposite.

According to the techs and Mazda corp, the transmission they swapped into my car was airmailed direct from Japan.

That sounds right. From what I've read (correct me if this is wrong) all RX-8 transmissions are made in Japan by a separate company contracted out by Mazda.

Update #5
 

Alright, now the shit has seriously hit the fan!

I was told last week that "Monday 01/25 is the latest, we'll have it ready". So who gets all excited and schedules a window tinting for Tuesday? <<<<<This guy.

Called Monday afternoon verifying that the car was ready, and was told that the transmission is now out of the car and on the workbench. Needless to say I blew up and asked WTF they had been doing... "Oh well the parts took a couple of weeks to get here". Really? I thought that's what they said 2 weeks ago? When asked for an ETA, he gave me "it's hard to say really - maybe Friday?".

Mazda customer service was my only hope - I was pleasantly informed that an email was sent to the district service manager and also the manager of the representative, and that they will call me tomorrow (which is today) with an update and a resolution. Obviously that hasn't happened...

I filed a BBB complaint on their website. I don't know what I can ask for at this point, but I didn't trade in my 2007 Cobalt SS for a new RX8, drive it for two months, and then let it sit in the shop for over a month. Ironically, the rental they gave me (which is a total POS and leaks air from two tires) is a Cobalt LT. FML, and F Mazda.

I'm truly a pretty easy going guy, but I've never been so pissed off in my life... WTF!!!!!:anger:

I had the pleasure of waiting 3 months for them to give me mine back.. I feel your pain.

Any new car can have a problem and you have to wait for parts or analysis.

you got a rental car so................ that's all they can do.

If you were nice to them.... you could ask for them to pay for your monthly payment or just wait soon you will be able to get a new one under lemon law.

Final Update
 

After lighting multiple fires at Mazda, I finally got my RX8 back today. 5th and 6th gear are smooth as butter now, but the rest of the gears are still notchy as hell and 3rd is hard to get into sometimes... nothing new.

Another note - when I picked it up it had a MASSIVE crack in the windshield. Immediately drove it back and the blamed it on me. I have no way of proving otherwise, so I'm out $450 to replace the f**king windshield.

Worst car-related experience of my life. I will never buy another Mazda, even though I love these cars...

Call MazdaUSA.

Yeah I bought my 09 R3 with 80 miles on it an when it is cold-ish it doesnt like going into 2nd gear. But I havent had any popping out issues, but then again I only have 730 miles on it now.

Don't stay quiet.
Call and bitch.

I did - and they are very unsympathetic. They're best response was "well you have the car back now".

See the following thread for fix:
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/please-help-potential-new-owner-question-miac-181950/