To listen to some of the posters in this thread, every dealership out there is just foaming at the mouth, waiting for any opportunity to void your warranty, generate negative customer feedback, and drive business elsewhere.

It just ain’t true.

Here’s a reality check: your super shiny, ultra-JDM, gazillion horsepower intake really could have caused an engine failure. I am a powertrain engineer by profession; it’s my job to design diesel engine powertrains for mobile mining equipment. In more than one instance I have been part of a team that has voided the engine warranty on one of our customer’s machines after an engine failure. In each and every case, we found that the engine failed because it had ingested dust, and in each and every case we were able to trace those failures back to one of two causes: improperly tightened hose clamps, or substandard, non-OEM, replacement parts, either intake tubing or filters.

There are several dozen reasons why a poorly designed, poorly maintained, or improperly installed aftermarket air intake could cause an engine failure. And with the extremely tight tolerances seen in modern engine manufacturing, it doesn’t take much dust at all to completely destroy an engine.

I also hate to rain on the parade of the conspiracy theorists out there, but it is quite plausible (and in fact highly probable) that your starter could be replaced under warranty while your engine would not be covered. You have done nothing to modify your starter, and there is no reason to believe that the other modifications you have made to your car could in any way have contributed to a starter failure, so it is logical to believe that the manufacturer’s warranty would still cover this part. However, you cannot say the same for your engine, which is being fed air by a non-OEM intake and filtration arrangement. Contrary to what you believe (and in line with what you’ve said here), your entire warranty has not been voided. However, Mazda has chosen not to honor the warranty on internal engine parts, based on their belief that the modifications you’ve made contributed to the engine failure.

Since several layers of Mazda’s corporate machine have all given you the same response on your engine, I would be inclined to believe that there is a realistic possibility this is not just some vast conspiracy to defraud you of your hard earned money, but that your intake actually did cause your engine failure. If dirt really was ingested from the MAF sensor area, it should be easy enough to either prove or disprove. Ask them to show you exactly where the dirt was ingested – if there is even the smallest little pinprick of a hole where dirt could have gotten into the intake past your filter, than your aftermarket parts probably did cause your engine failure.

I wish you the best of luck in resolving your situation.

 

burden of proof lies on the dealer.....cant just arbitrarily void a warantee without it (this is the law).....most dealers will not go through all that and wont even check the car out....and I for one have been to the dealership that is in question and I would not take thier word for it personally.....and new yorker i thought you were coming from a different angle.....sorry if i came off harsh =)

 

First of all, HIRE A LAWYER RIGHT NOW. Go to www.findlaw.com. Click on anything that says consumer law, or similar. That will link you to a choice of blood-sucking attorneys.

Mazda claims that the intake caused the problem. Did it???

I would look at suing both MNAO and HKS. Either the intake caused the problem (HKS pays), or it didn't (MNAO pays). Let those two fight it out!

I don't know if you've ever hired a lawyer before, but they are notoriously absent when you need them. Make sure you ask how much "caseload" the attorney has right now. (If yours is among 400 other cases that one lawyer has, then hire someone else.) Ask about the time frame for all of this to proceed. How soon before he/she writes a letter or files the lawsuit.

In the meantime, you'll have to shell out for the lawyer (I can't imagine you'll get anyone to start a case for less than $1K). Let the lawyer tell you how to proceed on the engine repair. (He/she will be aware that the Tech might have to testify for you.)

In case you haven't figured it out, this all sucks. It will cost you money, time, and frustration. Be brave. Be ready for all the BS. Hang in there. Keep us informed.

 

this is why I never will do i/h/e mods until the warranty expires. if ever. Yes, the boltons probably didnt cause your engine to blow up in flames, but why give the dealershits more excuses to void the warranty or some other shady crap?

unless of course, the mods are from Mazdaspeed and was installed by the dealership. If only then my engine decides to poop, I will raise hell.

 

Good points, especially the warranty stuff. Remember peeps, the powertrain warranty was the only portion extended by the recall. I honestly don't recall offhand which items are covered under which aspects, but I assume the battery + starter are not part of powertrain.

But like Chris said - the dealership in question has a bad rep for being extra slimy.

GL snowflake. It's going to be a long, irritating ride if you choose to go after them.

 

Actually, it's not likely that mods are the reason Mazda dealers rank low on service/customer satisfaction. They rank low because they generally provide poor service. Not many Mazda owners - or owners of any brand - mod their cars. A teeny, tiny percentage.

 

againBet you are wishing you would have never done that don't you. You have definitely learned a lesson the hardest way possible. Good luck on the fix. It's going to be a LONG road.

read post #97

 

First off a Tech would love this to be under warranty, Thats how he makes his money. Anytime you modify a car or have someone else work on your car, You
are risking your warranty. Why would a manufactor warranty a car if outside
mechanic worked on it and maybe caused the problem? We had a a customer
get her brakes worked on and her mechanic put the wrong fluid in the brake reserve. She came at our dealership and demanded it be covered under warranty.
Every situation is differant, My advice to you is to talk to the service director and sent up a meeting with is service rep from mnao. Have them explain the position
and maybe if you have the right approach they will help you. If they can't get
this approved by mnao they have a good will account that will help pay for some of it. But most of all be nice but firm good luck.

 

time to kick *** and chew bubblegum....but im all out of bubblegum..

 

well , im of to the dealer now....ill bring back my car home today and make dead love to it.... lol jk but im gna go to another dealer and see if they are willing to work with me on this situation... and then proceed from there..ill keep everyone concerned UPDATED ASAP.
THANKS TO ALL FOR THE SUPPORT AND HELP/SUGGESTIONS... THIS IS WHY RX8 CLUB IS LIKE FAMILYYY... =)

 

But Some Family Memebers Are Retarded.... They Need Help~

 

put your stock intake back on before you go to the other dealer.

 

Uhh no. Its not going to be a long road. This happen to my friend Drew Username: Tracker. The service manager tryed to tell him that his Engine went due to his K&N II intake, Wrong! the "Mazda Tech" comes out and says its not due to your intake your Engine went and we dont know why. Keep in mind this was about two years or more back. Any way they offered to buy the car back yada yada yada. After I heard that. I wanted to mod my car. But then I went to a Vegas RX-8 meet and I met Phil Username: Phils8, We got to talking and he told me he took his Pettit Racing SC AT 8 to the ony two Mazda dealers in town and they would not tuch it. Tottal BS!
But oh well. He was cool with it.

 

Great post. Well put. Mazda service depts and there dealers need to step up. But as long as you go in there with no ammunition they will walk all over you.

 

SUP EVERYONE...
its been awhile since i last posted an update on my battle with Mazda and my my warranty....

So.. i got a couple of options right now. and my time is very limited, i have exactly less than a month to decide....and also my financial standing is very LOW. and now im deciding if i should get rid of this car and just get a different car. i really dont know which is good.

 

how much could you sell your car for?

 

What happened to your friend over 2 years ago is pretty irrelevant right now. The "Mazda Tech" pretty much told the OP here that his intake caused the engine failure and the warranty is now void. From the OP's latest post, this has put a lot of unneeded stress on him and has not left him with many options at all. Try putting yourself in his shoes.

 

nothing, imma jus let the bank Repo that ****.... thats why i dont have much time before deciding on what to do with this car.... i really wanna keep it but seems like im not gna be able to keep it. i was planning to get a lawyer for this but im already sunked in DEBT so not an option either... no matter how much I LOVE THE 8, i dont think ill be able to save it.... but i got 1 last shot with mazda tomorow.. im gna ask them to type up a R/O and tell them to put the cause of engine failure which is ["debris through the maf sensor"- which definitley sounds like a bunch of horseshyt to me] and then if i get that im going to send it to my insurance company , since they will not cover any mechanical failures since it is not mechanical failure. get it... lol idk... im gonna be helluva depressed if i see my baby repo'd...

 

Soo... you're just going to stop making payments and they're going to repo it? Isn't that going to screw up your credit? Can they get a judgment against you and garnish your salary or something? You must be way upside down on your loan or that wouldn't seem like a good option to you.

 

I'd read the loan agreement details... What happens is they repo, bank auctions... if it gets auctioned at 2k, you STILL have to pay the difference.... So you are still responsible for the offset, which might force you to file for Bankruptcy depending on your debt to income ratio, in turn Filing a Chapter 7 has been made pretty difficult since 3 years ago. Really you should sell it, or put it up as take over payments.

BUT

This is assuming your tired of dealing with the Warranty game your getting played on....

 

nothing is worth ******* up your credit - especially declaring bankrupcy. you'll be paying cash for the rest of your life.

 

People like this are why America is failing. Biting off more than you can chew, then throwing your hands up in the air when you realize what you knew all along... YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT.

 

comes end of the day, if u want ur warranty, get mazdaspeed, if not, put it back to stock before u go back to the dealer. i'd sell the car, pay the difference, get an old honda accord, and get to work, ur credit is gonna ruiin ur life if u don't fix it. spending more than you have is going to be a life long problem if not fixed now.

 

+1...

 

Thankfully there are plenty of great people around who are helpful and positive to bolster America in it's time of need.