I have on 05 with 41,000 KMS ( 26,000 Miles) and the rear wheel wells are starting to rust, the inners and inside the top of the well. I have been quoted $1400 by a body shop here, although im almost sure it will be more since I just discovered the rust on the top of the wheel well. Anyways Ive been to a mazda dealer and they snapped some pictures and sent them to head office. Mazda told me that even though its out of warrenty they are doing a case to case basis. Just wondering if anyone has gone through this process with good outcomes.

thanks!

 

maybe it is just me but i don't think i have really heard of any typical warranty covering rust... that is like wearing a pair of shoes and wanting them replaced because of wear and tear.

 

I think the perforation/rust warranty is 10yrs unlimited miles.

Is it surface rust or holes?

 

its surface rust, no holes.


I understand rust is part of owning a car eventually, but not an 05 with 26K miles that is washed religiously.

 

some car manufactures have rust warranty such as Mercedes, but not from Mazda.

 

mazda and most other car manufacturers have a rust/perforation warranty, but it has to be a complete hole or nearly so, which if you let it go that long means you got serious problems.

I've had other manufacturers replace whole doors for me for some surface rust. don't have any AFAIK on my 04 mazda.

 

its just very frustrating because ive had MUCH older cars that have been rust free because I take such good care of them. To see this on the most expensive car ive ever bought is annoying. When I emailed mazda directly I got a response claiming they were aware of this situation. If you KNOW your cars have a missed step or 2 in your painting process, why not deal with the situation and make your customers happy? Instead now because they pretty much told me its my problem assures I wont ever buy a mazda again.

Today I saw an 08 Mazda 3 with a **** load of rust on the wheel wells..its honestly hard to even believe that a company would turn a blind eye to such a ( in the car world) serious problem.

 

I think your making this out to be that every single mazda has wheel well rust problems, i do not, and i think im right in saying a majority of people on this forum do not have major rust issues like your describing. Where are you located?

 

I have searched the forums and a lot of people have had the same issue as me. I live in Canada though where I live they dont salt our roads. I also wash my car twice a week in winter

 

are you sure washing your car twice a week isnt the culprit? Its not exactly warm enough to evap all the moisture out of the little places on the car.

On that note the only warranty thing I have heard of is the oil cooler lines in canada as far as rust goes.

 

OP is from Canada, it helps if you complete your UserCP.

But Yes, Mazda does have a Perforation Warranty for Rust, they have had one for decades, that is for a rust hole or serious bubbling, NOT Surface Rust, here in Australia it is 6 years and I am pretty sure worldwide, in fact it is Law (here and elsewhere) and offered by ALL good makers of cars.

As far as RX-8's go, it is well known in UK and areas where salt is put down on roads that corrosion is an issue, with many other brands also.

The 8's suffer from rear well rust down on front lower arch lip area.

This is the first I have heard about top of well UNDER Liner, but having said that I am not surprised at those synthetic carpet liners hold lots of water and take a while to drain off and dry out.

I guess we have not heard more as most people do not remove them to even see rust starting.

I took mine off when car was brand new and sprayed sound deadener/waterproofer, in anticipation this could be a future rust issue...and put back OEM liners.

Without these liners on Mazda's they usually spray an orange peel looking coat of thick sound deadener which seals.

With the 8 there is no permanent deadener there at all only grey undercoat, no actual color paint, so the liner/deadener is directly touching undercoat which get damp/wet.

Frankly, I do not know why Mazda even bothered with this liner, the spray on stuff would have been good enough and better IMO.

Edit: The Warranty is for Body Perforation (Sheet Metal).

 

How would you know if you do not remove your REAR Wheel Well Liners??, you cant see the top area of metal unless you do?

The RX-8 Rust Issues on Body that I know about are..
1. Rear Wheel Lip (rust can even break through paint)
2. Rear trunk lid middle Brake/Stop Light surround.
3. Door Sill Panels, when you open doors look at where the rear and front door joins (area), Rust under Paint Bubbles.
4. it appears Upper rear wheel wells ...now.

 

I have rust spots in 3 of the four locations mentioned above. the one on my rear wheel lip is pretty bad.

 

Its not just you I was thinking the same exact thing.

 

Yeah, unfortunately Design IMO has something to do with most of these issues, I researched this issue (rust) before I purchased as I had the time, I am not saying what I did fixed ANY of the problems, but this is what I did....

1. Put Sealer in that lower corner of rear wheel well, rust can also be attributed to spot welding in that area and lack of external paint over welds.
2. Removed Trunk Light, and sprayed sealer/deadener, time will tell.
3. IMO it is the shutting of the front door rubbing/bashing rear door seal against Sill Panel, if there is dirt or grime there it could be breaking top Clear Coat of Paint, this is a Water Area, in time rust happens...I put a clear 3M Cover over that area, again time will tell??
4. As I said in earlier post Removed Rear Wheel Liners and Sprayed Deadener on Exposed Panels, dried and replaced Liners, again, time will tell...again.

 

WHY??..

Where I live (Australia) we have no need to "salt" roads.
Rust and Corrosion issues on Panels and Components has a lot to do with it.

Yeah, you get guys saying, my 20 year old "whatever" never rusted and I drove on salt roads.

Well the "whatever" car , may never have rusted, but it might have, where you cant see it.

IMO much of it has to do with Mazda's and Consumers demanding lighter weight cars.
Mazda's Body metal is VERY THIN (like so many cars), so Rust perforates quicker.

ALL good car brands use the same Undercoating/Rust dipping electrolyzing coating method in a deep pool of wet paint when body is submersed.

But Car Cancer is VERY annoying...

 

I will check tomorow to see if I have any

 

FYI, i have removed the wheel well liners, and do not have rust. My statement was not fact based which is why i said i would believe im right in saying (which i may not be). I do not have rust in that area, not saying i dont have rust on my car, but its not soo bad that i need to get it fixed.

 

Well aren't you lucky..

 

I found an auto body guy with a small body shop to do it for $500..he said the same thing about the liner that its very hard for cars to rust in that upper area although im sure i saw some there..either way it will all be fixed this week!
excited to have a rust free ( as far as I can tell) 8.

 

^ awesome bud!

 

Domdil,
your story sounds familiar. I had exactly the same problem. Mazda was not helpful-- they told me that the warranty is up and there is nothing they can do. I posted some pics of my rust around the rear wheels here: https://www.rx8club.com/canada-forum-35/anyone-have-rust-rear-wheel-wells-150619/. Your car is a year younger than mine-- I have a 2004. I had it fixed last summer -- cost me $1500 (probably a bit too much) but no guarantee that it will not return. I sprayed a bunch of rust check on the inside of the panel after the repair.
The rest of the car is like new. There is a tiny bit of rust around the break light in the trunk lid.

 

Bump - has anyone in North America been successful at getting rust in the rear wheel covered under a 10-year, unlimited mileage warranty? I have serious, rapidly spreading bubbling in both rear wheel wells which could imminently become perforation. Perforation in PA will fail your state vehicle inspections.