Mazda Engine Swap Program?
 

I just got a very unusual call from my dealer. According to the head guy in the Service Department, Mazda is looking for RX-8 owners with ~30k miles on their cars. They'll swap the current engine for a fresh-from-the-factory new engine. The purported purpose is "this is a new product and Mazda would like to see how the engines are wearing, etc".

Being a pessimist, this doesn't pass the smell test with me. Anyone else been contacted by their dealer?

They should already know from R&D and all the Jap 8s how the engines are wearing, but maybe for North American 8s? Does that mean new free warranty for 4years/ 48k on swapped parts? If your car is perfect now, I don't see the benefit for you. What else are they offering as compensation?

I haven't had any trouble, so yeah, I'd say it was perfect.

Just $100 for my "trouble". I want a warranty extension (bumper-to-bumper) to 100k miles.

Strange? Very...

Heck, tell them to give you a new 8 and you'll give them your entire car. $100 and a new engine does not seem like it's fair for you who will be:

without your 8 for a while
can now have all sorts of problems (electrical mainly I think) with your car when it was perfect)

This smells bad to me too...or better yet, tell them to give you a Japan version 8 with the 250HP...or deals off...LOL

This is strange indeed?

If they'd reset the warranty-clock to zero for the entire car, I might go for it. Otherwise, too much possibility for trauma.

that sounds like a bucket of shit. mazda has plenty of test models to mess around with. why go through the trouble of finding someone willing to sacrifice their car?? i'd call mazda up myself and see what the hell that service guy is smoking.

Sounds like someone is doing a shifty , claim new engine from MAZDA under warranty and swap and keep the perfectly good engine with 30,00km for self :eek:

cheers
michael

As long as they put a supercharged engine back in...

Smells like fish.

I heard the same through the grapevine, only a few top dealers have been selected. The engines are complete assembly line style engines plug-n-play, complete with clutch, manifolds, alternator etc.... May be a good deal if you are beyond the factory warranty period?

Interesting... I'll have to check into this.

Mazda new engine replacement program
 

I got a call from the local Mazda dealer today. He wanted to know if I'm interested in signing up for this program where Mazda will take out my engine and transmission (I think) and replace it with a new one. They will be sending it back to Mazda for a review of how the Renesis is holding up.

They were looking for high mileage 8s which I qualify (26k @ 1.5+ yrs). Of course I said sign me up. I hope I get chosen. It would be nice to get a free new engine. Has anyone gotten these calls or are currently in this program?

In Japan it cost more to keep you car on the road the loger you keep it. I.E. the goverment makes you get rid of your car before they get that old. That is why some A spec parts are not sold here in the USA., They try to make the USA car that will last more than 30k miles. We in the USA drive them tell they drop.. But in Japan The Goverment wants everyone to buy a new car every 2 years.. Thats Why you can get so many Cheep low milage Import engiens from Japan.

SO i am not supprised at all MAzda is on the up and up here take advantage of it if you can.

Horrible thread resurrection, but seeing as how people are going to be referenced here by a new thread...

Nope you're wrong. I would say very much so, but that's wouldn't be quite right.

Japan (being a different country and only the size of Ca.) has a nationally defined vehicle inspection program. There is no vehicle registration certificate and "pink slip." There is only the Vehicle Inspection Certificate. It lists owner, driver, address, license plate number, vehicle weight, engine displacement, number of passengers it can carry, type of fuel it uses, type of vehicle (commerical, etc.) and probably something else that I am forgetting. If any of those details change, you have to re-register your car and maybe get it re-inspected (such as after a bore-up or engine swap). You also get a nice sticker for your windshield that shows your inspection is up to date and you have a rear window sticker from the Police Department that certifies you have a parking space for this car only (meaning there is always someplace to park it) and that it is big enough for the car.

Brand new cars come with an inspection valid for 3 years. After 3 years you will have to get your car inspected again every 2 years. When you have your car inspected you MUST pay, inspection fees, MANDATORY basic insurance, and car taxes.

Now in the past 99% of Japanese people took their car to the dealer to get this performed. Filling out the paperwork and making sure you have what needs to be done to pass inspection was a pain. Like anywhere else.. fail and you have to do it all over again. Don't forget that Japan is the country where a typical office day is about 9am - 8pm. Working 8:30am - 10pm isn't unusual and 9am - 12am days happen often enough... staying at work for 2 or 3 days straight isn't unheard of... even today. So between complexity, time and just the plain fact that the Japanese are a babied society who are always willing to pay more to not have to do anything themselves... people pay about 130,000 yen to their car dealer for this service (if there are no problems with the car and no dealer add-ons for unnecessary service.

Today... probably inlight of the bad economy, people getting ripped off, making the government more user-friendly... and the I bet the advent of the internet passing info on all this around ;)... the government has simplified the process so that one can easily do it themselves. No longer is a "certified" center required. So now for roughly 70,000 yen... if you prepare the paperwork, take a day off work and take it to the vehicle registration and inspection place yourself you can pay about half the dealer price.

The inspection basically checks your tires, wheels, exhaust system, speedometer, lights and signals, brakes, emergency brake and... tailpipe emissions.

In addition to this you also have a yearly weight/fuel tax of 39,500 yen.

Did I mention that all these numbers are based on the weight and engine displacement of your vehicle? These are the numbers for a 1.5-2.0L engine car (Honda Ascot 1.8L and Mazda Familia S-Wagon Sport 20 2.0L). Guess why Kei-class (micro-class) cars are so popular for housewives? 660cc and below displacement vehicles only pay a yearly tax of 4,000 yen and the vehicle inspection is MUCH cheaper. You also aren't required to have a registered parking space.

SO... the government forcing people to get new years every 2 years? Hardly. 3 years is more like it and still that isn't even right either. You have to understand the Japanese market first...

Basically old things suck. This was really bad during the Bubble Economy, but since they are slowly learning the value and savings of second hand items. Anyway, basically nothing appreciates in Japan... anymore. Land used to, and choice land still does somewhat. Buildings? Practically worthless. Houses are worthless... the value is all in the land. Condos? Especially with the glut in the market of new buildings that is only getting worse... they drop like 50% in value real quick. Cars? People used to change them like a pair of underwear, but hard economic times have learned them better. Used car dealers are quite numerous now, as well as magazines advertising them. I would say that people tend to hold their cars for about 5 years now. After that point one really has to look at the costs involved to get it to pass inspection vs just buying another car. Did iI forget to mention that the Japanese seem to put more money into having a nice car than a nice house because of the costs of buying and maintaining a house here?

That's it in a nutshell...

Wow...thanks for the education...I need to sit down now, lol

LOL... I am to please. :D

Oops. I did a search for this subject before posting it and didn't find anything.

I got the same call yesterday. I told them to sign me up. I'll take a new engine.

which dealer called you in Austin and how many miles on your car?

@ Japan8:

Funny, those inspections after three years and in a two year cycle afterwards in Japan sound exactly like Germany (TÜV).

Now TÜV inspection is basically cheap (around 50€ or something like that) if your car passes the test and you don't have to put money into repairs. Since the TÜV lost the monopoly on inspecting cars, competition with a second institution (DEKRA) came on a decade or so ago, but this didn't lead to price changes but to lax testing - people simply go where the car likely passes the inspection.

In the recent past, this has been criticised quite strongly and there's talk about liabiliy in case of accidents due to things that should have been noticed in the test. If TÜV or DEKRA could be held liable, prices will likely go through the roof and inspections would be truly rigid.

In all other aspects Germany seems different from Japan though. Houses are still valued very high, we're kinda conservative concerning modern stuff (many Germans like old cars and old furniture and our mobile phone per person rate is substandard, meaning most of us have only one). People usually work 7-9 hours a day and spend their leasure with individual activities.

and yes.. that is what i was saying.. but i was being quick about it :)

So,, Like I said.. dont be Shy about Mazda's Program.. IF they want to toss you a new one.. Take it :)..

Yeah, do some 7k drops and beat the shit out of your engine until then so they get a good perspective. Very interesting, keep us informed.

Must be a Texas thing. Dammit. Oh well - I alreadygot a free new tranny from themso I cant complain

Understandable. But being too short like over generalization can lead to just saying something very innaccurate. ;)

If it was me... I'd take a new engine. Is anyone here crazy?! :p