Clutch Pedal SNAP OFF 8 Year Warranty-Recall ~~~
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Joined: Dec 2008
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From: New Jersey
Well now I'm wondering, is it supposed to look like that? The accordian'd flap that is?
My pedal is still attached, and I can still shift. But just barely. What happened was when I pushed it down, I heard a snap, and suddenly the pedal is only engaging in the very last bit of travel when it's pushed down. But it's not like the whole pedal fell off or anything as I think people ar reporting. It just goes almost to the floor before barely engaging.
My pedal is still attached, and I can still shift. But just barely. What happened was when I pushed it down, I heard a snap, and suddenly the pedal is only engaging in the very last bit of travel when it's pushed down. But it's not like the whole pedal fell off or anything as I think people ar reporting. It just goes almost to the floor before barely engaging.
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Joined: Dec 2008
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From: New Jersey
Well now I'm wondering, is it supposed to look like that? The accordian'd flap that is?
My pedal is still attached, and I can still shift. But just barely. What happened was when I pushed it down, I heard a snap, and suddenly the pedal is only engaging in the very last bit of travel when it's pushed down. But it's not like the whole pedal fell off or anything as I think people ar reporting. It just goes almost to the floor before barely engaging.
My pedal is still attached, and I can still shift. But just barely. What happened was when I pushed it down, I heard a snap, and suddenly the pedal is only engaging in the very last bit of travel when it's pushed down. But it's not like the whole pedal fell off or anything as I think people ar reporting. It just goes almost to the floor before barely engaging.
What happened is the left bracket or whatever snapped off the firewall, so the right side is all that's holding it in place now. So I can shift it - barely - but it flexes so much with the left bracket lifting away when I push the pedal down that it only catches in the very last bit of travel.
Probably get it towed to the dealer, as even though I can shift, if the other side snaps too... that'd be bad.
So yes, same problem as everyone else I guess. Woo hoo! I feel so special joining the club
God help me, but I still love this car. Even with the zillion TSBs and recalls and... I still adore it. Best car I'll ever own.
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From: New Jersey
Sorry for the gazillion posts, but just wanted to post a pic of the actual problem now that I looked closer. You can see where the bracket is no longer welded(?) to that plate thing. Step on the clutch and it just pulls apart there now 
My turn
Clutch pedal snapped yesterday. Thankfully, I was still able to drive. And also thankfully, no injuries, considering I had two kids in the car. Will get the new one welded before install. That's still the best way I guess?
So, have you guys seen this
On the NHTSA website. it looks recent. Does this mean Mazda has put the pedal under an 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty?
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NHTSA Action Number: N/A
NHTSA Recall Campaign Number: PE09045</SPAN> N/A Make: MAZDA Model: RX-8 Manufacturer : MAZDA MOTOR CORP Year : 2004Component :
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/LINKAGE
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
Date Investigation Opened : September 23, 2009Date Investigation Closed : August 19, 2010 Summary:
On September 23, 2009, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation to investigate allegations of the clutch pedal bracket failures in MY 2004 - 2006 Mazda RX8 vehicles. In response to an information request letter sent by ODI, Mazda stated that the failure mechanism may be related to an improper fastener attachment sequence to the body. The improper sequence may create a distortion of the pedal bracket and create a stress amplitude during pedal usage that may go beyond the wear out limit of the bracket. Mazda stated that the percentages of vehicles experiencing the defect is low at approximately 1% of the vehicle population projected to 10 years in service based on analysis of warranty claim data that best represented the alleged defect. In terms of risk to motor vehicle safety, Mazda stated that the failure is progressive with warning manifested in noise and difficulty in shifting gears prior to complete failure of the bracket. Mazda also stated that when a bracket fracture occurs the clutch pedal may lean towards the brake pedal however gear shifting becomes impossible prior to any contact of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. ODI is not aware of any crashes associated with a clutch pedal bracket failure in the subject vehicles. ODI's analysis of warranty claim data provided by Mazda yielded failure rates of approximately 3% projected over 10 years in service. ODI's analysis of Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) data complaint indicates that approximately 5% of the VOQ complainants allege they were unable to get out of the roadway as a result of a clutch pedal bracket failure. None of these incidents occurred on a highway. Approximately 7% of the complainants alleged a contact condition after a clutch pedal bracket failure of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. None of these complaints noted difficulty in getting the vehicle stopped. Mazda has informed ODI that it will conducted an Owner Notification of an extended warranty coverage program increasing the clutch pedal assembly warranty to 8 years and limited at 100K miles for model years 2004 through 2009 RX8 vehicles. A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
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NHTSA Action Number: N/A
NHTSA Recall Campaign Number: PE09045</SPAN> N/A Make: MAZDA Model: RX-8 Manufacturer : MAZDA MOTOR CORP Year : 2004Component :
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/LINKAGE
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
Date Investigation Opened : September 23, 2009Date Investigation Closed : August 19, 2010 Summary:
On September 23, 2009, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation to investigate allegations of the clutch pedal bracket failures in MY 2004 - 2006 Mazda RX8 vehicles. In response to an information request letter sent by ODI, Mazda stated that the failure mechanism may be related to an improper fastener attachment sequence to the body. The improper sequence may create a distortion of the pedal bracket and create a stress amplitude during pedal usage that may go beyond the wear out limit of the bracket. Mazda stated that the percentages of vehicles experiencing the defect is low at approximately 1% of the vehicle population projected to 10 years in service based on analysis of warranty claim data that best represented the alleged defect. In terms of risk to motor vehicle safety, Mazda stated that the failure is progressive with warning manifested in noise and difficulty in shifting gears prior to complete failure of the bracket. Mazda also stated that when a bracket fracture occurs the clutch pedal may lean towards the brake pedal however gear shifting becomes impossible prior to any contact of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. ODI is not aware of any crashes associated with a clutch pedal bracket failure in the subject vehicles. ODI's analysis of warranty claim data provided by Mazda yielded failure rates of approximately 3% projected over 10 years in service. ODI's analysis of Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) data complaint indicates that approximately 5% of the VOQ complainants allege they were unable to get out of the roadway as a result of a clutch pedal bracket failure. None of these incidents occurred on a highway. Approximately 7% of the complainants alleged a contact condition after a clutch pedal bracket failure of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. None of these complaints noted difficulty in getting the vehicle stopped. Mazda has informed ODI that it will conducted an Owner Notification of an extended warranty coverage program increasing the clutch pedal assembly warranty to 8 years and limited at 100K miles for model years 2004 through 2009 RX8 vehicles. A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
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From: Buddhist Monastery, High Himalaya Mtns. of Tibet
what a shock
Well, my dealer said he hadn't heard about the extended clutch warranty so I called the national Mazda #. Guess what? They claim they don't know anything about it either. So, did they tell an outright lie to the NHTSA about the extended warranty? I guess wishful thinking would be that it takes time to put this into place, and maybe the people I talked to hadn't got the memo yet. I called the NHTSA about it and they directed me to the FTC (Fair Trade Commission). They took all of my info, and also advised me to contact the BBB.
I swear, if there was another car out there right now that I liked, I would sell and move on. As much as I love the look of the RX8, it's ridiculous the shoddy design and workmanship of sooo many mechanical aspects of the car.
I swear, if there was another car out there right now that I liked, I would sell and move on. As much as I love the look of the RX8, it's ridiculous the shoddy design and workmanship of sooo many mechanical aspects of the car.
Extraordinary Engineering
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,733
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From: Burls On
Mazda stated that the failure mechanism may be related to an improper fastener attachment sequence to the body
Mazda stated that the failure is progressive with warning manifested in noise and difficulty in shifting gears prior to complete failure of the bracket.
Mazda stated that the percentages of vehicles experiencing the defect is low at approximately 1% of the vehicle population projected to 10 years in service based on analysis of warranty claim data that best represented the alleged defect.
...
ODI's analysis of warranty claim data provided by Mazda yielded failure rates of approximately 3% projected over 10 years in service.
...
ODI's analysis of warranty claim data provided by Mazda yielded failure rates of approximately 3% projected over 10 years in service.
Last edited by DarkBrew; Aug 31, 2010 at 03:22 PM.
Okay I don't want to pick on anyone's welding technique, but those welds would never pass muster on an airplane inspection. (Sorry I haven't figured out how to get a pic into the 'text' and not display just as an 'attached thumbnail'). The green arrow in the pic shows closest to what a good weld should look like - the rod adds relatively little material and the two pieces flow into each other. The left red arrow shows an area that airplane builders at least would call "stuck on", and in this case it's hardly even that. See the gap? See how the welded part flowed "onto" the base and not "into" the base? That area has little if any added strength and it's caused by the baseplate not being heated properly, which is hard to do with an electric stick welder. When I was doing welding to aircraft standards, I'd gas weld and heat both of the parts to a cherry red before bringing in the rod which eliminates cold welds like this one. MIG or TIG welding also can solve the problem if set up right, but are expensive. The right-side red arrow shows an area that would probably not be allowed for aircraft either and would be called a stress-riser. Two welds drawn together that closely may cause a high level of built-in stress resulting in reduced fatigue resistance and eventual cracking under vibration.
I only bring this up to say that electric welding thin sheet is tricky and results will vary widely depending on who is doing the work. That's one reason why for the 'average joe', I think the bracket solution is the better one.
I only bring this up to say that electric welding thin sheet is tricky and results will vary widely depending on who is doing the work. That's one reason why for the 'average joe', I think the bracket solution is the better one.
While I don't disagree that the welds you pointed out were not good . What you and many others don't seem to realise is that the thin piece (where those welds are)at the bottom of the bkt. is not a structural part of the bracket . I would bet that the only functions it performs is to hold the actuation rod horizontal while the bracket is installed and to hold the bulkhead spacers the right distance apart for the bolts to go through. It provides zero strength to the bracket itself - and that is why Mazda only spot welded it on in the first place .....
Last edited by Brettus; Aug 31, 2010 at 04:23 PM.
Surf Hard, Drive Hard
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,840
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From: Indialantic, Florida
Well, my dealer said he hadn't heard about the extended clutch warranty so I called the national Mazda #. Guess what? They claim they don't know anything about it either. So, did they tell an outright lie to the NHTSA about the extended warranty? I guess wishful thinking would be that it takes time to put this into place, and maybe the people I talked to hadn't got the memo yet. I called the NHTSA about it and they directed me to the FTC (Fair Trade Commission). They took all of my info, and also advised me to contact the BBB.
I swear, if there was another car out there right now that I liked, I would sell and move on. As much as I love the look of the RX8, it's ridiculous the shoddy design and workmanship of sooo many mechanical aspects of the car.
I swear, if there was another car out there right now that I liked, I would sell and move on. As much as I love the look of the RX8, it's ridiculous the shoddy design and workmanship of sooo many mechanical aspects of the car.
Well, should we call this a Win for us poor Rx-8 owners ?
I mean seriously, Mazda needs to stop being cheap about certain parts of the car ... I mean the body is great, handling is good and stuff but ... Clutch bracket's designation life is ONLY 10 years? Come the f------ on !
I mean seriously, Mazda needs to stop being cheap about certain parts of the car ... I mean the body is great, handling is good and stuff but ... Clutch bracket's designation life is ONLY 10 years? Come the f------ on !
^ In this particular case I of course concur nycgps, but if they designed every part to withstand heavy abuse then we'd be complaining about the weight & cost of the vehicle. It's a fine line balancing act.
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Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Northern Virginia
well, but at least don't fail at 50K miles or less ... cuz thats clearly "not the way it supposed to be"
Thank you, NYCGPS for all of your hard work in getting this issue covered! You, with the help of others who shared their experiences, have made a difference in our community. That's awesome.
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 300
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From: Eastern Ontario
Heh . Only just saw this .
While I don't disagree that the welds you pointed out were not good . What you and many others don't seem to realise is that the thin piece (where those welds are)at the bottom of the bkt. is not a structural part of the bracket . I would bet that the only functions it performs is to hold the actuation rod horizontal while the bracket is installed and to hold the bulkhead spacers the right distance apart for the bolts to go through. It provides zero strength to the bracket itself - and that is why Mazda only spot welded it on in the first place .....
While I don't disagree that the welds you pointed out were not good . What you and many others don't seem to realise is that the thin piece (where those welds are)at the bottom of the bkt. is not a structural part of the bracket . I would bet that the only functions it performs is to hold the actuation rod horizontal while the bracket is installed and to hold the bulkhead spacers the right distance apart for the bolts to go through. It provides zero strength to the bracket itself - and that is why Mazda only spot welded it on in the first place .....
Im so gonna get "warranty denial" every time I go there
Anyone wanting to view the document
www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov
Under green box labled "Defect Investigations", click "Search Our Investigations Database"
In "NHTSA Action Number" box, type PE09045.
Under green box labled "Defect Investigations", click "Search Our Investigations Database"
In "NHTSA Action Number" box, type PE09045.