I've been around the forum for just over 2 years now and haven't really been that active in posting. I've read a fair amount over that time and have learned a lot from many of you. This is a great community.


I've got a 2004 manual with about 40k miles. Love the car with a few minor technical annoyances over the years, but nothing major. Previous cars were BMW's and Audi's so going to the shop for odd repairs was part of the ownership experience. But this 8 has me mystified.


I just picked up my car from Mazda service - they had to replace my engine.


A few weeks ago, I jumped into the car, started out of a parking lot and merged into traffic. Shifted first to second. As I revved second to a third gear shift I heard a nasty metallic shriek. Then a complete loss of engine power although it was still running. I limped it over to the side of the road while trying to find a gear that would pull. I thought maybe I ripped my clutch and couldn't engage a gear, but I could actually engage but there was zero torque. As I coasted it over to the nearest side street I realized that the engine was running completely erratically. Loping and barely staying alive. Finally the CEL comes on.


I get out of the car expecting to find fluid leaking everywhere, a clutch cable dangling but there was nothing. I lifted the hood and smelled a strange burning smell. I let the car sit for a while and tried to restart it which it did but it was all over the rev range. I called Mazda roadside and it was towed to the dealer.


When I finally heard back from the service advisor they told me that my engine had a blown apex seal and that the entire engine had to be replaced. I then find out that the engine is on national back order and plus with Christmas and New Year, few people will be around to deliver the engine/service the car. They planned to have me out of my car for about a month. Of course I'm beside myself since like so many of us here I just had it in for the big recall without issue. (By the way, I found out that my engine blown apex seal is completely unrelated to the recall concern).


Three and a half weeks later my engine arrives and is replaced. Not before they call me to say that they found that my clutch has only about 5k miles of life left and that it'll be a lot cheaper to replace now that the tranny is out, yada yada. So now they've got my by the - clutch - so I tell them to replace it. (The last clutch I ever had to replace was on a Honda Civic with 90k miles - it can't be me). They also tell me that since my battery isn't running at full strength that it too will have to be replaced so they can take accurate measurements on the PCM. LONG story short - I had them do the battery and clutch on my dime and the engine was warranty replacement.


I have previously had other b.s. done like rear diff, engine mounts, a/c condensing unit, center console, cd player, center a/c vent. The list actually goes on and on.


So I have two questions:
1. As resale goes, should I be happy or pissed that I now have a 40k car with a 0 mile engine? (Would that scare off potential private buyers?)
2. AM I THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS KIND OF CAR DRAMA???

 

Nope, you're not the only one. I've had a new engine and clutch, both at <40K. My last clutch (RX-7 turbo) lasted me 144K miles. It wasn't me, and it wasn't you. Since the clutch replacement, I've had additional unsolved problems. I'm out of warranty now, just waiting for the other shoe to drop...

 

Not by a long stretch. Check out my post on the story with my factory motor and tranny here: https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-trouble-shooting-95/blown-motor-77861/. FYI, I'm now a little over 70K on my 04 (and yes it is a silver 8 - the curse lives) and it has been in for the last 3 weeks for a tranny rebuild - mainly associated with the synchros on 4th & 5th and several failed bearings.

 

PM me.

 

man you must be out of luck. my car has 40k and its still running like a baby!