vins are country specific
yes total MY 2004 US RX-8s

 

Question answered by the latest NHTSA documents. :D

 

Holy ****! Your car was built in the future????? Does it have the voice activated NAV???

 

 

I definately agree with that statement.

 

VIN's are specific to country. Any TSB's on my site refer to Mazda North America.


I think that's a number based on how many F151-34-300's and 350's mazda had installed. I'm guessing North America.

OTOH, if you have those part numbers in any country you could be at risk, but then again, if a different manufacturer supplies that part, say for the UK, you could be OK. That would be a question for your country specific Mazda company.

Did that come out right??

 

hmm, I have some clicking noise from my suspension, not sure if that has anything to do with this. But what are some things to look for to see if I have this problem? Or the only way to tell is above methods?

 

if you have these parts then you will get a letter in the mail saying "please contact your dealer so that we may change these parts for the new version"

 

You're right, it wasn't really built in the future, I fat fingered it. Of course it should really say 10/2004.

I disagree. This should be 'freaking people out' as you put it. At least those of us that are using the cars for track events. The thought of loosing a wheel at over 100 mph definitely bothers me and apparently others on this forum. And that is exactly what is being warned about.

That other silly overheating problem is nothing compared to this.

 

Good point, never thought about the numerous people doing competitive stuff with their cars.

 

Call me a freak but I think wheels coming off at high speed is a bad thing. If my car has these parts, tracking my car is OUT until repaired. AAMOF, I will slow down all hi-speed driving regardless of location.

Consequence:
IN SEVERE DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE BALL MAY SEPARATE FROM THE BALL JOINT SOCKET AND A LOSS OF STEERING MAY OCCUR, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Do you really have to second guess this at all?

 

It sounds BAD, but I would have to think that it can't be as bad as it sounds because I (and I am sure most, if not all of us) have not received a letter from Mazda. If Mazda KNOWS right now that this COULD happen and they have not officially notified me, then they would be liable if I get hurt, hurt others or cause death to me or others. It seems to me they would not want the cars driven if there was a HIGH probability of it occuring.

Interesting that it is the lower control arms, Isn't that what they recalled on the Ford GT as well?

 

Exactly 6speed8, IMO if there was a real statistical possibility that someone could likely be hurt in the short term, IMO we'd all be getting an overnight letter stating "Park the car...Mazda will be over shortly to flatbed it and take it to the dealer and keep it there until the problem is resolved."

This obviously has not happened (yet). And until and unless it does, I take that as implicit permission to continue to use and drive my 8. And I'll immediately do whatever I'm told to my MNAO upon receipt of an official recall notice. And unless they are able to spit out some 27Ks worth of lower control arms, I would imagine that's not going to happen in the next couple of days either.

 

There apparently is. Why would MAZDA send out that letter if there wasn't?

The reason you have not received a letter to "park your car" is until all info is known about the problem, they are not about to cause hysteria. They still want to sell cars you know.

They did the responsible thing by telling us about the problem now its up to us to be responsible and heed the warning as well.

Prudence is not hysteria, freaking out or over-reacting.

 

Who did they "tell"? I was not "told" How many RX-8s were sold in 2004? Was it 27K, if so then ALL manufactured are involved, and WE (owners) should have been informed BEFORE the press was informed.

 

Looks like all Mazda Sales, Service and Parts Managers. Info flows top down thats why the media got it before us. Give it time. Mazda will send out letters. Report date to the NHTSA is July 24. This issue is brand new.

http://www.safercar.gov

 

Good Info, and I understand this, however if it wasn't for THIS site, I probably would not KNOW about it at this point in time, hence my statement it can't be that bad an issue.

When the Ford GT had a suspension control arm recall, Ford contacted customers BY PHONE and requested they NOT operate the vehicle.

http://www.intellichoice.com/reports...calls/type/new

 

GT recall affected upper AND lower arms. Since the GT is certainly more capable than our 8's it will stress those components more than our cars. So in that regard, that recall may have been more urgent. Just a guess here.

Its a pretty big leap of logic to assume because MAZDA has not contacted us (yet) that the danger is any less severe.

The recall is official today, Sunday. Maybe Mazda will call us tomorrow.

 

I also track my car and was going to Pocono Raceway for a three day event next month. If the arms were really that bad wouldn't the people at SpeedSource racing know? One would think the RX-8's running Grand Am Cup would be the hardest driven Rx-8 around and would show the most wear on the arms?
I am just looking for a reason to go to Pocono

 

They knew before us. And if they have bad parts, I'll bet they have already been replaced.

 

Ok put your mind to ease. I read the letter. It is black and white. I figured since I've been at the track and met those conditions I experienced my own results.

Nothing has happened. Besides It only says it may crack.

So here's what I did. I TOOK MINE TO THE TRACK YESTERDAY

I DID EXACTLY WHAT THE NOTICE SAID

RESULTS No problem hitting cub at high speed. Like I said, I have already been on the track in HDPE school which met those conditions.

Make your own judgement. If you've never been on the track get it to the dealer first.

This is a serious issue. I am not down playing it. My car has not experienced a wheel falling off.

Also 3 others in the club went to the Auto X. No problem for them either.

Just take it easy and get it fixed.

 

I read the whole thread. And the Japanese translation is exactly that. Have not heard in the Japanese media about it though. Most things in this site are very up to date .

It did say about the K4 production number which is on the under surface of the lower arm. and it in the bottom of the circumstance (curbing in track... etc..) and said to check the number and change if it is K4.

 

Well, NHTSA, has update this recall on there site and they now have two documents listed:

http://199.79.180.162/prepos/files/A...5V325-4548.PDF
http://199.79.180.162/prepos/files/A...5V325-9406.PDF

Intresting read, looks like the odds that more then a few of these arms ever left Japan, are pretty slim... I think I'll take those odds...

As has been said, if this were really of a big concern... Mazda would have been more dramatic in there recall. I know that I have an early build car that the recall applies to, and that I have been on the track and performed the exact procedure they discuss as causing the failure, and I'm still driving my 8... when the recall comes out, I'll have it looked at... till then, it's not worth the time to crawl under my car and look!

 

Went autocrossing this past weekend...no wheel fell off.....

 

This new information changes this recall's outlook in a big way. It seems the non-Japan cars are being recalled mainly as saftey precaution. The chances are very slim that many if any US cars have the defect. And cars built after Dec. 2003 seem to be out of the woods.