Mazda RX-7 Lemon Site Last updated 3/27/96 - to remove real names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. I gave up keeping this list up to date a long time ago. I literally have over 500 messages from other Mazda owners and would-be who have visited the site. Many of these messages tell of excessive service histories with 3rd gen RX-7s.
Through the duration of my legal battles with Mazda I have come across a number of other people who have had similar problems dealing with representatives of Mazda Motors of America. While it is heartening to know that I'm not alone, it is disappointing to realize how widespread it appears that Mazda's customer relations problems are. I suppose that similar lists could be compiled for just about any manufacturer of just about any type of product so keep in mind that there are many, many happy RX-7 owners also.
Listed below are a few of the people I have run into and have given be on-line quotes (I don't retype). If you'd like your name added to the list, just e-mail me at jefflit@microsoft.com with a summary of your issues.
To me, the quote immediately below this paragraph is the quintessential problem summary, except that this guy is smart enough to have installed an after-market boost gauge. I wish I had. (In fact, I am looking into putting one in my yellow car but haven't found a clean, inexpensive mount yet.) Anyway, here's what EVERY 93 RX-7 owner can expect. In my opinion, this is sure to happen to your car. Whether you notice it or not is another story. Almost certainly, this guy's problem is a failed vacuum hose or check valve or solenoid in the turbo control spaghetti."
Mazda strikes again!!!! And they wonder why....
As I had outlined previously, my '93 base model has "lost"
about two pounds of boost at the high end. On WOT normal
operation has been boost peaks at 10 psi, drops to 8 psi
as the 2d turbo comes on, then recovers quickly to 10 psi.
About a month ago, I saw where recovery to 10 psi was not
happening. Since I have had a "history" of problems with
this car, the folks at Mazda Customer Relations had asked
that I call them any time I had a problem which required
me to take it into the dealer. I did so, and they kindly
(note this is NOT sarcastic) arranged a loaner for me while
the dealer looked at it.
After testing it, the dealer indicated they could not du-
plicate the problem (why am I not surprised), and that the
technician found that the boost was recovering to 10 psi.
I tested it on the way home, and found that the technician
was probably having a beer in a bar when he said he was
out testing. It was still not recovering boost.
Mazda again arranged for me to take the car in, and provided
the dealer with an updated test procedure which indicates
that proper operation is a cycle of 10 psi, 8 psi, 10 psi;
and a vacuum reading of 15. Testing my car they confirmed
the cycle to be 10 psi, 8 psi and holding with a vacuum of
17.5. That was last Friday.
On the weekend I further tested it, and found, in fact, the
car help 8 psi through 90 mph in 4th, but at 105 mph began
to lose more so that by 120 mph it was at 7 psi.
I called the dealer on Monday to determine what was to be
done. He informed me they were waiting for Mazda to give
them direction. I called Mazda, and my contact there "was
out." He was also out on Tuesday and Wednesday and today.
Nor did he respond to my faxes.
The dealer just told me that a few days ago Mazda had cal-
led to let him know that as far as they were concerned the
car is operating within spec, that the specs provided in
the test procedure are "guidelines" not absolutes, and that
they would be writing me a letter to that affect. I guess
the guy didn't have the b...s (excuse me, Tuck) to tell me
directly.
I guess I'll go looking for competent service. "
"
A few months ago there was a lot of discussion on the net about warranty
claims and the morality informing Mazda and the Mazda dealer that a car was
modified. I refrained from participating in that discussion because of my
lawsuit against Mazda and my local Mazda dealer. Now that Mazda has settled
with me (out of court), I'd like to share my experience with you. I'll try
to make this as brief as possible.
I have a 93 R-1 which I purchased new. A few months after getting the car, I
added an Authority Chip, a boost gauge, a Borla (cat back) Exhaust and a
Pettit Air Induction System. After driving the car for about a year, I took
the car to the Mazda dealer to complain about a shuttering from the right
side of the car under hard acceleration and lower than normal boost pressure.
After examining the car, the dealer told me that there was nothing wrong.
Two months later, while driving home from work, my car seemed to lose power
and the idle became very rough. I took the car back to the dealer and found
out a few days later that my engine had blown a rear apex seal. The engine
would have to be replaced. I was told that "Mazda had given preliminary
approval to replace the engine under warranty" but that the Mazda district
representative would have to give final approval. A few days later, I got a
phone call from the Mazda district rep., to inform me that Mazda would not
honor the warranty on my vehicle due to the modifications that I had made.
I asked the Mazda rep. how my modifications caused the engine to blow. I
asked him what tests had been performed to determine what caused the seal to
blow. He could not give me any viable answers. I then wrote Mazda and told
them of all the problems that I had with the car. I asked them to examine
the car to determine the exact cause of the failure. I told them that if
they could show me how my modifications caused the failure that I would be
willing to pay for the repairs. I got a two paragraph "screw you" letter
back from Mazda.
I decided against letting the Mazda dealer repair my car. I took it to a
local shop to have the engine removed for shipment to Pettit Racing for a
rebuild. During the removal of my engine, the local mechanic discovered that
my pre-cat had come apart internally and had plugged my catalytic converter
(this explained the shuttering and the low boost pressure). I took these
parts to the Mazda dealer to show them what caused the engine to fail. The
Mazda dealer called the Mazda district representative. I was informed that
not only would Mazda not reconsider replacing my engine under warranty, they
also refused to replace my pre-cat and cat. This is clearly a violation of
the Clean Air Act.
During the next few months, I made numerous telephone calls to other owners
and rotary engine experts. I filed formal complaints with the FTC, the EPA
and the DOT. I also had a 25-30 page failure analysis report prepared
complete with photos. I then organized all of the information and took it to
my attorney. He wrote Mazda and got a "screw you" letter back. On December
30, 1994 we filed a lawsuit against Mazda of America and the local dealer.
On November 17, 1995, I went to my attorney's office to pick up a check from
Mazda payable to me in the amount of $15,000.
This might seem like a lot of money to some of you but $15,000 just covered
my out of pocket expenses. I certainly was not compensated for the hundred
of hours that I spent putting my case together. Unfortunately under the law,
unless I could prove fraud, all that I was entitled to collect was actual
damages plus attorney's fees.
Only you can decide what is "morally right" for you. I will tell you that it
is standard business at Mazda of America to deny any responsibility and only
pay up when it is clear that you are ready, willing and able to take them to
court. If you don't believe me, just ask someone whose car burned. Mazda
counts on the fact that most people are either unfamiliar with the warranty
laws or that you won't take the time, effort or expense to sue them.
I would like to thank those of you on the net that shared information with me
over the last two years. I would especially like to thank Dave Zeckhausen
who provided me with information and moral support and with Cameron Worth at
Pettit who rebuilt my engine."
"First I would like to ask any of the 1993 owners out there who
paid $25,000 - $35,000 for their cars if they consider the fact that the paint
is chipping of their cars to be "fairly minor". (Perhaps we haven't
made it clear on the net just how bad the chipping problem is. We are not just
talking about a few little chips here. We're talking swiss cheese!)
At Bell Labs, where I work, there are three 3rd generation RX-7s. Mine was
repurchased by Mazda under the NJ Lemon Law. The other 1993 R1 had a blown
turbo and is currently under litigation. Mazda has offered the owner $6,000
to drop his legal case. The other is a 1994 R2 and has only been owned for 1
month.
I realize this is a small sample size, but we're talking about 66%
of the RX-7s at Bell Labs are (were) in litigation. I have a table listing the
number of warranty repairs broken out by part number on 1993 RX-7s. This table
was produced early in 1994, so the numbers will be much higher than these
today, but let me just give you a sample:
Radiator filler cap body: 598
Turbo charger 52
Water pump bearing 46
Water hose 122
radiator cap 60
filler cap 283
These are people who returned to the dealership and had these parts
repaired under warranty. Given the small number of RX-7's produced, these
numbers are staggering. And my table doesn't even list the common parts
addressed by the TSB list (A-arm bushings, steering rack boots, interior trim
pieces, engine mounts, rear hatch hinges, etc.)"
xxxxxxx@attmail.com
"Just got the '93 out of the shop for its 30,000 mile tune-up
and the coolant recall. I had half-a-dozen other problems that I took it in for
as well. The good news is the dealer actually addressed each and every issue I
complained about. The parts to fix the dying power windows, clunking suspension,
grinding noises in the transmission, glove compartment, and door handle are
being ordered. The bad news is that it needs a new transmission and will take
at least a week in the shop once all the parts come in :-(
For those who are essentially saying that the '93 owners are a bunch of
whining crybabies that don't know how to take care of their cars... let me say
that if you spent $30,000 on a car you should expect it to be as good in quality
and reliability as a $20,000 car. It's NOT a McLaren or Jag SUPERCAR. This is a
superb, run-of-the-mill production, 100% streetable machine that should be be as
reliable and maintainable as any other car on the market. If you expect a lot
less, then that's a pretty LAME attitude, IMHO.
I am still an avid
proponent of the 3rd gen RX-7's, but facts is facts and the early
production(93's) are a lot of trouble. Just because it's a tremendous
performance car is no reason to bury your head in the sand and ignore its
problems."
My $0.02
"I'm one of those owners that didn't ask "...gee, does the paint chip?".
This is my first mazda, and no other car I've ever owned has had this problem,
so why would I ask? It's not a question I'd ask like "what's the gas
mileage, what's the top speed, etc...."
When I pay that much for a
car I expect better. Next time I'll ask if the supercar has a weaknesses for
kryptonite or paint chips."
"While I've had a number of problems with my car, the worst that
has happened is that it needed a new turbo unit. It has never stranded me and
I've never had any suspension problems. It has had its share of rattles and
squeaks and it has had paint peel on the interior trim (as they all did) and,
perhaps most annoying of all, I'm one of the people with swiss-cheese paint.
Since I posted the article you quote on this page (where I said that the
only major problem was needing a new turbo) more things have gone wrong,
but have been (mostly) fixed. I now have 38000 miles on the car.
But I wouldn't trade the car for anything. When I get behind the wheel,
it's love all over again. These problems would not be half so annoying if
Mazda's American organization and dealer network were competent and
customer-oriented."
"I own a 93 R1 which like most of you third generation owners
has been in the shop no less than fifteen times. To prove it I have warranty
service records that are literally .75 inches thick! What I was wondering is if
there are any third generation owners who have kept their cars past the warranty
period. In my case the three years will expire far sooner than the 50k and as
much as I love the car, I am in a dilemma as to whether to keep it or sell it for
a new Supra Twin Turbo.
Don't get me wrong, I don't expect to own a
completely trouble free car, particularly one that is three years old, however
some of the repairs other third generation owners have had performed under
warranty sound terribly expensive if one has to foot the bill. New
transmissions, new turbos, new catalytic converters, even new engines, these are
not minor repairs.
While I don't mind having minor problems corrected at
my expense, new engines and such are simply inexcusable in a new car with 30k
miles. Has anyone had major post-warranty work done on their third generation
RX-7? What was your experience? Any thoughts would be appreciated as I trully
love the car but detest the maker."
" >Re: brake rotors: I've had my rears replaced twice due to...
first, heavy corrosion on the rotor centers upon delivery of my car, and
second, warped after 10k miles
Also I've recently had my fronts replaced due to warping at 19k miles
ALL under warranty. My dealer was very slow to diagnose the problems for
themselves and required much complaining on my part to admit their was a
problem with pulsing pedals, etc. Eventually (to shut me up?) they acquiesced
and replaced the rotors and pads. My dealer, Barney Garver in Houston, always
seems to fight me at first on any problem, then after many visits finally
gives in and fixes my car. After the last 5 day stay in the shop, to fix my
secondary turbo, the tops of both front fenders had compression dents from
the mechanic leaning on them. After pointing this out to the Service Manager
they dispatched the local "painless" dent guy to fix on Mazda's purchase
order. and so it goes.
If you want any corroboration or documentation on my problems please send me
a post. I have kept ALL my receipts."
93 silver touring, VIN JM1F3312PO210484
repaint, recalls, split coolant tank, water pump,
2 sets of rear rotors, 2 sets of rear pads, 1 set front
rotors and pads, rebuilt clutch,
replaced hatch hinges,
...bad secondary turbo,
Dents from inept mechanics, and
Oh yeah, hesitation, too!
> There have been several mentions of leaking intake manifold gaskets (Todd and at least one other) causing problems with idle speed and consistency. Hahn Racecraft has been tracing a similar problem on my... (Snip Snip) ... Anyone else had trouble with this gasket?
"Yes. I took my car in for the fuel line recall and regular servicing in August.
While there, I thought why not take the opportunity to complain about the 3000
hesitation. The dealer thought they had a solution - a blown intake gasket.
This and the turbos were replaced. I now suffer from a lack of power and the
3000 hesitation problem. (grrr)"
"I don't neccessarily want to bring up an old subject of paint chips which has been discussed extensively in the past few months but i am looking for some advice. My situation is this i have a '93 Montego (3/92) with plenty o chips - -- surprise, surprise. After getting no relief from my service manager i spoke with the district rep. in August. The district rep. agreed that the paint sucked and should be replaced - of course after i reminded him of all of the other RX-7s which Mazda has repainted - he suggested that "if it's going to be done it should be done right" and that "it should be stripped down to bare metal with baking soda and repainted." Now some time has passed and his opinion has, ahhm, changed. He wants to only paint half. My problem is somewhat obvious i want him to do as he previously promised and strip every inch of the bad paint off and reapply paint that will stick. Some time down the road after my warrantee expires i don't want to have half my car's paint new and bright and the other half chipping and dull. If anyone out there can help me out and give advise as to how to convince the rep. to do the entire car - he seems to be a pretty reasonable guy bound by Mazda's bottom line. Those of you who have gotten partial paint jobs are you happy? any complaints? recommendations? Those of you who have gotten the entire car painted I'm sure you can empathize with my situation any advice."
"Still no good news on the "lurch" problem with my
'93. Mazda now says,"We've done all there is to do, and the car
is running within specs, so tough luck." They base this on the
dealer saying all he feels is a minor hesitation at 3000 rpm, and they
ignore my statements of how violently it sometimes bucks and
jerks..."lurches"...enough to almost give a whiplash effect.
I've scoured my saved RX7net files, but don't find definitive
info to use as ammo to get some attention on this problem. So I am
requesting you good souls to send me some clear, crisp, concise
"ammo" to use."
"I'm beginning to think that it is Mazda'z policy to have their dealer's service dept's deny everything. Any thing I've had replaced, including door seals, hatch hinges, Turbos, Cats, and engine ( @20K mi) were all denied at being defective the first time(s) I brought the car in to be serviced. I won't purchase another Mazda vehicle because of it. Also, regarding the 3rd gens, I don't think their mechanics are familiar enough with them to know how they shoud drive when their healthy and so are not able to notice when somethings wrong. To us that drive them every day a power drop is obvious. To these guys even a sick 3rd gen is fast.&qout;
"I am collecting information for a friend of mine. He just bought his wife a new 1993 Mazda RX7. It had less than 500 miles on it when she parked it in the garage at 6PM one evening. At 3AM my friend smelled smoke. He was able to rouse his family and get them all to safety before the flames engulfed his house including his office. The car was destroyed and most of the house and almost everything in it was lost. His job has been interrupted because his office and files have been destroyed, his family has been living in motels and temporary housing, and they will have to rebuild their entire home. He says that the experience has left him and his family with a fear of living on the site again. This was a beautiful home that he has landscaped and improved for years. I had posted this message in rec.auto misc and was given this address and the address of a mazda mailing list. Any information regarding similar experiences would be appreciated."
"You are not the first person to have your house & car destroyed by your 93 RX-7 catching on fire in the middle of the night. Call Leo (name removed) in Orange County, CA (phone # removed). Leo's house and car were also destroyed after his 93 caught fire sometime after shutting it off. As of a few months ago, Mazda had investigated at least 12 engine fires in the 93 RX-7. Mazda "claims" the fires are from coolant leaks. I don't believe them. I think the coolant leak theory is a cover up for some bigger problems. I hope that you report this fire to Jeff Quandt at the NHTSA (202)366-5207. If you are interested, I have the names of several other RX-7 owners who had car fires. While their settlements prevent them from discussing the terms of their settlement, they can discuss other information. I also have a copy of the NHTSA file on the engine fires. I hope that you can find some one to investigate the specific cause of the fire. It would be real helpful to the rest of us."
"Last night I received a phone call from a surgeon in Tennessee
whose 1993 Base Model RX-7 burned up on Tuesday morning. The significant thing
here is that his car had already had the recall campaign service performed. Here
are the details:
At 5:00 AM after performing surgery all night, the Doctor drove his car
into his garage. As he was stepping out of his car he noticed white smoke
coming from under the hood. He popped the hood release and began to lift the
hood. As he did, the smoke turned black and he noticed flames. Since his wife
and 5 year old were asleep in the house, he decided that he must get the car out
of the garage. Fortunately, the car started right up and he backed it out into
the driveway. Then he ran inside to call the fire department.
They were
only a few blocks away and the rescue squad arrived in a couple minutes. They
were unable to put the fire out with extinguishers and the heat and flames drove
them back. The ladder truck arrived and began hosing down the car. A dramatic
moment occurred when one of the front tires exploded. By the time the fire was
extinguished, the entire front of the car was destroyed.
The next morning he called the dealer. On Thursday morning, after flying
all night, 4 Japanese engineers from Hiroshima arrived to examine the car. They
loaded the car onto a flatbed (breaking an axle in the process) and took it
away. His dealer later told him that the car was crated up and flown back to
Japan. When he complained that he had not given permission for the car to be
taken, the dealer reversed his position and told him that he had been mistaken
and the car had not been sent to Japan.
Mazda offered to pay him the
exact amount that he had paid for the car provided he sign documents promising
that he would never discuss this incident with anyone. Then they started to
play games with the amount he paid for the car. They had given him an $8,000
trade-in on his old car. Now they were claiming that they had only given him
$5,000 in trade and discounted the car by $3,000, thus reducing the amount of
money they would pay him by that amount. At that point, the doctor decided he
should contact a lawyer.
That's also when he called me since my name and
number are on cross-postings to America On-Line forums. I gave him the name and
number of the NHTSA investigator (Jeff Quandt) who is responsible for the
coolant system recall.
Jeff had suspected that the engine fires were
caused by oil leaks in the turbos and that the coolant system recall was
insufficient. This is just the type of evidence he needs to re-open the
investigation.
The important thing to remember here is that you should think twice about
parking your 1993 RX-7 in an attached garage even if you have had the recall
service performed. Until the follow-up investigation is complete, we cannot be
sure that any of these cars won't burst into flames without warning.
At the doctor's request, his name and number are being withheld until he
speaks with his lawyer. For those of you out there who have dealt with the RX-7
car fires and may have helpful information for this doctor, please contact me by
email and I will forward your names and email addresses to him. This guy could
probably use your help. "
"
Ok. I just got back from the Mazda dealer
and had another one of those stupid Service managers, who probably
doesn't know how the rotary engine works anyway, tried to tell me why
they wouldn't fix my oil leak. The problem was an oil leak from the oilpan after the rebuild.
Unfortunately, the first thing they did was ask
what modifications I had and popped the hood to see all of the aftermarket
equipment. I rode to the back of the shop with the mechanic, he
put it on the rack and looked for the leak. He then went to service
manager to discuss the problem. When he returned, he told me that I
was denied.
I was, needless to say, PISSED! I went off on the guy
and asked him to explain how any of the equipment I put on would cause
an oil leak. The best he could come up with was the increased boost pressure
would blow through the seals into the rotor housing. That was not
really why they wouldn't do the fix. The Mechanic was saying how he would
have to remove the engine to get to the oil pan. He would not get paid and
did not want to do the repairs. I then went to the Service Manager, who
through the course of discussion, said that he looked at the car and
determined that the cause was my equipment. I was amazed that he told me
that he actually looked at the car when I was with it the whole time.
I looked at the service rep. who had also been with me to ask if I
somehow missed the time when the Manager looked at the car. The
moronic Service Manager was called on his lie. What an a**hole!!!
Anyway after using everything I knew to get the job done I was unsuccessful.
I'm supposed to go back next week to see the District Representative.
What I need now is some really good advice on how to deal with these jerks.
I even tried telling them that is their burden to prove it was my fault.
I need good practical and legal ammunition.
I guess I'm done ranting and raving now, but I would love some help.
I am now convinced that all Mazda people are either stupid or a**holes."
"
>have to remove the engine to get to the oil pan. He would not get paid and did not want to do the repairs.
Sounds like the moron who worked on my car here one time. He basically told
me he did not want to perform and intake gasket r/r because it would be
under warranty from the last one he did and he would not get paid. Along
with lacking brains they lack tact!
>I am now convinced that all Mazda people are either stupid or assholes.
You need to remove the "either" and the "or". Good luck to you!
"
"
The district rep is coming to tell
you that your emission warranty is void, which covers about the whole damn
car. ECU, Turbos, Motor etc. There will be other portions to this as well.
How do I know this? They did exactly the same thing to me, exactly, except
they sneak attacked me with the district REP. Certain people there will try
to act like your friend, "Try to help you out and plead your case for you."
But they are all on a different team than you. I did get a copy, don't know
from who, and I don't know if I have it anymore, but they are on the net, of
a document from SEMA stating the burden of proof etc. Get this before you
go. Since (forgive the language) they are going to f**k with you, you might
as well play the same game since you now know in advance what they are going
to do. Cancel the meeting a couple of hours in advance a few times and say
you are booked the rest of the week since the district rep is probably not
based in your area and has to travel there. Bring a copy of the SEMA thing
as well as intimidate them by bringing a tape recorder with you and showing
them. Make it known that you want to collect all of this information for a
future lawsuit. Lie and tell them that you uncle is a lawyer and that you
will not have to worry about legal fee's. What ever you do, don't think you
have a prayer here. This happened to me by only having the intercooler in,
everything else was taken off the car and they still voided most of the
warranty. You are right, none of them understand what each item does, an
intercooler alone will do nothing but help the car and is actually better
for it. Get ready to be really screwed, they are going to flag your VIN
number in the Mazda computer as voided portions of warranty if not all. If
you ever sell the car that goes with it. Don't let them touch your car from
here on out.
They took mine out, which when brought in later for the recall, had
nothing on it but a smaller pill in the wastegate line. NOTHING else was
visible on the car or in it. Remember this was a recall visit, they took the
car out and put a boost gauge on it and the mechanic went out with my car
trying to make as much boost as possible. Then they bragged to me about
doing it, like they had caught me at something. The ran in 5th gear lower
RPM up to 17 psi of boost on 92 octane gas and no fuel computer to add fuel
for the huge jump in boost. I don't know how they got it to do this without
the boost cut kicking in. I would say I (THEY) were amazingly lucky that the
motor didn't blow right then and there. This was all I ever needed to know
to realize that these mechanics were complete idiots who didn't have the
first clue about this car. IDIOTS!! Trying to get the highest boost they
could. In case anyone in MN is on the net, this was Morries Mazda that did
all of this. Todd used to get work done on his car with the mods on
and he thought they wouldn't do anything, in fact you got a new motor with
the mods on didn't you Todd, but last I heard they were trying to deny the
warranty for a coolant fix. Oh yeah that coolant sensor failure is caused by
higher boost and fat tires right? hehe.
I'm sorry but without legal action I am afraid you are S#$% out of luck.
Let this be a very important lesson to all of you out there planning to
bring a car in with any mods at all. No matter how nice the dealer or
service guy is. You will get screwed in the long run with no basis at all.
"
"
Hi Jeff. Just visited your www mazda lemon site. I'm glad you finally were
victorious. If you have a sec, I'll tell you about my mazda. I purchased a new
Navajo (it's a 2 door Explorer) about 4 years ago. The transmission was
recalled and of course I brought it in (later told by a service technician
it's Ok to ignore these things). The transmission leaked the night I brought
it home. 5 repair attempts later, it still leaked. I met with the regional
manager and he agreed to fix the leak, but it would take a week and mazda
declined to provide me with a car. This time they fixed the transmission and I
vowed I'd never buy another mazda. Since MA (where purchased) and CT (where
reside) lemon laws must be invoked prior to 18,000 miles I was out of luck.
But wait. A few months later the truck began to get thirsty with the coolant.
A mazda dealer pressure tested it and didn't believe I was adding prestone
every month. I had an oil analysis done which showed coolant in the oil. mazda
replaced the head gasket (twice) but by then the car was out of warranty. I'm
sure you can guess what mazda said -- see ya! I hired a (lousy) lawyer and he
estimated it would cost $2,500 to sue mazda with what I gathered was a 50/50
chance of being successful. The truck has lasted 100,000 miles, but I don't
leave home without prestone. Please let me know if you'd like a picture of my
truck and maybe some quotes from mazda's customer "service" people. Oh, my
dealer went bankrupt in the middle of this fiasco too. Thanks for your time.
"
"
A local guy here owns a import performance shop, he runs a RX-7 and complains that every system on the car has failed at one time or another, the first car he owned was in the shop for SEVEN months, the new one is fouling spark plugs, at $85 a set. Is this a sign of things to come?
That's nothing. I owned a '93 RX-7TT before my ZXTT. That car broke
down once every two weeks. The ECU went bad and caused it to stall
when the AC was on, boost hoses came off (under stock boost levels),
door handles fell off, interior panels lost their finish (it flaked
off), the fift gear synchro died (fifth!?) because you can't shift to
third at high RPM, two air pumps went bad, the fuel tank baffle went
bad, the motor mounts came loose, coolant leaked all the time, the
front seal had to be replaced (while still on the dealer's lot as I
later found out), if you looked at it funny the metal dented, the
paint chipped off if a bug hit it, and lots more stuff I've forgotten
about over time. FINALLY, the car caught fire on the way to work one
day!!! By the time the fire department got there, it was toast. Mazda
denied responsibility of course. They claimed they'd never heard of
any other RX-7 fires. After finding 5 other owners with fires and a
long protracted battle with Mazda, my threatened lawsuit paid off and
they settled the case out of court. Later, they owned up to at least
20 such fires and had two recall campaigns to correct the problem.
"
"
Hello, my name is (removed). It seems that we have a few things in common
concerning our vehicles. I'm running into problems with my car. Two days ago,
it caught fire under the hood and the whole front of the car was burned. Now
I'm in a bind. Here is a general order of events
Now the dealer is claiming that I didn't have one of the recalls done to the
car. (You know the one about the fires under the hood). I had been under the
impression that the recall had been done along with the replacement of the
engine. Anyway, I can see where this is heading! Do you have any suggestions
where to start? I would appreciate the help. This is just one of the many
problems that I have had with the car. I've kept all of my documentation on
the car as far as maintenance goes.
Do you know a good lawyer in MD, Northern VA, or DC ?
"
I have many more stories like this but I'm too lazy to update the page. You get the picture.
Back to the RX-7 Lemon Site Main Page
All of the information on these pages is to my knowledge either an accurate summary of events and facts or is my opinion. It doesn't represent the views of Mazda (duh), my employer, my Internet service provider, or anyone else.