Mazda RX-7 Lemon Site

Last Updated January 22, 1997

This is an online testimonial to the poor commitment I feel Mazda Motors of America has to its customers. To a certain degree it is also a statement regarding the engineering problems with the 3rd Generation RX-7s (1993-present) but in my opinion the cars are not nearly as bad as the company.

This site is not intended to discourage people from buying RX-7s. As I say elsewhere, I happen to love the RX-7 in many ways and feel that Mazda has the most interesting car line of any non-European manufacturer - I just don't care much for the way I have been treated by certain individuals in Mazda Motors of America and its dealer network. Everything on these pages should be taken with a grain of salt since I am a dissatisfied customer and am not objective.

The purpose of this site is multiple:

  1. Provide information regarding the Lemon Law
  2. Explain to consumers what they and their manufacturer can and can't get away with
  3. Document many of the flaws and problems that plague 3rd generation RX-7s so that other owners can benefit
  4. Give Mazda some bad press in hopes that they change their ways
  5. Give a little free good press for a fine lawyer
  6. Get revenge for 2 and half years of BS

The site may actually be doing some good. Check out the comments received from an employee of a Mazda dealership.

I purchased a 1993 RX-7 R1 Model new in May, 1993. The car was a demonstrator that had been driven 2,000 miles over the course of the previous 10 or so months by the owner of the dealership, Long Beach BMW/Mazda. It was a stock R1 with no options except for floor mats and dealer installed chromed rims and painted front spoiler. It had never been registered and was sold to me as a new vehicle. I paid $24,600 for the car, plus a 7 year, 100,000 mile extended warranty, tax, and license charges for a grand total of $28,000 and change.

I began having problems with the car and, to make a long story short, ended up having to sue Mazda under the California Song-Beverly Act, or Lemon Law, in December of 1994. On August 17th, 1995 I won my case in a decision by a judge in arbitration. On November 9th, 1995 I gave Mazda back my RX-7 and received a check in the amount of $44,299.63, covering all of my out of pocket expenses, plus interest and legal fees.