HELPDESK: MICHAEL McALEERanswers all your questions
From BN:
I own a 2004 Mazda RX-8 with 90,000 km. In the very cold snap during January, the car was diagnosed with a flat battery, which I replaced. It still wouldn’t start and had to be towed to the nearest Mazda dealer. I was told that it needed four new spark plugs and a new starter motor, which together was going to cost just over €1,000.
After carrying out some research on starting problems affecting the RX-8, I was dubious about the need for a new starter motor and asked that the spark plugs be replaced. After that, I experienced no problems with starting the car from cold. However, “hot” starts proved very problematic.
For example, on filling up with petrol, I needed to sit in the car for a further 8-10 minutes in order to ensure that the car would start. Indeed the problem remains to this day.
Currently, the only solution to the problem is to drive my brother’s car to a petrol station, fill two 20-litre petrol tanks and re-fuel outside my house when the car is cold. I have not dared to visit a petrol station with the car in months.
In March I decided to get a second opinion and brought it to the Mazda dealer where I got the car serviced annually. I was told that the problem was with the engine.
Specifically, I was told the rubber rotor seals in the ‘cylinder housing’ had become worn, which was leading to significantly reduced compression, thus leading to problematic starts. The only solution to this, I was told, is a completely new engine. I expressed complete shock at this saying that no one would have bought an RX-8 if they thought that a new engine would be required after 80,000 to 90,000 kms.
Incidentally, the cost of a new engine including fitting is around €9,000. Given that 04 versions are on sale for €9,000-€11,000, it makes no sense for an owner to pay for a new engine.
A report on this car’s problems is being completed by the dealer and is due to be sent to Mazda Ireland, so we await further news in that regard. This is not the first time we have received correspondence from an RX-8 owner about starting problems. In February we reported on the case of an owner of a 2004 model who was also told he had to replace the starter motor, this time for €600.
A Mazda Ireland spokesman last week denied there is a 90,000-100,000 km life expectancy with these engines and said there was no official recall on the RX-8 engines here. When asked whether there have been similar problems with other RX-8s in Ireland, he said that they were not in a position to comment.
He also declined to comment on past reports in the US media about problems with RX-8 engines there, and that in 2008 Mazda US announced an extended engine warranty for RX-8s dating back to 2004. These reports highlighted problems with engine seals.
Mazda has built up a strong reputation for reliability, but the RX-8 has been the subject of several critical reports on customer satisfaction with the car, particularly in the US. Questions also have to be asked about the firm’s dogged perseverance with the Wankel rotary engine at a time when emissions dominate the motoring debate.
Queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2 or email motorshelp@irishtimes.com