Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||||
| 01-013/08 | 04/18/2008 | 10024588 | Mazda special program (msp16) - engine lack of power -pcm reflash. vehicles produced from april 10, 2003 through nov. 9, 2007. vin range jm1fe17**40100053 - 80215462. *nj updated 6/3/08. *nj | 04/25/2008 | |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 0500406 | 10/06/2006 | 10020557 | Manual transmission-clutch hard to disengage. *kb | 11/15/2006 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | ||||||
| PE09045 | MAZDA MOTOR CORP | 09/23/2009 | 08/19/2010 | CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET FAILURE | ||
| On september 23, 2009, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of the clutch pedal bracket failures in my 2004 - 2006 mazda rx8 vehicles.in response to an information request letter sent by odi, mazda stated that the failure mechanism may be related to an improper fastener attachment sequence to the body.the improper sequence may create a distortion of the pedal bracket and create a stress amplitude during pedal usage that may go beyond the wear out limit of the bracket.mazda stated that the percentages of vehicles experiencing the defect is low at approximately 1% of the vehicle population projected to 10 years in service based on analysis of warranty claim data that best represented the alleged defect.in terms of risk to motor vehicle safety, mazda stated that the failure is progressive with warning manifested in noise and difficulty in shifting gears prior to complete failure of the bracket.mazda also stated that when a bracket fracture occurs the clutch pedal may lean towards the brake pedal however gear shifting becomes impossible prior to any contact of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. odi is not aware of any crashes associated with a clutch pedal bracket failure in the subject vehicles.odi's analysis of warranty claim data provided by mazda yielded failure rates of approximately 3% projected over 10 years in service. odi's analysis of vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) data complaint indicates that approximately 5% of the voq complainants allege they were unable to get out of the roadway as a result of a clutch pedal bracket failure.none of these incidents occurred on a highway. approximately 7% of the complainants alleged a contact condition after a clutch pedal bracket failure of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. none of these complaints noted difficulty in getting the vehicle stopped.mazda has informed odi that it will conducted an owner notification of an extended warranty coverage program increasing the clutch pedal assembly warranty to 8 years and limited at 100k miles for model years 2004 through 2009 rx8 vehicles.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| PE09045 | MAZDA MOTOR CORP | 09/23/2009 | CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET FAILURE | |||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) has received 40 complaints alleging failure of the clutch pedal assembly mounting bracket.fifteen of the complainants allege the bracket failure occurred as they were driving and created a vehicle disablement as they were unable to engage any gear.two complainants also alleged interference between the clutch pedal and brake pedal occurred when applying the clutch pedal as a result of the clutch pedal assembly bracket failure.one of these complainants alleged the clutch pedal became trapped behind the brake pedal. a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences of the failure of the clutch pedal assembly mounting bracket. | ||||||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE | ||||||
| PE09045 | MAZDA MOTOR CORP | 09/23/2009 | 08/19/2010 | CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET FAILURE | ||
| On september 23, 2009, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of the clutch pedal bracket failures in my 2004 - 2006 mazda rx8 vehicles.in response to an information request letter sent by odi, mazda stated that the failure mechanism may be related to an improper fastener attachment sequence to the body.the improper sequence may create a distortion of the pedal bracket and create a stress amplitude during pedal usage that may go beyond the wear out limit of the bracket.mazda stated that the percentages of vehicles experiencing the defect is low at approximately 1% of the vehicle population projected to 10 years in service based on analysis of warranty claim data that best represented the alleged defect.in terms of risk to motor vehicle safety, mazda stated that the failure is progressive with warning manifested in noise and difficulty in shifting gears prior to complete failure of the bracket.mazda also stated that when a bracket fracture occurs the clutch pedal may lean towards the brake pedal however gear shifting becomes impossible prior to any contact of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. odi is not aware of any crashes associated with a clutch pedal bracket failure in the subject vehicles.odi's analysis of warranty claim data provided by mazda yielded failure rates of approximately 3% projected over 10 years in service. odi's analysis of vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) data complaint indicates that approximately 5% of the voq complainants allege they were unable to get out of the roadway as a result of a clutch pedal bracket failure.none of these incidents occurred on a highway. approximately 7% of the complainants alleged a contact condition after a clutch pedal bracket failure of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. none of these complaints noted difficulty in getting the vehicle stopped.mazda has informed odi that it will conducted an owner notification of an extended warranty coverage program increasing the clutch pedal assembly warranty to 8 years and limited at 100k miles for model years 2004 through 2009 rx8 vehicles.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| PE09045 | MAZDA MOTOR CORP | 09/23/2009 | CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET FAILURE | |||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) has received 40 complaints alleging failure of the clutch pedal assembly mounting bracket.fifteen of the complainants allege the bracket failure occurred as they were driving and created a vehicle disablement as they were unable to engage any gear.two complainants also alleged interference between the clutch pedal and brake pedal occurred when applying the clutch pedal as a result of the clutch pedal assembly bracket failure.one of these complainants alleged the clutch pedal became trapped behind the brake pedal. a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences of the failure of the clutch pedal assembly mounting bracket. | ||||||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | ||||||
| PE09045 | MAZDA MOTOR CORP | 09/23/2009 | 08/19/2010 | CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET FAILURE | ||
| On september 23, 2009, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of the clutch pedal bracket failures in my 2004 - 2006 mazda rx8 vehicles.in response to an information request letter sent by odi, mazda stated that the failure mechanism may be related to an improper fastener attachment sequence to the body.the improper sequence may create a distortion of the pedal bracket and create a stress amplitude during pedal usage that may go beyond the wear out limit of the bracket.mazda stated that the percentages of vehicles experiencing the defect is low at approximately 1% of the vehicle population projected to 10 years in service based on analysis of warranty claim data that best represented the alleged defect.in terms of risk to motor vehicle safety, mazda stated that the failure is progressive with warning manifested in noise and difficulty in shifting gears prior to complete failure of the bracket.mazda also stated that when a bracket fracture occurs the clutch pedal may lean towards the brake pedal however gear shifting becomes impossible prior to any contact of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. odi is not aware of any crashes associated with a clutch pedal bracket failure in the subject vehicles.odi's analysis of warranty claim data provided by mazda yielded failure rates of approximately 3% projected over 10 years in service. odi's analysis of vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) data complaint indicates that approximately 5% of the voq complainants allege they were unable to get out of the roadway as a result of a clutch pedal bracket failure.none of these incidents occurred on a highway. approximately 7% of the complainants alleged a contact condition after a clutch pedal bracket failure of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. none of these complaints noted difficulty in getting the vehicle stopped.mazda has informed odi that it will conducted an owner notification of an extended warranty coverage program increasing the clutch pedal assembly warranty to 8 years and limited at 100k miles for model years 2004 through 2009 rx8 vehicles.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| PE09045 | MAZDA MOTOR CORP | 09/23/2009 | CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET FAILURE | |||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) has received 40 complaints alleging failure of the clutch pedal assembly mounting bracket.fifteen of the complainants allege the bracket failure occurred as they were driving and created a vehicle disablement as they were unable to engage any gear.two complainants also alleged interference between the clutch pedal and brake pedal occurred when applying the clutch pedal as a result of the clutch pedal assembly bracket failure.one of these complainants alleged the clutch pedal became trapped behind the brake pedal. a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences of the failure of the clutch pedal assembly mounting bracket. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 01/29/2013 | 1 | ||
| 2004 mazda rx-8 touring with 6-speed manual has a broken clutch pedal. the aluminum clutch pedal weaves left and right. it is on the verge of snapping in half. placed the car at jax automotive while i purchase a new oem clutch pedal with reinforced brackets from race roots. *tr | |||
| 10/06/2012 | 104500 | 1 | |
| The clutch pedal assembly bracket mounted to the fire wall cracked on broke on the left side of the unit causing the clutch to be unusable and unable for any forward or reverse gears to be engaged. luckily i was pulling off the road into a convenience store when this happened and was able to pull the transmission out of gear and into neutral without use of the clutch. this is dangerous beyond belief and is presently covered by mazda under an 8 year 100,000 mile warranty extension plan but this should be a mandated safety recall regardless of mileage or year. the factory part is made of tin as best i can tell and can be bent and deformed with bare hands at the point where its bolted to the firewall, a critical mounting point as evidenced by the growing number of cases for this exact defect. i will probably have to purchase the part at my own expense but don't feel i should have to since this is such a basic safety defect that could have deadly results to the driver and other innocent drivers in the vicinity of the affected mazda rx8. *tr | |||
| 10/06/2012 | 104500 | ||
| The clutch pedal assembly bracket mounted to the fire wall cracked on broke on the left side of the unit causing the clutch to be unuseable and unable for any forward or reverse gears to be engaged. luckily i was pulling off the road into a convenience store when this happened and was able to pull the transmission out of gear and into neutral without use of the clutch. this is dangerous beyond belief and is presently covered by mazda under an 8 year 100,000 mile warranty extension plan but this should be a mandated safety recall regardless of mileage or year. the factory part is made of tin as best i can tell and can be bent and deformed with bare hands at the point where its bolted to the firewall, a critical mounting point as evidenced by the growing number of cases for this exact defect. i will probably have to purchase the part at my own expense but dont feel i should have to since this is such a basic safety defect that could have deadly results to the driver and other innocent drivers in the vicinity of the affected mazda rx8. | |||
| 07/26/2012 | 111301 | 1 | |
| At a stop light, i depressed my clutch pedal. i heard an audible snap and the clutch became unusable. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 70000 | ||
| Clutch pedal assembly failure. causing the pedal to shift inward towards the brake pedal. | |||
| 10/28/2010 | 83023 | ||
| I own a 2004 mazda rx8 with manual transmision. i had my clutch pedal break while driving. i orginally though of it as an isolated case due to a bad component. i had the clutch replaced at my own cost but this part has broken again today. while searching for common issues i have found quite a few other people reporting the same problem. this part broke while driving on a local road but this came with no warning. had this happened on a busy street or the hightway it may have been a different issue. this part seems to be of very poor quality as it has broken from the same place again. | |||
| 12/21/2009 | 62500 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2004 mazda rx 8 home from work when all of a sudden my clutch pedal dropped and my car would not switch gears, luckily i coasted across the intersection. i had my car towed to a mazda dealership, they told me my entire clutch assembly was destroyed to nothing and my clutch pedal was bent, due to broken bracket on clutch pedal. my extended warranty would not cover the cost, even though it was due to a part that wasn't a wear and tear part. total cost is $1490. *tr | |||
| 10/31/2009 | 68081 | 1 | |
| I own a mazda rx-8 2004 model and i was driving down the interstate on approx 10/31/09. i didn't realize it until i needed to change gears but i realized that my clutch was getting stuck behind my brake pedal and that i could not shift gears properly. i slowed down and after tugging and tugging i was able to switch gears. i stopped the car to call my friends thinking it was a bad clutch but no one could give me a straight answer. i called a tow truck and spent 200 dollars getting it towed and another 180 to get it fixed. the problem had been my clutch pedal bracket. its made out of material so flimsy that it had snapped from the welds. i think this is a safety hazard and after doing my research i have found that many other people have had this problem. i for one don't want to ever be stuck o the middle of an interstate again. *tr | |||
| 10/13/2009 | 52562 | 1 | |
| It was approximately 11:15 in the night, i was on my way back from a late night food run at mcdonald's. the distance from my residence to mcdonald's is approximately 2.2 miles. as i approached a stop sign, one (1) block away from my residence, i depressed my clutch pedal in order to come to a complete stop, and that is when i heard a loud clattery clang. immediately after, the clutch pedal felt extremely soft and i found it very hard to change gears. being that i was so close to home i didn't have time to further examine and evaluate what exactly had happened. hence, i ignored it parked my car and went inside. the next morning on my regular routine i started my car to go to school, again the clutch felt extremely soft and mushy. tried to put the gears in reverse but failed. this is when i finally realized that something was definitely wrong. my first inclination was that the clutch disc that had worn, but after further investigation i found that the clutch pedal bracket had broken.*tr | |||
| 09/22/2009 | 90000 | 1 | |
| 1) nothing just driving it 2) faulty clutch pedal assembly snapped rendering the clutch useless. 3) not yet corrected. *tr | |||
| 11/14/2008 | 46000 | 1 | |
| One night when i was leaving work i tried to reverse out of my parking space and my car would not go into reverse. after trying over and over the clutch finally engaged and i was able to back out. a few blocks later i was at a stoplight trying to get the car into first gear and same thing happened. i finally got home and took a look underneath the driver side dash and looked up to see one of the welds on the clutch plate holding the clutch pedal in place had broken. i am waiting to see if a friend who is a professional welder can re-weld it because the mazda dealership where i live does not weld anything and will only replace the whole unit, which i cannot afford. *tr | |||
| 10/04/2008 | 44000 | 1 | |
| My vehicle has been in and out of the dealership for recalls ect. last night i started my vehicle and started to leave, backing out of parking lot and the throttle started to surge. i stop turned it off and it stopped. i pulled out onto the highway and when shifted into 2nd gear the throttle stuck and was racing between 3500 and 4000 rpms. i put the clutch in and it pegged out on the rpm gauge, i managed to not hit anyone or anything and pulled off highway called mazda for assistance, i shut vehicle off and started it back up after a few min to see if it reset itself, started it back up and it just surged and stuck between 3000 and 4000 rpms. i've had numerous problems with this vehicle but nothing like this and frankly i was very lucky. i would greatly appreciate any input or inquiry on this matter, needless to say i don't trust my car anymore. *tr | |||
| 11/11/2007 | 45000 | 5 | |
| 2004. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 03/10/2010 | 1 | ||
| I don't even know where to begin with the problem i have had with my 2004 mazda rx-8. i have owned it since september 2003 and it has had countless issues, parts replaced and failures. the incident i experienced last night put me over the edge and almost cost me my life. my rx-8, which was just at the dealer 2 weeks ago, had an engine malfunction while i was on a major highway in massachusetts. the speed of the vehicle went from approx 50mph to 10mph in a matter of a few seconds. luckily i was able to make my way to the breakdown lane without injuring myself or anyone else; however, this is unacceptable. every single part in my rx-8 has been replaced except for the engine mounts and engine. i have dished out thousands of dollars already and the vehicle only has 44,000 miles on it. not only is this a safety hazard to those of us driving the vehicle, but it is also a safety hazard to those around us. had the car behind me not been paying attention my vehicle could have caused a deadly car crash in the middle of rush hour on a major highway. i have contacted numerous dealerships, the bbb, and am now looking into a class action lawsuit. mazda needs to be held accountable for their actions. unfortunately because my car was purchased in 2003, bbb wouldn't have anything to do with the case, however i have 57 pages of detailed repairs that have been made to this vehicle since i owned it, which i am more than happy to send to you. tons of people online have had similar issues; just from automotive.com there are 30+ email addresses of individuals who have experienced problems similar to mine. please help us get to the bottom of this faulty engine and make mazda own up to their mistakes. people's lives are in danger and this is neither acceptable nor ethical. ps- an employee of nhtsa has been contacted prior regarding this situation. her name is cortney and her contact information is 1-888-327-4236 ext #: 1268. i received this from the automotive.com forum. *tr | |||
| 03/31/2006 | 16000 | 7 | 03/11/2006 |
| Engine failure, purchased car 3/11/2006, a couple of weeks later the car started idling roughly, then stalling, the computer module has been replaced twice, the engine once, i still have problems with acceleration, the last incident happened last week 7/29/2007, i was in the center lane pulling out into the passing lane and the car lost all power but did not stall my head was slammed forward almost hitting the stirring wheel and a few seconds later shot off like a rocket slamming my head back against the drivers seat, causing my neck to whip lash i have had a bad headache since, and i was almost hit by a big diesel truck. the car is in the shop again getting the oil and tires changed, and also getting checked for this problem but they are saying they could not find anything on the road test. well it happens to me quite often when i go to pass someone on the interstate, it hesitates before it kicks in and someone is going to get killed. i am paying for a car that spends more time in the shop than out. i bought it 3/11/06 it stayed in the shop almost continually until 7/18/2006, and i was making payments. now it is starting all over again with the rough idle and hesitation. i am getting to the point that i want my money back and i'll give them the car back. i am getting to scared to drive it. now i find out today about other recalls the control arm i was not aware of, i guess that is why my car is starting to pull hard to the right, now i have to have that taken care of. i have moved 350 miles away and i can't leave until my car gets fixed and out of the shop, this is starting to be bull!!! someone needs to do something i have a friend who also has an rx8 we purchased ours on the same day and she is having the same problems and hers is a 2006 where mine is a 2004, so mazda hasn't fixed the problem.*jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 03/26/2010 | 37600 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mazda rx-8. while driving approximately 10 mph, he engaged the clutch and the pedal extended to the floor. he stated that the engine stalled and he had to push the vehicle onto the emergency lane. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the clutch pedal assembly was replaced. the contact had not called the manufacturer when the complaint was filed. the current mileage was approximately 37,800. the failure mileage was approximately 37,600. updated 06/08/10. *lj | |||
| 01/16/2010 | 67745 | 1 | |
| Clutch pedal bracket snapped while shifting from second to third gear. car had previously been taken to mazda dealership, who insisted there was no problem with the bracket. had been making a clicking noise when clutch pedal was depressed. pedal became loose on the horizontal axis (e.g. could be moved left or right with little pressure. could still be shifted with careful application of pressure, but not safe for continued driving. *tr | |||
| 12/12/2009 | 79000 | 1 | |
| Diving at 50 mph and my clutch pedal broke, moving side to side and unable to shift gears. i was 3 miles from a mazda dealer and got there. was told they didn't have the part in stock (in demand, of course) and i had to pay $25.00 for over night shipping to get my car fixed the next day. i was given my old petal and broken part and paid $470 for the fix. after reviewing this problem on-line i see this is a very common problem with the 2004-2008 rx-8's from 20,000-70,000 miles. had my 18 year old daughter been driving this car at the time, this would be a whole different letter. please recall this car and correct this on going dangerous , life threatening problem. mazda mechanic's know all to well about this, why doesn't the public. why don't you. *tr | |||
| 12/06/2009 | 84041 | 1 | |
| 2004 mazda rx8 clutch bracket broke. my wife just gave birth and we haven't been using the rx8, much cause she can't drive, but i wanted to start it up and take it out for a trip to the store because it had been sitting for a week. when i went to start it, the clutch just felt like it snapped. the bracket snapped in half on the left side. wow thank god this didn't happen while my wife was pregnant or what about with my son in the car. seems to be a problem not being addressed by mazda. i am sure that we have the driver experience and good enough driving skills to have safely avoided disaster, but i am very happy that it happened on just a normal startup rather then at 70 mph in heavy atlanta traffic. *tr | |||
| 11/10/2009 | 1 | ||
| Clutch pedal is has begun to make creaking sounds and feels loose when fully depressed. i have read about the possibility of the pedal breaking and snapping and i suspect this is leading up that the point that it ultimately does break. *tr | |||
| 11/09/2009 | 56000 | 1 | |
| Driving down the road, attempt to change into 3rd gear and my clutch pedal dropped right to the floor, which caused my car to jerk into the next lane as i wasn't expecting my foot to have freefall. after stopping the car, i found that my clutch pedal mount had broken away from the assembly causing my clutch to be unable to disengage entirely. the assembly will have to be replaced or welded to return to regular functionality. *tr | |||
| 09/12/2007 | 21420 | 1 | 10/13/2005 |
| I have a 2004 mazda rx8 which i purchased new on october 13, 2005. the car has 21,420 miles on it ... all 'babied' as i'm 52 years old ... and all service has been done by the dealer. the car is still under the factory warranty plus i have a high-priced extended warranty on top of it! two days ago i noticed the clutch was slipping so i called my dealer. they wanted me to wait a week to bring it in; i decided it wouldn't be moving on it's own in a week and dropped by the dealer the same day. today they phoned me to say the clutch assembly needed replacing. further, this wouldn't be covered under either the factory warranty or the extended warranty; instead, i would be liable for the $1480.00 replacement cost! a car with only 21k miles on it that has babied since day one should not be having clutch problems (i've driven manual transmissions for almost 40 years) not should i be liable for this exorbitant cost! upon some research, i found the parts i need are only available from the dealer; therefore, i don't even have the option of having someone else doing the repairs without paying an astronomical fee for a throw-out bearing and plate ($497.00)! *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE | |||
| 11/04/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| Clutch pedal on my 2004 rx8 broke and caused me to almost get in accident when the car would not release out of 4 gear. the clutch shifted towards my break pedal and it almost made me wreck. *tr | |||
| 06/15/2009 | 56000 | 1 | |
| 1. no events, just driving 2.clutch pedal snapped off not allowing me to change gears at highway speeds 3. since mazda didn't want to cover it, i had it rewelded myself. *tr | |||
| 11/09/2008 | 43000 | 1 | |
| I was luckily pulling up to a stop sign and pressed the clutch and heard a loud snap. i then put it in first gear, went to shift to second and the clutch pedal was gone. i pulled over and got out and found the clutch pedal stuck behind the brake pedal. i was extremely angry afterwards realizing how dangerous this could have been. what if i was making a left hand turn and could not find the clutch?? i am also upset that mazda told me that i yes me! had to pay $470 to get this problem that should never happen fixed. i have never heard of this ever, no matter how old a car is this should not happen!!! i cannot afford $470 to fix things like this that should never break. please investigate this matter as i have found on rx8club.com this is a very common issue with this car!! unacceptable!~ *tr | |||
| 04/01/2008 | 72000 | 1 | 03/01/2006 |
| Clutch pedal support bracket failed. *tr | |||
| 12/21/2007 | 78000 | 2 | 02/03/2004 |
| Vehicle's clutch bracket assembly broke at two separate weld points making the vehicle inoperable. prior to christmas, 07, i began noticing a very loud squeak upon depressing the clutch pedal. in researching this, it appears that this was symptomatic of the first weld spot failing. i began noticing an inability to pull the car out of gear. the shifter would not budge, even with the clutch pedal fully depressed to the floor board. this problem was most severe at vehicle start up. upon starting the car, it was impossible to put the car into any gear. to make the car drivable, the vehicle had to be started with the clutch pedal depressed, and the car already in 1st gear (with the vehicle off, it was very simple to get the car into any gear). i took the vehicle into my local mazda dealer two days after the problem began. they advised me that my problem sounded as if it was due to failure in the hydraulic system. i had advised them that i had read about problems with the clutch bracket, and the clutch pedal alignment. i questioned whether i had too much free play, and not enough clutch stroke. they had the vehicle for the day and advised me by phone that the hydraulic system was fully functional. my clutch pedal alignment was off and they made adjustments. with regards to the noise i was hearing upon depressing the pedal, they said it was normal. upon receiving my car, all the problems appeared to have been resolved. the noise was gone, the car was shifting like it has since owning the car. a night later, less than 20 miles later, upon making a shift from 1st to 2nd gear, i heard a very loud snap and the clutch pedal disappeared from beneath my foot. the clutch bracket had snapped (a breakage at a second weld spot) and now was no longer attached to the car. the car returned to having the same difficulties with regards to shifting. mazda would not cover the repair as a safety defect, insisting that it was driving abuse and not a design flaw. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 11/07/2010 | 69850 | ||
| The clutch pedal on my 2004 mazda rx8 started making a noticeable squeaking noise constantly for about 3 weeks. at one point while driving the vehicle at around 50 mph, it made a loud cracking sound and i noticed the clutch pedal became imediately loose which made it difficult to control the gears. it caused the clutch pedal to stop working and thus impeding my ability to drive the vehicle and control its speed. the consequence of this failure could of caused an accident if the vehicle was traveling at a higher speed and/or on the highway. | |||
| 08/15/2010 | |||
| My 2004 mazda rx-8's clutch pedal bracket has broken. i took my vehicle in to my local mazda dealership for some clutch problems i have been having with the clutch not engaging or disengaging properly and the first thing they looked at was my clutch pedal bracket. it turns out that this is what was causing all of my problems. the bracket that holds the clutch pedal assembly to the firewall broke along the welds from the manufacturer. the tech told me is a very common problem with 04 rx-8's and it is usually misdiagnosed as a clutch failure. this is a really big problem as the bracket braking causes the clutch to not fully engage or disengage which leads to premature clutch failure and can also be as extreme as the clutch pedal completely breaking off and obviously that would be a serious safety hazard. i had to have my clutch replaced as well due to the extra wear cause by not fully engaging and disengaging. my car has even stalled in intersections after a light turns green because the clutch would fully engage to shift into 1st properly. | |||
| 10/02/2010 | 80000 | ||
| I was pulling out on a main stretch of road with busy traffic as i pushed in the clutch on my 2004 mazda rx8 the clutch pedal assembly broke and i could not get the car into gear. i paid 400+ dollers to get the clutch pedal assembly replaced and ran for about 20,000 miles and now the tranny will not engauge again. | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 53223 | ||
| I went to start my vehicle as i pushed the clutch pedal in and turned the key it started but when i released the pedal it stayed half way down and moved towards the right, resulting in poor shift quality and a weak clutch. | |||
| 10/02/2010 | 80000 | ||
| I was pulling out on a main stretch of road with busy traffic as i pushed in the clutch on my 2004 mazda rx8 the clutch pedal assembly broke and i could not get the car into gear. i paid 400+ dollers to get the clutch pedal assembly replaced and ran for about 20,000 miles and now the tranny will not engauge again. | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 53223 | ||
| I went to start my vehicle as i pushed the clutch pedal in and turned the key it started but when i released the pedal it stayed half way down and moved towards the right, resulting in poor shift quality and a weak clutch. | |||
| 10/02/2010 | 80000 | ||
| I was pulling out on a main stretch of road with busy traffic as i pushed in the clutch on my 2004 mazda rx8 the clutch pedal assembly broke and i could not get the car into gear. i paid 400+ dollers to get the clutch pedal assembly replaced and ran for about 20,000 miles and now the tranny will not engauge again. | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 53223 | ||
| I went to start my vehicle as i pushed the clutch pedal in and turned the key it started but when i released the pedal it stayed half way down and moved towards the right, resulting in poor shift quality and a weak clutch. | |||
| 10/02/2010 | 80000 | ||
| I was pulling out on a main stretch of road with busy traffic as i pushed in the clutch on my 2004 mazda rx8 the clutch pedal assembly broke and i could not get the car into gear. i paid 400+ dollers to get the clutch pedal assembly replaced and ran for about 20,000 miles and now the tranny will not engauge again. | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 53223 | ||
| I went to start my vehicle as i pushed the clutch pedal in and turned the key it started but when i released the pedal it stayed half way down and moved towards the right, resulting in poor shift quality and a weak clutch. | |||
| 10/02/2010 | 80000 | ||
| I was pulling out on a main stretch of road with busy traffic as i pushed in the clutch on my 2004 mazda rx8 the clutch pedal assembly broke and i could not get the car into gear. i paid 400+ dollers to get the clutch pedal assembly replaced and ran for about 20,000 miles and now the tranny will not engauge again. | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 53223 | ||
| I went to start my vehicle as i pushed the clutch pedal in and turned the key it started but when i released the pedal it stayed half way down and moved towards the right, resulting in poor shift quality and a weak clutch. | |||
| 09/13/2010 | 75899 | ||
| The pedal assembly star making noise when you depressing the clutch.cusing the pedal assembly broke and make don't engage . | |||
| 09/05/2010 | 39000 | ||
| On sunday september 5th @ approx 5:30pm, i was driving on a local road. depressed the clutch pedal before shifting gears. immediately after the pedal was fully depressed, i heard something break. i pulled over to the side of the road. from that moment on, i was not able to put the car into gear. upon further investigation by myself, i had found that the metal bracket which secures the clutch pedal, had split/cracked. this made the clutch pedal loose and it was no longer in proper alignment (was able to move the clutch pedal with my foot or hand laterally a few inches.) due to the nature of this failure, i was unable to put the transmission in gear (even with clutch pedal fully depressed).....this made the car inoperable. the engine would start with the clutch fully depressed and the ignition turned to the start position, but the clutch would not allow me to put the transmission into any gear. | |||
| 08/31/2010 | 73400 | ||
| I own a 2004 mazda rx-8. as i was turning right in second gear, i depressed the clutch pedal and then heard a loud snap. the pedal assembly is now very loose and not what i would consider structurally sound. when i got home, i noticed that the left side of the clutch pedal bracket had snapped. this has caused the pedal assembly to easily move from left to right. | |||
| 08/20/2010 | 68300 | ||
| During a stop at a traffic light, i tried to engage into 1st gear, stepping on the clutch as usual, and all of a sudden, i heard a loud pop coming from underneath the clutch, and also felt the clutch pedal has dropped to the floor and i could not engage into any gear, i put my hazard lights and fortunately i was able to force it into 1st gear and manage to drive home, the part has not been replaced as it was just happened on aug 20 around 11:00 pm | |||
| 02/07/2010 | 43000 | ||
| I was driving my friends 2004 mazda rx-8 when the clutch pedal snapped. i was able to get it stopped and into neutral. the clutch pedal bracket was found defective and was replaced. | |||
| 08/20/2010 | 68300 | ||
| During a stop at a traffic light, i tried to engage into 1st gear, stepping on the clutch as usual, and all of a sudden, i heard a loud pop coming from underneath the clutch, and also felt the clutch pedal has dropped to the floor and i could not engage into any gear, i put my hazard lights and fortunately i was able to force it into 1st gear and manage to drive home, the part has not been replaced as it was just happened on aug 20 around 11:00 pm | |||
| 02/07/2010 | 43000 | ||
| I was driving my friends 2004 mazda rx-8 when the clutch pedal snapped. i was able to get it stopped and into neutral. the clutch pedal bracket was found defective and was replaced. | |||
| 08/20/2010 | 68300 | ||
| During a stop at a traffic light, i tried to engage into 1st gear, stepping on the clutch as usual, and all of a sudden, i heard a loud pop coming from underneath the clutch, and also felt the clutch pedal has dropped to the floor and i could not engage into any gear, i put my hazard lights and fortunately i was able to force it into 1st gear and manage to drive home, the part has not been replaced as it was just happened on aug 20 around 11:00 pm | |||
| 02/07/2010 | 43000 | ||
| I was driving my friends 2004 mazda rx-8 when the clutch pedal snapped. i was able to get it stopped and into neutral. the clutch pedal bracket was found defective and was replaced. | |||
| 06/10/2010 | 79000 | ||
| The clutch pedal bracket in my rx8 cracked. i was in city traffic when i heard a snap and my clutch pedal became much looser. about two weeks later i heard another snap and could barely shift my car at all. it caused me to stall in the middle of a busy intersection. unable to move or start my car. | |||
| 05/28/2010 | 66872 | ||
| The clutch pedal on my vehicle suddenly began to have very little resistance when pushing in the pedal on friday may 28th, 2010, which lead me to believe i was going to need to buy a new clutch for my vehicle soon. the previous days though, the pedla was functioning perfectly fine, and there was no slipping or problems shifting gears. the next day, on the 29th, after about 5 - 10 minutes of driving, the pedal became completely nonresponsive and could not be disengaged once it was pressed into the floor. i had to pull over immediately and have the car towed. upon a $100 inspection by a local mazda dealership, the clutch and related components (master, slave, pressure plate, flywheel, bearings, etc) were fine, but the clutch pedal had failed and needed to be replaced. i was happy to hear that i did not have to replace the entire clutch system, but i was charged for a brand new clutch pedal, and i feel the original was defective and should not have simply failed as it had for no reason. | |||
| 05/28/2010 | 98500 | ||
| No events leading up to failure. was driving home from work tonight and when i depressed the clutch pedal to shift i heard a loud snap. car was still drivable but the clutch pedal felt loose and there was play from side to side. when home discovered that the clutch pedal bracket had broken on one side and was not holding the pedal securely in place. no repair done yet to fix the problem. car is not in use at this point due to safety concerns. | |||
| 05/23/2010 | 52800 | ||
| 2004 mazda rx-8 clutch bracket snapped off while driving on 3rd gear not letting me to change gears at all. car was unable to operate. thank god i was in a residential area because if i was on a freeway, that would have been a lot more dangerous. a clutch pedal should not break under any circumstance and it clearly shows a defect on the manifacturer of the certain parts. | |||
| 05/17/2010 | 57503 | ||
| The clutch pedal of the vehicle had started squeaking while being used and started moving laterally left and right. while driving home on the freeway the vehicle was locked into 2nd gear and would not allow me to change gears. i was forced to drive home in 2nd gear. the vehicle was taken to romero mazda and they determined that the clutch pedal assembly had snapped. this is why the vehicle would not change gears and was locked into 2nd gear. after speaking with the service rep he told me that my warranty had expired and that i would have to pay for it out of pocket. | |||
| 05/07/2010 | 55000 | ||
| Very common problem. clutch pedal bracket snapped making clutch all but inoperable. car was undriveable and it was a huge safety concern. should be a recall to fix a poorly designed bracket. | |||
| 05/11/2010 | 90800 | ||
| I was driving my 2004 mazda rx8 to work, everything was fine until suddenly my clutch pedal made a *snap* noise as i pressed to get it out of gear. the clutch pedal went loose inback of the brake pedal. luckily i was able to free the clutch pedal back up, but i wasn't able to put it into any gear. i pulled off the road and visually inspected the clutch pedal. soon after i had my car towed. i found out it was a faulty clutch pedal bracket. it is made of weak metal and has single spot welds holding it together. i am having the clutch bracket taken out, re-welded to make it much stronger then originally, then replaced in the car. i came across an aftermarket replacement part online, but it is out of my budget. | |||
| 04/27/2010 | 37000 | ||
| Clutch bracket broke in traffic while driving on local italian roads. nearly caused traffic accident. car rendered unusable. | |||
| 04/17/2010 | 49000 | ||
| Clutch pedal bracket broke on the right side while driving. restricts vehicle from being able to go into gear. pedal will not compress all the way. | |||
| 04/11/2010 | 47000 | ||
| The clutch pedal assembly on 2004 mazda rx-8 has spot welds that hold the assembly together. one of the spot welds failed on my car, causing lateral movement in the pedal, and metal fatigue (ripping) around one of the mounting bolts. the clutch movement was also affected. pushing the pedal down, it was loose about half of the normal movement of the pedal. only the second half of pedal movement operated the clutch separation. it appeared that over time the mounting bracket of the clutch pedal assembly would have completely failed causing the clutch pedal to come off of the firewall. doing a internet search on rx8 clutch pedal revealed many other times of this happening and mazda not doing anything about it. i have reported my instance to mazda's customer support. | |||
| 04/05/2010 | 79540 | ||
| Clutch pedal broke when shifting to 4th gear and disengaging clutch. traveling at approximately 40 mph, there was a loud snap when i released the clutch. when i attempted to re-engage the clutch, there was significant lateral movement and little to no pressure. had to pull over and coast to a grinding halt in gear. if this had happened at freeway speeds, coming to a stop while in gear on the side of the freeway would have been dangerous. | |||
| 03/28/2010 | 72000 | ||
| 2004 mazda rx-8. the clutch assembly broke while the car was in motion. the clutch will not engage the reverse gear and barely engages in the forward gears. the entire assembly has to be replaced in order for the vehicle to be driven. the dealer is claiming that it is not a warranty issue even this is a common occurance for the model. the old defective part is available. | |||
| 03/29/2004 | 74060 | ||
| 2004 mazda rx8 manual transmission clutch bracket snapped off while coming to a stop at a stop light, resulting in failure to shift gear. | |||
| 03/23/2010 | 64000 | ||
| 2004 mazda rx8 manual transmission with 64500 miles. car was being driven normally on the way to work when during a shift from 2nd to 3rd gear the clutch bracket broke in half on the outside portion of the car, which caused the pedal to shift over towards the brake making it almost impossible to use the brake pedal. the car is now is unable to move because it cannot be put into gear or driven safely. this is a permanent failure until it is fixed. the clutch braket must be removed and welded or a entire piece ordered and reassembled with the existing components for an estimated price of almost $500. | |||
| 03/22/2010 | 59000 | ||
| I have a 2004 mazda rx8 manual with 59,000 miles. the clutch pedal assembly bracket attached to the firewall snapped while i was trying to change gear in the middle of driving. i ended up with almost no clutch at all. i had to take the car to the dealership and discovered that the bracket broken into pieces. a new clutch pedal assembly had to be installed to replace the broken one. | |||
| 03/04/2010 | 46000 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2004 mazda rx-8 and without symptom, my clutch pedal bracket broke. subsequently, i was not able to put my vehicle into gear. i was stranded in the middle of the road, unable to pull over to clear traffic. i had to have my car towed to westcott mazda and they replaced the bracket for me. the old part is not available, but i do have the receipts for the towing and the replacement bracket from westcott mazda. *tr | |||
| 03/05/2010 | 78000 | 1 | |
| Clutch pedal bracket broke while shifting gears in 2004 mazda rx 8. clutch pedal moves side to side now, and seems likely to interfere with braking. also makes shifting gears more difficult. *tr | |||
| 02/16/2010 | 32997 | 1 | |
| 1. about 2 hours of city driving. 2. while driving our mazda rx-8, the clutch pedal suddenly developed excessive free play and the clutch was hard to disengage. after parking the car and letting it cool for several hours, the clutch pedal returned to normal. the symptoms were exactly as described in mazda tsb # 05-004/06 | |||
| 06/04/2009 | 1 | ||
| Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) june 4 2009 the clutch pedal begin hard to push. weeks later almost impossible to drive. mazda dealer said is just the pump. they put some oil. just 2 days after the problem started again. worse and worse everyday. then i just parked my car. mazda dealer didn't find an solution. finally after several calls i got tired of it and i decided to see for myself under the dash. i discovered that the clutch pedal metallic base was completely cracked/broken. they said no guarantee will cover that. they said that was my responsibility and asked me about my driving. so, finally in september 26 / 2009 alexandria mazda dealer replaced the whole piece and i paid for that. they charged me: $520.78. ( fe05-41-300c ) clutch pedal assembly broken. i have the invoice. they kept the broken piece with them. months after this incident i found in internet that other people had the same problem with the same piece with the same car model. what is going on ? i feel that is not fair to pay for something that is not my fault. vin [xxx] mazda rx8 - 2004 part: fe05-41-300c - $263.28 labor : $257.50 total: $520.78 *tr | |||
| 12/08/2009 | 48000 | 1 | |
| Clutch bracket on my 2004 mazda rx-8 broke making the car impossible to drive properly. *tr | |||
| 02/12/2010 | 93050 | 1 | |
| Under normal driving conditions during a light shift my clutch pedal bracket snapped. the pedal is now loose and moves easily from side to side only working if pushed on the correct way. it has been squeaking for a few months and suddenly on an easy drive it just snapped. the pedal and assembly have never been abused or modified in any way nor has the car been driven particularly hard. *tr | |||
| 07/07/2009 | 115506 | 1 | |
| Regular driving lead the car a 2004 mazda rx-8 6 speed clutch pedal to literally break at 3 of the spot welds, disabling the ability to push the clutch in. luckily i was able to push the car home as it happened down the street. if this happened on the highway during a emergency downshift to slow the car down god knows what could happen. i went to the local exhaust shop and had them do a solid bead all around the mounting bracket fixing the issue. this is a serious problem because you never know when its going to snap off it just does. *tr | |||
| 01/10/2010 | 95000 | 1 | |
| 1. the events were most likely cold weather, alabama has had an unusually cold winter during the 2009-2010 period. 2. the clutch has broken. the weld that holds it in place has broken. 3. i am going to have to replace the clutch bracket due to its breaking. *tr | |||
| 01/04/2010 | 57633 | 1 | |
| During the course of my morning commute to work the clutch pedal assembly failed. the car was able to be driven to a safe location by use of rev matching shifting as depressing the clutch pedal would no longer engage the clutch and the pedal no longer returned to the proper position. the assembly was removed, rewelded, and replaced. *tr | |||
| 11/25/2009 | 37000 | 1 | |
| I feel grinding when i shift from 1 gear to 2. sometimes is difficult to shift to the 2 and 3 gear. i bleed the clutch line, changed transmission oil. it is weird because the car has low mileage. *tr | |||
| 11/16/2009 | 80100 | 1 | |
| I was driving my mazda rx8 at 35mph down a city street at night. i pushed in the clutch pedal to shift gears. there was an extremely loud pop, then the clutch dropped to the floor. i was able to force it into gear to get it home. i took it to the dealership, they said that the clutch pedal bent/collapsed, and the clutch burned out. up to this point there was no indication of clutch wear, no slippage of the clutch, everything operated normally. i have had every service completed on the car, and had it in the shop for a major repair only 3 months (or less) ago. the clutch pedal should not have bent, and was the cause of the catastrophic failure of the clutch. again, up to this point there was no indication of clutch wear, the car was operating fine. i can provide all service records for the vehicle. this exact problem has been documented several times on rx-8 club threads, and matches identical to this very thread: http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=132912 and http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=182412&highlight=clutch+bracket this failure could have caused a major accident had i been traveling at a higher rate of speed or had the clutch pedal folded underneath the break pedal. there is no excuse for the clutch pedal to fold under the pressure of my foot, much less under normal clutch operating circumstances where i was just shifting gears. this could have caused a deadly accident! the damages to the car incurred as of today are approximately $1900 before taxes. normal clutch damage would have been indicated by slippage of the clutch disc against the pressure plate. this sort of damage could have also seized the engine had the pressure plate deconstructed in the catastrophic failure. the property damage i claim in this was the amount of damage done to the vehicle itself, not anyone else's property. the costs for replacement and repair are outlandish and upsetting. i will provide any documentation on request, as well as pictures. *tr | |||
| 11/06/2009 | 88000 | 1 | |
| 2004 mazda rx8 clutch lever bracket broken. shifted car from 3rd to 4th heard a loud snap and the pedal did not feel right. i was very close to home so i made it but was hard to shift. found the lever bracket to be broken and cracked on the right side. *tr | |||
| 10/26/2009 | 63000 | 1 | |
| 1. clutch pedal felt about a 1/2 low (as if hydraulic fluid had an air pocket and needed bleeding) about two blocks before failure. 2. i was stopped at a light behind 3 cars in the right hand lane, shifted into first when the light turned green; accelerated very slowly and tried shifting to second gear but the pedal made a snapping sound and went to the floor, the engine stalled and the transmission was stuck in first until i let the car roll back a little and got it in neutral. i was stuck in a major intersection and there was gridlock, lots of honking and yelling and a few cars came very close to having accidents. i pushed my car to the edge of the intersection and waited for the tow truck. the tow truck had to have smaller pickup brought in to winch my car out of the intersection because he said it was unsafe to set up the tow right in the middle of the intersection. 3. my car was towed to my mechanic and after inspection he said it would happen again to a new pedal from mazda. he was surprised it lasted for 60k miles. after some research i ordered a reinforced clutch pedal bracket assembly from here: http://www.fluidmotorsports.com/p-188-transmission-and-accessories.aspx turns out here are three aftermarket companies manufacturing reinforcements, mazsport, bhr and race roots; each has their own design and they are selling hundreds of them because all the pedals fail in 40 - 80k miles. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 72000 | 1 | |
| The clutch pedal bracket on my mazda rx-8 snapped while i was driving and since then have had a lot of difficulty switching gears while driving. i learned how to drive the vehicle like this even though the pedal at times became stuck beneath the break pedal. i hired an mobile mechanic to reweld the pedal bracket although just yesterday it snapped again. my vehicle is a mazda 2004 rx-8 and there is not a single dealership i have found that will acknowledge the problem. *tr | |||
| 09/20/2009 | 54000 | 1 | |
| The bracket for the clutch pedal on my 2004 mazda rx-8 broke while i was driving the vehicle. over the past few weeks, the clutch would squeak a little bit while i was driving it. i noticed that the bracket was loose once, so i tightened the bolt on it, but that didn't change the squeaking. little did i know that the whole bracket was about to fail! i took a close look at the broken bracket, and it appears that a weld broke. it occurred one morning on my way to work. as i downshifted from third to second gear, i heard a 'crack' and then my clutch wouldn't work properly. i looked down, and the clutch pedal was next to (and touching) the brake pedal (it should not be that close). i was able to pull off to the side of the road without the ability to shift. now, i cannot drive the vehicle, as the clutch will not engage with the broken bracket. i believe this is a safety issue, especially in cases like mine when it happened while driving the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 10/20/2007 | 80000 | 1 | |
| Clutch bracket failure; (1) of the 3 welding points failed, causing the bracket to separate at the weld, bending, and separating the plate into 2 pieces, making shifting in and out of gears difficult during operation. the service rep. at gainesville mazda laughed at me when i asked if they would give me a discount on a new bracket. gainesville mazda is at 2600 n main street gainesville, fl 32609 (352) 505-9459. *tr | |||
| 10/06/2009 | 95000 | 1 | |
| I was driving and notice my transmission would not shift into reverse. i had to shut off the car to get it in reverse. i then took it to a dealer and they said my slave cylinder was out. so they replaced it. later i received a phone call telling my clutch pedal assembly bracket was also broke. which may have been the result in my slave cylinder to fail. the bracket was broke on the left bottom bolt pattern that connects to the firing wall. i am glad this did not happen or completely brake off while i was driving for this could have been a possible fatal accident. i am putting in for this because apparently i am not the only one having this bracket brake. it seems to be on the same side as everyone else is describing. as the pedal brakes it leans or brakes to the right which heads towards the brake pedal itself. *tr | |||
| 09/10/2009 | 65017 | 1 | |
| 2004 mazda rx-8 clutch pedal bracket broke off during normal driving. no corrective actions have been taken yet mazda refused to cover it under there new extended warranty. *tr | |||
| 10/06/2009 | 82000 | 1 | |
| My clutch pedal began squeaking about 4,000 miles ago. just yesterday, i was driving on the highway when i downshifted into 4th gear and the clutch pedal snapped. i was not able to shift gears so i had to stay in 5th until i could safely pull of at an exit. *tr | |||
| 09/18/2009 | 59000 | 1 | |
| I was driving 1200 miles from home doing about 45 mph on the local roads, and my clutch pedal started feeling funny, maybe a little loose. then i heard a loud pop as i was trying to change gears and checked it out. the clutch pedal assembly bracket had failed and i called up the dealership as it was under warranty. they offered to replace it at my cost ($600) at which this is a manufacturer's defect so i shouldn't be liable for such damages, even after 59,000 miles. and especially after seeing that so many other people have this same problem, it poses a huge safety risk. i was able to drive it back home, shifting perfectly to match revs but was always difficult to start. sometimes the pedal would be pushed so far back that it would run behind the brake pedal. it worried me so much that i might have had to have it towed so far to get someone to fix it. but this is a real problem! *tr | |||
| 08/14/2009 | 97945 | 1 | |
| Driving 2004 mazda rx/8 under normal conditions and the clutch pedal bracket broke. the bracket broke at a weld point and through a bolt connection causing the pedal to shift to the right. it did not cause an accident, but could have if i were in a different location when driving. *tr | |||
| 07/23/2009 | 0 | 1 | |
| Clutch pedal bracket breaking loose causing clutch engagement to be stuck in current position. this is a risk i am monitoring daily on my car for when the event fails until either a: i have money to weld the weak spotweld to prevent failure. b. mazda administers a recall to replace faulty piece with a stable part. my concern though being part of the rx8forum makes it look like it's an exponential issue. in opposite retrospect, this could be a more broader issue of the total amount of rx-8 solds that just hasn't had a fatality yet. the failing part can be forced to failure i believe by administering repeated use replicating daily wear. i don't look forward to my day this happens, hence i'm filing this form requesting investigation for potential recall.*tr | |||
| 05/14/2009 | 63000 | 1 | |
| Clutch pedal stopped working in the middle of the road of my 2004 mazda rx-8. everytime i switched gears it squeaked until it snapped and car stalled. consequence is that i couldn't drive my car anymore and had to tow it to the dealership. dealership had to replace the clutch pedal assembly according to paperwork. *tr | |||
| 05/15/2004 | 1 | ||
| I was driving along the highway as i shifted gears the bracket keeping my clutch pedal together broke...had to drive really slow because depressing the clutch pedal causes it to almost go into the brake pedal...pedal keeps shifting to the right...there seems to me a design flaw as more people have been reporting this and on the rx8club.com website...this issue needs to addressed before somebody gets killed because it almost caused me to get into an accident on the highway...and it seems like mazda is not taking any responsible for this, having people pay almost 400 or more to replace an obvious design flaw...pictures of the broken bracket have been taken by my many people with this same issue...please contact mazda and have them issue a recall of some sort...hopefully this issue is resolved before somebody gets hurt...because i know i almost did , but was lucky enough to gain control.. *tr | |||
| 05/11/2009 | 39500 | 1 | |
| Only a partial failure occurred, but had i not taken preventive measures, a full failure would certainly have occurred. noticed bizarre squeaking from clutch pedal under normal use. removed pedal assembly and noticed metal had torn halfway through on bracket. had use continued, metal would have torn completely through, rendering the clutch pedal useless without repair. had a full failure occurred while driving, it could have caused a car accident, endangering life and property. to correct the problem, i had the clutch bracket seam-welded in the existing problem area and in all potential problem areas. *tr | |||
| 04/29/2009 | 56200 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2004 mazda rx-8 on the highway at approximately 60mph and went to shift from 5th gear into 4th gear when i felt a pop at which point my clutch fell to the floor and i no longer had any ability to accelerate. fortunately traffic was light and i was able to coast off onto the next exit ramp and pulled to the side of the road. i called mazda roadside assistance who towed the car to mazda bedford. i was told that the clutch was blown and needed to be completely replaced. the mazda forum is full of similar episodes and i was encouraged to file a complaint. *tr | |||
| 04/28/2009 | 56000 | 1 | |
| The clutch pedal bracket broke while driving, rendering me unable to shift i was able to safely stop the car, but on the highway or in heavy traffic this could have been extremely dangerous. *tr | |||
| 01/28/2009 | 14300 | 1 | |
| During normal driving on the freeway, the clutch bracket of my mazda rx-8 snapped during shifting and the clutch became inoperable. this made changing gears impossible and caused a serious hazard. apparently, the cause of the problem was the usage of weak materials and poor quality spot welds. upon some investigation, it turns out this is a very common problem as the following discussion thread shows: http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=132912 to fix the problem, the clutch bracket was replaced. it is apparently also possible to weld the broken parts or to install a reinforcement bracket to prevent the failure. i did not keep the broken (replaced) bracket, so the old part is not available. *tr | |||
| 01/28/2009 | 77000 | 1 | |
| Clutch pedal bracket weld broke off, when driving. unable to shift in or out of gears and car needs to be tow. *tr | |||
| 12/24/2008 | 69600 | 1 | |
| Clutch bracket breaks off while switching gears in the middle of the highway @ 60 mph happens to a lot of mazda rx8s 2004-2008. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2008 | 37000 | 1 | |
| Clutch pedal became somewhat loose and start making loud squeaking noises on my mazda 2004 rx-8 6sp manual with approx ~37k miles. clutch bracket assembly was replaced under warranty in march 2007. now at 50k miles i have similar symptoms again! *tr | |||
| 11/10/2008 | 83000 | 1 | |
| I have been reading articles on the rx8club website regarding clutch pedal breaking. i took my car in to get clutch replaced and on the way into repair shop, clutch pedal broke. had the car towed to repair shop, to have clutch and clutch pedal repaired. *tr | |||
| 07/23/2008 | 50100 | 1 | |
| I have a 2004 mazda rx8 with only 51,000 miles on the car. i recently, within the last month or two, noticed a squeaking noise coming from the pedal area. i thought i just need some lube or wd40 down there to stop the noise. this was not the case! yesterday, while at a traffic light, i go to engage the clutch to put into first gear and take off, and i hear a pop. i couldn't go anywhere, i couldn't get the car in gear or move at all. something had happened and i didn't know what. while in the middle of a huge intersection i am in a stationary position while cars are passing me. i was lucky enough to have someone stop and help me push the car down the street, where a local mazda dealership was. mazda tech's take a look at it and tell me my clutch bracket is broke! i then proceeded to ask them to see it for myself because i couldn't believe a car with so little miles on it could have this happen. it was true, i saw for myself that it has snapped off and was not stable. now i have to pay nearly 700 dollars to replace this faulty part! this is a huge safety matter for the mazda rx8 and this needs to be addressed by mazda and fixed immediately! i was lucky enough to be at a stand still while in the car and to find someone to help me off the road. this may not be the case for others if mazda does not fix this faulty part. i will be contacting mazda corp as well, but could please look into this situation and try to have mazda address this asap. thank you! *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION - FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY | |||
| 02/10/2010 | 70000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2004 mazda rx-8 and was driving to work when the manual clutch pedal shifted from its normal position so far that it got stuck under the brake pedal. i was able to get it home but when looking into the problem, i noticed that the clutch assembly bracket had broken, allowing the clutch pedal to move under the brake. i did some research to find that approximately 40 other people had the same issue with this bracket breaking in the same place on the 2004-2008 rx-8. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2008 | 60000 | 1 | 04/01/2005 |
| My clutch pedal bracket broke at the welds with 60k miles on my car. my car is bone stock. *tr | |||