Mazda North American Operations: Engine and Engine Cooling
Mazda North American Operations reported this defect to federal regulators on Jul 7, 2005 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 52,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
IF CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ARE PARKED AND THE ENGINE IS OPERATED AT HIGH RPM'S FOR AN EXCESSIVE LENGTH OF TIME, SOME OF THE PARTS AROUND THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CAN MELT AND PRODUCE A VARIETY OF MALFUNCTIONS. PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILD-UP CAN RANGE FROM INOPERATIVE OXYGEN SENSOR, NEUTRAL SWITCH AND BACK UP LIGHTS, PROBLEMS WITH THE PARKING BRAKES, MALFUNCTIONS OF THE GAS GAUGE AND/OR POSSIBLE FUEL LEAKS RESULTING FROM HEAT DAMAGE TO THE FUEL TANK.
The risk
FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE PARTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 30, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Mazda RX-8 | 162 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 2004 Mazda RX-8 | 490 | 10 | 10 | 17 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 05V317000.
Full record for the 2005 Mazda RX-8 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →