2004 Mazda RX-8 Visibility & Wipers Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX8. THE CONTACT STATED THE CLIMATE CONTROL KNOB FAILED AND WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ENGAGED, THE HEAT WOULD ACTIVATE INSTEAD AND VICE VERSA. THE CONTACTS WAS ADVISED BY HIS PERSONAL MECHANIC THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITHIN THE CLIMATE CONTROL UNIT AND IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,000. UPDATED 07/08/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED IT TOOK FOUR VISITS TO THE DEALER FOR THEM TO FIX THE DEFETIVE HEATER/ AC CONTROLS. UPDATED 10/26/11

2004 MAZDA RX-8 PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISOR SLIPPED AT THE SEAMS AND DROPPED AND WOULD NOT STAY BACK UP. THIS IMPAIRED MY VISION WHILE DRIVING MAKING SEEING OUT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR THROUGH THE FRONT MINIMAL. I HAD TO HOLD IT UP WHILE MAKING TURNS OR CROSSING ROADS WITH TRAFFIC ARRIVING FROM THE RIGHT. I COULD NOT REPAIR THE VISOR AND HAD TO REMOVE IT IN ORDER TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SAFELY. *TR

2004 MAZDA RX-8: WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SWING DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR DOWN FOR USE, THE SUN VISOR SEPARATED AT THE TOP MOLDED PLASTIC SEAM EDGE AND NO LONGER STAYS IN UPRIGHT POSITION, BLOCKING DRIVER'S VISION. VISOR HAD TO BE FORCIBLE REMOVED FROM ROOF ATTACHMENT STEM SINCE IT HUNG IN COMPLETE DOWN POSITION, CREATING A DRIVING HAZARD IF IT WOULD BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN. IT COULD NOT BE SWUNG TO SIDE AS THIS BLOCKED THE SIDE VISION. VISOR WAS RARELY USED, SO FAILURE WAS NOT DUE TO WEAR OR NEGLECT. THIS IS SECOND OCCURRENCE FOR EXACT SAME PROBLEM. LAST OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 2.5 YEARS AGO, AND WAS REPLACED BY MAZDA UNDER THE ORIGINAL CAR WARRANTY AT NO COST. THE VEHICLE IS NOW BEYOND THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY PERIOD AND BEYOND THE 12 MONTH PART REPLACEMENT WARRANTY. WHEN REQUESTING THIS REPAIR RECENTLY THROUGH THE AT LOCAL MAZDA DEALER TO BE COVERED AS A LATENT DEFECT AT NO COST, EXPLAINING THIS WAS SECOND OCCURRENCE, THE SERVICE WRITER TOOK INFORMATION AND STATED HE WOULD TRY TO HAVE MAZDA COVER REPAIR AGAIN. CONTACTED SERVICE WRITER ON 11-4-09, HE STATED MAZDA DENIED MY REQUEST TO HAVE THE REPAIR COVERED AT NO COST. I HAVE A CURRENT REQUEST INTO MAZDA USA AT 800-222-5500 AGAIN REQUESTING RELIEF FOR THE REPAIR. THIS FORMAL COMPLAINT IS BEING FILED SINCE THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *TR

THE HEATER CONTROL UNITS ARE FAILING ON MAZDA RX8. WHEN DRIVING THE AIR GOES HOT TO COLD BACK AND FORTH. IF YOU MOVE THE KNOB BACK AND FORTH YOU CAN GET YOUR HEAT BACK. I HAVE HAD WINDOWS FOG UP BECAUSE THE HEAT HAS GONE OUT. I HAVE CONTACTED MAZDA AND THEY WILL NOT ADDRESS IT. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON THIS AFFECTS. IF YOU DO A SEARCH ON RX8CLUB.COM YOU WILL SEE ALL THE FAILURES. *TR

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUN VISOR CAN CRACK/BREAK AND OBSTRUCT VISION WHILE DRIVING. *JB

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR HAS BROKEN FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 3 MONTHS. THE TOP SEAM SPLITS RENDERING THE VISOR COMPLETELY UNUSABLE. IT LOOSELY HANGS DIRECTLY IN THE DRIVER'S LINE OF SIGHT. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *JB

SUN VISOR SPLITS IN MIDDLE WHEN FOLDED DOWN ON HOT DAYS AND BLOCKS WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING. SUN VISOR IS ELECTRICALLY WIRED AND HANGS FROM WIRE OBSCURING MOST OF WINDSHIELD ON DRIVERS SIDE. DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED SUNVISOR SEVERAL TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. ON INTERNET COMMUNITY MANY IF NOT ALL OTHER USERS REPORT THAT THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO THEM. HTTP://WWW.RX8CLUB.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=12572. *NM

MY SON WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING THE 2004 MAZDA RX-8 I HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED. THE COLLISION OCCURRED AT NIGHT IN A LEFT TURN SITUATION. THE RX-8 TURNED LEFT IN FRONT OF AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. MY SON EMPHATICALLY STATES THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE ONCOMING VEHICLE. HE WAS OF COURSE CITED FOR FAILING TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY. IT WAS THE SECOND TIME HE HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE. HE IS AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER, WITH OVER 11 YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE DESIGN AND POSITION OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR IN THE RX-8 MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT. THE LOW HEADROOM IN THE RX-8 PLACES THE LARGE REARVIEW MIRROR AT THE LEVEL OF THE DRIVER'S EYES. MY EXPERIENCE IN THE MONTH THAT I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE IS THAT THE MIRROR TENDS TO OBSCURE THE DRIVER'S VIEW TO THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, MORE THAN IS TYPICALLY THE CASE IN OTHER VEHICLES. THIS IS TRUER FOR TALLER DRIVERS. IN THE CASE DESCRIBED ABOVE, THE DRIVER WAS 6' 2" TALL. FOR SOMEONE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE VEHICLE, THE TENDENCY OF THE MIRROR TO SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT DRIVER VISIBILITY MAY NOT BE IMMEDIATELY APPARENT. *NM

I HAVE AN RX-8 AND THE DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR JUST FELL OFF. AND I RARELY USE. IT APPEARS TO HAVE SEPARATED AROUND THE EDGES OR CAME UNGLUED. THE MAZDA DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE BECAUSE MY IS AN 04' WITH 32,000 MILES IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH IT ON THE TSB. *TR

THE DRIVERS SUN VISOR BROKE WHEN PUT DOWN AND THE RESULT WAS A VISOR HANGING DOWN IN FRONT OF THE DRIVERS TO TOTALLY BLOCK HER VISION. FORTUNATELY CAR WAS NOT IN A TURN OR STOPPING FOR TRAFFIC AS THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. THIS WAS A SUDDEN AND DISCONCERTING FAILURE. OTHER SUCH FAILURES HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON THE WWW.RX8CLUB.COM WEBSITE. I RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO CALLED THE MANUFACTURES REPRESENTATIVE WHO REFUSED TO REPLACE THE VISOR EVEN THOUGH THE CAR HAS 5800 MILES ON IT AND IS ONLY 11 MONTHS OLD AND COVERED UNDER A 4 YEAR WARRANTY. I SUGGEST STRONGLY THAT A RECALL BE MADE ON THE VISORS BEFORE SOMEONE GET KILLED DUE TO LOST OF VISION. ALSO I AM NOT ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR SAFELY BECAUSE OF THE VISOR HANGING DOWN. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN 10068252 ALSO.*AK

AC AND GENERAL CABIN TEMPERATURE PROBLEMS. I AM HAVING A COMBINATION OF PROBLEMS WITH THE HEATING AND COOLING OF THE CAR. IN THE SUMMER WHEN IT IS VERY HOT THERE IS A NOTICEABLE "PULSING" OR ON/OFF SYMPTOM OF THE COLD AIR GENERATED BY THE AC. I TIMED IT AND VERY COLD AIR COMES OUT OF THE VENT FOR ABOUT 30 - 45 SECONDS. THEN IT IS FOLLOWED BY ABOUT THE SAME DURATION OF REGULAR AIR (THE AC SEEMS TO SHUT OFF) SO ON HOT DAYS YOU GET A PULSE OF COLD FOLLOWED UP BY A PULSE OF WARM AIR. THE EFFECT IS THAT THE CABIN HEATS UP AND THE AC CANNOT KEEP UP WITH IT. IT THE WINTER WHEN IT IS COLD OUT THERE IS A DIFFERENT ISSUE. IT SEEMS THAT THE VENTS ARE ALLOWING OUTSIDE AIR TO GET INTO THE MIXTURE. IN THE WINTER ICE COLD AIR IS BEING MIXED IN WITH THE HEAT WHICH HAS THE SAME EFFECT WHERE THE HEATER CANNOT KEEP UP WITH HEATING THE CABIN OF THE CAR. THERE IS ALSO AN ANNOYING FEATURE ON THE DEFROSTER. YOU CANNOT DEFROST THE WINDOW WITH INSIDE AIR AS SOON AS YOU TURN ON THE DEFROSTER IT FLIPS THE OUTSIDE AIR VENT OPEN. SO WHEN IT IS VERY COLD YOU HAVE TO CHOSE BETWEEN SEEING OUT THE WIND SHIELD AND FREEZING OR HEAT THE CABIN AND THE WIND SHIELD FOGS UP. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN THREE TIMES AND HAVE SINCE GAVE UP. THE TECH'S OBVIOUSLY CANNOT OR WILL NOT FIX IT. THE TECH ACTUALLY HAD A THERMOMETER IN THE VENT OF THE CAR AND OF COURSE THE CAR IS INSIDE THE GARAGE IN THE SHADE. SO HE POPS IN THE THERMOMETER AND COMES BACK AND CHECKS IT A - OK. I GAVE THEM A DETAILED DESCRIPTION, DO YOU THINK THEY TOOK THE CAR OUT AND DROVE IT WHEN IT IS ABOVE 85 DEGREES OUTSIDE? NOPE *TR