2004 Mazda RX-8 power train problems

“DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND CAME TO A STOP LIGHT, ENGAGED THE CLUTCH HEARD A POP AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET INTO GEAR SINCE.I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED CAUSE THE COUCH WOULDN'T DISENGAGE TO BUT IT IN GREAT CAUSE THE BRACKET HAD BROKEN COMPLETELY.”

“AS I PRESSED MY CARS CLUTCH TO CHANGE GEARS (6 SPEED MANUAL ) WHILE DRIVING ON MY REGULAR SUNDAY DRIVE IN A CITY STREET, I HEARD AND FELT A VERY LOUD EXPLOSION AND NOISES OF METAL PIECES EJECTING FROM UNDER MY CAR. I WAS IN THE 60KM/H ZONE SO WAS NOT SPEEDING OR GOING FAST SUCH AS ON A FREEWAY ETC. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY WHILE ROLLING AS THE ENGINE HAD BEEN DISABLED IN THE EXPLOSION. I COULD FEEL MY LEFT FOOT WAS IN EXTREME PAIN. MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I FEARED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN UP. MY CAR IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED REGULARLY WITH NO MODIFICATIONS. WHAT I DISCOVERED WAS THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD DETONATED, THE GEARBOX BELL HOUSING WAS TORN APART (GOT PICTURES TO PROVE IT) AND I FOUND PARTS OF THE CLUTCH IN MANY TINY PIECES ALL OVER THE ROADS. THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED BY MAZDA 30,000KMS AGO AND AT A MAZDA DEALERSHIP USING OEM CLUTCH KIT. THE FORCE OF THE GEARBOX EXPLOSION WAS SO GREAT THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL IMPACTED MY LEFT FOOT AND SHATTERED THE BONES OF THE LEFT FOOT IN PIECES (YES I WAS WEARING THICK SOLED SNEAKERS) AND CAUSED SEVERE TRAUMA TO MY FOOT IN GENERAL. AT THE HOSPITAL, THE SURGEONS WORDS WERE " IT LOOKS REALLY BAD". I WAS…”

“VEHICLE IN MOTION (3RD GEAR). SLOWED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. DEPRESSED CLUTCH PEDAL TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. PEDAL STAYED ON FLOOR. I PULLED IT UP WITH MY FOOT AND ATTEMPTED TO PUMP IT IN AN EFFORT TO BUILD PRESSURE. WITH CLUTCH DEPRESSED VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO GEAR UNLESS PUMPED MULTIPLE TIMES, THEN CLUTCH WOULD ENGAGE LESS THAN 2 INCHES OF TRAVEL FROM FLOOR. PEDAL MOVES BACK AND FORTH SIDE WAYS AS WELL..”

“I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND I WENT TO SLOW DOWN AT A LIGHT AND WHEN I PRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE I HEARD A POP AND MY CLUTCH FELT LIKE IT WAS SHIFTING TO THE SIDE AND IT BARELY CUTS OFF ENOUGH TO COME OUT OF GEAR. I INSPECTED THE THE ASSEMBLY BY LOOKING UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL AND I FOUND THAT A WELD HAD SNAPPED.”

“"TAKATA RECALL" MY POWER STERING GOES OUT ALL THE TIME DOESNT MATTER IF IM SITTING STILL OR IM GOING DOWN THE HIGH WAY. IT DOES EVENTUALLY COME BACK ON BUT DOES GO BACK OFF. IT ALSO WILL CAUSE MY STERING WHEEL TO JURK LEFT AND RIGHT BY ITSELF CAUSE ME TO SWERVE IN AN OUT OF LANES. IT GOT TO THE POINT NOW WHERE I HAVE THE POWER STERING UNPLUGGED SO THAT IT DOESNT JERK MY WHEEL WHILE DRIVING. I JUST NEED TO KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL THAT WILL PAY TO FIX THIS CAUSE ITS GETTING DANGEROUS. PLEASE CONTACT BACK WITH ANY INFO”

“THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY BROKE WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE VEHICLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CARD 21 MONTHS AGO IT WAS BROKEN. I HAD IT REPLACED BY A MECHANIC WITH AN OEM REPLACEMENT AND IT HAS NOW OCCURRED AGAIN BUT IN A DIFFERENT POSITION.”