When news arrives about the Mazda RX-8, we sit up and take notice. That’s how eager we are to see the rotary-powered sports car return. Unfortunately while this latest development does indeed involve that model, it’s not the news we’ve been waiting for.
Instead the Japanese automaker has announced the recall over over 100,000 of them in two separate campaigns in the United States – one regarding the fuel system and the other its suspension.
The larger of the two addresses concerns that “heat from the engine and the exhaust may cause the main fuel pump pipe to crack,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which could lead to a fire. The issue could affect an estimated 69,447 RX-8s from the 2004-08 model years, which will have to have their fuel pump filter kits replaced. That’s the same exact number as those recalled last year over another fuel pump issue, and covers the vast majority of RX-8s in America.
Smaller in scope are 35,332 examples of the 2004 RX-8 in which the lower control arm on the front suspension could crack and the ball joint separate from its socket, which could result in a loss of control. So Mazda will have to replace those control arms, with both recalls set to get underway at the end of July. Here’s hoping for better news on the RX-8’s successor next time.
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