1988 MAZDA RX7 Problems & Recalls
Detailed safety information and owner complaints
Problem Breakdown
Compare to Other Years
Common Problems
THE FUEL PULSATION DAMPER FAILED AND GASOLINE WAS LEAKING ONTO THE TOP OF THE ENGINE.
Mileage: 135,000
1988 MAZDA RX7 GXL PULSATION DAMPENER ON THE INJECTOR RAIL HAS STARTED SPRAYING FUEL ONTO MY ENGINE DUE TO ITS AGE.. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE AND A MISTAKE BY MAZDA THAT THEY NEED TO FIX! I ALMOST LOST MY CAR TODAY HAD THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IT LET OUT ONTO THE ENGINE WERE TO OF GOTTEN DOW...
Mileage: 200,000
MAZDA RX7 DEFECT 86-91. MAZDA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ONGOING ISSUE BUT WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL. THE PULSATION DAMPER ON ALL MAZDA RX7'S FROM 1986-1991 IS PRONE TO FAILURE. THE DEVICE LITERALLY COMES APART ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK OUT. EVENTUALLY ENOUGH FUEL LEAKS OUT AND ONTO THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD C...
Mileage: 134,000
THE FUEL PULSATION DAMPENER ON MY 1988 RX-7 FAILED, LEAKED FUEL AND MY ENGINE ALMOST BURNED DOWN IF I HAD NOT BEEN CARRYING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN MY CAR. *TR
Mileage: 89,749
I PURCHASED A 1988 MAZDA RX-7 GXL A FEW WEEKS. TWO DAYS AGO I BEGIN TO SMELL GAS IN THE CABIN. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE BAY I HAVE FOUND THE PULSATION DAMPER ON THE FUEL RAIL IS LEAKING. I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET FOR THE REPLACEMENT PART AND HAVE HAD CONCERN ABOUT HOW I'VE FOUND...
(1) NO LEADING EVENTS (2)PULSATION DAMPER FAILED/BROKEN: LOW COMPRESSION IN THE FRONT ROTOR; LOW POWER OVER ALL; CONSTANT SMELL OF RAW/UNBURNT FUEL; INCREASED POWER LOSS AT 3650 R.P.M. LASTING UNTIL WELL AFTER 4500 R.P.M.(SECONDARY FUEL INJECTORS FIRING); 133 MILE TO 16.9 GALLONS OF FUEL (7.86 MIL...
I RECENTLY NOTICED A FUEL SMELL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF MY 88 RX7. FOUND IT TO BE THE FUEL PULSATION DAMPENER, A COMMONLY FAILING COMPONENT IN THE FUEL SYSTEM, BEING A LITTLE PLASTIC CAP THAT HOLDS BACK THE FUEL FROM LEAKING DIRECTLY ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I KNOW OF NUMEROUS FIRES CAUSED BY T...
Mileage: 92,000
I RECENTLY NOTICED A FUEL SMELL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF MY 88 RX7. FOUND IT TO BE THE FUEL PULSATION DAMPENER, A COMMONLY FAILING COMPONENT IN THE FUEL SYSTEM, BEING A LITTLE PLASTIC CAP THAT HOLDS BACK THE FUEL FROM LEAKING DIRECTLY ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I KNOW OF NUMEROUS FIRES CAUSED BY T...
Mileage: 92,000
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT VEHICLE WAS BURNING UNTIL ANOTHER PERSON CAUGHT UP WITH CONSUMER AND TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS FIRE UNDER VEHICLE. HE STOPPED AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. THEN, FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. CONSUMER CALLED THE MA...
I HAVE JUST HAD A FUEL PULSATION DAMPENER ON MY 1988 MAZDA RX-7. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE SAME FAILURE ON MY 1994 MAZDA RX-7. THE ENGINE BAY SMELLS OF FUEL AND I CAN SEE FUEL SPILLING OUT. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THIS IS VERY COMMON AND HAS CAUSED MANY ENGINE FIRES. I AM CURRENTLY VERY CONCERNED FOR M...
Mileage: 30
THE PULSATION DAMPER ON MY MAZDA RX7 1988 GXL SCREW WORKED ITS WAY OUT AND I WAS GETTING FUEL SPILL ALL OVER MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HAD I NOT NOTICED THE FUEL SMELL AND FOUND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS THEN MY CAR MAY HAVE BURNED IT SELF UP IN AN UNDER THE HOOD FIRE. *LA
Mileage: 188,000
THE PULSATION DAMPER HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR A WHILE, BUT WAS NOT DETECTED UNTIL VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PH
I WAS PROCEEDING TO THE PEP BOYS TO GET THE FUEL LEAK IN THE PULSATION DAMPENER FIXED WHEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. IT WAS PUT OUT WITHOUT THE CAR BURNING TO THE GROUND. DT
THE PULSATION DAMPER RUBBER SEAL RUPTURED DUE TO BAD PLACEMENT AND DESIGN. THE VEHICLE BEGAN LEAKING FUEL RIGHT OVER THE EXTREMELY HOT MANIFOLD AND SPARKED A SMALL ENGIN FIRE. IN THE PROCESS OF EXTINQUISHING THE FIRE, MY RIGHT HAD WAS BURNED. I WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE QUICKLY ENOUGH SO TH...
I HAVE NOW HAD TWO FIRES FROM FAILED PULSATION DAMPNERS. VERY POOR DESIGN.*AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WHEN HE SAW A FLARE, PULLED VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE PASSENGERS SIDE, IT LOOKED AS IF THE MUFFLER WAS ON FIRE, FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF SAID FROM LOOKING AT IT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MAY HAVE GOTTEN CLOGGED UP. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #1091565) *JG
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WHEN HE SAW A FLARE, PULLED VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE PASSENGERS SIDE, IT LOOKED AS IF THE MUFFLER WAS ON FIRE, FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF SAID FROM LOOKING AT IT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MAY HAVE GOTTEN CLOGGED UP. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #1091565) *JG
INTERSECTION COLLISION. THE MAZDA WAS HIT ON THE RIGHT FRONT QUARTER PANEL AND SPUN AROUND INTO A TREE. THE CAR THEN BURST INTO FLAMES. *AK
ENGINE ACCELERATES TO APPROXIMATELY 3000 RPM'S WHEN INITIALLY STARTED WHETEHR HOT OR COLD. AFTER DRIVING, ENGINE DROPS TO APPROX. 1500 RPMS, BUT SURGES BETWEEN 1300 AND 1700 RPM.*AK
THE PROBLEM I HAD, WITH THE FUEL PULSATION DAMPER, IS AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS AND HAZARDOUS SITUATION. LOCATED ON TOP OF THE UPPER INTAKE, THERE IS A SCREW THAT WILL BACK ITSELF OUT THAT SEALS THE PULSATION DAMPER CLOSED. WHEN THIS SCREW BACKS OUT, A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL IS NOTICED IN THE ENGINE BAY A...
SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE RETRACTOR. SOMETIMES THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WILL LOCK AND SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT. DEALER IS AWARE OF SITUATION. THE SEAT BELTS HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED AT THIS TIME. *AK
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE DEFROSTER, AS WELL AS WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, DEFROSTER HAS PROBLEMS BLOWING HOT AIR. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE DEFROSTER, AS WELL AS WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, DEFROSTER HAS PROBLEMS BLOWING HOT AIR. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHEN WARM THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF. IT FLOODS ITSELF WHEN TRYING TO RESTART. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, DEALER CANNOT REPAIR IT. *AK *ML
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS CAUSED FIRE WHICH DAMAGED THE ENGINE.
ENGINE FIRE.
WHILE DRIVING THEN STOPPED AT LIGHT, ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO A FUEL LEAK IN THE FUEL INJECTION RETURN HOSE. *AK