NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE09-045: CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE09-045 on September 23, 2009 and closed it on August 19, 2010. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2004–2006 Mazda RX-8 for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE09-045 (also written PE09045)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed August 19, 2010
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Mazda Motor Corp.
- Components
- Power Train — Clutch Assembly; Power Train — Clutch Assembly — Pedal/Hand Lever(MOTORCYCLE); Power Train — Manual Transmission
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2004–2006 Mazda RX-8
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE09-045.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
On September 23, 2009, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation to investigate allegations of the clutch pedal bracket failures in MY 2004 - 2006 Mazda RX8 vehicles.
In response to an information request letter sent by ODI, Mazda stated that the failure mechanism may be related to an improper fastener attachment sequence to the body.
The improper sequence may create a distortion of the pedal bracket and create a stress amplitude during pedal usage that may go beyond the wear out limit of the bracket.
Mazda stated that the percentages of vehicles experiencing the defect is low at approximately 1% of the vehicle population projected to 10 years in service based on analysis of warranty claim data that best represented the alleged defect.
In terms of risk to motor vehicle safety, Mazda stated that the failure is progressive with warning manifested in noise and difficulty in shifting gears prior to complete failure of the bracket.
Mazda also stated that when a bracket fracture occurs the clutch pedal may lean towards the brake pedal however gear shifting becomes impossible prior to any contact of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. ODI is not aware of any crashes associated with a clutch pedal bracket failure in the subject vehicles.
ODI's analysis of warranty claim data provided by Mazda yielded failure rates of approximately 3% projected over 10 years in service. ODI's analysis of Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) data complaint indicates that approximately 5% of the VOQ complainants allege they were unable to get out of the roadway as a result of a clutch pedal bracket failure.
None of these incidents occurred on a highway. Approximately 7% of the complainants alleged a contact condition after a clutch pedal bracket failure of the clutch pedal to the brake pedal. None of these complaints noted difficulty in getting the vehicle stopped.
Mazda has informed ODI that it will conducted an Owner Notification of an extended warranty coverage program increasing the clutch pedal assembly warranty to 8 years and limited at 100K miles for model years 2004 through 2009 RX8 vehicles.
A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.
Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.
The agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE09-045. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Mazda
All Mazda recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Mazda VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE09-045
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.