posted 09-05-2003 03:56 PM         

2004 Mazda RX-8.
The flub interrupts an important rollout of models designed to restore Mazda's image as innovative and sporty. But the company's quick action is expected to prevent damage to Mazda's reputation.
Mazda sent letters Aug. 22 to RX-8 purchasers saying it would pay full sticker price plus taxes and other fees - even if they've run up thousands of miles on their cars. Those who tell Mazda they will keep their cars get free scheduled maintenance for the four-year, 50,000-mile warranty period, plus $500. Buyers who don't contact Mazda get nothing.
Buyers from now on sign a form saying they've been informed of the discrepancy and aren't eligible for buyback or maintenance deals.
Thirty-one owners have asked for their money back, says Mazda spokesman Jeremy Barnes.
He says the power dropped after a last-minute change in engine tuning to meet emission rules. The drop was noticed "during ongoing testing that manufacturers perform after cars go on sale."
The RX-8 with manual transmission was supposed to deliver 247 horsepower but makes 238. The automatic transmission model was rated 207 hp, but makes 197. There's no drop in advertised acceleration, apparently because testing was done with the lower-power models.
This is the second time Mazda has overstated the power of a sports car. It made the same buyback offer to purchasers of 2001 Miata two-seaters because those produced 142 hp instead of the 155 hp that Mazda advertised.
"It's unfortunate, but let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. The RX-8's still a cool car. And Mazda's to be applauded for not denying the problem," says Gordon Wangers at AMCI, which tests cars to give automakers data to support advertising claims. "I'd still recommend it to my friends."
"The bigger problem would be that it reminds people that years ago there was problem with the rotary engine," says Dan Gorrell, at consultant Strategic Vision.
Mazda last sold rotary-power cars in the USA in 1995. Older rotaries burned oil. If owners didn't monitor them closely, engines wore out fast. The new design uses much less oil, Mazda says, and shouldn't cause problems.
Questionable power claims aren't just a Mazda problem.

• Hyundai confessed last year that it misstated power by as much as 12 hp, or 9.6%, on 1.3 million vehicles sold in the USA and Canada since 1992. Hyundai blamed sloppy record keeping and provided extended warranties to owners of the 400,000 vehicles with the biggest discrepancies. Some Kia models, which use Hyundai engines, also were involved.

• Ford Motor, which has a controlling stake in Mazda, recalled 8,100 1999 Mustang Cobras after owners found the engines did not produce the advertised 320 hp. Ford blamed changes in mufflers and intake manifolds for the problem and installed new ones free on nearly all the Cobras - a process that took so much time it eliminated production of '00 model Cobras.

• Nissan's '02 Infiniti Q45 wouldn't accelerate to 60 mph in the 5.9 seconds the company claimed. Nissan said it tested the car under ideal weather conditions, using a light base model and lightweight driver. It didn't offer buyers anything to make good.