UPDATE 3/21: **SAFETY ALERT: Fuel Tank recall - Fuel Leaks & Other Issues"

[ChrisHolmes]

1. Have you received this recall notice? No, I checked on line and confirmed with the dealer
2. Have you had the work completed? Yes
3. If you have had the recall completed, which dealership did the work and roughly when? Johnson’s Mazda, Gloucester on 16th /17th February
4. If you have received the recall and not had the work done, what is your reason? Not applicable
5. If you have had the work done, have you experienced any leaks? No leaks
6. If you have had the work done and not experienced any leaks, have you completely filled your tank at least once? Dealer had filled the tank
7. Did you experience any other issues, such as fuel the gauge reading incorrectly? No, fuel gauge is reading beyond full

The passenger and drivers airbag recalls were also outstanding and these were carried out during the single visit. The dealer also advised me that the oil lines required replacing. As these have already been replaced with aftermarket braided lines this work was not carried out but part of this work involves fitting new front arch liners and therefore fitment of these was carried out.
Another item I was surprised by was that the leading spark plugs were checked in case they required replacement to prevent / cure a “hard start” issue. Mine were deemed ok and not replaced. Had they been replaced it would not have been chargeable.
The car was also washed and valeted.

Due to one of the airbags not arriving as scheduled the car had to stay for a second day but as I had a loan car this was not an issue.

[Shagrington]

I thought I'd better get this sorted before I move (if that ever happens ... no idea why it is all so slow, I bet there will be a sudden rush if/when it does finally happen ) so I have finally got round to booking my car in for the Passenger Air Bag and Fuel Tank recalls with Croydon Mazda - for 10th March.
I asked if they'd had the revised instruction on checking for leaks and they seemed completely clued up. I'll let you know how it goes in a couple of weeks.

[goodeggbob]

I collected Kuro 2 from Furrows Mazda Shrewsbury yesterday having had all recalls sorted. This is the third rx8 that they have done for me, and all done with no problems whatsoever,and i would highly recommend any sceptics to use them,even if it does involve some travelling.
An excellent job,in a timely fashion with great communication.

[casey]

Good to hear

Bob, did the dealer fill the fuel tank before you collected your car? If they did, did they explain why and charge you for the fuel?

[goodeggbob]

No,they didn't fill it,but i brimmed it shortly after collection and no problems or fumes at all on the 30 mile drive home.

[goodeggbob]

Good to hear you had no issues Bob, but I'm very disappointed the dealers did not following the Mazda UK procedure

I suggest you check under the car before you next drive it, to be sure.

[nightfire10]

Just got back from Croydon Mazda. When I booked I asked if the tank would be filled as per the latest instruction from Mazda UK, they said yes. I checked again when I dropped the car off this morning, the girl on reception said she would let the mechanic know. When I collected it she said he was already aware of the new instruction and it had been filled ... I have paid for a full tank of petrol (paid about what it should be for a full tank).

1. Have you received this recall notice? YES - several of them over the last year or two
2. Have you had the work completed? YES
3. If you have had the recall completed, which dealership did the work and roughly when? Croydon Mazda 10/03/21 roughly between 8.15 and 16.00
4. If you have received the recall and not had the work done, what is your reason? No longer applicable (but I delayed because of tales of leaks after others had the recall done and then Covid delayed things by another few months)
5. If you have had the work done, have you experienced any leaks? All seems fine, no sign of leaks in the few miles I've driven to get home - a slightly round about route to avoid the traffic in the middle of Croydon - and I don't see anything dripping under the car now I'm home
6. If you have had the work done and not experienced any leaks, have you completely filled your tank at least once? YES - the dealer filled it before I collected it
7. Did you experience any other issues, such as fuel the gauge reading incorrectly? If so, please give details. It is reading full, as it should be - I guess I'll see how fast and how far it drops over the next 200 or so miles

[ChrisHolmes]

Bumping this as a warning to owners who still have this outstanding. There are 2 reports on Facebook of recent (March 2021), post recall leaking tanks

I have sent an email to Mazda UK with details, asking why this is still happening!!

If you book with a dealer to get this recall done, PLEASE check in advance that they are aware there is a revised Mazda UK procedure (January 2021) which requires the fuel tank to be filled on completion of the work - you will be charged for the petrol. This is the correct recall procedure and is currently the only way for the dealership to be confident there are no fuel leaks before you collect your car.

That's far preferable to driving your car away with a fire risk, or finding fuel gushing out on a petrol station forecourt when you next fill up, or driving home and finding a leak al over the road/driveway/garage. Followed by the the hassle/inconvenience of safely getting your car back to the dealer, who will probably need to order a new tank seal, so leaving your car undriveable for several days.

[79398]

I was warned that a pipe may break during the proceedure and that if it does the car would be kept overnight before the pipe could be obtained,as Mazda dont allow for the possibility and dont supply the pipe, the dealer wont order one in case it's not needed and wont hold it in stock.
I offered to buy the pipe so that if it broke it could be replaced without the need for a delay in getting the car back as the dealership is around 60 miles away.
I had a wait at the dealership of 6.5 hours
I was told I had missed the slot needed to have the pipe ordered and delivered by today so that was not an option.
As posted on another thread no issues with all 4 recalls sorted today, and no they did not top the tank up.

[ChrisHolmes]

Did you brim the tank before leaving the locality if the dealer?

[casey]

Hmmm I wonder what "pipe" they were referring to? The only pipe I'm aware is impacted during current recalls is the fuel discharge pipe on the top of the fuel pump basket.

If so, that comment is very concerning. In earlier recalls the tank seals and rings were changed, but current recalls ALSO require the top part of the pump basket, with the pipe, to be changed, as Mazda have noted it can embrittle over time (with heat blown back from the engine bay), then fracture, with the disastrous result of high pressure fuel spewing out.

I could be wrong, but it sounds, from what you have said, that the dealer MAY have worked off an older recall procedure. One bonus (besides obvious safety issue being fixed) of having the top basket assembly changed was that you got a brand new fuel filter supplied too. We know that the filters clog with age and result in fuel starvation in certain road conditions (very reproducible on certain track corners in the UK).

If you look at page 6 onwards, you can see the procedure to replace the upper part of the basket:

RCRIT-17V354-3053.pdf

I'd be very interested if you were able to find out more about what pipe was being referred to, and what was the extent of the work carried out by the dealership.

I have already informed Mazda UK that the dealership you used did not follow the correct procedure. They should have told you they needed to fill your tank to check for leaks before you collected your car. It's the same dealer that failed to do the same thing on goodeggbob's car last week.

If you did have a leak when you filled up (and believe me, the fuel POURS out in most cases reported to me), then it would have been a real hassle to get your car back to the dealer to rectify it, especially as they'd probably need to order another seal and that might have taken a few days to arrive. It took nearly a week in my case.

[79398]

Hmmm I wonder what "pipe" they were referring to? The only pipe I'm aware is impacted during current recalls is the fuel discharge pipe on the top of the fuel pump basket.

If so, that comment is very concerning. In earlier recalls the tank seals and rings were changed, but current recalls ALSO require the top part of the pump basket, with the pipe, to be changed, as Mazda have noted it can embrittle over time (with heat blown back from the engine bay), then fracture, with the disastrous result of high pressure fuel spewing out.

I could be wrong, but it sounds, from what you have said, that the dealer MAY have worked off an older recall procedure. One bonus (besides obvious safety issue being fixed) of having the top basket assembly changed was that you got a brand new fuel filter supplied too. We know that the filters clog with age and result in fuel starvation in certain road conditions (very reproducible on certain track corners in the UK).

If you look at page 6 onwards, you can see the procedure to replace the upper part of the basket:


RCRIT-17V354-3053.pdf

I'd be very interested if you were able to find out more about what pipe was being referred to, and what was the extent of the work carried out by the dealership.

I have already informed Mazda UK that the dealership you used did not follow the correct procedure. They should have told you they needed to fill your tank to check for leaks before you collected your car. It's the same dealer that failed to do the same thing on goodeggbob's car last week.

If you did have a leak when you filled up (and believe me, the fuel POURS out in most cases reported to me), then it would have been a real hassle to get your car back to the dealer to rectify it, especially as they'd probably need to order another seal and that might have taken a few days to arrive. It took nearly a week in my case.

Just been out to check again and no leaks or smells, they said that of the 18 recalls they have done the pipe broke on 2 and the warning I think was due to me having to wait for most of the day, and got the feeling they would have been happier to have had it overnight just in case.
As I didn't have to buy the "pipe" I dont know what pipe they where referring to.

[warpc0il]

I could be wrong, but it sounds, from what you have said, that the dealer MAY have worked off an older recall procedure.

This used to be a very common problem with Ford dealers, who would print off the first copy of the recall notice and then never check back online for subsequent jobs, even if the instructions had changed significantly.

Ford ( thought they'd) stopped this practice but not allowing dealers to order the kit of parts based just on the recall code but also a reference that was only on the latest version of the instructions, and the VIN of the specific car it was for.

This was intended to stop dealers stockpiling kits and make sure that all the parts and instructions were correct.

Some dealers still ordered multiple kits up front, based on the VINs they had on record as cars that they had sold/serviced, regardless of whether the customer had asked them or not. This kits would then gather dust on the shelves and people would still find their cars being fitted with the wrong parts by the time they were used.

It just goes to show, make a process idiot proof and someone will create a better idiot.

The Japanese have a term for idiot-proof, it's called Poka-Yoke

[Hopkins]

One bonus (besides obvious safety issue being fixed) of having the top basket assembly changed was that you got a brand new fuel filter supplied too. We know that the filters clog with age and result in fuel starvation in certain road conditions (very reproducible on certain track corners in the UK).

My one and only track day, excepting the excellent North Weald Car Limits day, was at Snetterton a couple of years ago. I experienced fuel starvation when the tank was low but before the fuel light came on. Do you think it's about time I changed the fuel filter?

[79398]

Did you brim the tank before leaving the locality if the dealer?

Yes I did, there was a minor smell of petrol in the cabin and both windows were open when I was handed the keys back, I checked over the car exterior and under the seat pad for leaks before driving off and was satisfied there was no leaks.
I asked at reception in the morning if the fuel recall could be done first so if there was an issue it would minimise time wasted waiting, this information was passed on however I believe the fuel fix was done last as the car was up to temp when I got it back which suggests it had been road tested recently, which would not have been the case if the airbags had been done last.
Whilst all seems good, I say again the car will never go back to any main dealership again, despite there being no issues at this time.

[ChrisHolmes]

Yes I did, there was a minor smell of petrol in the cabin and both windows were open when I was handed the keys back, I checked over the car exterior and under the seat pad for leaks before driving off and was satisfied there was no leaks.

Unless you removed the protective access covers under the seat squabs (both sides - my leak was the driver side tank cover) then you can't visually see if there is a leak. Plus, there would be no signs of a leak until the tank is (near) brimmed. Just to be sure, I'd recommend brimming your tank again soon and check under the car before you drive off for any dripping fuel.

If you want to be extra cautious, before you go to fill up, you could remove the seat squabs and the covers before you leave home (simple 5 minute job with crosshead screwdriver), then check those areas as you fill up. Mine started to leak fuel as the 10 litres were about to go in. The procedure is in my first post in this topic, if you are not sure. Better to be certain all is good now, than discover a leak months later, as many have done, and then have to battle with Mazda to get it sorted. They will, inevitably deny it's anything to do with them.

If you do that, you can also check to see if the fuel pump top basket looks new. It should be pretty obviously a newish looking "white" as opposed to an aged "yellowish" colour. The ring will have been changed, so there should be very little colour contrast between the ring and the basket top cover. If the cover looks aged, I suspect the dealer has followed an obsolete procedure and hasn't changed all the safety critical parts that Mazda has instructed them to do.

[New Duke]

One bonus (besides obvious safety issue being fixed) of having the top basket assembly changed was that you got a brand new fuel filter supplied too. We know that the filters clog with age and result in fuel starvation in certain road conditions (very reproducible on certain track corners in the UK).

My one and only track day, excepting the excellent North Weald Car Limits day, was at Snetterton a couple of years ago. I experienced fuel starvation when the tank was low but before the fuel light came on. Do you think it's about time I changed the fuel filter?

That's perfectly normal. You can get fuel starvation with more than a quarter of a tank left if you really chuck it around on track. The only way to rule out starvation is a swirl pot and losing your rear seats... or putting up with it.

The fuel filter is built into the fuel pump in the fuel tank and not a service item (until about 100k miles). You can replace them and it can't hurt, but it doesn't sound like yours needs doing. The folks getting them for free are just lucky sausages.

[Hopkins]

The folks getting them for free are just lucky sausages.

I shall have to be more tardy in my response to recalls in the future

[SmuttyHutty]

Should I be concerned that I HAVEN'T received a recall notice for either of my RX8s for this problem? Just got one througn for the PZ's airbags.

[79398]

Should I be concerned that I HAVEN'T received a recall notice for either of my RX8s for this problem? Just got one througn for the PZ's airbags.

The garage will search their database and anything outstanding will flag then so I wouldn't worry

[79398]

Yes I did, there was a minor smell of petrol in the cabin and both windows were open when I was handed the keys back, I checked over the car exterior and under the seat pad for leaks before driving off and was satisfied there was no leaks.

Unless you removed the protective access covers under the seat squabs (both sides - my leak was the driver side tank cover) then you can't visually see if there is a leak. Plus, there would be no signs of a leak until the tank is (near) brimmed. Just to be sure, I'd recommend brimming your tank again soon and check under the car before you drive off for any dripping fuel.

If you want to be extra cautious, before you go to fill up, you could remove the seat squabs and the covers before you leave home (simple 5 minute job with crosshead screwdriver), then check those areas as you fill up. Mine started to leak fuel as the 10 litres were about to go in. The procedure is in my first post in this topic, if you are not sure. Better to be certain all is good now, than discover a leak months later, as many have done, and then have to battle with Mazda to get it sorted. They will, inevitably deny it's anything to do with them.

If you do that, you can also check to see if the fuel pump top basket looks new. It should be pretty obviously a newish looking "white" as opposed to an aged "yellowish" colour. The ring will have been changed, so there should be very little colour contrast between the ring and the basket top cover. If the cover looks aged, I suspect the dealer has followed an obsolete procedure and hasn't changed all the safety critical parts that Mazda has instructed them to do.

I will check tonight cheers, and post

[SmuttyHutty]

Should I be concerned that I HAVEN'T received a recall notice for either of my RX8s for this problem? Just got one througn for the PZ's airbags.

You can check outstanding recalls here
https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall

[SmuttyHutty]

Thank you folks. Apparently just the PZ airbags. Strange......if all these fuel pumps have brittle seals and mine are both fine.

[bigpete8]

Have they already been done?
I've had fuel pump recall and an air bag (passenger?) recall under my ownership. But believe it had the other airbag prior to that.



Is there a way of seeing completed recalls?

[Dom-PZ]

I've just been going through the paperwork for mine and my fuel recall work was done (successfully thankfully) back in 2018