IllustrationWHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ERRATIC. DRIVER PULLED VEHICLE OVER TO CHECK UNDER THE HOOD. THE PULSATION DAMPNER THAT CONTROLS THE FUEL GOING INTO THE ENGINE HAD CAME UNDONE AND FUEL WAS LEAKING ALL OVER THE ENGINE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
1987 Mazda RX7
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RX7 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 11 of 50 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports22 fire reports2 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
29 reportsEVERY 2ND GEN RX-7 ASIDE FROM THE 1990 & 1991S THAT I HAVE SEEN HAVE FAILED. NOT ALL HAVE BURNED. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK
THE STARTER HAD GIVEN OUT. I AND A FRIEND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING IT. THE FRIEND SMELLED GAS. I GOT UNDER THE CAR, AND SMELLED GAS ALSO. WE DECIDED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL WAS DETERMINED. AFTER REMOVING THE INTAKE PLENUM, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GAS LEAK WAS FROM THE PULSATION DAMP…
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THE STARTER HAD GIVEN OUT. I AND A FRIEND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING IT. THE FRIEND SMELLED GAS. I GOT UNDER THE CAR, AND SMELLED GAS ALSO. WE DECIDED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL WAS DETERMINED. AFTER REMOVING THE INTAKE PLENUM, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GAS LEAK WAS FROM THE PULSATION DAMPER, A COMPONENT BOLTED TO THE END OF THE PRIMARY INJECTORS FUEL RAIL. IT WAS LEAKING ONTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE, NEAR THE TOP. SINCE THE ENGINE IS OVAL, THE GAS WAS RUNNING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE TOWARD THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, WHICH BECOMES EXTREMELY HOT WHEN A ROTARY ENGINE IS RUNNING. ALTHOUGH THIS HAD NOT HAPPENED YET, AS THE LEAK BECAME WORSE THE GAS WOULD HAVE IGNITED, PUTTING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER IN THE CAR AT GREAT PERIL. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD BE ENGINEERED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT DOES NOT LEAK, EVEN IF IT FAILS. THERE ARE MANY INCIDENTS WHERE A VEHICLE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY FIRE AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF THIS PULSATION DAMPER.*AK
MY DAMPER IS LEAKING FUEL RIGHT AS I TYPE THIS TO YOU. IF I DRIVE MY CAR IT MAY CATCH FIRE AND KILL INOCENT VICTIMS. PLEASE MAKE THIS PROBLEM A SAFETY RECALL FOR DEALERSHIPS TO FIX AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. THIS FAILURE IS EXTREMELY COMMON ON 86-88 MAZDA RX7'S, AND MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT IT. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR KEEPING MY VE…
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MY DAMPER IS LEAKING FUEL RIGHT AS I TYPE THIS TO YOU. IF I DRIVE MY CAR IT MAY CATCH FIRE AND KILL INOCENT VICTIMS. PLEASE MAKE THIS PROBLEM A SAFETY RECALL FOR DEALERSHIPS TO FIX AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. THIS FAILURE IS EXTREMELY COMMON ON 86-88 MAZDA RX7'S, AND MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT IT. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR KEEPING MY VEHICLE SAFE IF IT IS THEIR PROBLEM. SO MANY VICTIMS, SHOULD I BE THE NEXT ONE? PLEASE MAKE THIS A MANDITORY RECALL SO I CAN MAKE MY CAR ROADWORTHY ONCE MORE. I AM AFFRAID THAT MY CAR WILL CATCH FIRE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE PULSATION DAMPER IS MOUNTED TO THE FUEL RAIL OF ALL RX7'S AND ALL RX7'S HAVE A RISK OF BURNING TO THE GROUND. I HAVE SEEN SO MANY CARS LIKE MINE IN THE LOCAL JUNK YARDS, BLOOD ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT, FIREDAMAGE EVERYWHERE. MAZDA EVEN MADE AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE REPLACEMENT PIECE SO THAT IT WILL NEVER LEAK AGAIN. I NEED THAT NEW DAMPER RIGHT NOW!. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
PULSATION DAMPNER FAILED, CAUSING A GAS LEAK AND SMALL ENGINE FIRE. I WAS LUCKY AND HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY.*AK
THE SMALL SCREW IN THE END OF THE PULSATION DAMPER HAD FALLEN OUT. OTHER PERSONS WITH THIS FAILURE HAVE HAD FIRES AS A RESULT OF THIS. IN MY CASE, I SIMPLY REPLACED THE PART. IT FAILED AGAIN ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER... AGAIN, NO FIRE, BUT IT WAS LEAKING GAS. *AK
IT WAS CAUGHT IN TIME BUT COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR FIRE. *AK
BURNED ALOT OF THINGS LIKE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, INJECTORS, MISC HOSES, INTAKE MANIFOLD, HOOD LINER, ETC. GOOD THING I HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN THE CAR OR THE WHOLE CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST. *AK
PULSATION DAMPER LEAKS FUEL OUT THE SCREW HOLE ADJUSTMENT ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. IT IS THE #1 CAUSE OF RX-7 FIRES.*AK
Official recalls
187V160000 · Service Brakes, Air:disc:caliper
Oct 14, 1987
IN AREAS OF HEAVY USAGE, ROAD SALT MAY ACCUMULATE AT SURFACES OF COMPONENTS OF FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS WOULD EVENTUALLY CAUSE DISC PAD LINER CORROSIONTHAT WOULD PREVENT FREE MOVEMENT OF DISC PADS RESULTING IN INEFFECTIVE BRAKINGOF THE FRONT BRAKES.
Remedy: REPAIR FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS TO PREVENT ROAD SALT ACCUMULATION.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.