IllustrationTHE PULSATION DAMPER HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR A WHILE, BUT WAS NOT DETECTED UNTIL VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PH
1988 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
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When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 7 of 24 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 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 4 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 reports12 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
24 reportsI 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 THE DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL.*AK
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
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 AND INSIDE THE VEHICLE. ON TURB…
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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 AND INSIDE THE VEHICLE. ON TURBOCHARGED CARS, THE PULSATION DAMPER IS LOCATED DIRECTLY OVER THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD...THIS IS NOT GOOD! ESPECIALLY FOR A DESIGN THAT SEEMS TO BACK ITSELF OUT OVER TIME. THE PART IS QUITE EXPENSIVE, I FEEL THAT THIS IS NOT THE CAUSE OF USER ABUSE, BUT RATHER POOR DESIGN AND THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO SUFFER, ESPECIALLY FOR SUCH A FAULTY DESIGN WITH SUCH HAZARDOUS CONSEQUENCES. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS PROBLEM, AND I'M SURE IF YOU CONTACTED MORE RX-7 OWNERS (2ND GEN, 86-88), YOU WOULD FINE NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM (ALTHOUGH MIGHT NOT KNOW WHERE THE 'FUEL LEAK' IS COMING FROM!). THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
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
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.