IllustrationPULSATION DAMPER FAILS ON MY 1987 RX-7, CAUSES ENGINE FIRE AND TURNS A 300 DOLLAR REPAIR INTO OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS. *AK
1987 Mazda RX7
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
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There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
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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: 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
What owners actually said
50 reportsMY PULSATION DAMPER WENT OUT AND I SMELLED FUMES WITHIN MY CAR. LUCKILY I GOT OFF TO CHECK AND FOUND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND HAVE IT FIXED WHERE IT WON'T BE A PROBLEM TO RISK ANYONES LIFE. *AK
I HAVE A 1987 RX7 NA, THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE THE OTHER DAY AND I LUCKILY HAD AN EXTINGUISHER TO PUT IT OUT WITH OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN TOAST. MOST LIKELY A FAULTY PULSATION DAMPER OR A SHORT IN SOME OF THE WIRES, I AM NOT SURE.*AK
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH FAILS OVER TIME. SYMPTOMS START WITH INTERMEDIATE SETTINGS FAILING FOLLOWED BY THE CONSTANT 1 AND 2 SETTINGS FAILING. THE WIPER WILL ALSO NOT RETURN TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AFTER BEING TURNED OFF. THIS MIGHT BE DUE TO THE RELAY IN THE SWITCH FAILING. *NLM
THE PULSATION DAMPENER ON THE 1986-1988 MAZDA RX-7'S CAN FAIL. THE PIECE IS MADE FROM PLASTIC WHICH BECOMES BRITTLE AND FAILS. THIS WILL CAUSE A FUEL LEAK IN THE ENGINE BAY AND CAUSE A POSSIBLE FIRE. *NLM
*OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT* A FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *JG *JB
WHILE 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
EVERY 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
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.