If I get a Mazda-installed battery (not original) replaced under warranty, do I have to schedule a service appointment or can I just bring in the battery and swap it for a new one? Mazda warranty info on website says "If Mazda Dealer installed, coverage is as follows"... I want a new battery but I don't want to wait 4+ hrs for them to get to my car at the dealership when I could do it myself.
I was at the dealer yesterday for a replacement of the infotainment screen and was given the upsell for several things I didn't need, but one caught my attention: service said my battery was dead and that the car, still in the back, would not start. That was interesting because a) no slow starts recently, b) it sat on their lot for 2 hrs and they had no problem starting it and moving it into the repair bay. It became clear that the guy was looking at my service record and said my battery hadn't been replaced since purchase in 2017. He didn't know that his records were incomplete because we had the car in another state and a Mazda dealership there replaced the battery 2 years ago. Upon checkout I noticed that the invoice indicated the battery was "good" so I went back to him. Told him I have service records at home which I'll bring in, and if the invoice says "good battery" when I come back they won't want to replace my battery. He wound up handwriting "Battery does not meet standards" and initialling it, but his face told a very different story. I think the battery might be on the weak side by now, but he clearly exaggerated or lied about the condition in order to sell me a battery on the spot (as well as about 3 other items). Do I have to let them install the new battery in order to get a free replacement? I may pass on the replacement battery and break the dealer cycle if so. Oh, and when I declined to pay for a new battery, they pulled up my "dead" car immediately. No problems since then.
I was at the dealer yesterday for a replacement of the infotainment screen and was given the upsell for several things I didn't need, but one caught my attention: service said my battery was dead and that the car, still in the back, would not start. That was interesting because a) no slow starts recently, b) it sat on their lot for 2 hrs and they had no problem starting it and moving it into the repair bay. It became clear that the guy was looking at my service record and said my battery hadn't been replaced since purchase in 2017. He didn't know that his records were incomplete because we had the car in another state and a Mazda dealership there replaced the battery 2 years ago. Upon checkout I noticed that the invoice indicated the battery was "good" so I went back to him. Told him I have service records at home which I'll bring in, and if the invoice says "good battery" when I come back they won't want to replace my battery. He wound up handwriting "Battery does not meet standards" and initialling it, but his face told a very different story. I think the battery might be on the weak side by now, but he clearly exaggerated or lied about the condition in order to sell me a battery on the spot (as well as about 3 other items). Do I have to let them install the new battery in order to get a free replacement? I may pass on the replacement battery and break the dealer cycle if so. Oh, and when I declined to pay for a new battery, they pulled up my "dead" car immediately. No problems since then.