Both Rear shocks leaking...under warrantee, how to claim?

[cymotank]

Hi Guys,

I did my routine oil change this morning at my autobody shop, the mechanics found out that both rear shocks are leaking and they're eating up tires.


I'm still under warrantee of 3 yr/36k, any idea how I could claim that? Should I just schedule an appointment with the nearest dealer? Or should I get in touch with Mazda corporate first?

Thanks.

 

[dougal]

Take it to your dealer. They should sort you out.

 

[cymotank]

Thanks for the reply. They're saying the tires are not covered though. Is that normal?

 

[PTguy]

Tires are covered by a very limited warranty by the tire maker. You should have received a tire warranty flier in the owner's manual folio when you bought the car. The tire warranty doesn't cover much, and not consequential damage from another part failing. If the tires actually are damaged, and the shocks actually leaking, the car warranty might cover the tire damage caused by the shocks.

I kind of doubt that (a) the shocks are leaking, although that is possible, and (b) the tires have been damaged by the oil from the shocks even if they did leak. It's an old sleazy auto shop trick to squirt some oil on the shocks, then show it to the customer to sell them new shocks. Wipe off the oil, maybe spray on some paint, and charge the customer for new shocks. If you can get under there, wipe the shocks with some solvent and a rag, then drive a few days and look for fresh oil leakage on the shocks.

 

[cymotank]

Tires are covered by a very limited warranty by the tire maker. You should have received a tire warranty flier in the owner's manual folio when you bought the car. The tire warranty doesn't cover much, and not consequential damage from another part failing. If the tires actually are damaged, and the shocks actually leaking, the car warranty might cover the tire damage caused by the shocks.

I kind of doubt that (a) the shocks are leaking, although that is possible, and (b) the tires have been damaged by the oil from the shocks even if they did leak. It's an old sleazy auto shop trick to squirt some oil on the shocks, then show it to the customer to sell them new shocks. Wipe off the oil, maybe spray on some paint, and charge the customer for new shocks. If you can get under there, wipe the shocks with some solvent and a rag, then drive a few days and look for fresh oil leakage on the shocks.

Thanks PTguy for the reply. I doubt that the Autoshop is trying to sell me stuff, I was asking for a rotation and the mechanic pointed out the rear shock to me saying that they're leaking and all. In fact, he asked me to contact the dealers immediately and they should take it from there. He also pointed out that the tires are worn out on the inside because of the leak. I scheduled an appointment with the dealer (not the one I purchased the car, but much closer) and will come back and update.

 

[PTguy]

You can poke around the oily part of the tire and see if the rubber has gotten gummy from the oil.

I suspect that the uneven wear on the rear tires is a rear alignment problem. Of course if the rubber is gummy & soft, it'll wear like butter.

 

[ZoomFive]

You can poke around the oily part of the tire and see if the rubber has gotten gummy from the oil.

I suspect that the uneven wear on the rear tires is a rear alignment problem. Of course if the rubber is gummy & soft, it'll wear like butter.

Agreed. Likely an alignment problem. Leaky struts possible, but not so much. I'd say ask dealer to verify defect and if so, replace under warranty. Then pay for an alignment from them.

 

[table5511]

Something smells fishy here. Leaking shock and tire wear on your CX-9 are 2 separate issues. It's concerning they told you tires are due to leaky shocks. Usually one shock starts leaking before the other but no way this quick. I had one rear leak at about 9 years. You could have hit something causing excessive suspension movement and alignment so bad that it ate the tires and caused undue stress on shocks causing leaks. Have dealer check it out. I'd walk away from a mechanic who said leaks caused tires to go bad. That's crazy.