2014~2021 Going to war with Mazda re: rear brakes

:
Ottawa, Ontario
:
17 Mazda 6 GT
23 Kia Stinger GT Elite
Well folks, as mentioned in a few posts in other threads, the rear brakes on my 2017 6 GT look like crap.
I was at the local dealer today for my fall oil change, and they said my rear brakes are done and need replacing.
Like I didn't know that already. FYI, the car only has 20,000 kms (12,000 miles) on it.
The quote is $600.
Like, no way my friends.
I asked them to do it under warranty, and they came back and said no. Duh.
I have sent an e-mail to Mazda Canada, and also contacted my selling dealer to look into the matter.
This is just the start of my journey.
I'll keep you posted, if anyone is interested.
Cheers for now.
 
What do they look like? Is it pads and rotors that need to be replaced, or is there more?
 
If the rears are gone at 12000 miles, there's a problem with your brakes.
 
Dealer service dept prices are always ridiculously high for out-of-pocket repairs (the main reason we call them "stealerships"). Full axle Pad & Rotor kits can be found here for as little as $65 USD ($85 CAD). Labor shouldn't be more than 1 hr.
 
They want to replace rotors and pads.
Rotors are scored with gouges running through them, and you can see that the contact point with the pads has narrowed.
They are rusty as all can be too.
I was given the usual story that it's because the car isn't driven enough and that the rotors rust if not used enough.
I get that, to a point.
The car is garage kept most of the time, especially in winter, and it rarely gets driven in snowy/salty conditions.
I guess my beef is that the quality of the components can't be that good if they're shot after less than 3 years and 12,000 miles.
I am appealing to Mazda's sense of compassion and public relations to get them to cover the premature wear.
BTW, The quote was from a dealer closest to me. I did not buy the car from them, so that might have something to do with it.
I've contacted the service manager at the selling dealership and he wants to see the car before passing judgment.
We shall see.
 
I hear there is a TSB for Mazda3 brakes. Did you check to see if your 6 is covered under this?
 
Hmmm, interesting.
I never thought to look for any TSB's.
Can you point me in the right direction?
Thanks.
 
I was reading in another forum that an owner was having similar premature wear issues with his Mazda3. He went on to report that the dealership replaced his pads and rotors without charge. You may want to call the dealership from whom you bought your car, and ask the service manager about this.
 
As I mentioned above, I've contacted the salesrep (that sold me the car), as well as the Service Manager at the dealership where I bought it.
They want to see the car, so I'm arranging to take it there this week.
I'll keep you posted.
Cheers.
 
Well, things went pretty much as I expected they would.
I took it to the dealership where I bought it, and they were quick to deny any warranty claim or any kind of goodwill support.
The Service Manager was also quick to point out that I hadn't been back to their dealership for service since I bought it.
Their location is a lot further out than another Mazda dealer close to me.
I chose to do my oil changes and stuff at the dealer 5 minutes away instead of driving out to their location, and now he's holding that against me.
I let it be known I wasn't impressed with that attitude.
I also finally heard back from Mazda Canada, and they gave me the same gears: it's a wear item, and not covered under any kind of warranty, and they too were quick to point out that I hadn't been back to the selling dealership for service. What the hell does that matter?
What a crock of BS.
I have fallen out of love with this car unfortunately.
With the crappy brakes and dozens of tiny paint chips all over the hood, I've had it with Mazda.
First and last one.
I usually keep my cars at least ten years, but this one will not be staying in my driveway that long.
I just have to convince the wife to trade it out for something else.
There's a reason the Hondas, Toyotas etc, of the world sell ten times as many cars as Mazda.
 
Well, the following cars have had some worse than average brakes, according to Consumer Reports:
Honda Odyssey, 2012 - 2017
Honda Pilot, 2012-2015
Honda Ridgeline, 2012 - 2014
Subaru Forester, 2012 - 2014
Subaru Impreza, 2013 - 2014
Nissan Altima, 2014 - 2015
Nissan Sentra, 2013 and 2017
Toyota Tacoma, 2018
Toyota Tundra, 2016
Hyundai Elantra, 2013 - 2016
Mazda 3, 2014-2015
Mazda 6, 2014 - 2015
Mazda CX5, 2013
Mazda CX9, 2012 and 2013

So, which cars are superior? Not any of these. Remember that how long pads last is directly related to how many hills you descend and your driving habits. You wouldn't believe how many drivers I see who accelerate towards a stop sign, only to have to apply the brakes aggressively, 10 meters from the sign. They do this at every stop light also.
 
Any pics of the rear brakes? You can probably save a bunch of money by just replacing pads and rotors yourself, or buying the parts and getting a reputable independent shop to do the job.

I found this YouTube video that goes through rear brake pad and rotor replacement on a 2016 Mazda6, if you're interested in attempting to DIY.


Depending on how bad the rust is on other components, you may be fine just replacing the pads and rotors, then taking the same precautions that others have taken in maintaining the brake system in environments that allow rust to develop. I've read that if the brakes get wet from the slush on the road (which likely contains road salt), it's a good idea to heat them up before parking the car because the heat will evaporate the moisture, and also to clean the brakes at the car wash with a pressure washer to knock off any dirt or ice that can trap water.
 
Ok, so I wrote the previous post yesterday when I was not in a good mood. My apologies for the tone.
I had just gotten the royal brush off from Mazda Canada, and had written them back stating my overall displeasure, so I was not in a good mood.
I'm going to have to do the rear brakes one way or another, and there are three choices.
Do it myself, let the dealer do it, or take it to an independent shop.
I am very leery about an indie shop doing it. Chances are the techs at these shops have not seen a newer Mazda, and won't know about the EPB system or the maintenance mode requirement.
I fear that they will ruin the calipers and try to blame the car. That option is off the table.
I'd like to do them myself, but my wife is dead set against that idea.
That leaves a dealer to do the job.
Here's where I have a problem with Mazda.
Selling dealer is blowing me off and not willing to try and support my situation because I didn't go back there for routine oil changes and service after I bought it.
The nearest dealer where I did the regular servicing won't give me a break either because I didn't buy the car from them.
So I'm screwed either way.
The issue is not necessarily the car. The cost is not the issue either. I'm not poor, so getting it done will not hurt my bank balance.
It's this pettiness between dealers that gets my goat, and Mazda Canada supporting them.

I'm going to sit on things a while longer before making any more decisions.
The car still runs fine and works, so there's no real sense of urgency as I see it now.
The brakes are already rusty, so it can't get much worse in a short time.
I'll still scan the new/used car market too. That's always fun.
My son just bought a 2017 BMW X1 for a good price last week. What a nice machine.
Not a mark on it, low miles. Looks great. Maybe that's an option. We'll see.

Thanks to everyone on this site for your ideas and inputs over the years.
I'm glad to be a part of this community.
Cheers for now.
 
See attached.
 

Attachments

  • X1 vs CX5.jpg
    X1 vs CX5.jpg
    243.1 KB · Views: 266
The dealer close to me wants $500 for replacing rear pads (only). Another dealer wants $221, which is 30 miles away.... Both are Mazda dealers.

That was me who had Mazda cover the labor cost of my '14 Mazda3 (about 11K at that time, out of 10K warranty). The main reason was that one side wore down while the other side was OK. Mazda obviously had no explanation for that. I paid for the part cost (which was cheap). Fair deal to me. After 5 yrs, it did not happen again.
 
Interesting comparison with the X1. It looks good on the outside, but anything BMW (Break My Wallet) scares me off. I doubt I'll go that route. Thanks.
I'm interested in the long term outcome of my sons' purchase though.

It turns out my pads are not worn down that much. My dealer said there's enough left that they could just replace the rusty rotors and smooth out the pads and leave them in.

As for quotes, both dealers gave me the same quote, within $10, so I'm assuming they're using the same parts prices and labour rates (I did not get a full breakdown of a quote, just an OTD number).

I've been looking on line and checking parts sources. I'm probably going to go that route: buy the parts and do it myself.
I'm not confident that an indie shop will know about the service mode requirement, and will ruin my calipers. Most indie shops don't train their techs on specific brands, and most of those guys are old school and just do what they think they know.
I'm afraid they'll just try to push or twist the caliper piston in like they're used to doing.
I've done lots of brake jobs before, and as long as I remember to put it in service mode, I'll be good.

Thanks again folks.
 
I'd bet that the issue was from the caliper slide pins locking up from lack of lubrication (esp with Canadian weather). The master tech at the Mazda dealer I used to work at told me that cleaning/relubing the caliper pins every year or two was the best way to keep the brakes going for a long time.
 
Well folks, as mentioned in a few posts in other threads, the rear brakes on my 2017 6 GT look like crap.
I was at the local dealer today for my fall oil change, and they said my rear brakes are done and need replacing.
Like I didn't know that already. FYI, the car only has 20,000 kms (12,000 miles) on it.
The quote is $600.
Like, no way my friends.
I asked them to do it under warranty, and they came back and said no. Duh.
I have sent an e-mail to Mazda Canada, and also contacted my selling dealer to look into the matter.
This is just the start of my journey.
I'll keep you posted, if anyone is interested.
Cheers for now.

Hate to say it but your issue is more of a wear component item which any warranty will not cover even if you have those extended warranties. While I understand your predicament, there isn’t much the dealer or Mazda Cda can do as they do have a point in that the car isn’t driven much so rust will definitely set in on those rotors! The maintenance and upkeep lies with the owner and not Mazda/dealer esp if you chose to not drive it as much and store in a garage for months.

I find it irking that both dealers are petty and salty about the whole initial sale-after sales service issue and instead should wonder why you never considered them in first place and try to work with you to gain your business back than leaving you dry. The best they can actually do as goodwill is to discount you on the parts & labour...you can mention that if they want to earn your trust & business again.

My best recommendation is to buy the original OEM parts from any Mazda dealer and just bring the car to a good-trusted independent tire shop like Kal-Tire or Fountain Tire to let them do the work. Of course get an estimate first and all it’ll cost you from them is the labour which will be cheaper than Mazda dealerships. For regular maintenance like oil changes and brakes/suspension/tire work I just go to Kal-Tire and pay for labour (I bring own oil & Mazda OEM filter or any parts) which charges way cheaper than my Mazda dealership. I only go to Mazda for warranty work nowadays. Good luck!
 
Kal-tire and Fountain tire aren't exactly on every street corner unfortunately. I live in Ottawa, and there's only one Kal-Tire store, at the other end of town from where I live.
Fountain tire is a Toronto centric thing only.
As mentioned before, I'm deathly afraid of taking it in to an independent shop with no Mazda trained or experienced techs.
All I need is for some rookie to try and push back or turn in the caliper piston without knowing about the maintenance mode. Two ruined calipers later, and no way of proving they ruined them.
I'm still debating on what to do. I'll keep you folks posted.
 
I find it irking that both dealers are petty and salty about the whole initial sale-after sales service issue and instead should wonder why you never considered them in first place and try to work with you to gain your business back than leaving you dry. The best they can actually do as goodwill is to discount you on the parts & labour...you can mention that if they want to earn your trust & business again.
That's been the biggest take away from my experience in all this.
I've been in the service business my whole life, so I know how it feels to be on both sides of the situation.
I'm not a bad customer or person to deal with. On the contrary, I go out of my way to be accommodating and pleasant to work with.
I seldom get my back up when dealing with this kind of thing, and it takes a lot to get me ticked off, but the attitude and pettiness of both dealers and Mazda Canada really irked me.
I was willing to bite the bullet and make a deal to pay for some if not all of the repair cost, but these guys just made me walk away.
 
Back