Infotainment Screen cracking (spider cracks)

[codernaut]

So I have a 2014 Mazda3, and this has *just* started happening at the top left corner and the bottom left corner.

I quickly called my dealer and asked if it was anything they knew about, and the advisor said no, but that because of the vehicle's age (purchased Nov 2013), anything with the screen would be out of warranty.

Is my best bet to print out the TSB and take it with me to an appointment with them?

Edit: I just noticed this is the CX-9 forum. Still interested in experiences I guess...

 

[sm1ke]

So I have a 2014 Mazda3, and this has *just* started happening at the top left corner and the bottom left corner.

I quickly called my dealer and asked if it was anything they knew about, and the advisor said no, but that because of the vehicle's age (purchased Nov 2013), anything with the screen would be out of warranty.

Is my best bet to print out the TSB and take it with me to an appointment with them?

Edit: I just noticed this is the CX-9 forum. Still interested in experiences I guess...

The TSB includes 2014-2018 Mazda3s, so no worries.

Yes I would print off the TSB and offer it to them, explaining that you did some research on your own and found reference to that TSB. You can also just provide the TSB number and they can look it up in their own system. the TSB number is SA-008/18.

Just a note - in the TSB itself, there is a note that states "MAZDA CONNECT center display replacement due to external damage is not covered under Mazda’s warranty policy." If they deny coverage, citing external damage to the screen, politely (but firmly) show them that the damage to the screen is internal, not external, and the damage may have been a result of a faulty center display.

Keep in mind that at the end of the day, you are outside of the warranty period, so if they decide to help you in any way, it will be out of good will. Being polite and reasonable will help your chances of getting this covered, either partially or in full. Good luck!

 

[AKSS]

Keep in mind that at the end of the day, you are outside of the warranty period, so if they decide to help you in any way, it will be out of good will. Being polite and reasonable will help your chances of getting this covered, either partially or in full. Good luck!

Polite, reasonable, and convey through psychic waves, subliminal suggestion, or solid charisma check that you are worth helping because you may buy another vehicle, that you have value as a future customer, and want to use this dealer as your partner in maintaining your existing car. I would underscore that you’re trying to get the dealer to advocate *on your behalf* to why corporate should goodwill this repair, since as @sm1ke said, you’re long past warranty. If you can’t get the people at the support counter on your side, they won’t be very good advocates. Being an asshole, demanding, entitled or whiny won’t get much mileage. Getting other people to *want* to help you is a extremely valuable skill in life, generally. Exercise those skills to the max at the dealership for this task. It seems to me that corporate will reimburse the dealer for a little bit of labor and cover the parts, so the dealer shouldn’t be out anything directly. It should be a win-win, but support counter may not know this. My local dealership staff were very in the dark about the issue, the process, everything, so maybe help them with their assumptions if they seem to think they’ll have to pay for anything. Again, delicate art. Just be nice, help them help you.

 

[codernaut]

Polite, reasonable, and convey through psychic waves, subliminal suggestion, or solid charisma check that you are worth helping because you may buy another vehicle, that you have value as a future customer, and want to use this dealer as your partner in maintaining your existing car. I would underscore that you’re trying to get the dealer to advocate *on your behalf* to why corporate should goodwill this repair, since as @sm1ke said, you’re long past warranty. If you can’t get the people at the support counter on your side, they won’t be very good advocates. Being an asshole, demanding, entitled or whiny won’t get much mileage. Getting other people to *want* to help you is a extremely valuable skill in life, generally. Exercise those skills to the max at the dealership for this task. It seems to me that corporate will reimburse the dealer for a little bit of labor and cover the parts, so the dealer shouldn’t be out anything directly. It should be a win-win, but support counter may not know this. My local dealership staff were very in the dark about the issue, the process, everything, so maybe help them with their assumptions if they seem to think they’ll have to pay for anything. Again, delicate art. Just be nice, help them help you.

Yeah, thanks for that. I will definitely make sure to keep that in mind. It may be an older car in this case, but like you mentioned it's all about getting them to be "on my side" as you said. My family and I have been buying our cars (various Mazda3, CX-7, CX-9, CX-5) from this dealer since 2005 and they know us well both in the sales and service departments. I hope it will work out.

 

[teach42]

Our 2018 CX9 infotainment screen situation got much worse this winter. It went from one corner cracking, to three.

Anybody have any suggestions for convincing a dealership to do a replacement???

 

[sm1ke]

Our 2018 CX9 infotainment screen situation got much worse this winter. It went from one corner cracking, to three.

Anybody have any suggestions for convincing a dealership to do a replacement???

Have you tried escalating to Mazda Corporate? If not, that's the next step to take. Let them know when you first noticed the problem, when you brought the problem to the attention of the dealership, what the dealership has done to assist you so far, and what you've learned about this issue through your own research on various social media outlets and online discussion forums. I believe a TSB was posted here that you can reference. Unfortunately, if you didn't purchase any extended warranty, the screen may not be covered as it only falls under the 3 year basic warranty. But you may still be able to get some assistance with the repair cost from Mazda Corporate, or they may even goodwill the entire cost of the repair.

 

[Hofflink]

Our 2018 CX9 infotainment screen situation got much worse this winter. It went from one corner cracking, to three.

Anybody have any suggestions for convincing a dealership to do a replacement???

 

[Hofflink]

Have you tried escalating to Mazda Corporate? If not, that's the next step to take. Let them know when you first noticed the problem, when you brought the problem to the attention of the dealership, what the dealership has done to assist you so far, and what you've learned about this issue through your own research on various social media outlets and online discussion forums. I believe a TSB was posted here that you can reference. Unfortunately, if you didn't purchase any extended warranty, the screen may not be covered as it only falls under the 3 year basic warranty. But you may still be able to get some assistance with the repair cost from Mazda Corporate, or they may even goodwill the entire cost of the repair.

Everyone who has this issue, should contact Mazda corporate and report/complain. They have issued extended warranties for earlier models, through 2017, according to the person I spoke with. She told me that when they receive enough reports, they will take action to correct it. Please do this even if the dealer has taken care of you. We are suffering through ours because we can't afford to have it repaired. We can't even read the time on ours. This is a known and very frequent issue that Mazda should have already remedied and repaired.

 

[LAM314]

Has anyone run into a similar problem on their 2nd gen CX-9's screen micro-cracking? It seems like this is a known issue on other Mazda models and appears to be exacerbated by temperature swings. Unfortunately, I am just out of the warranty period, so I am wondering if it's even something that Mazda would cover


View attachment 224108

Oh wow - my 2019 is doing the exact same thing and my warranty is out.

 

[teach42]

What is the best way to report this to Mazda Corporate? I submitted a message through the website, but haven't gotten any sort of a response yet.

 

[sm1ke]

What is the best way to report this to Mazda Corporate? I submitted a message through the website, but haven't gotten any sort of a response yet.

I would give them a call. You're essentially calling a call center, so keep that in mind.. if you don't get the support or answers you're after, you should be able to ask for an escalation to get a supervisor's attention.

 

[JR11]

I started experiencing this same issue in my 2019 CX-9 in April 2022. Of course it began 5 months after the basic warranty expired. Efforts to get some assistance have gone nowhere.

My local dealership and Mazda have both said they can't do anything because I am out of warranty and my vehicle is not included in the extended warranty coverage.

Mazda said if I repair it out-of-pocket I should get the dealer to submit a flash ticket and if enough customers do this then it will increase the chance more vehicles are added to the coverage and if that happened I could apply for reimbursement. My local dealer quoted ~$3000+tax to replace the screen!

The Mazda customer service rep also said that my reporting of the issue on the phone doesn't get registered with the technical department at all. For that I would need to pay for the dealer to do an inspection and then they would submit a ticket noting the issue.

So basically Mazda can ignore this defect unless owners pay for the repair out-of-pocket or pay for an inspection. This is absurd.

With the current demand for used vehicles I'm tempted to just sell it.

 

[Silly Wabbit]

My daughter had the same problem with her 2015 CX 3. Asked the dealer during recent service in late 2020 and Mazda H/O initially refused. Wrote letter to Capital city newspaper with a cars section each Friday. They publish a selection of readers issues and car makers responses. The writer forwarded on my issue to senior Mazda staff and got a positive response with Replacement unit and labour also covered. Since it seems to be quite a common problem, it has to be a manufacturing defect - product has to be fit for purpose and it seems a random number on the production line were
View attachment 295386View attachment 295387

This post should be pinned, but in the meantime I'll just bump it up.
@JR11 consider going on public forums & social media

 

[youri]

Just had this happen to my 2018 CX-9 GT (purchased new in 2019). Thankfully i spotted it early, 3 weeks before the end of my 3 year warranty. It was replaced under warranty by the dealer last week.

 

[chacheee]

2017 checking in. Made it 5 years before the cracks showed up. Screen was replaced by the dealer a few weeks ago, but now there is an issue with the replacement screen. There appears to be a piece of black "trim" that is loose inside the screen and in hanging just below the top of the screen. Back into the dealer I go. *sigh*

 

[Boler Tower]

I asked my Dealer about the spider cracking on my 2018 CX9 Signature infotainment screen at my last service, and that's when i found out i was just a few weeks past my warranty. They said they would try to submit it to Mazda Canada for coverage under good will, to no avail. I reached out to Mazda Canada and got the following response:

"Thank you for contacting Mazda Canada. As you are aware of the SSPB9 details, you know that it was only released to cover vehicles built before April 29th, 2017. Unfortunately your vehicle was built after that date which is why it was not covered for repair. As more people report this issue there will be more possibility that this will be extended to include vehicles built after that date.
Should you choose to repair this out of pocket now and they should extend the coverage to include your vehicle, you can apply for a reimbursement at that time. Be sure to save all of your paperwork and receipts as you will need the for the reimbursement application. Sorry I could not bring you better news at this time."

My two take home messages from this experience are. 1. If you have any signs of spider cracking get it fixed immediately under warranty if you're still covered. 2. If you're no longer covered reach out to Mazda Canada and hopefully enough people complain to make them extend warranty coverage to the 2018 and newer models.

 

[Famsfirst]

I got mine replaced free of charge, outside the guarantee on my Mazda cx9 2016, you should check with your dealer, Mazda made an extension to the warranty to have these fixed out of the original warranty up to six years gap. Saved me thousands of dollars

 

[Glaucus]

I got mine replaced free of charge, outside the guarantee on my Mazda cx9 2016, you should check with your dealer, Mazda made an extension to the warranty to have these fixed out of the original warranty up to six years gap. Saved me thousands of dollars

Yes, but only for the 2016 and 2017 model years. For some reason they don't include the 2018s and they should have. I know at least one person who ended up selling their 2018 CX-9 because of this issue. Mazda should have just bit the bullet on this one, a real stupid way to piss off a lot of customers.

 

[sm1ke]

Yes, but only for the 2016 and 2017 model years. For some reason they don't include the 2018s and they should have. I know at least one person who ended up selling their 2018 CX-9 because of this issue. Mazda should have just bit the bullet on this one, a real stupid way to piss off a lot of customers.

I have this issue right now. Popped up early this summer, and so far it hasn't gotten worse, but we'll see what happens. It's just a tiny spot in the corner of the screen, barely noticeable as it is.

Initially I went straight to the dealer service desk and they immediately told me it wouldn't be covered by warranty and that if I wanted to fix it, it would be an out of pocket expense. All fair, but it really seemed like they didn't even want to look at it to confirm the issue. I booked an appointment for a service visit so that they could at least confirm the issue.

I then contacted Mazda Canada and spoke to someone who was aware of the issue and the TSB, and she noted that because I have a 2018, my screen likely would not be replaced as the TSB only applies to certain MYs. I politely but firmly explained my situation and the examples that I've seen online, and also explained that my screen looks exactly like the ones in the TSB. She started to come around after a little more "greasing the wheel" and said that unfortunately, without dealer confirmation of the issue, she wouldn't be able to help any further. Fair enough. At this point I contacted the service manager of the dealership via email. I mentioned my issue, the experience I had with the service desk, and my conversation with Mazda Canada. Again, I explained that I was aware of the TSB and the MYs applicable, and that I felt that my 2018 is exhibiting the exact same issue as the MYs mentioned. The service manager seemed to really want to help and said that they would look into replacing the screen for me, but that he is waiting for his stock of the replacement parts to be replenished. When that happens, he said he would call me in.

So it sounds like I'll be taken care of, but things can still change. If I end up getting nowhere with this, I'll just live with the damaged screen. But we'll see.

 

[Glaucus]

I have this issue right now. Popped up early this summer, and so far it hasn't gotten worse, but we'll see what happens. It's just a tiny spot in the corner of the screen, barely noticeable as it is.

Initially I went straight to the dealer service desk and they immediately told me it wouldn't be covered by warranty and that if I wanted to fix it, it would be an out of pocket expense. All fair, but it really seemed like they didn't even want to look at it to confirm the issue. I booked an appointment for a service visit so that they could at least confirm the issue.

I then contacted Mazda Canada and spoke to someone who was aware of the issue and the TSB, and she noted that because I have a 2018, my screen likely would not be replaced as the TSB only applies to certain MYs. I politely but firmly explained my situation and the examples that I've seen online, and also explained that my screen looks exactly like the ones in the TSB. She started to come around after a little more "greasing the wheel" and said that unfortunately, without dealer confirmation of the issue, she wouldn't be able to help any further. Fair enough. At this point I contacted the service manager of the dealership via email. I mentioned my issue, the experience I had with the service desk, and my conversation with Mazda Canada. Again, I explained that I was aware of the TSB and the MYs applicable, and that I felt that my 2018 is exhibiting the exact same issue as the MYs mentioned. The service manager seemed to really want to help and said that they would look into replacing the screen for me, but that he is waiting for his stock of the replacement parts to be replenished. When that happens, he said he would call me in.

So it sounds like I'll be taken care of, but things can still change. If I end up getting nowhere with this, I'll just live with the damaged screen. But we'll see.

Last I checked the part itself goes for CDN$1300 or so, maybe more. However, the installation of it is trivial and anyone could do it themselves. I would be tempted to start looking at junk yards to see if they can scrounge one up. I believe that screen is the same as on the CX-5s and other models, no? So you might be able to find a second hand screen for far less the cost of a new one. Something to consider. At the very least, get the model number for the "good" screen from the dealer.

I actually went through this as well, but mine's a 2017 and they covered it without issue.