Major warranty issues with FAIRWAY MAZDA in Savannah, GA

cx-7heaven

Member
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'07 CX-7
For your reading consumption:

We are writing this to warn everyone NOT to EVER buy a Mazda from FAIRWAY MAZDA in Savannah, GA. If you know of any friends or family members who may be in the market for a new or used car, now or at any time in the future, please pass this warning along to those you care about. We are telling you this based upon our personal experience with this dealership, and Mazda in general.

Let me start at the beginning. In July of 2006 we purchased a 2007 Mazda CX-7. When we bought the car, we bought the fog lights as an additional option. After the fog lights came in and we picked them up from the dealership we decided to install them ourselves at home due to the high cost of installation at the dealership. When we went to install the lights, there were no hook-ups in the car for them to even work. After calling the dealership about this, we found out that unless you bought the model with the power seats, the fog lights are not supposed to be an option. This was not explained when we made the purchase and paid for the lights, and was even listed as an option on the Mazda website for this model at the time. After contacting Mazda directly and expressing that it was not our fault that they do not know the equipment they are selling, they decided to reimburse us for the fog lights. Fine. (However, to this day there are fog lights on the car that will not work due to Mazda's failure to thoroughly know the cars that they are selling).

Now, we again find ourselves at a complete loss and amazement at the unethical practices that Fairway Mazda, and Mazda corporation themselves will try to pull with consumers. The car now has approximately 32,000 miles on it, and the turbocharger is blown. This alone should tell anyone that there is an obvious problem with the car to begin with since the miles are so low and for such a thing to have happened.

The factory warranty is good for 36,000 miles, or so you would think. We turned the car in to the dealership for this to be addressed, and were told they needed all of the receipts for the oil changes to prove that we have done all normal maintenance for the warranty to cover it. While it was difficult to find all of the receipts for the past 2 years, we did finally search around the house enough to turn them all in. After the receipts were turned in, and proving that we have changed the oil as you should, we are now told by FAIRWAY MAZDA that they will not honor the warranty. The reason? They claim that the oil was black and chunky in the car when we turned it in and that the oil filter was collapsed. Isn't it funny how this claim is being made after all receipts are turned in to prove that we have done the maintenance, and now there is a new reason for not honoring the warranty?

We told the dealership when we turned the car in that it was due for an oil change, but did not want to change it prior to turning it in to the dealership since we put synthetic oil in the car and knew that they would drain the oil when we turned it in. The reason that the oil is black is because the turbocharger is out, which anyone that knows mechanics can tell you that this will cause the overheating and cook the oil and damage the seals, and which is the entire reason it was taken in for warranty service to start with. As for the collapsed oil filter? There are two at home in the garage right now that will show when you remove the filter for the oil change it will twist and collapse because of the design of the engine itself. We are now told by both FAIRWAY MAZDA and Mazda corporation that they will not honor the warranty and there is nothing else we can do.

To that I say fine. However, I cannot in good faith not share my story with others to warn them about this.

This is one car dealership that obviously does not care about their customers and has no sense of ethical business practices. They have been rude from the beginning, and had I known when I bought the car the level that they will stoop to get out of covering a warranty related issue, I never would have purchased anything from them.

In closing, FAIRWAY MAZDA IS A DEALERSHIP THAT YOU NEVER WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH.
 
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wow that sucks!! Mine has almost 70k miles and no engine problems and anything i can complain
 
I'm sorry to hear about your issues...I don't have a 2.3 DISI engine but I do have several concerns with my local Mazda Dealership. I also had a turbo blow at just under 50K. I called my Local Dealership which also happens to be the ever so special "MAZDASPEED" dealer to ask how much the turbo would cost to replace. The answer was that my car didn't have a turbo to replace...?? Then the Parts person and service person both found the need to tell me that I know nothing about my car and that the turbo on there must have been placed by the previous owner and that my sedan was in fact a wagon??? I had to laugh. I obviously never called them again!! How can you be a MazdaSpeed Dealer and not know what car started the whole Mazdaspeed thing off? and how can you treat a customer that actually knows what he's talking about like that. I was soooo pissed!! Still am.
 
2007 CX-7 with 40k on it. Absolutely no problems. Fantastic service at my dealer. You came to the wrong place for your witch hunt. I've owned 5 new Mazda's from the same dealer. All were great cars and the service is second to none.
 
I'm locking this thread until I get a ruling from the forum owner on whether he wants to allow this type of thing on here.
 
2007 CX-7 with 40k on it. Absolutely no problems. Fantastic service at my dealer. You came to the wrong place for your witch hunt. I've owned 5 new Mazda's from the same dealer. All were great cars and the service is second to none.

Right...Sharing your experiences (good or bad) on the forums is fine but trying to gather negative feedback from random Members for your own purposes...Ultimately, to use against your local Dealer and Mazda is not the purpose of this community.


I'm locking this thread until I get a ruling from the forum owner on whether he wants to allow this type of thing on here.

I agree with Mazda3's initial decision to close the thread. However, I'm going to open it on the condition that this thread NOT be used for negative, legal or press purposes.

As part of this condition...I've removed the parts of the original post that violate the above condition and I've updated the thread title as well.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

I hope everything works out for you.
 
Think we are making a mistake by not shutting down a potential legal issue. Too much said already. I sure would not want this site on a court docket with the person starting this thread. JMO. Ed
 
Mazda corp

Well ,mine has been overheating now for 60 days and the dealers I've gone to just stick thier heads in the sand and say Nothing is wrong. Of course they don't test it under the conditions I say it overheats, they only go around the block, not up a hill, or pull a trailer. mazda tells a customer to tell the dealer how the problem happens so they can duplicate it, but then the dealers don't test properly. So mine may have a blown turbo soon.

The problem narrows down to To high exhaust temp from lean condition, and/or to much timing advance. Shift pattern may play a role also.
 
sorry about your situation, that sucks.

what brand oil filters did you use? i have two cars with the 2.3 DISI, and have done every oil change myself. I have not seen a crushed filter yet. i always use the factory one, and it doesn't seem to twist or crush at all.
 
Well, my membership at this forum is coming to an end. I got rid of the mazda mechanical nightmare headache I had, and bought good old domestic again. 08 Dodge Dakota with lifetime powertrain warranty. It's been real, its been fun, but it hasnt been real fun.

bye
 
Anyone want to tell him that a lifetime warranty won't be good if the automaker goes under? ;)

20k on my 7, no problems (except the fuel cap thing).
 
i think that is just sad, someone bought a car and oh no, had a problem with it! Every problem he had yes, was mostly in part of bad training at that dealreship or employees but to throw a fit about it to a website of mazda owners and devote loyal owners at that is just stupid. And to think, this guy got mad because he never took it to his dealer for oil changes or service, then assumed that something went wrong and mazda will shell out 3k on a vehicle they havent seen since it was new to fix it under waranty? I can honestly say that my dealers service rep DOES NOT waranty engines and things if we dotn have proof of maintenance, why should mazda, so they can go under fixing every little thing like GM did? I hope he enjoys his new Dakota they are huge piles with TSB lists growing like crazy. Enjoy!
 
Mazda has ceated a real NIGHTMARE for themselves...

Building a relatively inexpensive turbo vehicle, as opposed to the RDX, that has such a GREAT appeal to the teeny-bopper "boy-racer" "set", actual age notwithstanding, has clearly been a serious mistake.

Aftermarket CAI, BOV, and even engine ECU re-flashes. Notice how many of these purchasers KNOW they must return the vehicle to stock form before requesting warranty service....??!!

I'd bet this is forcing Mazda into a bit of "age" profiling, or maybe even "effective" age profiling. I certainly wouldn't want to be a person under 25 taking a CX-7 in for warranty service.

"Dirty" oil due to a failed turbo...?? Wouldn't that require a LOT of driving after the fact, after it was long obvious that the turbo had failed...??

A collapsed oil filter...??

Due to engine design...??

I have been a DIYer for my entire life, starting with our farm tractor back in the 1950's and I have NEVER encountered an oil filter that collapsed dring installation. I do have memory of at least ONE time having to drive a screwdriver through an oil filter in order to remove it since it has been tightened so much at installation it "collapsed" when trying to remove it with a standard wrench.

"As for the collapsed filter.." "there are two at home.."

If you told the dealer this then I have complete understanding of why they, and Mazda, are refusing warranty service. Who, or why, would anyone keep "removed" oil filters around. Certainly not collapsed ones that could be used as proof or abuse, CERTAIN proof.

My removed oil filters get drained of oil and then immediately deposited in the nearest garbage/trash container.

Oh, should you decide to take this issue over to the legal side you will need to find a way to delete all these posts that quite clearly designate you to the "boy-racer" set...


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'79 Trans AM Special Edition..........FULL DESCRIPTION.

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Done a shift knob and valve caps for now. Going to install my system in it starting with my 6 1/2 inch polks in the front this weekend. Want to do a Programmer(when they come out), boost controller, and a turbo timer. That will prolly be it on the CX-7.



Programmer...??? what is that, did you get one..??

Boost controller...?? Did you get one, is that why your turbo failed...??


_________________________________

Hello CX-7 owners,
We are currently looking for a CX-7 to develop and test an XCEL Cold Air Intake and Blow off valve kit. We will also examine the car to determine if our MazdaSPEED6 downpipe will transfer over. The downpipe made insane horsepower with a high flow cat on the MazdaSPEED6.

http://www.cp-e.com/2033.html?open=0,6

All testing was done on a completely stock car, only modification was the downpipe.

We would need the car for 1-2 weeks and a loaner car will be provided, give us a call if you are in the Washington D.C. Area.

Parts will not void any warranties, they are simple bolt on's. The intake is guarenteed to not set a CEL and everything will be FREE!!!

Your response was....


I could be in the area, if given a weeks notice or so. I live in savannah, ga. and just got mine last weekend.

...and just got mine...

Are you really sure you removed ALL evidence of this MOD before taking it in to the dealer..??
 
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unethical Dealer

I agree and know how you feel. I have been treated badly to, even after being nice to them. At

Robberson Ford Mazda
2100 NE 3rd
Bend, OR 97701
541.382.4521
 
I have been a DIYer for my entire life, starting with our farm tractor back in the 1950's and I have NEVER encountered an oil filter that collapsed dring installation. I do have memory of at least ONE time having to drive a screwdriver through an oil filter in order to remove it since it has been tightened so much at installation it "collapsed" when trying to remove it with a standard wrench.

You do understand that our filters are cartridge type and not the ol' spin-on canister that many of us are used to? I would agree that I have never encountered an oil filter that collapsed during installation, but I also have never changed oil on anything that doesn't use a spin-on filter.
 

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