Missing gasket in rear muffler.

[Chris_Top_Her]

Discovered the other day that my vehicle did not have a gasket installed (there should be one there LF45-40-305) at the connection between the rear muffler and the main exhaust pipe. It's a &12 part and the dealership is trying to make me pay for it. I told them I shouldn't be paying for a part that was supposed to be installed at the factory. They told me because I put a different muffler on I would have to contact Mazda. Ofc, theiremail system is down and the phone is after hours so I will have to call tomorrow. If I didn't remove the exhaust I would have had to wait for corrosion to cause a leak and then find out no gasket was installed (no gasket = condensation+soot building in the joint). My old Ford Escape came shipped without an air cabin filter and they gave me the part no problem, even after a few years when I decided to change it. I'll see what Mazda says but so far I'm not impressed with the dealership's action. Also anyone else notice a missing gasket (it's a ring type gasket that goes around the rom of the joint)?

 

[paris1]

Assuming you disassembled the muffler from the pipe in order to put an aftermarket muffler on, why would you expect the dealer to take your word that there was no gasket. Why is he not just as likely to think "this guy screwed up the flange gasket taking it out and now he expects Mazda to pay for his mistake. So I'll just have him take it up with Mazda rather than get in the middle of this." And how much could a flange gasket cost anyway? Pick your battles, man!

 

[CX-SV]

Agreed w/paris1, not surprised by dealer response in this situation.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

The bad part is that under normal circumstances I would have never known the gasket was missing. Bad customer service IMO. You have to know when to give benefit of doubt and when not to; these same people I've done my oil change there, tsb order, bought accessories and the 30k car, and I'm trying to bs them on a $12 part. So what if others are missing gaskets? Mazda has to supply the missing part of anyone who takes it in. It's not the $ it's the principle. I worked retail for 5 years and having a "their fault" attitude towards issues is a bad way to go about customer service (especially regular customers). I am curious if this is just a fluke or if others had the same issue.

 

[mixmasterlove]

The bad part is that under normal circumstances I would have never known the gasket was missing. Bad customer service IMO. You have to know when to give benefit of doubt and when not to; these same people I've done my oil change there, tsb order, bought accessories and the 30k car, and I'm trying to bs them on a $12 part. So what if others are missing gaskets? Mazda has to supply the missing part of anyone who takes it in. It's not the $ it's the principle. I worked retail for 5 years and having a "their fault" attitude towards issues is a bad way to go about customer service (especially regular customers). I am curious if this is just a fluke or if others had the same issue.

Can u post a pix of the missing part and where it should b? Im gonna check mine

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Can u post a pix of the missing part and where it should b? Im gonna check mine

he other end is the same. The main exhaust pipe extends a little bit to the inside of the pipe, and that recess which is present on both sides, is where the gasket goes.

 

[MikeM.]

he other end is the same. The main exhaust pipe extends a little bit to the inside of the pipe, and that recess which is present on both sides, is where the gasket goes.

It obviously had a gasket in there when you took it apart because the black soot ends at the gasket recess. It probably just fell out and you lost it.

 

[nizzy1115]

he other end is the same. The main exhaust pipe extends a little bit to the inside of the pipe, and that recess which is present on both sides, is where the gasket goes.

It obviously had a gasket in there when you took it apart because the black soot ends at the gasket recess. It probably just fell out and you lost it.

I agree.

 

[MikeM.]

The bad part is that under normal circumstances I would have never known the gasket was missing. Bad customer service IMO. You have to know when to give benefit of doubt and when not to; these same people I've done my oil change there, tsb order, bought accessories and the 30k car, and I'm trying to bs them on a $12 part. So what if others are missing gaskets? Mazda has to supply the missing part of anyone who takes it in. It's not the $ it's the principle. I worked retail for 5 years and having a "their fault" attitude towards issues is a bad way to go about customer service (especially regular customers).

Benefit of the doubt? I don't see much room for doubt here. You removed the stock muffler, drove the car without any muffler and then claim they forgot to install the gasket at the factory and b**** and moan about how they don't want to give you a free part. The gasket was likely stuck to the exhaust flange and fell off when you went for a joy ride without the muffler.

I'm GLAD Mazda refused to give you a free gasket - I don't want to have to pay extra to cover people who think the world revolves around their version of reality.

 

[CX-SV]

Yes MikeM^, unfortunately that sounds like the chain of events leading to missing gasket. Maybe the neighbors** annoyed by the unmuffled ricer-like sound will find the gasket on street.

Pay the $12, no prob.

** Note: not driven around neighborhood

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Wow Mike M. you don't know me. Of course I will b**** about a factory part missing from my 7 month car, that was only discovered because of an action I took on my own behalf. Correct me if I'm wrong but under normal circumstances, Mazda does not disassemble your muffler/exhaust when you go get routine maintenance. I don't have integrity issues where I need to scam a company that I bought a $30k car from for a $12 part needed for the $600 exhaust I just bought. I can't even believe you would even imply that I, or any other poster on this forum would do some petty s*** like that. Maybe in your fantasy where people are just out to rip of companies that's what I am trying to do, but your mistaken. Judging by your posts you seem to be a pessimist and obviously like scenarios where someone is subject to negativity. Regardless of whether or not I drove with the muffler off or not (which was really just to hear the sound and fyi CS-V it was not "around the neighborhood"), the gasket was not there. I went and bought it from a dealer who had it in stock; It will fall off as soon as you remove the muffler, and it's not hidden or stuck inside the pipe. The instructions even call for the re-use of the gasket which was not present. I'm not about to half ass work on my car and I don't try to do work that is over my ability (like lowering my car). And really, you're glad that companies just assume customers are wrong/lying? Companies don't make mistakes? That's why my hood has parts on order to reduce shake right? Even worse that you two are high posting members and have a bad attitude like that; surprising because I generally don't see douchebag remarks like that from CS-V. In fact Mike you sound like you would fit in great at a company that doesn't give a s*** about it's customers but wants to be right all the time. Ready to offer good information when you can supply it and then eager to shoot someone/something down when you have the opportunity. As a consumer and former retail employee I find your attitude towards how customers should be treated and what they should expect to be disgusting. Pathetic IMO. But then again internet is the #1 outlet for assholes.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

For the Guy who asked here is the gasket.

And there was not obviously a gasket there. Other than the simple fact that no gasket was there, only the inside of the rim shows any signs of wear or corrosion, which from the exhaust pipe that extends into it. That oxidation is from the pipe itself. The middle and outside of the rim show no marks from the gasket that should have been there. The blackcsoot ends where it does because the pipe extends slightly into the muffler, it does not end directly at the opening.

 

[MikeM.]

Wow Mike M. you don't know me. Of course I will b**** about a factory part missing from my 7 month car, that was only discovered because of an action I took on my own behalf. Correct me if I'm wrong but under normal circumstances, Mazda does not disassemble your muffler/exhaust when you go get routine maintenance. I don't have integrity issues where I need to scam a company that I bought a $30k car from for a $12 part needed for the $600 exhaust I just bought. I can't even believe you would even imply that I, or any other poster on this forum would do some petty s*** like that.

I didn't say you were trying to scam a company. I said the photographic evidence indicates your CX-5 was delivered with a gasket in the proper position on the muffler flange and I speculated that it likely fell off at some point after you disassembled the flange joint and before you returned from your muffler free joy-ride. The photo doesn't lie. The complete lack of carbon soot on the gasket seating area is proof of this. There is no other way to explain the distinct lack of soot in this very specific region considering the carbon soot on all other surfaces in the vicinity. I also said I'm glad Mazda did not give you a free gasket because there is no evidence to indicate your car was not delivered with a properly installed gasket. In fact, the evidence proves your car did have a properly installed gasket.

In light of this, why do you think you deserve something for free at the expense of other consumers?

BTW, I do not believe that a lack of knowledge or inability to correctly interpret a clear photograph is evidence of a scam and I never made that charge. But I am glad that Mazda is not generously passing at free parts to those who made a mistake. Remember, I am a consumer too and I do not want to pay extra for that.

 

[Jaleik]

I'm pretty sure that it would be noticeably louder without the gasket in place... At least that was the case with every other mufflers I've seen that had damaged/missing muffler gaskets.

 

[TreyP]

I have professionally installed many exhaust systems back when I worked as a mechanic, and I agree that it would have been loud enough to notice without the gasket in, and also agree that the picture indicates that it was in there all along.

However, I don't know where the idea that he drove it without the muffler and that is when it fell out came from. I must have missed that part. I thought he took it apart, didn't see the gasket, and THEN drove it to the dealer. In fact, he didn't even say that was the car he drove to the dealer.

 

[Jaleik]

However, I don't know where the idea that he drove it without the muffler and that is when it fell out came from. I must have missed that part. I thought he took it apart, didn't see the gasket, and THEN drove it to the dealer. In fact, he didn't even say that was the car he drove to the dealer.

I also noticed that, I don't see anywhere where it was said he drove the car without a muffler.

 

[TreyP]

Regardless of whether or not I drove with the muffler off or not (which was really just to hear the sound ...

Ok, so he does state in a later post that he did drive it without the muffler, but unless the original post was edited, he was accused of it before he stated it. Whatever, not my battle, but for the record, I am NOT glad that the dealer refused to give out a $12 part on a $30.000 car. If Chris is upset enough he will take his business elsewhere the next time he needs a new car. Penny-wise, dollar-stupid on Mazda's part, IMO.

 

[MikeM.]

Ok, so he does state in a later post that he did drive it without the muffler, but unless the original post was edited, he was accused of it before he stated it.

Why is everyone so testy around here? I didn't "accuse" him of driving it without the muffler before anything - he posted a video and audio track of the car being driven with the open exhaust last Friday:

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123826261-Corksport-CX-5-Exhaust/page3

It's not an accusation - it's a fact.

What I can't understand is why Chris is upset with his local Mazda dealer for not giving him a free part to cover for the fact that he lost the OEM exhaust gasket while wrenching on his new car but he appears to have no hard feelings towards the aftermarket supplier of his expensive new muffler/exhaust ($600 + S/H) who didn't even feel generous enough to include a new exhaust gasket after spending that kind of money.

If Chris is upset enough he will take his business elsewhere the next time he needs a new car.

If you have ever known anyone in the auto business, you would know that you can't please everyone all the time. I would prefer that the initial purchase price of cars and parts is kept low enough that there isn't enough margin left to provide freebies to those who lose the part and then claim it was missing to begin with.

 

[TreyP]

I was not aware of the video, as it wasn't mentioned anywhere in this thread.

As for giving away a gasket, or even thousands of gaskets over the years, that probably cost Mazda 50 cents causing the cost of the cars to go up, I disagree. They make plenty of profit as it is, regardless of the so-called invoice vs MSRP prices.

Even when you feel the customer is wrong, sometimes it makes sense to smile, nod and say "Here you go sir, sorry for the inconvenience". That's how you keep customers, not by strong-arming the fact that you feel you are right and the customer is wrong.

And for the record, I'm not testy at all, just stating my opinion based on the posts in this thread.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Again I didn't lose the gasket; it was not there. That is my point. And you still being a hardass, insisting that the item was lost. s***, by your logic I might be paying for the parts to have my hood tightened, because the initial purchase price is so low. The real issue here is insisting that the item was lost or damaged, not so much from you (since you've already established in this thread and some of your other posts the type of person you are), but the dealership. Like I said previously you would fit in great at that Mazda dealership or any company in general with crappy ethics and arrogant attitude. People aren't testy around here. People just don't like dealing with disrespectful people in general; especially on a community forum where we come to talk about something we have in common and enjoy. That picture is a new gasket. That gasket, once used will be inundated with soot and oxidation and leave a mark all around the area that it was seated. Before I even posted the gasket picture, you had already made an assumption based off of my first post. Unless you are comparing that picture to your own muffler in the same disassembled state, with your gasket removed (if it's there) , I don't see how you can come to the conclusion that it was definitely there.
If you prefer to go around assuming people have no integrity and that (auto) companies should try to use any excuse to charge a customer for missing/defective/damaged items then that's your choice. From my varied experiences living and traveling in different areas of the US and Europe, that is not how good businesses operate nor how consumers expect them to operate.

Why is everyone so testy around here? I didn't "accuse" him of driving it without the muffler before anything - he posted a video and audio track of the car being driven with the open exhaust last Friday:

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123826261-Corksport-CX-5-Exhaust/page3

It's not an accusation - it's a fact.

What I can't understand is why Chris is upset with his local Mazda dealer for not giving him a free part to cover for the fact that he lost the OEM exhaust gasket while wrenching on his new car but he appears to have no hard feelings towards the aftermarket supplier of his expensive new muffler/exhaust ($600 + S/H) who didn't even feel generous enough to include a new exhaust gasket after spending that kind of money.





If you have ever known anyone in the auto business, you would know that you can't please everyone all the time. I would prefer that the initial purchase price of cars and parts is kept low enough that there isn't enough margin left to provide freebies to those who lose the part and then claim it was missing to begin with.