MSP Hesitation: Compiling list for Mazda USA

[Aaron]

I have gotten another reply from Mazda: Basically they said the dealership will be the one to state if this is a problem or not. What a waste of time. Well My MSP will going in Monday morning for this as well as a ticking like a lifter in the morning when started it seem to get quieter when the motor is nice and warm. I will be have the sevice guy drive my car with me and show him the hesitation issue.

from Mazda:

Dear Aaron,

Thank you for contacting Mazda North American Operations. I appreciate
the opportunity to respond to you.

Again, understand that all technical matters are, indeed, handled
through a Mazda dealership. We do not perform any repairs or
inspections from this office nor any of our corporate facilities or
factories. If there is ever a matter that requires technical
assistance, research, or corporate action in the form of a recall or
Special Service Program, all circumstances that involve a customer
vehicle will be handled through a Mazda dealership. In the event that
there is ever a model wide concern with any vehicle, Mazda dealerships
do receive all needed information, training, tools and support to
address any matters.

At this time, I have confirmed that there are no Special Service
Programs, recalls, or Technical Service Bulletins. If there is any
matter that requires repair, this may, as always, be addressed at a
Mazda dealership. They will be able to distinguish any problems with
your (or any) vehicle from normal operating characteristics. They may
enlist the assistance of Mazda Quality Assurance technical information
as needed. Therefore, your point of contact for any of these matters
remains to be the Service Manager at your dealership.

Rest assured, you have been heard and your comments have been
documented for corporate record. I have, further, forwarded them for
review by our Product Planning department.

Again, thank you for contacting Mazda. It has been my pleasure to
assist you. If for any reason this response has not completely
satisfied you, please feel free to reply to this message. You may also
contact our Customer Assistance Center toll-free at 1-800-222-5500.

Please take a moment of your time to give us your opinion about our
e-mail service. Click the link below to complete a brief, online
survey.

http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?5TYD85TYCGRDSLWVFE7RJ6R9

Regards,

William Zdan
Specialist, Customer Assistance E-Business

 

[ping]

...just so you guys remember the calculation, here it is again:

At the time of this writing, 67 poll respondents have indicated a problem with hesitation. That's 67 times $20,000, or a top-line revenue impact of $1,340,000. If all 2000 MSP's have this problem, that's over FORTY MILLION in top-line revenue. Considering that these cars typically sell for above sticker, that's a lot of DEALER revenue as well.

Mazda does not want PO'd dealers. They don't want PO'd customers. What they REALLY don't want is to PO the type of customer who buys a MSP. Here's why:

The MSP, as a Limited Edition car, is attracting the market demographic that Mazda needs. I'd guess our typical Buyer is in their 20's, buying a car early in their car-buying life, and is an "enthusiast" enough to influence the purchases of others. If Mazda treats us well, to Mazda's way of thinking we're Mazda buyers for life. We'll also influence others to consider Mazda.

We're a powerful group, us MSP buyers, and need to wield that power in our communications with Mazda. Two ways to do this:

1) EVERYONE who has this problem, visit the dealer, get it documented, and (importantly) write Mazda. Tell them you're in touch with a large number of MSP owners who share this concern, and that there's a strong movement afoot to approach Mazda as a Group (that's the group of people on this post).

2) Call Mazda and reply to their response, indicating the above, again.

3) Be professional and courteous for now. We want to develop a GOOD rapport with these guys, not a negative one. Anything we do that gets this publicized negatively hurts the resale value of OUR cars as well as hurting Mazda. We both lose. We want a win for both of us, and Mazda (from reading other posts) may be able to provide.

Still tabulating... I've already responded to their email response to me as follows:

a) Thank you for your time and attention.
b) I'm part of a large group of Mazdaspeed enthusiasts and am aware that this issue exists in over 98% of the MSP's in this Group (check the poll results).
c) We are anxiously awaiting Mazda's formal response
d) I will be visiting the Dealer to further document this issue.

Have at it!

 

[girth]

Hey guys. NOOB here -- been visiting the forum for a month or so and owned my Spicy Orange Speed for about 3 weeks.

Anyway, yup, I have the EXACT same hesitation problem that you all have. So frustrating. I cannot pinpoint a typical scenario when it happens -- but probably most often in 2,3,4 between 2k and redline. It's extremely unpredictable. Mine also seems to "stumble" on occasion under light acceleration (almost like a backfire without the noise).

Man I hope a fix is found for this! It's ruining my experience with the car!

 

[mtbjedi]

i am getting the hesitation when I punch the throttle, back off, then punch again in 3-4 gear...its almost like the ECU's control is getting "confused" about what I am doing..

Also when I punch at low rpm..I get the stumble girth just commented on.

 

[mtbjedi]

I see a ECU flash recall in our future......

 

[TampaBlackMSP]

Well, just got my first oil change/tire rotation/minor warranty work (driver's side window trim needing replacing)...and of course the dealer couldn't find anything wrong...yet. No bad codes, and no 'updates' from Mazda, as the Svc. Mgr. called them. But they were nice, and it seems as long as I'm a little patient, they'll fix it as soon as someone figures it out - he said he'd call me when word on a fix gets to them...

I'm at 5K now, and it still doesn't run as smooth and strong as it should all the time - minor stumbling/surging...But I can wait, it's only a matter of time. He also said I should call Mazda Cust. Svc. if for no other reason than they log all calls, and if enough of us get the word out to them (like we're trying to do now), something will happen...who knows...

Just a little update, as I just got it done yesterday.

 

[OrangeAppeal]

Went back to the dealership today for the bushings and clunk and dimming lights. Was told the bushings were "for some reason, defective" so they went ahead and replaced those again (we know where that leads). The dimming lights: "we found that the alternator belt was loose, soo we tightened it".

Now, the clunk..."Mazda is aware of the problem, but unfortunately they still don't have a fix. I will mark it down that you were in again for it." I will be talking to the Service Manager tomorrow morning (he was out today) to explain to him my unhappiness about it.

I also just got off the phone with a very polite customer service rep from Mazda Corporate, USA (Mazdaspeed - Rebecca, ext. 1148). She was unaware of the problem and said she would research it and get back to me...I also brought up the clunking issue, and she said she would look into it.

As soon as I hear something, I'll let you all know.
Peace,
Jesse

 

[twiztedjeckel]

mines the same as everybody elses. not much to add or tell

 

[ping]

Hmmm, back from a weekend away and I find... more of the same! Looks like this hesitation is endemic to the MSP (like we didn't know that).

Personal thought - dimming lights is probably an undersized battery - anyone replace theirs with a larger/higher capacity model? (OK, that's a subject for another thread). No response to my second communication with Mazda, I'm planning on summarizing this thread (no specific names mentioned, just the data) and sending to Mazda, working on getting a contact there who's higher than customer-service-rep level (no offense intended to anyone who's in Customer Service, of course) or who will champion our cause with MazdaUSA.

Thanks for the responses, all - thread and poll still open.

 

[TURBO3WAGON]

HALTECH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Keep up posted, everyone is going nuts with this crap.

 

[DaKidd]

same f'n responce I got when I called mazdaUSA... "problem?... what problem?... we do not have any record of such complaints from any other msp owners... :bs: ... Have u told ur dealer?"
I mean :wtf: ??? does their right hand even know what the hell their left hand is doing??? (scratch)

(rant) (flame) (argh) (pissed)



(mspb) (piss)


J/K i still love my s***!... just want them to admit that there is actualy a problem here!
boost good, hesitation bad.... mmmmkay?

 

[Turbo Matty P]

bump and stumble

I had to nickname my car " The 'Ole Bump&Stumble" because of it's horrible display of factory tuning. This car runs pig-rich at part throttle. I hope Mazda gets these posts in their entirity. I ran my car on a chasis dyno with wideband air/fuel metering and the other guys were all laughing at me. They've seen 16yr old kids come in who could tune a fuel curve better. I'm buying an APEXi S-AFC and fixing this crap myself. Mazda will just have to maintain my factory warranty AND reimburse for my parts and labor.

MAZDA OFFICIALS: start reading, comprehending and taking to heart what the automotive journalists tell you about your cars. The MAZDASPEED would own the sport compact market if you would just admit your ECU sucks and bump the horsepower where it needs to be 200-225+. Do this and you'll rule market you've sucked at for so long.

 

[mtbjedi]

I dropped my car off in the morning to the dealer for the clunk. I was called later at work and told that they drove the car and did not hear a clunk.

I told him I know I thunk I heard a clunk..I know the bushings are junk you punk!

I said I'd come down there to drive this dude around and he'd hear more clunk than he thunk. But he left at 3....

 

[Turbo Matty P]

hahaha

 

[ping]

A pop to the top as we sort out this slop
be writing to Mazda before the month stops

The stumbling and grumbling of all us here Whos
as we stumble along like our cars are on booze

The clunking and stumbling make us feel like buffoons
Talking to Mazda USA like they're a bunch of Baboons!

But we'll get this sorted, this bucking and snorting
this clunking and stumbling (but hold the match-porting)

I'll write then to Mazda, and you write them too
with numbers, and dollars, and persuasiveness poo
and respond they must, for we represent
Bunches and Bundles of dollars well spent

We're enthusiasts, and persuaders, and buyers of cars
who won't recommend any more of thars
'til this stumbling and bumbling and clunking is Fixed
Flash our ECU's, and get our Clunks nixed!

(any more votes, get back to me soon - this goes to Mazda this Saturday at Noon!)

-L Dixon ("ping")

 

[trekv2]

A pop to the top as we sort out this slop
be writing to Mazda before the month stops

The stumbling and grumbling of all us here Whos
as we stumble along like our cars are on booze

The clunking and stumbling make us feel like buffoons
Talking to Mazda USA like they're a bunch of Baboons!

But we'll get this sorted, this bucking and snorting
this clunking and stumbling (but hold the match-porting)

I'll write then to Mazda, and you write them too
with numbers, and dollars, and persuasiveness poo
and respond they must, for we represent
Bunches and Bundles of dollars well spent

We're enthusiasts, and persuaders, and buyers of cars
who won't recommend any more of thars
'til this stumbling and bumbling and clunking is Fixed
Flash our ECU's, and get our Clunks nixed!

(any more votes, get back to me soon - this goes to Mazda this Saturday at Noon!)

-L Dixon ("ping")

LOL good job thats funny
BTW this is my 100th post lol

 

[servoeyes]

Ok...so here's my .02:
Driving to car show yesterday (icky day...but no rain.) Take wrong turn...flooring it in 2nd to find a spot to turn around...3.7k-4.2k car starts bucking and acting like it's gonna stall...this is no longer the hesitation, but the stumble. Holy s*** I almost crapt my pantalones! I thought i threw a rod or something(never happened so I didn't know)...that is not a safe/good feeling. Today it was pouring outside...and a little cool, but it did it again a couple of times. Problem is I can't recreate it after it's just been done. Now...it's also been doing the almost stall where you punch it, then depress the clutch, and warning lights come up. Anybody know why that one happens? I have a theory, and it's something I should be able to figure out but just need some back up. What ever the case...these issues are being passed onto Mazda and my dealership. I have to drive down to TN 6/6, so it may have to wait until after that...but this is getting rediculous!!!

 

[mtbjedi]

A pop to the top as we sort out this slop
be writing to Mazda before the month stops

The stumbling and grumbling of all us here Whos
as we stumble along like our cars are on booze

The clunking and stumbling make us feel like buffoons
Talking to Mazda USA like they're a bunch of Baboons!

But we'll get this sorted, this bucking and snorting
this clunking and stumbling (but hold the match-porting)

I'll write then to Mazda, and you write them too
with numbers, and dollars, and persuasiveness poo
and respond they must, for we represent
Bunches and Bundles of dollars well spent

We're enthusiasts, and persuaders, and buyers of cars
who won't recommend any more of thars
'til this stumbling and bumbling and clunking is Fixed
Flash our ECU's, and get our Clunks nixed!

(any more votes, get back to me soon - this goes to Mazda this Saturday at Noon!)

-L Dixon ("ping")

When stepping on the gas our cars may stumble and shake
To mazda our case we soon make
Despite the little bugs these cars have
-The clunk, the little freeze when I hit the gas
I can admit a few issues my car has...

...I still think MY CAR KICKS ASS!!!!

 

[servoeyes]

here! here! Just a little scary sometimes...with all of these silly rhymes...doh!

 

[ping]

<ouch>