I have had a few issues with my CX-5, but nothing big like some have had. It seems that my expectations were not being met for fixing these issues by the local dealership. I contacted Mazda and we agreed on another (Per Mazda) dealership that was "the best in your state". I drove the 120 miles there and left the vehicle for a long weekend and received a loaner. All of the issues were taken care of, and parts were in overnight if they did not have them in stock. My question for the poll is which has caused you more headaches, the fact that a new vehicle has problems, or the lack of a competent local service department. I love my CX-5, but there is not a vehicle out there that will not need service. I understand that service departments are not like fast food chains, a burger has less variables and only costs a couple of bucks, than an intermittent squeak or rattle on a 25K vehicle. My frustration seems to be with Mazda Corporate not enforcing standards on their dealership service departments about customer service. I got it, you will not be able to replicate everything a customer tells you about, but apply some critical thinking and LOOK for something wrong. The second dealership I took my vehicle to was a world apart from the local one, but I am not buying another vehicle that I have to take 120 miles from the second largest city in my state, to the largest city in the state for repairs should they arise.
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Vehicle or Dealership causing you headaches?
Yup. I had a CEL go on after 1000 miles, it was I guess the rear o2 sensor. Was at dealer for 10 days!! Lied to about what was happening, they were rude and combative before I even got irritated(like off the bat as a strategy even though i was cool and understanding) and I will never go back there again. I can't believe they would let me get so close to lemon law, over a sensor, by using 3 day shipping twice. Hell, I posted my code here, someone answered according to Mazda etc. that is the second o2 sensor on bank 1, first 5 days there, they ordered and replaced first o2 sensor... It was actually my Worst by far experience at a dealer just because their incompetence was evident the whole time. My wife has a higher milage infinity we have had for like 8 years and everytime it goes in, the service is incredible, and they fix it and even keep it real on what is not worth fixing since we are not going to have it much longer. Of course You pay for it, but that is what dealer service is about, and always a loaner(even on simple inexpensive work) and never rudeness or incompetence.
I hear you man, I will never go to that Mazda dealer again, and if something else comes up I am calling Mazda north America like you did and letting them know I am 5 days away from a lemon law, where do you want me to go, because it will never be where I bought it.
I hear you man, I will never go to that Mazda dealer again, and if something else comes up I am calling Mazda north America like you did and letting them know I am 5 days away from a lemon law, where do you want me to go, because it will never be where I bought it.
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"they were rude and combative before I even got irritated(like off the bat as a strategy even though i was cool and understanding"
sometimes I think we don't always come off as cool and understanding as we think.
"if something else comes up I am calling Mazda north America like you did and letting them know I am 5 days away from a lemon law"
That doesn't sound like something that someone that starts out understanding would plan in advance to say. And the lemon law thing doesn't look like a cut and dry 15 days and you walk with money, it looks like a big headache of different steps and procedures and possible arbitration.
sometimes I think we don't always come off as cool and understanding as we think.
"if something else comes up I am calling Mazda north America like you did and letting them know I am 5 days away from a lemon law"
That doesn't sound like something that someone that starts out understanding would plan in advance to say. And the lemon law thing doesn't look like a cut and dry 15 days and you walk with money, it looks like a big headache of different steps and procedures and possible arbitration.
My dealer is very cool (North Penn). I negotiated free H&R spring installation during purchase. The plan was to return to the dealer once the roof rack came in and we'd get both taken care of. After a week of owning the car, my wife and I dug the stock height so we passed on buying springs. When I returned for the roof rack, I spoke with the service manager for 5 minutes and BAM, he installed my hitch and aligned my new rim/tire set instead. This is what happens at a legit dealer, Flemington would have said no. Mazda has a few "enthusiast" dealers, the trick is to find one close to you. This is important to me as I also drive a tuned miata. The same can be said about VW, ie Linden.
Thanks for the responses so far, I marked the all of the above (1-3) as the vehicle issues were compounded by the dealership service issues and that I had found such good service at a distant dealership. I just do not see how Mazda has not recognized the loss they are facing from bad service departments. We all expect the sales side to vary, and prepare when we go buy a vehicle. I did not even think about service issues such as no loaner vehicles, but that will never happen again. With Mazda's driving and experience of driving capabilities being one of their biggest differentiators about their vehicles, I would expect they had good service departments as they have less dealerships than most vehicle brands.
As far as the lemon law stuff, the threshold on how much you spend versus the attitude of getting your vehicle fixed is an understandable course of action. You can take back something in most retail places fairly easily if it doesn't work, yet the system of systems that are modern vehicles have much more that can be repaired. When you cannot even get something that could be repaired looked at seriously, then parts are constantly on order (not due to their availability) because of incompetent managing of the repair process, it is easy to think "I am going to get rid of this headache". There is a reason for the lemon laws, and if Mazda cannot realize that the vehicles which can be repaired/rebuilt almost from a total loss could be returned under the lemon law due to MISMANAGEMENT of the repair process, they can make/keep more of their profit.
I am glad to see that people have had better experiences with their CX-5, I am loving mine even with the issues I have had. I think that if Mazda applied the same process evaluation and process change they did in engineering the SKYACTIV suite of redesign to their dealerships (what control they could) then the brand would excel. As of now, the practical and thorough redesign of their vehicle line is being hamstrung by the lack of positive uniformity in their service departments on a technical and management level, at least for me. Logistics is an integral part of the purchase of a vehicle, maintenance is one part of the logistical tail.
I did not try to get a hold of Mazda corporate first, I went round and round with the local dealership all the way up the chain. Of course, my frustration snowballed as things did not progress without obstacles being thrown up at the dealership, but my frustration was not with my vehicle.
As far as the lemon law stuff, the threshold on how much you spend versus the attitude of getting your vehicle fixed is an understandable course of action. You can take back something in most retail places fairly easily if it doesn't work, yet the system of systems that are modern vehicles have much more that can be repaired. When you cannot even get something that could be repaired looked at seriously, then parts are constantly on order (not due to their availability) because of incompetent managing of the repair process, it is easy to think "I am going to get rid of this headache". There is a reason for the lemon laws, and if Mazda cannot realize that the vehicles which can be repaired/rebuilt almost from a total loss could be returned under the lemon law due to MISMANAGEMENT of the repair process, they can make/keep more of their profit.
I am glad to see that people have had better experiences with their CX-5, I am loving mine even with the issues I have had. I think that if Mazda applied the same process evaluation and process change they did in engineering the SKYACTIV suite of redesign to their dealerships (what control they could) then the brand would excel. As of now, the practical and thorough redesign of their vehicle line is being hamstrung by the lack of positive uniformity in their service departments on a technical and management level, at least for me. Logistics is an integral part of the purchase of a vehicle, maintenance is one part of the logistical tail.
I did not try to get a hold of Mazda corporate first, I went round and round with the local dealership all the way up the chain. Of course, my frustration snowballed as things did not progress without obstacles being thrown up at the dealership, but my frustration was not with my vehicle.
Bladecutter
Member
- :
- 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring
Well, my CX-5 is my second Mazda (2011 RX-8 Sport was the first), and I have not needed to take either in for service for any reason, as of yet.
I had ~26k miles on the RX-8 when I traded it in for the CX-5, and every single one of them were flawless.
Should I ever have a problem with my CX-5, or any future Mazda, I have 10 different dealers within 100 miles of me.
By the looks of things, your closest dealer is Hiley Mazda, and the one you most likely went to was Med Center Mazda down in Pelham.
Aren't there two other dealers between your dealer and that one?
Serra Mazda and Alexander Mazda?
Neither of them were able to help you out?
BC.
I had ~26k miles on the RX-8 when I traded it in for the CX-5, and every single one of them were flawless.
Should I ever have a problem with my CX-5, or any future Mazda, I have 10 different dealers within 100 miles of me.
By the looks of things, your closest dealer is Hiley Mazda, and the one you most likely went to was Med Center Mazda down in Pelham.
Aren't there two other dealers between your dealer and that one?
Serra Mazda and Alexander Mazda?
Neither of them were able to help you out?
BC.
I just do not see how Mazda has not recognized the loss they are facing from bad service departments. .... With Mazda's driving and experience of driving capabilities being one of their biggest differentiators about their vehicles, I would expect they had good service departments as they have less dealerships than most vehicle brands.
I think that if Mazda applied the same process evaluation and process change they did in engineering the SKYACTIV suite of redesign to their dealerships (what control they could) then the brand would excel. As of now, the practical and thorough redesign of their vehicle line is being hamstrung by the lack of positive uniformity in their service departments on a technical and management level, at least for me. Logistics is an integral part of the purchase of a vehicle, maintenance is one part of the logistical tail.
Dealerships are independent businesses, not owned by Mazda. They are franchises. They operate under franchise agreements. Manufacturers/distributors continually battle with franchisees over operation of the franchises. The dealerships have an advantage of being able to band together. A national group of dealers is quite formidable. A state-wide group of dealers can ask the state's attorney general to intercede by claiming the manufacturer/distributor is violating fair trade laws within the state. (Just look at Texas suing Tesla because Tesla wants to avoid independent dealers and deal directly with customers.)
Mazda wants its dealers to operate as best as possible, just like you. But, Mazda can only choose franchisees from those that apply. And, once awarded a franchise, it is difficult for Mazda to take it away. Generally, the distributor/manufacturer can not pull a franchise; it can only try to convince a franchisee to sell. And, the distributor/manufacturer must have a better dealer lined up and ready to pay a sufficient price. Sometimes that's easy; sometimes not so easy.
If you really think your local dealer is bad; and, yes, you nailed it when you indicated having a good local dealer improves the ownership experience, then continually let Mazda know of your problems and frustrations. Frequent customer complaints is a good weapon for a distributor/manufacturer when trying to replace a bad or marginal dealer.
Sales department was not that great. I specifically asked for a model, interior & exterior color and one package. Spent too much time going back to the dealer when they called me, only to find out they tried to move me to another model and color. This caused me to drive to another town 10 miles away and wasted a half day. Grrrr. I wonder if franchises are the best way for manufactures to sell vehicles. Ed
BC- Glad that you have not had any issues, that is great on both vehicles and what we all want when we buy new. I did go to both those other dealerships for various reasons before issues came up, and both of them seemed to have good service departments. One is 60+ miles from me, and the other is about the same distance as Med Center Mazda. I was not trying to denigrate the local dealer, just vent my frustration, but since you have brought out the names, yes my local dealer is Hiley who also have an Audi and VW dealership on the same lot. The problem is the lack of leadership in the service department IMHO, the first part of the process for warranty issues is to verify the problem. When a problem that is intermittent is not found in a 2-3 mile test drive, how will it get fixed? (Try longer test drive, you have had my car ALL day....If I bring it in for something that rattles when cold, do NOT wait until mid day warm up to look for it....etc, etc....) I certainly would like ten dealerships closer than 100 miles to me to help with this, but time-wise, I did not even have space to get to the one 60 miles away without a loaner (Learned that after the purchase, MAZDA policy) and spend all day or have someone follow me there. The miles and time add up, furthering the headache of the local dealer being so unresponsive. The loaner program would be fixed if they (Mazda or dealership) would negotiate with a rental car company, then they are not even putting miles on a loaner. I think my insurance company can get a vehicle for me and it costs them $20 a day, if the service goes on to long Mazda can bill the dealership. Mazda corporate strongly recommended Med Center Mazda, and the service department manager there made it happen and fixed the issues I was having, no BS, no patronizing and I felt like someone that had spent good money on a good product when they were done.
notalk- I got it, but the whole franchise issue has got to have give and take. X number of bad complaints of whatever nature, we only give you half of what you ordered next month. Franchise contracts are supposed to be economically beneficial for both sides. In my case I reported the fraud that the local dealer had billed Mazda corporate for when they replaced the seat clips on the front seat by ordering six new ones, then sliding them OVER the fabric onto the rail... Thanks to me being able to see the TSB's here on this forum, I could prove to Mazda that they had not done what they billed them for. I think it was something like 1.8 hours total labor for the seat clip replacement, they took thirty seconds (after free-to-them parts were ordered for three weeks) to do it wrong again. Then for me, I get to go back again and they tell me again they will order the parts and let me know when they arrive. Not that I am saying it was done on purpose, Heinlein's razor will place them on the side of stupid over malicious, but now how am I supposed to trust them to get it right on a more serious issue. One of the TSB's for dash rattle says to remove the windshield and fix then replace the windshield. This is where the dealerships with REAL experience can save Mazda a boat load of money. The chance for breaking the windshield is there, the labor, the outside contractor for the removal/replacement of the windshield, the wait time for the customer.....etc, etc. I obtained some practical advice from someone when I balked at having my windshield removed for the TSB (no trust now, and no CX-5 windshields in our region after checking myself). Just cut sections of heater or other similar hose and place them between the dash and windshield. If you push them in far enough, you cannot even tell they are there, and no more rattle. Seems a lot better than removing the windshield......but the dealerships are being paid by Mazda to do this, so where is their incentive to let Corporate know to fix the fix....?
dergibog- can you specify what they are shady about? Perhaps you were just there on trench-coat Thursday or did you get a shady fix done when you went in for service?
erhayes- I guess my expectations for my local service department should have been what I had for sales. I expect sales to try and screw me, that is what they do, get people into things that they may or may not be able to afford, then their job is done. Service is a long term thing, and gets more frequent the older the vehicle anyway, so cultivating a good relationship with customers could bring them more money. I hate that the sales side jerked you around, be thankful that you had another dealer near there, my closest is 60+ miles and further.
Mazda corporate has SOME control over dealership service departments, I cannot imagine the techs go to anyone but corporate for their training, or specialty equipment. Mazda could fix the loaner issue by getting with a rental company and negotiating a rate with them. Franchises by their nature require uniformity on several levels, how about the service departments having to report EVERY complaint under warranty to Mazda, and Mazda following up with the issues (email does not require a stamp). My dealerships was at first BEGGING for 10's on their reviews, so many claims of how Mazda would punish them if they didn't get 10's. Well they did not get a blanket 10 from me at first, the scale is there for a reason, it did not seem to have any effect I could see......now I am not solicited for any surveys..... By the way, the lack of uniformity of my local dealer was so bad, they had a generic service sheet, did not even use the Full Circle Mazda forms, yet all the signs in the service dept were touting the Full Circle Service inspection and form.
My CX-5 is a great vehicle, no butts after that statement.
notalk- I got it, but the whole franchise issue has got to have give and take. X number of bad complaints of whatever nature, we only give you half of what you ordered next month. Franchise contracts are supposed to be economically beneficial for both sides. In my case I reported the fraud that the local dealer had billed Mazda corporate for when they replaced the seat clips on the front seat by ordering six new ones, then sliding them OVER the fabric onto the rail... Thanks to me being able to see the TSB's here on this forum, I could prove to Mazda that they had not done what they billed them for. I think it was something like 1.8 hours total labor for the seat clip replacement, they took thirty seconds (after free-to-them parts were ordered for three weeks) to do it wrong again. Then for me, I get to go back again and they tell me again they will order the parts and let me know when they arrive. Not that I am saying it was done on purpose, Heinlein's razor will place them on the side of stupid over malicious, but now how am I supposed to trust them to get it right on a more serious issue. One of the TSB's for dash rattle says to remove the windshield and fix then replace the windshield. This is where the dealerships with REAL experience can save Mazda a boat load of money. The chance for breaking the windshield is there, the labor, the outside contractor for the removal/replacement of the windshield, the wait time for the customer.....etc, etc. I obtained some practical advice from someone when I balked at having my windshield removed for the TSB (no trust now, and no CX-5 windshields in our region after checking myself). Just cut sections of heater or other similar hose and place them between the dash and windshield. If you push them in far enough, you cannot even tell they are there, and no more rattle. Seems a lot better than removing the windshield......but the dealerships are being paid by Mazda to do this, so where is their incentive to let Corporate know to fix the fix....?
dergibog- can you specify what they are shady about? Perhaps you were just there on trench-coat Thursday or did you get a shady fix done when you went in for service?
erhayes- I guess my expectations for my local service department should have been what I had for sales. I expect sales to try and screw me, that is what they do, get people into things that they may or may not be able to afford, then their job is done. Service is a long term thing, and gets more frequent the older the vehicle anyway, so cultivating a good relationship with customers could bring them more money. I hate that the sales side jerked you around, be thankful that you had another dealer near there, my closest is 60+ miles and further.
Mazda corporate has SOME control over dealership service departments, I cannot imagine the techs go to anyone but corporate for their training, or specialty equipment. Mazda could fix the loaner issue by getting with a rental company and negotiating a rate with them. Franchises by their nature require uniformity on several levels, how about the service departments having to report EVERY complaint under warranty to Mazda, and Mazda following up with the issues (email does not require a stamp). My dealerships was at first BEGGING for 10's on their reviews, so many claims of how Mazda would punish them if they didn't get 10's. Well they did not get a blanket 10 from me at first, the scale is there for a reason, it did not seem to have any effect I could see......now I am not solicited for any surveys..... By the way, the lack of uniformity of my local dealer was so bad, they had a generic service sheet, did not even use the Full Circle Mazda forms, yet all the signs in the service dept were touting the Full Circle Service inspection and form.
My CX-5 is a great vehicle, no butts after that statement.
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- Mazdaspeed6
Out of the two dealerships in my area that I have used, both with servicing my Speed6 and CX-5, it has been a very positive experience overall.
I used Town North in Richardson, TX (where I bought my MS6 in 2006) for a couple of years, before I began using Classic in Denton. Both have great service departments.
I used Town North in Richardson, TX (where I bought my MS6 in 2006) for a couple of years, before I began using Classic in Denton. Both have great service departments.
My dealer is very cool (North Penn). I negotiated free H&R spring installation during purchase. The plan was to return to the dealer once the roof rack came in and we'd get both taken care of. After a week of owning the car, my wife and I dug the stock height so we passed on buying springs. When I returned for the roof rack, I spoke with the service manager for 5 minutes and BAM, he installed my hitch and aligned my new rim/tire set instead. This is what happens at a legit dealer, Flemington would have said no. Mazda has a few "enthusiast" dealers, the trick is to find one close to you. This is important to me as I also drive a tuned miata. The same can be said about VW, ie Linden.
You wouldn't be talking about North Penn Mazda in Pa south of Hatfield, would you?
Bladecutter
Member
- :
- 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring
Mazda of Lakewood in Colorado is shady mcshaderson.
No joke.
They, and Sil-TerHar in Broomfield, will never see me ever again in either one of their dealers, not even if I just need an oil filter to change the oil on my car.
I bought my RX-8 at McDonald, and my CX-5 at Gateway.
I also like Groove Mazda and Courtesy Mazda.
I had a good experience up at Spradley Barr up in Fort Collins, but I understand that most people don't have a good experience with their service department, from the RX-8 forum.
They pretty much refused to sell or service the RX-8's at all.
BC.
I know there are others here that have had different luck with Beasley (Austin's Mazda dealer with several locations) but I have had no issues. Bought mine at Mazda South (they had what I wanted in stock) and then I got my first service at Beasley Central while I was in Austin a few weeks ago. Both times I had no complaints with any of the service. When I bought the car, they delivered it right to my office -- talk about good customer service.
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