Stamperman
Member
- :
- Mazdaspeed3 & Mazda5
Hi!
I just recently had a bad service experience (at Mazdadiect, Columbus OH) and I wanted to share it with everyone. You can scroll to the end if you just want the basic info, as I will summarize it there.
This all started about around March 24, when my wife was driving our Mazda 5 to take our son to a birthday party. The party's location was in an outlying area where my wife has never had to drive before. During this trip she hit a very large pot hole on a main road at speed (probably 45). While the impact was violent the vehicle continued on without any issues for the remainder of the trip. This was on a Saturday.
I didn't find out about the pothole until the following Tuesday night, when she mention to me that she had a hit a pothole and that there was now a vibration in the steering wheel. The next morning I gave a quick glance at the wheel and tire on the passenger side's (the side that was hit) front. It was very early and still dark, but a quick glance didn't reveal any obvious problems.
For whatever reason my wife was home from work that day, and when taking out the trash she noticed the tire looked low. She checked it and it was at 12 PSI. That night, after dinner I used my compressor to fill the tire back up. However the next day, it was down to 10 PSI when I checked it in the evening. Every time I put air into the tire or checked it, it was dark out.
At this point enter the dealer, where when I purchased the car I also bought a wheel/tire insurance policy for bent wheels. I live in Central Ohio and the potholes can get bad here and the policy seemed like a very good idea, especially for the price. Knowing that we had this insurance and that our 5 need the TSB performed for the part throttle stumble issue, I had my wife set up a service appointment for the following Monday. During that time between we used my Speed3 and let the 5 sit. On Monday morning I filled the tire again for the trip to the dealer.
So my wife takes the car to the dealer and tells them that she hit a pot hole on the passenger side, to inspect the wheels and tires on that side for damage and if they find any to contact the wheel insurance company. She also told them to perform the TSB for the stumbling, and to call me for with any questions or when they found out what was wrong.
Later that day they call me and inform me that both passenger side wheels are bent and need replaced, and that we need an alignment, and that they don't have any info on the TSB, but that they are going to reflash the ECU with the latest code. I then instruct them to contact the insurance company and see if they will cover the cost for the wheels ( I was more concerned about the front one that was leaking air) and told them that there was a TSB for all 06/07 5's for the stumbling issue, but that it was just a reflash to cure the problem of ignition interference with the cam position sensor. So far, so good.
About 1/2 an hour later they call me back and inform me that insurance company has denied our claim. So, at this point I hang up with the dealer and call the insurance place, only to find out that they have been told that they have been told by the dealer the damage to the wheel looked like it had came from hitting a curb, which is not covered.
So I call the dealership back, where the service writer tells me he tells them that we hit a pothole. While we are at it I give him the TSB number as I have had time to look it up. Anyway, I'm mad at this point, and I'm actually irked that this guy won't look up the TSB and is not offering to call the insurance company and tell them we didn't hit a curb, but I don't want to piss this guy off, so I don't push it. He does tell me that software on our car was a really old version and the new one had a much higher revision level.
Anyway I get the car home after all this, with the damaged wheels and decide to take matters into my own hands. First, let me say that I'm an engineer and I drove a racecar that I built for over 14 years. I've also worked out of my garage for 10 years on other peoples cars to cover a lot of my racing costs. On top of that I'm an engineer for an automation company and have designed more machines that I can count that have put together everything from brake calipers, superchargers, steering racks, air conditioners, differentials and abs units. I know how this stuff goes together. I've also rebuilt engines and transmissions as well as everything else on a car. I'm not trying to brag, but I'm just trying to make the point that I know what I'm doing and talking about.
So I jack up the car and take off the front wheel, this actually being the first time I've actually inspected it in daylight, and right there in front of me is a big bulge where the front tire has a broken belt, and when I turn it over there is a huge impact mark on the inside of the rim. I beat the bent area back into a decent shape with my deadblow hammer, probably to the point where it will hold air again but decide not to put it back on the car due to the broken belt in the tire. So now I'm mad that the guys at the dealer can't identify what a broken belt looks like in a tire, and that I'm out the $$$ for a new Toyo too.
I decide to take the rear off and put it on the front and put the mini spare on the back, so off comes the rear wheel. The first thing I see? The rear shock has blown up from the impact and is spraying oil and crap everywhere. Major league spraying stuff, like emptying a full can of WD40 on it. So now I'm pissed that they can't tell what a blown shock looks like, and I know that they had that wheel off and on the balancer. Especially since the lugs were torqued way too tight when I took the wheel off.
So to follow up, my wife call the wheel insurance place the next day and plays nice and finds out the actual service writer is who told them it looked like curb damage (they had his name written down) and that if we could supply photos of the wheels that and prove that it wasn't curb damage that they would cover the cost of the wheel and tire that were leaking and damaged. At this point my wife all Mazda direct and had a discussion with the said service writer. I don't know what was said, but when she called me her response was "We will never buy a car from that dealership again, ever".
So here is the synopsis: The Service department at Mazda direct were not able to spot a broken belt on our front tire, a busted and leaking rear shock on the back, somehow managed to call a huge bend on the inside lip of a wheel "curb damage", were unwilling to look up TSB info (I don't care if the computer list all that info for the vehicle, look it up!) and then told a bold face lie (95% sure on this) to my wife about telling the insurance company that we had hit a pothole and not a curb. I was able to spot the tire and shock in 10 minutes of daylight inspection in my driveway, and I sure expect any member of a professional service department to be able to do the same or better.
They will never see either of our Mazdas again. Period. Luckily there are 2 other dealers in this town. Also after reviewing the photos the insurance company covered a replacement wheel and tire. I found a used wheel/tire on with 4000 miles on craigslist and bought that, and ordered the shock online for 3/5 of what they wanted for the part alone (that's another story). Installation took about 20 minute with hand tools.
I just recently had a bad service experience (at Mazdadiect, Columbus OH) and I wanted to share it with everyone. You can scroll to the end if you just want the basic info, as I will summarize it there.
This all started about around March 24, when my wife was driving our Mazda 5 to take our son to a birthday party. The party's location was in an outlying area where my wife has never had to drive before. During this trip she hit a very large pot hole on a main road at speed (probably 45). While the impact was violent the vehicle continued on without any issues for the remainder of the trip. This was on a Saturday.
I didn't find out about the pothole until the following Tuesday night, when she mention to me that she had a hit a pothole and that there was now a vibration in the steering wheel. The next morning I gave a quick glance at the wheel and tire on the passenger side's (the side that was hit) front. It was very early and still dark, but a quick glance didn't reveal any obvious problems.
For whatever reason my wife was home from work that day, and when taking out the trash she noticed the tire looked low. She checked it and it was at 12 PSI. That night, after dinner I used my compressor to fill the tire back up. However the next day, it was down to 10 PSI when I checked it in the evening. Every time I put air into the tire or checked it, it was dark out.
At this point enter the dealer, where when I purchased the car I also bought a wheel/tire insurance policy for bent wheels. I live in Central Ohio and the potholes can get bad here and the policy seemed like a very good idea, especially for the price. Knowing that we had this insurance and that our 5 need the TSB performed for the part throttle stumble issue, I had my wife set up a service appointment for the following Monday. During that time between we used my Speed3 and let the 5 sit. On Monday morning I filled the tire again for the trip to the dealer.
So my wife takes the car to the dealer and tells them that she hit a pot hole on the passenger side, to inspect the wheels and tires on that side for damage and if they find any to contact the wheel insurance company. She also told them to perform the TSB for the stumbling, and to call me for with any questions or when they found out what was wrong.
Later that day they call me and inform me that both passenger side wheels are bent and need replaced, and that we need an alignment, and that they don't have any info on the TSB, but that they are going to reflash the ECU with the latest code. I then instruct them to contact the insurance company and see if they will cover the cost for the wheels ( I was more concerned about the front one that was leaking air) and told them that there was a TSB for all 06/07 5's for the stumbling issue, but that it was just a reflash to cure the problem of ignition interference with the cam position sensor. So far, so good.
About 1/2 an hour later they call me back and inform me that insurance company has denied our claim. So, at this point I hang up with the dealer and call the insurance place, only to find out that they have been told that they have been told by the dealer the damage to the wheel looked like it had came from hitting a curb, which is not covered.
So I call the dealership back, where the service writer tells me he tells them that we hit a pothole. While we are at it I give him the TSB number as I have had time to look it up. Anyway, I'm mad at this point, and I'm actually irked that this guy won't look up the TSB and is not offering to call the insurance company and tell them we didn't hit a curb, but I don't want to piss this guy off, so I don't push it. He does tell me that software on our car was a really old version and the new one had a much higher revision level.
Anyway I get the car home after all this, with the damaged wheels and decide to take matters into my own hands. First, let me say that I'm an engineer and I drove a racecar that I built for over 14 years. I've also worked out of my garage for 10 years on other peoples cars to cover a lot of my racing costs. On top of that I'm an engineer for an automation company and have designed more machines that I can count that have put together everything from brake calipers, superchargers, steering racks, air conditioners, differentials and abs units. I know how this stuff goes together. I've also rebuilt engines and transmissions as well as everything else on a car. I'm not trying to brag, but I'm just trying to make the point that I know what I'm doing and talking about.
So I jack up the car and take off the front wheel, this actually being the first time I've actually inspected it in daylight, and right there in front of me is a big bulge where the front tire has a broken belt, and when I turn it over there is a huge impact mark on the inside of the rim. I beat the bent area back into a decent shape with my deadblow hammer, probably to the point where it will hold air again but decide not to put it back on the car due to the broken belt in the tire. So now I'm mad that the guys at the dealer can't identify what a broken belt looks like in a tire, and that I'm out the $$$ for a new Toyo too.
I decide to take the rear off and put it on the front and put the mini spare on the back, so off comes the rear wheel. The first thing I see? The rear shock has blown up from the impact and is spraying oil and crap everywhere. Major league spraying stuff, like emptying a full can of WD40 on it. So now I'm pissed that they can't tell what a blown shock looks like, and I know that they had that wheel off and on the balancer. Especially since the lugs were torqued way too tight when I took the wheel off.
So to follow up, my wife call the wheel insurance place the next day and plays nice and finds out the actual service writer is who told them it looked like curb damage (they had his name written down) and that if we could supply photos of the wheels that and prove that it wasn't curb damage that they would cover the cost of the wheel and tire that were leaking and damaged. At this point my wife all Mazda direct and had a discussion with the said service writer. I don't know what was said, but when she called me her response was "We will never buy a car from that dealership again, ever".
So here is the synopsis: The Service department at Mazda direct were not able to spot a broken belt on our front tire, a busted and leaking rear shock on the back, somehow managed to call a huge bend on the inside lip of a wheel "curb damage", were unwilling to look up TSB info (I don't care if the computer list all that info for the vehicle, look it up!) and then told a bold face lie (95% sure on this) to my wife about telling the insurance company that we had hit a pothole and not a curb. I was able to spot the tire and shock in 10 minutes of daylight inspection in my driveway, and I sure expect any member of a professional service department to be able to do the same or better.
They will never see either of our Mazdas again. Period. Luckily there are 2 other dealers in this town. Also after reviewing the photos the insurance company covered a replacement wheel and tire. I found a used wheel/tire on with 4000 miles on craigslist and bought that, and ordered the shock online for 3/5 of what they wanted for the part alone (that's another story). Installation took about 20 minute with hand tools.
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