Very disappointed with Mazda CPO warranty

[danmm7]

I have a 2017 Mazda CX-9 Signature. Currently, the car has about 45k miles. I bought the car as Mazda Certified pre-owned and the CPO comes with extended powertrain warranty until 100k miles or 2024, plus I also got my "bumper-to-bumper" original warranty extended for another 12mo/12k miles after the original 3/36k warranty expires.
Currently, I am well within that extra "bumper-to-bumper warranty"....given my mileage and age of car.

For over a year, i have been noticing a crack in the bumper, right under the side of my headlight. I never knew how this crack happened since the car has never been in any accidents, etc. The crack is slowly growing. It's over 8" long now.
2 weeks ago, on a Mazda facebook group, i saw a discussion about the same type of crack and it turns our this is a common issue with CX-9s. There is a well documented TSB as well. TSB 09-022/20

Apparently, Mazda had a "design flaw" in the bumper for the 2016-2018 models and due to a weak point in the bumper structure, these cracks can appear on both sides. The fix is - new bumper with much stronger design.

I went to my local dealer (Capitol Mazda in San Jose, CA) , where i bought the car from and their first reaction was "we've never seen this issue before, we can't find such TSB". Lucky for me, I was able to find the TSB on my phone while i was there and i actually showed it to them.
Their immediate reaction was, in a very dismissive way, ..."well, fine, but it doesn't matter, you're out of warranty, we can't help you". I asked them why I am out of warranty when I am covered under the CPO "bumper-to-bumper" warranty they sold me when I got the car from them. They told me that "it's not really bumper-to-bumper and that there are many things excluded and that it's a "hit or miss"" ? Really??? They said that the bumper and body parts are excluded from the CPO coverage.
Nothing they can do for me.

I called Mazda corporate and the polite person on the phone pretty much told me the same thing. He could not give me anything in writting that explains what is covered and what is not by the "bumper-to-bumper" warranty but said that body/bumper is not covered. The fact that their bumper is poorly designed and has a major flaw was ignored and he said that if it becomes a recall one day, they may be able to pay me back for my expenses.

Needless to say, I am beyond disappointed. I also realize that not all TSBs are covered by an extended warranty. However, I also know that my friend's Honda Accord had multiple TSBs addressed by his extended warranty. The same happened with my Acura RL in the past. The Acura care extended warranty covered ANY and all TSBs I wanted to be addressed, even cosmetic stuff, like bumpy leather on the armrest @ 77k miles (replaced for free). My dad's 2011 Hyundai Sonata had a couple of TSBs addressed outside of his 60k bumper-to-bumper warranty, for free. What gves, Mazda?

Mazda clearly wants to take the cheap/difficult route with their CPO cars. This is not a good way to build the image they are trying to build. Not only they have a very embarrassing design flow in their front bumpers (weak bumper that cracks on its own, in a $45k car!! ) .... but they simply refuse to address it, even if you're under their own extended warranty.
They sure have a long way to go before they reach a "premium brand" status (forget Luxury) with this approach. It's not just about selling shiny and good looking cars, you should also properly support them after the sale, for years to come.

 

[Silly Wabbit]

Not sure why they are denying your claim. Per the TSB, "This repair will be covered under Mazda's New Vehicle Limited Warranty term." And with CPO, you should have additional 1yr/12k miles of New Vehicle Limited Warranty. I don't see anything that excludes CPO extended warranty.

I would go back to Mazda Corp and present these facts in bullet points and ask them to respond. Make sure your vin falls within the TSB and provide picture to show the defect is exactly as outlined by TSB. Request them for documentation what and why is not covered because the warranty booklet doesn't mention bumper as excluded item. Take names, and ask for manager if applicable. Good luck!

 

[youri]

As he said, ask for the warranty paperwork. The CPO warranty paperwork should be very clear about what is covered and what isn’t. The fact that the dealership didn’t know (or didn’t want to know) about the TSB is a clear red flag. I would go confirm with the paperwork that the bumpwr is included and visit another dealership if possible.

 

[jal142]

The warranty is supposed to cover material defects or workmanship defects. I would argue that a flawed bumper design falls under the "material defects" category.

Get the warranty paperwork, try another dealer, and find someone else at Mazda to talk to - call whoever you talked to back and ask for their manager if all else fails.

The disconnect between Mazda's vision of becoming a premium car brand and their dealer experience is mind boggling. Every Mazda dealer I've dealt with across two states have been dumpster fires.

 

[PTguy]

A few things need to be clarified. The the original factory warranty is an actual warranty. If your CPO "warranty" was issued by Mazda, that is also a warranty. The Mazda web site does not say that it extends the original factory warranty. It says, "Every Mazda Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with a confidence-inspiring 12-Month/12,000-Mile Limited Vehicle Warranty with no deductible on covered repairs, which begins once the factory warranty ends" and then leaves us guessing what's covered. It does not say bumper to bumper. I know, the sales guy who is trying to get his hand into your pocket says lots of things.... The only thing that is real is what's on paper.

You need to dig out your purchase paperwork. You should have gotten all the CPO warranty information. Read that. It covers what it says it covers.

 

[danmm7]

This is the CPO warranty document that Mazda Corporate sent me. Attached. Please review and tell me where it says/implies that the bumper is NOT covered.
Maybe I am going blind, but i did not see anywhere in the document, the bumper being excluded from coverage.

 

[youri]

Unless you are outside of the 12 month/12k mile, I think you are covered. The only other factor I could see is that the TSB specifically states that the repair will be done under the new vehicle limited warranty. But that should not change much. The bumper is not part of the exclusions under the CPO 12 month warrant.

 

[dougal]

This is the CPO warranty document that Mazda Corporate sent me. Attached. Please review and tell me where it says/implies that the bumper is NOT covered.
Maybe I am going blind, but i did not see anywhere in the document, the bumper being excluded from coverage.

It has a list saying what is covered. It does not list "bumper" or any body panel for that matter. Is that what they are saying?

 

[youri]

The list is for the powertrain warranty. The 12k warranty is everything except the exclusion list, which can be found lower.

 

[Buzzman12]

The disconnect between Mazda's vision of becoming a premium car brand and their dealer experience is mind boggling. Every Mazda dealer I've dealt with across two states have been dumpster fires.

Agreed. After reading post after post on here about shoddy treatment from Mazda dealers, it really does boggle the mind considering Mazda's vision.
If Mazda was a big player like Honda, Toyota or GM for example, then they could afford to blow a few customers away with poor service and bad attitude. What effect does a few less customers mean to the big boys? Nothing.
Mazda on the other hand can't afford to piss people off. They don't have the sales volume or customer base to absorb the lost business.
Example: I've boycotted Honda for 20 years after numerous bad dealer experiences.
There will never be a Honda or Acura in my driveway.
Do you think they care? Not one iota.
Not buying another Mazda however will have a different effect.
Come on Mazda. Get with it.

 

[youri]

That bad experience in my opinion is mostly unique to the states. In canada, the service is up to par with the competition. I think it is a bit the vicious circles of poor sales in the U.S., not many good dealers want to become a mazda dealership because the sale volume is low. So mazda ends up with the bottom of the barrel in terms of the quality of dealership owners, which doesn’t help with sales, etc. I am with you though, good service is important when buying a car.

Don’t expect BMW or Mercedes service though, regardless of the upscale look of their vehicles recently. They don’t cost luxury money, and dealers don’t enjoy the associated markup that comes with it.

 

[dougal]

The list is for the powertrain warranty. The 12k warranty is everything except the exclusion list, which can be found lower.

Yeah, but they are technically right. I don't see anything in that document that implies they will cover everything on the vehicle. And that is absolute garbage.

Mazda will be the next Suzuki or Mitsubishi if they don't stop crap like this. Step up and fix your mistake Mazda.

 

[youri]

It says so right here: “The Mazda Certified Pre-Owned Limited Warranty covers any repair of a defect in material or workmanship (except wear and tear), unless excluded in the "Parts and Service NOT covered" section”

key word is “any”.

The list of item after In the document is only applicable to the Powertrain warranty. “The Mazda Certified Pre-Owned Limited Powertrain Warranty covers the items listed below”

The document covers the details of both warranties. The cpo limited warranty and the cpo limited Powertrain warranty are two separate warranties. That is how I understand the document.

 

[danmm7]

The big question now is....what do I do? Mazda corporate is not responding to my emails now, After i spelled out what their own document says and after I requested this to be escalated to management, I am getting zero response.
Not sure if going to another local dealer will help if they will go for approval to Mazda corporate and get a "no".

Any suggestions?

 

[rowlands57]

Forget the emails and call them, relentlessly. It stinks that you have to go this route but they have forced your hand in the matter. I would call every morning and afternoon until you reach someone with authority.

Also, a snail mail letter addressed to the Office of the President at Mazda USA outlining your situation in a concise manner may not hurt. If they are going to deny the repair they should state, in writing, what basis they have for doing so. If they do, then perhaps small claims court would be a viable option.

This treatment is not unique to any one brand. I have dealt with pretty crappy behavior on the part of Audi corporate in the recent past. Another brand added to my 'list', which sadly is growing.

 

[youri]

Honestly, a different dealer can make a whole difference. I once visited 3 ford dealership asking to do a transmission tsb, i had given up until i had to visit a ford dealer out of town for another issue. I asked and they did the TSB free of charge without even flinching.

so for me i would recommend a different dealer as a step 1. Then if that doesn’t work i would call mazda corp and ask for an update on the email chain you have had. Then escalated it as mentionned by rowlands above.

 

[mamerc]

They did that to me when I discovered the LEDS on my 2013 Grand Touring. Claimed, "Light Bulbs" was not on the list of those covered. New light assembly was over $1000.00. Made a few calls that seemed to go nowhere even though I found the part online direct from Mazda for $600.00. Surprised when I went to pick up the car, Mazda of Loma Linda told me that Mazda approved a $1000.00 one time credit and all I had to pay was $100.00. Not sure what happened but I'm glad it worked out.

 

[JPL]

Bumper to Bumper warranty except for bumpers. Tell them they need to change the name of the warranty. It's like going to Burger King and they tell you they don't sell burgers.

I'm curious to see where exactly the cracks are so it's something to keep an eye on. Any pics?

 

[youri]

Here is the link of the TSB with pictures of the cracks

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10176983-0001.pdf

 

[wi_badger1]

Start with some research. Find your State's department of consumer protection or state attorney General office. You don't need the legal details, just make sure you have the right person or office. Make sure its the right department or your letter will be lost.. Write a formal letter to your state office explaining the issue. Include copies of all paperwork documenting the purchase, warranty terms and conditions, and refusal by Mazda and dealer. Include names, dates and telephone conversation logs with lots of details. Also include your contact info (address, name, phone, email). Include the contact info for the dealer and Mazda Corporate so the state can contact them directly.

Make sure to include a cc: to the dealer and Mazda Corporate USA. If they have a consumer relations office that is a good address to use. Again, the letter is written to your state and copied to the dealer and Mazda. Assuming your state people are in the office.

Either the state will help or maybe you get Mazda attention. But here in Wisconsin this has worked for me in the past. You can also find Mazda social media...I used to use Twitter and would post my concerns there and tag the company consumer relations people. Would often get contacted that way but I prefer the state legal route.

They are effectively in breech of contract which the state does not look favorably on.