Is the dealership screwing me?

[CHICO2003]

MSP's at the dealership... CEL went on so they're replacing the O2 sensor. Since it's sort've a haul, I haven't had a chance to bring it in for a while (the CEL just came on late last week) for all the "minor" crap. Since I'm there though, I told them about the seemingly always low coolant (which I suppose isn't really that minor), mazdaspeed emblem on the engine cover that's awol, squeaky bed rear shocks & the fact that my speedometer is only half lit, half the time (with the lights on of course).

These people are usually pretty good to us so I didn't think there'd be any issues. The tech there has replaced my bushings twice within the past 30k miles and should know the drill. I guess I should have realized things weren't going to work out according to plan when they gave me a Kia (gulp) Rio. This thing couldn't suck more if it tried. My testosterone level has gone down 600% just from driving this thing around town. Trucks are ramming me off the road as I try to maintain the speed limit in this suped up golf cart. but I digress....

got a call from them this afternoon. Of course they need to keep the car overnight... guess I shouldn't have been surprised there (though I was definitely pissed about having to drive the rio of nightmares another day) but oh well... as long as they fix my shit! but noooo.... all they're willing to do is fix the CEL. after 3 road tests (3 road tests! these mofos better not have put more than 1 mile on my ride!) they weren't able to replicate the 'sqeaky bed' sound. bear in mind it's a rainy day and, of course, I recently sprayed some silicone grease on them... but the F'er's still squeaky! I'm gonna have to go there tomorrow... bring some q-tips and wait yet another day for them to do what should be fixed tomorrow. On top of that, they're not going to replace my msp logo on the engine cover. (something I really don't give a shit about but I heard others were able to get them after they melted away so I figured why the hell not) They're also not fixing my screwy guage lighting again, because they weren't able to duplicate. WTF? why would I make that shit up? do I really want them to take apart my gauge cluster and replace a bulb that doesn't need replacing? HFN!!

So that's that... if anyone have any ammo I can bring with me tomorrow in hopes of getting these minor things that bug the shit out of me fixed let me know. As I said, it's not easy to bring my ride in so now's the time. After getting this POS Kia as a loaner, I doubt I'll EVER bring my car there for service again anyhow.

[geomatics_tech]

(fu) Mazda.

[blthlt]

just wait til you get the customer service survey in the mail. Give them all bad marks, (if they deserve it) those things go a long way with MNA.

[CHICO2003]

customer service survey? nah man... that's not my style. I mean, I'll be truthful but I want action NOW not months from now. Plus, the gal that calls the shots is very nice and sounds sincere. (about not being able to fix something if they can't see/hear the porblem) I'm just wondering why other mazda dealerships apparently aren't playing by the same rules.

[blthlt]

Well they apparently wont fix "whats not broken" if you get what I mean. Best thing to do is be professional about it that way when it is broken you do have a record on file and they'll be more apt to help you out.

[CHICO2003]

I'm always professional. Never burn bridges. That said, take my sometimes normal, somtimes malfunctioning gauge lighting as an example. With the dealership being somewhat out of the way for me (definitely the closest one around) bringing my car there is already a hassle. Now I need to somehow time it so that I bring it in right at the moment it's not working right. It's not like it even works/doesn't work for a day or so... it's so sparadic there's really no pattern at all. What I do know is, it's working fine now and will continue to until I get home.

So mazda apparently won't fix something unless they can see for themselves that there's something wrong. Even though the example above is extreme, there clearly are other examples like it. The squeaky bed effect is one. Since it's been raining for about 5 days straight here, things are relatively quiet. I hate the fact that I need to wait for things to stop working right. Is this TRULY their policy?

[MoJoeTCM]

your exp isnt bad at all you should hear my f'd up stories....good luck though, i learned that unless it is something you absolutly cannot fix, do it yourself....it is worth the few mins or hours....

[BlkZoomZoom]

So mazda apparently won't fix something unless they can see for themselves that there's something wrong. Even though the example above is extreme, there clearly are other examples like it. The squeaky bed effect is one. Since it's been raining for about 5 days straight here, things are relatively quiet. I hate the fact that I need to wait for things to stop working right. Is this TRULY their policy?

Any good technician is not going to "fix something they can't see for themselves". If they haven't seen it happen, verified what you are talking about, found the conditions in which the complaint occurs, found all other effected systems (if any), how are they supposed to know what they are looking for when they start taking stuff apart? How do they know they fixed it after they threw a part at it? If they threw a part at it, you take the car back, find it wasn't fixed, bring the car back in... guess what? The tech's gonna be looking at it for free. It's called a "comeback", the word all technicians hate. On top of that it hurts our csi score.
If I can't get the complaint to happen I have my service manager try to duplicate it, if he can't we try to get the customer to come in and duplicate it for us. I have gone on a few test drives with customers to a particular road near their house because thats the only road that a noise occurs.
Ask them to drive the car with the tech. to duplicate the noise for him.

[terbow]

the last time i went, the tech said my rattleing passenger window is caused by my aftermarket exhaust. like im an idiot and i cant tell the difference between a window and an exhaust rattle. so i took the service advisor out and showed him and now its getting repaired. u jsut have to show its happening to them personally sometimes. Its better to have ot show them your right then let it be and deal with it i guess.

my tech is an assclown tho. he blames everything on my aftermarket exhaust even if its got nothing to do with it.

[Fede_italiano]

MSP's at the dealership... CEL went on so they're replacing the O2 sensor. Since it's sort've a haul, I haven't had a chance to bring it in for a while (the CEL just came on late last week) for all the "minor" crap. Since I'm there though, I told them about the seemingly always low coolant (which I suppose isn't really that minor), mazdaspeed emblem on the engine cover that's awol, squeaky bed rear shocks & the fact that my speedometer is only half lit, half the time (with the lights on of course).

These people are usually pretty good to us so I didn't think there'd be any issues. The tech there has replaced my bushings twice within the past 30k miles and should know the drill. I guess I should have realized things weren't going to work out according to plan when they gave me a Kia (gulp) Rio. This thing couldn't suck more if it tried. My testosterone level has gone down 600% just from driving this thing around town. Trucks are ramming me off the road as I try to maintain the speed limit in this suped up golf cart. but I digress....

got a call from them this afternoon. Of course they need to keep the car overnight... guess I shouldn't have been surprised there (though I was definitely pissed about having to drive the rio of nightmares another day) but oh well... as long as they fix my shit! but noooo.... all they're willing to do is fix the CEL. after 3 road tests (3 road tests! these mofos better not have put more than 1 mile on my ride!) they weren't able to replicate the 'sqeaky bed' sound. bear in mind it's a rainy day and, of course, I recently sprayed some silicone grease on them... but the F'er's still squeaky! I'm gonna have to go there tomorrow... bring some q-tips and wait yet another day for them to do what should be fixed tomorrow. On top of that, they're not going to replace my msp logo on the engine cover. (something I really don't give a shit about but I heard others were able to get them after they melted away so I figured why the hell not) They're also not fixing my screwy guage lighting again, because they weren't able to duplicate. WTF? why would I make that shit up? do I really want them to take apart my gauge cluster and replace a bulb that doesn't need replacing? HFN!!

So that's that... if anyone have any ammo I can bring with me tomorrow in hopes of getting these minor things that bug the shit out of me fixed let me know. As I said, it's not easy to bring my ride in so now's the time. After getting this POS Kia as a loaner, I doubt I'll EVER bring my car there for service again anyhow.
I had squeaky noises coming off the bed of the car I posted baout it about a month ago.
It was happening a lot and I decided to go the dealer.
I told them and I got a call beck the day after saying that they were in 3 pushing the car but no noise.
At the point I gave them reasonable doubt since they are always professional and they had toke care of the car since I bough it.

Anyhow, I got there the day after and sure enough no noise.
Up to this date no squeaky anymore. I think it must a combination of the right humidity, water, bushing that makes it squeaky.

I would not believe them but it seriously was not making the noise any more.

Maybe it will be the same for you.
Good luck

[Quik89Si]

Sucks, dude. They'll get it fixed, you just gotta be patient. At least you got a loaner at all. Dealerships don't have to give loaners. Just don't let Mazda wreck your car!!

[Fede_italiano]

Sucks, dude. They'll get it fixed, you just gotta be patient. At least you got a loaner at all. Dealerships don't have to give loaners. Just don't let Mazda wreck your car!!
Just be patient and nice. They will get things done.
Not everyone is an ass.