First oil service and tire rotation

[Super Unique]

I love how my service dept says that I MUST have my oil changes done at their service department or risk my warranty being voided.

Fine, so I take my car in for the first oil change and tire rotation. $49.99 for a simple oil change and tire rotation. Not only is this double the equivalent rate of independant shops in my area, their "mechanic" re: knuckle dragging high school dropout in the back failed to attach the plastic fairing under the engine so that it drug on the highway all the way to work this morning. So I had to take it back to the dealer for the second day in a row, for something that is in my opinion flatly unacceptable service from their "experts"

What really pisses me off, I have done my own oil changes for 20 years without a single mishap, yet my personal attention to such matter is not "worthy" in their eyes. Yet somehow they can't even get it right the first time anyone touches my brand new car. WTF? Now I will have to question their ability to do ANYTHING without performing it incompletely, or improperly in such a fashion that I can not trust it.

I know this sounds harsh, but come on. It's a freakin oil change........

[Rotus8]

You better check your lug nut torque.

[eddelgado]

Who says you warranty will be voided? That is BS. If you are concerned keep records of when the work was done - date and mileage, receipts for oil & filters.

I was offered a free oil change for my MS3. I told them no thanks - I do my own.

Ed.

[Super Unique]

Who says you warranty will be voided? That is BS. If you are concerned keep records of when the work was done - date and mileage, receipts for oil & filters.

I was offered a free oil change for my MS3. I told them no thanks - I do my own.

Ed.

it's a different situation when your in the service lane with a rod hanging out the side of the block, and they laugh @ your oil change receipts, and say warranty denied.

I am fully confident in MY ability to change the oil, but am not that confident in their ability to live up to their obligations.

[djthom]

You aren't harsh at all. Their rational is that if you do it yourself they cannot be sure it is done properly and on schedule. The giant GAPING hole in this logic is that they can't do it properly to begin with.

Wish there was some better recourse in these situations besides taking your business elsewhere...

gl man

[FrequentFlyer]

Then get a lawyer and fight it. They cannot void your warranty because you did you own maintenance. They are being dicks to you because you're smart and not allowing them to make money on you for a task that can easily be done by yourself at a fraction of the cost. The only way some of these pricks learn is if you play hardball with them. Call their bluff and stand your ground. Call the BBB, heck call the local news. They'd love to have their faces plastered all over the news papers about shady business practices.

[Super Unique]

I have sent a strongly worded email to the owner of the dealership. Outlining my first service experience with them, and my understandable lack of trust since their first and quite simple task seems to get the better of them. Will see what he has to say before I call the mazda regional and tell them one of their top 10 dealers in the nation can't even complete an oil change without screwing it up.

[pointysticks]

you dont have to use them for warranty work. i specifically asked my dealership. point blank. they said no. i could even do it myself. they cannot hold you hostage like that.

call mazda usa, ask them. ask your dealership to show you in writing.

[smakdown61]

If I remember right, someone even scanned in a copy of our warranty booklet that said all you need is proof of service to maintain your warranty. It says no where that you have to have it service by a mazda dealer. They can laugh at you all they want but a quick phone call to the Attorny General would fix that. You probably wouldn't even need to spend money on a lawyer for something that easy.

[Super Unique]

If you change the oil yourself, you need more than just receipts for the oil, you need to prove filters, and somehow prove the dates that all this ocurred. Even then, your fighting city hall. Legal is one thing, reality is entirely another story. I wish it was a different set of facts we all face in this game of warranty give and take. mostly take.

[eddelgado]

Super Unique I think you are getting buffaloed. I will not take my vehicle into the dealer for basic maintenance - never have - never will. Have never had an issue getting warranty claims covered.

I will do it myself. If there is a problem and they will not resolve then move to Mazda headquarters. If not get a lawyer involved. Mazda is the only car company that will force you to bring to them for basic maintenance - I aint buying it and I wont do it.

Ed.

[Super Unique]

It's easy to speak up about such practices here on a forum, and we all know the work sema has done to combat the problems with warranty denials. Magnusson-Moss act etc....

However, I have been in that situation where my car has blown up, and they're blaming it on me, saying I didn't change the oil. It sure backfired when I had them check their own records, since I had every single oil change done @ their own service dept. Guess they didn't do a good job LOL...

We each face our own battles, and we certainly don't all approach things the same way. To each their own. I know I would rather not be put through all the hoops. But I also know that my letter to the owner and phone call to mazda will have some effects. If not I will just revert to doing my own oil changes, and building a photographic log of every single oil change including date stamps and photos of every step of the procedure to prove it was done timely and correctly. Which is obviously something they aren't to be trusted for.

[MikeHTally]

I never take maintenance to the dealer. Why spend half a day on an oil change done by the same "knuckle-dragging drop out" (I like that one), when the local nearby quick-lube place does better work and I can stand right there and watch. Their receipts are my record of service. Your dealer knows better than to try and buffalo you into exorbitant and incompetent work. Make them show you in the manual that service must be done by them.

[MikeHTally]

You better check your lug nut torque.

Amen to that!! TODAY!
I love it when some "expert" tells me I gotta do it their way. Just bow up at 'em and ask "Who says?"

[Sacrilicious]

I love how my service dept says that I MUST have my oil changes done at their service department or risk my warranty being voided.

haha...so they're technically not lying to you. it's true that if you have your oil changed by them, it guarantees that you will not have to prove that you did your oil changes. on the other hand, if you didn't, you will have to go through the trouble of showing them your oil receipts. so, you technically have taken a risk in the matter, but it's far from a LARGE risk...;o

[smakdown61]

If you change the oil yourself, you need more than just receipts for the oil, you need to prove filters, and somehow prove the dates that all this ocurred. Even then, your fighting city hall. Legal is one thing, reality is entirely another story. I wish it was a different set of facts we all face in this game of warranty give and take. mostly take.

Receipts for oil, filters, recorded dates on my mazda usa owners page, AND an used oil analysis from blackstone labs. If they deny me warranty claiming I didn't change the oil myself I CAN GUARANTEE YOU arbitration will go in my favor. There is such a thing in law as "beyond a reasonable doubt." Nothing has to be witnesses in person...otherwise alot of people would not be in jail right now.

[hilmar2k]

I keep an Excel spreadsheet with all of my maintenance records, and a folder of all of the receipts. I agree that I could be in for a fight if my engine blows, but if I supply that much, it is on them to prove I didn't change the oil. Good luck with that.

[FritzTCoyote]

Of course all the oil changes in the world can only prevent some failures.

"OK, we agree that your pile of receipts proves that it was not the lack of oil changes that caused your engine to melt down.

Now tell us about that aftermarket BOV."

[MikeHTally]

Receipts for oil, filters, recorded dates on my mazda usa owners page, AND an used oil analysis from blackstone labs. If they deny me warranty claiming I didn't change the oil myself I CAN GUARANTEE YOU arbitration will go in my favor. There is such a thing in law as "beyond a reasonable doubt." Nothing has to be witnesses in person...otherwise alot of people would not be in jail right now.
Reasonable doubt only applies in criminal cases, not civil action.

[smakdown61]

Reasonable doubt only applies in criminal cases, not civil action.

You are correct I was wrong. However, burden of proof does apply to civil cases, in which mazda has to prove I am guilty. I'm not required to prove my innocence but giving the overwhelming evidence I would have it would make sense to do so and would be very easy.

[Super Unique]

There exists a VERY large gray area on this matter :)

For now, I will give them 1 more try, then it's off to another, hopefully better service dept.

[goner]

trust me when i say you have to have it done at a business that is licensed to repair vehicle's. you keeping records is useless in arbitration.repair orders are legally binding contracts and are the only thing the court will see fit as documentation. you must provide proof of maintenance by a "professional". i work at a dealership. we dont sell mazda's but i work on my own car and service it myself. the olny thing i have backing me up is that i open repair orders whenever i change the oil,brakes etc. but you DO need to have a repair order of somesort from a licensed repair facility. it doesnt have to be mazda but the key word is LICENSED. i change my oil every 2000 miles. i know thats crazy but i still buy an oil change here and there at mazda just to keep the tech and advisor happy and so they dont try to look for things that should not be on the car.

[hilmar2k]

Nowhere in the warranty information booklet does it state that maintenance must be done by someone "licensed". Actually, it (albeit unintentionally) says the opposite. From page 13, "You are responsible for properly operating and maintaining your Mazda Vehicle in accordance with the instructions described in your Owner's Manual." I think it would be exceptionally hard, give that, for Mazda to deny warranty for you changing your own oil.

[FrequentFlyer]

trust me when i say you have to have it done at a business that is licensed to repair vehicle's. you keeping records is useless in arbitration.repair orders are legally binding contracts and are the only thing the court will see fit as documentation. you must provide proof of maintenance by a "professional". i work at a dealership. we dont sell mazda's but i work on my own car and service it myself. the olny thing i have backing me up is that i open repair orders whenever i change the oil,brakes etc. but you DO need to have a repair order of somesort from a licensed repair facility. it doesnt have to be mazda but the key word is LICENSED. i change my oil every 2000 miles. i know thats crazy but i still buy an oil change here and there at mazda just to keep the tech and advisor happy and so they dont try to look for things that should not be on the car.

Lets see that in writing please.

On another note, I think I found an Opec stock holder (2,000 miles?!?). (eek2)

[smakdown61]

trust me when i say you have to have it done at a business that is licensed to repair vehicle's. you keeping records is useless in arbitration.repair orders are legally binding contracts and are the only thing the court will see fit as documentation. you must provide proof of maintenance by a "professional". i work at a dealership. we dont sell mazda's but i work on my own car and service it myself. the olny thing i have backing me up is that i open repair orders whenever i change the oil,brakes etc. but you DO need to have a repair order of somesort from a licensed repair facility. it doesnt have to be mazda but the key word is LICENSED. i change my oil every 2000 miles. i know thats crazy but i still buy an oil change here and there at mazda just to keep the tech and advisor happy and so they dont try to look for things that should not be on the car.

Even if a receipt doesn't do anything, if mazda questioned me about changing the oil, I will use my blackstone labs report. Thats an expert analysis that mazda can't argue with.

[Super Unique]

they can still tell you to go suck a dick if they feel like it.....

Doesn't make it right, but they do it all the time. Everyone on the internet has giant balls of steel when they talk shit about it, but it's a whole different ball game in real life.

[smakdown61]

they can still tell you to go suck a dick if they feel like it.....

Doesn't make it right, but they do it all the time. Everyone on the internet has giant balls of steel when they talk shit about it, but it's a whole different ball game in real life.

A dealer can tell you that, but an arbitrator won't.

[serialtoon]

it's a different situation when your in the service lane with a rod hanging out the side of the block, and they laugh @ your oil change receipts, and say warranty denied.

I am fully confident in MY ability to change the oil, but am not that confident in their ability to live up to their obligations.
Agreed! Although i cannot complain much. I have a LIFETIME oil change,tire rotation/balance, wash,wax and multipoint inspection from my dealer (first)....by the way it was "thrown in" for buying the car.

[FrequentFlyer]

Agreed! Although i cannot complain much. I have a LIFETIME oil change,tire rotation/balance, wash,wax and multipoint inspection from my dealer (first)....by the way it was "thrown in" for buying the car.

I got the same deal, but unfornately, they only change the oil every 7,500 miles and don't use synthetic, unless of course they let me provide the oil (and then I'd have to watch them pour it in myself because I wouldn't trust'm). If you don't mind the above, it definitely is a good deal worth quite a bit over the life of the car (you figure at $40-50 per oil change).