Just bought 2018 CX-5 GT w/premiu pkg - Beware of dealer installed hitch!

Regardless of the route you take, please keep us posted on the final results. As much as we can advise what we would do, the decision and end results are in your hands. I went with the aftermarket draw tite hitch, self installed with no cutting. I didnt even know cutting was an option, but i came from the land of trucks so this is all new to me.

Best of luck and thank you for sharing...
 
Makes sense, thanks. Yes, they admit the tech did not follow the template. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the template they used is for the Stainless Garnish bumper plate, which has the hole already cut out for the hitch. I suspect they installed the stock class I, which at this point is fine with me.

I wonder if the scuff marks could be repaired by a body shop? I see online that plastic bumpers are repaired all the time.

Tom
 
Makes sense, thanks. Yes, they admit the tech did not follow the template. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the template they used is for the Stainless Garnish bumper plate, which has the hole already cut out for the hitch. I suspect they installed the stock class I, which at this point is fine with me.

I wonder if the scuff marks could be repaired by a body shop? I see online that plastic bumpers are repaired all the time.

Tom

Yes, bumpers are repaired all the time. Many small shops specialize in only bumper repair. My wife gouged our Miata bumper. I filled it with the proper filler, sanded it smooth, and pulled the bumper cover off and took it to a place that does just that. They painted, clear coat, and buffed it and I put it back on. No one would ever know.

If the template were for the garnish plate, it is possible that the garnish plate requires a larger cutout. If that is the case, then installing the plate, may just be the best option, as it is made to be cutout for it and no one would see it.

If the scuffs are only on the surface, then they should buff off no problem.
 
My CX-5 has the OEM hitch and bumper garnish. I crawled under mine and the cutout is similar to yours but is a precision cut that matches the garnish.
 
I think that there is a cutout on the CX-9 Class II installation. The picture shows the hitch high up close to the crease in the bumper. I requested that a Class II be put on my CX-5, which most likely resulted in a cutout although the Mazda installation guide shows a similar installation with cutout for the Class I but with a much smaller hole than mine. See attached photo.

I do have a question for the readers of this thread.

If I have the bumper was replaced would it require the dealer to report this as a repair, which would be public and be seen by Carfax, etc.?

sorry all this happened to you but can I ask why you requested a class 2? cx5 can only tow 2k lbs and a class 1 is rated to tow 2k lbs
 
Think the matter should be resolved sooner rather than later. The longer it takes, the more painful it might become
 
Thanks again everyone for the feedback.

The offer from the dealer was to replace bumper with one on cx-5 in inventory, take off hitch and give me a set of roof rack crossbars. A net loss of $300 to me and a bumper installed by the same people who screwed it up.
My solution and the one I am going with is to add the Garnish similar to the one in wrxray's post above and call it a day. I asked for a set of the roof rack crossbars for my trouble but we will see. Will keep the Class I hitch.
I had to show the dealer the installation guide for the Garnish and explain that the hole they cut is for installation of the Garnish. They told me that the Garnish was just a strip across the bumper. Oh man!

wrxray - thanks for checking the hole. As stupid as this may sound I want them to clean up the hole before putting on the trim Garnish.

Carfo - I installed a Curt Class III on my 2016 CX-5 so I could carry the larger Stow A Way swing out cargo box, requiring the 2" receiver. The class II would have supported the carrier better than the class I but I most likely I will not use the carrier anymore so I just need the class I for a bike carrier.

I will post a picture of the installed Garnish piece since there are no pictures of it with the hitch hole that I could find.

Thanks!

Tom

PS - Mazda Customer Experience was nice but frankly too slow and pokey. Really no help.
 
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⋯ PS - Mazda Customer Experience was nice but frankly too slow and pokey. Really no help.
Agreed. Friend dealing with his flicking LED DRLs said he had to wait 20~40 minutes for a live person each time he called. And it took 11 days to tell him the decision - $1,500 for helping him to replace 2 LED headlights which would cost him $2,400 on a 2016 CX-5 with 19,500 miles and 1 month passed the warranty,
 
Thanks again everyone for the feedback.

The offer from the dealer was to replace bumper with one on cx-5 in inventory, take off hitch and give me a set of roof rack crossbars. A net loss of $300 to me and a bumper installed by the same people who screwed it up.
My solution and the one I am going with is to add the Garnish similar to the one in wrxray's post above and call it a day. I asked for a set of the roof rack crossbars for my trouble but we will see. Will keep the Class I hitch.
I had to show the dealer the installation guide for the Garnish and explain that the hole they cut is for installation of the Garnish. They told me that the Garnish was just a strip across the bumper. Oh man!

wrxray - thanks for checking the hole. As stupid as this may sound I want them to clean up the hole before putting on the trim Garnish.

Carfo - I installed a Curt Class III on my 2016 CX-5 so I could carry the larger Stow A Way swing out cargo box, requiring the 2" receiver. The class II would have supported the carrier better than the class I but I most likely I will not use the carrier anymore so I just need the class I for a bike carrier.

I will post a picture of the installed Garnish piece since there are no pictures of it with the hitch hole that I could find.

Thanks!

Tom

PS - Mazda Customer Experience was nice but frankly too slow and pokey. Really no help.

So is it all done now (uhm)
 
The led headlights, especially the running lights, are a fail point. One replaced under warrantee. Second went out so I traded it it. $1600 to replace.

Tom
 
Not to further drag out the thread, but are they going to cover the "net loss of $300"? Don't forget that you only agreed to the original purchase price because you throught you'd have a hitch! If when you finally complete the transaction, you're $300 behind then they need to make that right by cutting a check or chomping future oil changes or something....
 
Not to further drag out the thread, but are they going to cover the "net loss of $300"? Don't forget that you only agreed to the original purchase price because you throught you'd have a hitch! If when you finally complete the transaction, you're $300 behind then they need to make that right by cutting a check or chomping future oil changes or something....

I think they gave him the crossbars for the roof rack but yes he should be compensated.
 
Thanks again everyone for the feedback.

The offer from the dealer was to replace bumper with one on cx-5 in inventory, take off hitch and give me a set of roof rack crossbars. A net loss of $300 to me and a bumper installed by the same people who screwed it up.
My solution and the one I am going with is to add the Garnish similar to the one in wrxray's post above and call it a day. I asked for a set of the roof rack crossbars for my trouble but we will see. Will keep the Class I hitch.
I had to show the dealer the installation guide for the Garnish and explain that the hole they cut is for installation of the Garnish. They told me that the Garnish was just a strip across the bumper. Oh man!

wrxray - thanks for checking the hole. As stupid as this may sound I want them to clean up the hole before putting on the trim Garnish.

Carfo - I installed a Curt Class III on my 2016 CX-5 so I could carry the larger Stow A Way swing out cargo box, requiring the 2" receiver. The class II would have supported the carrier better than the class I but I most likely I will not use the carrier anymore so I just need the class I for a bike carrier.

I will post a picture of the installed Garnish piece since there are no pictures of it with the hitch hole that I could find.

Thanks!

Tom

PS - Mazda Customer Experience was nice but frankly too slow and pokey. Really no help.

Glad everything is working out!

I shot a pic of mine for comparison purposes. The garnish overlaps the bumper cutout by quite a lot. The shiny bits behind the garnish in my pic is actually the muffler
20180515_190155.jpg
 
Glad everything is working out!

I shot a pic of mine for comparison purposes. The garnish overlaps the bumper cutout by quite a lot. The shiny bits behind the garnish in my pic is actually the muffler
20180515_190155.jpg

So it does seem the design of the cutout and install has changed.
 
I like it! Wish it had not taken so much time to first educate the dealer that this was an option/fix and then get them to realize it was going to save them a lot of money!

So the final fix, to be done next week, is to add this bumper Garnish and be done with it. I hinted that adding the cross bars would be a nice addition for my trouble but I suspect they just want me out of there.

Thanks for the picture!

Tom
 
When I saw the photo of the cutout, I had to really restrain myself from laughing. That was horrendous work. It is good to know that you have come to a solution with your dealership to get it fixed.

Anyways, I have a 2016 with the OEM trailer hitch, it was installed at the dealership a few months after purchase. When the tech was installing the trailer hitch, they decided not to do the cutout because I did not need to use the electrical connections. (I only use the trailer hitch to transport bikes.) They showed me how it looked and let me decide if I still wanted to do the cutout. I decided not to do the cutout cause I didn't really need it.
 
Just got my hitch installed by the dealer on Friday. They appear to have done good work. I showed this horror story to Teh tech rep and he said that was terrible and they too would have replaced the bumper. Here are some pictures.

74bdf9e5d89e648966b89d2f78adba82.jpg


cd6195f4484fc2eb5f083ddac941cda6.jpg
 
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