2018 CX-5 Low Speed Transmission Hesitation/Jerk/Lurch

Avoidin Deer said:
Didn't you just post that they blew you off regarding your XM issues?

Sure, I'd look for another dealer, but I'd also tell Mazda Corporate about all this (sorry if you already did and I forgot).
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They did - My experience was hideous to say the least.

The oil change and tire rotation ended up costing 104$ Canadian which is just unbelievably expensive.

I'm going to do my 2 first-year oil changes there to establish that I'm regularly changing the oil, and then bail and go to the garage that used to service my Mazda 6.

I haven't said anything to their corporate offices yet - I want to speak to the service manager next week first.

The whole experience was lacklustre. First oil change, wasn't asked how the car was operating, wasn't asked if there was any issues.. no "Loving the car!?"

I used to deal with this same dealership when they had a different guy running the service department, and it was such an awesome experience I even wrote their President at corporate once. They always asked how things were operating, did you still have the zoom-zoom, etc. Totally different experience.
 
mac.mc78 said:
They did - My experience was hideous to say the least.

The oil change and tire rotation ended up costing 104$ Canadian which is just unbelievably expensive.

I'm going to do my 2 first-year oil changes there to establish that I'm regularly changing the oil, and then bail and go to the garage that used to service my Mazda 6.

I haven't said anything to their corporate offices yet - I want to speak to the service manager next week first.

The whole experience was lacklustre. First oil change, wasn't asked how the car was operating, wasn't asked if there was any issues.. no "Loving the car!?"

I used to deal with this same dealership when they had a different guy running the service department, and it was such an awesome experience I even wrote their President at corporate once. They always asked how things were operating, did you still have the zoom-zoom, etc. Totally different experience.
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I have yet to have any interaction with my dealership. Like most of us, my Mazda options are pretty limited. I've got the guy I bought mine from 25 miles up the road, and I've got the next-closest place 45 miles up the road.

I hope you get things squared away. But I'm not so certain Mazda dealerships are different than any of the others.
 
Most likely low speed pre ignition.. due to emissions bs. The ecu will pull timing to prevent it and you get that lurching. O got it mostly tuned out with my ecu tune. I'm willing to bet for most it happens at low gear (1or 2) rpms and low throttle input. Poly mounts will help with the actual bucking causes by this, but most people will not want the extra vibration
 
mac.mc78 said:
They did - My experience was hideous to say the least.

The oil change and tire rotation ended up costing 104$ Canadian which is just unbelievably expensive.

I'm going to do my 2 first-year oil changes there to establish that I'm regularly changing the oil, and then bail and go to the garage that used to service my Mazda 6.

I haven't said anything to their corporate offices yet - I want to speak to the service manager next week first.

The whole experience was lacklustre. First oil change, wasn't asked how the car was operating, wasn't asked if there was any issues.. no "Loving the car!?"

I used to deal with this same dealership when they had a different guy running the service department, and it was such an awesome experience I even wrote their President at corporate once. They always asked how things were operating, did you still have the zoom-zoom, etc. Totally different experience.
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The service industry seems to be plagued with crooks, thieves and morons. I've had good experiences with the two Mazda dealerships I've dealt with, but I know that it's just because I'm dealing with people who have the right attitude.

If I were met with a blank stare, I'd immediately go over the service advisor's head. If the service manager and general manager refuse to assist, I'd call Mazda Corporate and then find a new dealer. They honestly have nothing to lose and everything to gain by humouring your request.

BTW, there's no need to get the oil changed at the dealership to establish that you're doing the routine maintenance. Just do as the manual says - if you DIY, keep all receipts for the parts and fluid you use, and log the maintenance performed and the mileage at the time of maintenance. If you take it to an independent, hold on to the invoice and make sure it's signed by the shop. That's all the "evidence" you'll need if you happen to experience any warranty issues.
 
sm1ke said:
The service industry seems to be plagued with crooks, thieves and morons. I've had good experiences with the two Mazda dealerships I've dealt with, but I know that it's just because I'm dealing with people who have the right attitude.

If I were met with a blank stare, I'd immediately go over the service advisor's head. If the service manager and general manager refuse to assist, I'd call Mazda Corporate and then find a new dealer. They honestly have nothing to lose and everything to gain by humouring your request.

BTW, there's no need to get the oil changed at the dealership to establish that you're doing the routine maintenance. Just do as the manual says - if you DIY, keep all receipts for the parts and fluid you use, and log the maintenance performed and the mileage at the time of maintenance. If you take it to an independent, hold on to the invoice and make sure it's signed by the shop. That's all the "evidence" you'll need if you happen to experience any warranty issues.
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Yeah, I should have gone over his head. Unfortunately,it was after their regular business hours and I could see the Service Managers' office was dark and they were gone for the day.

I'm going to give them one more chance. If I don't feel satisfied, I'll go back to the local shop I used before buying the new car.

This dealership USED to be really good - they had a service manager who pushed.. CUSTOMER service before anything else. Here's a story for you:

I had bought my 2004 mazda 6 from a dealership in Toronto and almost immediately, I noticed the transmission slipping/banging after about 5,000km. I took it in for its first service, and the guy told me "thats' the way the car is designed, its designed to be sporty".

I immediately drove to the dealer (with the great service manager, but i had yet to know this) and told him of my experience. He had his shop foreman go out with me and he had ME drive the car.. as soon as we accellerated, it banged into second and he said "that?" and I said "Yeah". He said "turn around".. We went back, checked the fluid and it was brown. He said "This should be red.. not brown".

Within 15 minutes, I had a loaner car, and a new transmission on order. I didn't even have to argue. I got "We're really sorry for the inconvenience!" from several people there, including a sales rep who had nothing to do with my original purchase from the other dealership.

Sadly, that sales manager left, and with him went the "Customer" part of the service.
 
So what's the deal with these places? If a car's under warranty and it needs work done, why do they put up barriers?

Do they have to jump through hoops to get factory approvals?
Are the payment rates from the factory sub-standard?
Do the payments from the factory get drug out?
Does the factory apply pressure to process a minimal number of claims?

I'm not trying to be naive here, but I gotta think this stuff is not coming out of their pockets. So what gives?
 
Avoidin Deer said:
So what's the deal with these places? If a car's under warranty and it needs work done, why do they put up barriers?

Do they have to jump through hoops to get factory approvals?
Are the payment rates from the factory sub-standard?
Do the payments from the factory get drug out?
Does the factory apply pressure to process a minimal number of claims?

I'm not trying to be naive here, but I gotta think this stuff is not coming out of their pockets. So what gives?
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I used to feel the same that dealers should welcome all the warranty work as theyll get paid by manufacture. But after many experiences dealing with different dealers on warranty work, and several conversations with service manager and general manager, what you just said are ALL TRUE!
 
Avoidin Deer said:
So what's the deal with these places? If a car's under warranty and it needs work done, why do they put up barriers?

Do they have to jump through hoops to get factory approvals?
Are the payment rates from the factory sub-standard?
Do the payments from the factory get drug out?
Does the factory apply pressure to process a minimal number of claims?

I'm not trying to be naive here, but I gotta think this stuff is not coming out of their pockets. So what gives?
Click to expand...

I once owned a 90 Honda Civic. A local dealer wouldn't give me the price I wanted so I went to their competition in the next town. I started experiencing a shifting problem - the transmission would "pop" out of 4th gear after the 3-4 upshift. I took the car to the dealer I purchased the car from, and the they couldn't duplicate the problem. They suggested leaving it overnight so they could test drive the car when it was cold. I declined since I didn't have transportation so I drove over to the original dealer that refused to bargain with me.

The Service Manager told me I was putting him in an awkward position since I didn't purchase the car there. Well, I told he was going to service my car because the law doesn't mention where I purchased the car from matters. After he realized I knew the law, he relented. It turned out the shift fork was machined under the spec (< 0.001 inch) and when the transmission warmed up, the problem went away.

So it's really about reimbursement rates. Warranty work $/hour rate is much lower than the standard shop labor rate. In NoVA, it's around $110/hour if I recall.

Re: my 2018 GT AWD, I'm pretty sure I've noticed the transmission downshifting while slowing for a red light. There's so much stop and go driving around here (even on the interstates), that I don't really believe it's an issue. The car is so quiet compared to my former 2011 Mazda 3, 5 speed that I can enjoy the nice sound system and not having to shift constantly. This is the first time I've owned an automatic transmission since driving my parent's cars. I've bought MT cars ever since then except for now.

It will be interesting if there's a noticeable change once I get the CD Rocker Arm recall performed.
 
Avoidin Deer said:
So what's the deal with these places? If a car's under warranty and it needs work done, why do they put up barriers?

Do they have to jump through hoops to get factory approvals?
Are the payment rates from the factory sub-standard?
Do the payments from the factory get drug out?
Does the factory apply pressure to process a minimal number of claims?

I'm not trying to be naive here, but I gotta think this stuff is not coming out of their pockets. So what gives?
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It probably doesn't cost them out of their own pocket, but you be sure that there are incentives from Corporate to reduce or prevent warranty work from occuring if it is not a safety issue.

Companies are always looking to reduce cost, and one of those ways is through what THEY deem unnecessary warranty/repair work, UNLESS its' bringing money in.

My last Mazda 6 (2009) had a design fault with the exhaust system that affected a small # of cars. It caused the car to tweet like a bird when idling and was very noticeable if cars or walls were beside you.

They had the car in 6 or 7 years in a row to replace parts, replace the exhaust, etc etc.. Finally, they just admitted to me that they couldn't fix it and.. yeah.. that's it. That was right from corporate.
 
IamVAguy said:
I once owned a 90 Honda Civic. A local dealer wouldn't give me the price I wanted so I went to their competition in the next town. I started experiencing a shifting problem - the transmission would "pop" out of 4th gear after the 3-4 upshift. I took the car to the dealer I purchased the car from, and the they couldn't duplicate the problem. They suggested leaving it overnight so they could test drive the car when it was cold. I declined since I didn't have transportation so I drove over to the original dealer that refused to bargain with me.

The Service Manager told me I was putting him in an awkward position since I didn't purchase the car there. Well, I told he was going to service my car because the law doesn't mention where I purchased the car from matters. After he realized I knew the law, he relented. It turned out the shift fork was machined under the spec (< 0.001 inch) and when the transmission warmed up, the problem went away.

So it's really about reimbursement rates. Warranty work $/hour rate is much lower than the standard shop labor rate. In NoVA, it's around $110/hour if I recall.

Re: my 2018 GT AWD, I'm pretty sure I've noticed the transmission downshifting while slowing for a red light. There's so much stop and go driving around here (even on the interstates), that I don't really believe it's an issue. The car is so quiet compared to my former 2011 Mazda 3, 5 speed that I can enjoy the nice sound system and not having to shift constantly. This is the first time I've owned an automatic transmission since driving my parent's cars. I've bought MT cars ever since then except for now.

It will be interesting if there's a noticeable change once I get the CD Rocker Arm recall performed.
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I feel for you living up there.

I lived in Vienna from the early 60s to 2010, when I moved to Louisa County.

I, too, mostly drove manual transmissions until I purchased my first new vehicle--1989 S-10 pickup--that I could not get in a manual transmission. But it wasn't long that I began to appreciate not having to constantly shift as congestion up there exploded. Once I moved here, I hated having to go back for work meetings. Now I'm retired.

Regarding dealers: I've never had to return to one after buying a vehicle (the CX-5 is my 3rd new purchase). For my Mazda, I had a choice between the dealer in Charlottesville (20 miles away), one in Richmond (40 miles away) and one near Chantilly (90 miles away). I couldn't get much movement on price from any of them, so out of convenience and a desire to forge somewhat of a relationship, I bought from the guy least far away from me.

I got my 6 month ownership email from them just last week asking how I liked the car. I replied that it was great, but I was having occasional XM issues and would likely be making an appointment to have it looked at. I got no response.
 
Just for grins I took a look at Mazda's 2019 Financial Statements.

2019 Net Sales (Pg. 46).........................$32,114,378,000
Reserve for Warranty Expenses (Pg. 45).......$885,288,000 (roughly 2.76% of 2019 sales)

The Reserve for Warranty Expenses covers their entire exposure of all vehicles still under warranty, not just 2019 sales. So the anticipated expenditures are not 2.76% of the price of each car still warranted, they are maybe 1.0%-1.5%.

Obviously that's a per-car estimate. Some cars get a lot of warranty work, while most of them get none.
 
Avoidin Deer said:
I got my 6 month ownership email from them just last week asking how I liked the car. I replied that it was great, but I was having occasional XM issues and would likely be making an appointment to have it looked at. I got no response.
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You weren't expecting a response, were you?!
 
shadonoz said:
You weren't expecting a response, were you?!
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You know, there was a part of me that hoped they would have enough self-awareness to have at least cobbled together a quick "We're always here for all of your service needs." They wouldn't have to address the specific issue, but their lack of response confirms the disingenuous intent of the original email.

<s>It's like</s> they don't even care about me or their own image.
 
Avoidin Deer said:
You know, there was a part of me that hoped they would have enough self-awareness to have at least cobbled together a quick "We're always here for all of your service needs." They wouldn't have to address the specific issue, but their lack of response confirms the disingenuous intent of the original email.

<s>It's like</s> they don't even care about me or their own image.
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Bingo!
But don't feel bad. I didn't even get an inquiry like you did in the first place.
 
There is such a difference from dealer to dealer, and the differences can be felt across all manufacturers.
It's all about the people, not the brand.
I had a great local Nissan dealership that I went to for over 10 years......until it was sold to a corporate chain.
They changed everything, including about 80% of their staff. Everything went down the sewer, all because the only thing that mattered to this corporate dealership chain was money.

As for my 2017 Mazda experience, I bought it from a dealer that's about 30 minutes away.
There's another new Mazda dealership that opened around that time that's 10 minutes away. I should have bought it there.
I took my car to the newer, closer one for an oil change, and they couldn't be happier to have my service business.
None of this "you didn't buy it here" crap.
I get regular service reminders from them, and e-mails asking how the car is doing.
In the mean time, I haven't heard a friggin' thing in two years from the dealer I bought it from, other than the occasional promo e-mail trying to get me to trade it in on a new one.
One interesting thing: Last time I was at the close-by dealership (about 2 months ago), I ran into the guy that manages the parts department.
I recognized him right away. He used to be the parts guy at the Nissan dealership (15 years there).
He said he couldn't get away from that place fast enough. Just goes to show you I guess.
 
I spent the better part of my career in purchasing & vendor management.

I've worked for businesses all across the "ethical" spectrum, and have dealt with literally thousands of others buying their goods & services.

There are some number of people who honestly believe that everything is Win/Lose.
Those people shall never change, and they are a nightmare to work for.

As that guy said, he couldn't get away from that place fast enough. Those are the employers of last resort. Everyone in their industry knows who they are. You only go work for them when you're desperate to get a paycheck (ask me how I know), and you get the heck out as fast as you can. The thing is, it reinforces the "You can't trust anyone" mentality of the owner because nobody who's trustworthy wants to hang around.

It seems that there are industries where this is more the norm rather than the exception.
SInce everyone is substandard, there's no incentive to do better.
 
1. Rented a 2018 CX-5 GT AWD - had low speed lurching due to engine braking.
2. Rented a 2018 CX-5 GT FWD - had low speed lurching due to engine braking.
3. Purchased a 2019 CX-5 Signature - currently have low speed lurching when driving 0 to 25 mph. It seems to mostly occur at 18 mph - I just maintain light pressure on the accelerator to keep it out of the lurch speed.
Now I am experiencing a weird noise and "shift" when braking to a complete stop. Maybe downshifting 2 to 1?
The car is already warmed up and driven on the freeway for 45 minutes before I hit traffic.
4. Loaner - 2019 CX-5 Sport FWD - typical engine braking but no speed lurching.

I did not check the transmission oil level on any of the CX-5s. Is this all due to underfilled factory oil?
 
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