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Thread: Mazda Dealership Woes

  1. Thumbs down Mazda Dealership Woes

    I took my car down to the local Mazda Dealership today to get them to give me a pricing on my 6 MPS which they did, but then they mentioned the clutch is notchy and makes a click, click sound. At that I'm slightly puzzled and figured it must just be the fact its a hard clutch, so I said "they do have a hard clutch" to which I got a reply "Nah, this needs to be replaced, its been driven hard and worn a groove into the clutch." Now note that they had taken it into the service section during the valuation, Anyway I just said ok whatever, got back in my car and drove out, and sure enough the clutch now makes an audible click noise and squeaks. The clicking subsided after about 10 minutes, but I am left with a squeak (I'm guessing a spring)

    Take it back and ask the manager and service department guy what did you do to the clutch, to which I get "I don't know what you're trying to imply. It was doing that the whole time, we didn't do anything to it basically you can either pay us to fix it or go away, we've done you a favour in the pricing evaluation we gave you". I have to wonder, if they didn't do anything to it why did they need to put it in the service section? I'm pretty furious about this, all I wanted to know what the value of the car would be for them to buy it and they've stuffed up the clutch and try to pass it off as I'm blaming them for nothing.

  2. #2

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    I'm not sure how a clicking sound or squeak equates to a groove worn into the clutch? It's also very strange that this has only occured after they have driven the car.
    Was it the service or sales department that drove it / gave you the pricing evaluation?

    Give Mazda customer service a call so. They will log a contact in their system so your concern is on record.

    How many kms have you done?
    Is the car still in Warranty?

  3. #3

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    This is why mazda have never seen my car

    Im sorry to hear this..

    I wish I could offer some better advice..

    Doc

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    My rant was more a vent than anything doc I have had the car 2 weeks and its done 53000kms. It was the dealership manager that drove the car and gave the price evaluation. I'm not sure exactly what the service team did. The car is still in statutory warranty so that may be an option. So far though my dealing with dealerships has been one drama after another, which you kind of expect in a way but the way they treat you as if you don't know anything about the car you drive is pretty insulting. Does anyone have any recommendations for honest good mechanics/places that deal with Mazdas in WA?

  5. #5
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    Hey mate, I've used Wood Bros and found them ok, but the service manager can be a bit of a Nazi with warranty claims! Doug_MPS6 uses Melville Mazda, who used to do all the work on my SP23 and 6 Classic, they were great then and still great according to Doug. Some of the other guys have had good dealings with Parkland, had a bad experience with a sales guy there about 10 years ago so I've never gone back!

    Hope this helps you a bit, I've got no idea what the clicking noise is, but does the clutch behave normally? (normal for a 6MPS!) does it slip? It may be as you said something simple.
    Good luck
    Chris
    R36 - Just like an MPS6 except with a growly V6

  6. #6

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    Dealerships can get anyone wound up. I would definitely get another service manager to have a look first.

  7. #7

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    Just had my cx9 serviced at Melville today. I wish that the dealerships SOR would get dcent sized workshps

  8. #8

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    i know Mazda wont be servicing my car.
    I dont want a 2nd year apprentice mechanic F-ing wih my pride and joy.....

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by cotn View Post
    i know Mazda wont be servicing my car.
    I dont want a 2nd year apprentice mechanic F-ing wih my pride and joy.....
    Quote Originally Posted by Doc View Post
    This is why mazda have never seen my car

    Im sorry to hear this..

    I wish I could offer some better advice..

    Doc
    who do you guys get to service your car(s)?

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    Default Mazda Dealership Woes

    Good luck with not ever having an apprentice touch your car unless you do every service yourself. We all have to learn somewhere and they don't learn from just watching. I'd reccomend reading the dealer review thread, finding someone realiable and staying with them.. Weather it's Mazda or another service centre. I've had some very good experiences with Tom kerr Mazda here in Sydney.

  11. #11

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    ^ I take my car to someone i have had always do my cars. Its a small family shop that do an excellent job and are very trustworthy. He also loves cars and has lots of experience in all sorts of cars. i agree we dont learn from watching, but i have worked in the automotive trade for 13yrs and know that its VERY hard to find someone who will treat your car with the respect you do.
    I have heard first hand so many times about the stuff that goes on in dealers, and feel much better about taking my car to someone who owns the shop and does the work themselves. Exactly the same as when you took your car Best Mufflers.... Chris owns the shop and you know hes doing the work. Not just passing on instructions to 1 of 15 employees who dont have 1/4 the skills.

  12. #12
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    You have a point, but this is not always easy to find
    Some dealerships are great, others not so much!

    I encourage you to use this thread so other members can see which dealers or other suppliers they should use.

    http://www.ozmpsclub.com/forum/gener...ew-thread.html

  13. #13

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    I can understand how taking your pride and joy to the place of purchase, who has once made you really happy by supplying your pride and joy, but it is this very tactic employed by dealerships that sucks in 80-90% of new car buyers.
    I for one, have learn't my lesson. Most people accept that they are getting the best for their car, but the odd few that don't and who realised they are being taken for a ride, are made to look like idiots when they make complaints, due to the fact that there simply aren't enough people making complaints about dealerships. I will never recommend, ANY Mazda service dealership to anyone, and from my experiences, I cannot understand why anyone would waste their money! Rip-offs and cheats, but it doesn't matter because the average joe doesn't know any better, and will pay the extra $300 for that service and they probably won't even drop the oil! I will personally name and shame McGrath Liverpool and Sutherland! Kick me off the site if you may, the truth may hurt but people have a right to know! ****en grubs! I hope one day, somehow, that I am recommended to do work for these people, because karma will definitely kick ass that day!
    Last edited by mpsJOE; 09-05-2010 at 11:35 PM.
    .

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    Thanks for pointing out the dealer review thread. I know a lot of dealerships have the apprentices learning the ropes and stuff and they like to charge crazy amounts, but they could at least wait until i ask them to service it, not try and make a problem so they can :P On the whole it has just seemed like a really dodgey experience. I might give Melville Mazda a go as suggested (Wood Bros is a little far out of the way for me). I agree cotn that a good independant place is gonna do great things in comparison, I know Sydney and Melbourne have a wealth of these, Perth seems to be an automotive black hole in comparison.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by mpsJOE View Post
    I can understand how taking your pride and joy to the place of purchase, who has once made you really happy by supplying your pride and joy, but it is this very tactic employed by dealerships that sucks in 80-90% of new car buyers.
    I for one, have learn't my lesson. Most people accept that they are getting the best for their car, but the odd few that don't and who realised they are being taken for a ride, are made to look like idiots when they make complaints, due to the fact that there simply aren't enough people making complaints about dealerships. I will never recommend, ANY Mazda service dealership to anyone, and from my experiences, I cannot understand why anyone would waste their money! Rip-offs and cheats, but it doesn't matter because the average joe doesn't know any better, and will pay the extra $300 for that service and they probably won't even drop the oil! I will personally name and shame McGrath Liverpool and Sutherland! Kick me off the site if you may, the truth may hurt but people have a right to know! ****en grubs! I hope one day, somehow, that I am recommended to do work for these people, because karma will definitely kick ass that day!
    I will be going to tunehouse for my next service, though John and the boys at Tom Kerr are excellent.. especially after being at other mentioned dealerships.
    MY16 WRX STi Crystal White Pearl
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  16. #16
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    Just did my 20,000km service. While enquiring, prices were around the 350 to 399 mark. Chanced upon a guy that used to work for Merc and Mazda and now had his own solo business for the last 30 years.. Cost 250 buckaroos... and did an all around service debrief. So much better than dealerships I've dealt with.

  17. #17

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    Nice one mech81, yeh Jmac apologies for the review thread lol, I just redlined last night when I saw this thread and had to make my point clear!
    More people need to stand up and make the move, otherwise these dealerships that rip people off will continue to get away with it. I've contacted Mazda Australia on several occasions, and this is why I believe more people need to talk up. I am probably one of few that actually complain, so therefore I am simply looked at as a whinger, and they probably look at it as thought you can't make everyone happy!
    .

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by mpsJOE View Post
    Nice one mech81, yeh Jmac apologies for the review thread lol, I just redlined last night when I saw this thread and had to make my point clear!
    More people need to stand up and make the move, otherwise these dealerships that rip people off will continue to get away with it. I've contacted Mazda Australia on several occasions, and this is why I believe more people need to talk up. I am probably one of few that actually complain, so therefore I am simply looked at as a whinger, and they probably look at it as thought you can't make everyone happy!
    No problem with typing a review It needs to be in the template though so it doesnt turn into comment fest. This makes it easier for people to reference information and make an informed decision
    MY16 WRX STi Crystal White Pearl
    -= Rally Armour Flaps - 2XS Muffler Delete =-

    FG FPV F6 MKII Vixen - SOLD
    -= Bluepower SRI - ID1000 Injectors - Venom Cat - XCAL3 - ProcessWest Stg2 Intercooler - 359 RWKW=-

    CX9 Grand Touring Stormy Blue
    -= The rolling armchair =-

    6 MPS Velocity Red - SOLD
    -=Cat Back Exhaust - Pirelli PZero=-

    3 MPS Aurora Blue - SOLD
    -=PG SRI - PG Inlet - ETS TMIC - GFB Hybrid BOV - Best Mufflers DP - Eibach Pro - AccessPort STG2 - Autotech HPFP - ITV22 - Michelin PSS=-

  19. #19

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    ANAESTHETICS, I can confirm what Chris said. I have had a fairly good run with Melville Mazda. That said, one of their mechanics lightly scuffed the front sill of my car on a low concrete wall outside their workshop which damage I noticed (and I had also taken digital dated and timed photos of before and after service, a regular practice of mine - it doesn't hurt if they see you doing it too) and they fixed it immediately without question. I was more peeved the mechanic hadn't said anything to the service manage about it and had obviously hoped I wouldn't notice. Otherwise they have been good and (so far) supportive. I'll be interested to see how they go post-warranty. BTW I still have my original 2005 clutch. No problems. It's sudden but I like a short sharp clutch anyway, and it has smoothed out hugely over the 45,000+ kms. Some wally might have dumped yours one too many times and given it a hard life.

    I wouldn't go back to Parkland. When I was looking at buying an MPS6, I went for a test drive there and was very well dealt with by a young girl sales-person who was bright, enthusiastic and caring. I went back for another test drive with her and while I was out in the Mazda, somebody knocked off the 2 x $200 spotlights from the bullbar of my Landcruiser which I had parked next to their workshop, hard up against the workshop fence so only someone coming out of the shop would have seen the lights - it would have taken a spanner and a set of side-cutters or wire-cutters and was done in full view of the sales yard in mere minutes. It seems very unlikely that it would have been anybody off the street as a casual-passer by and I suspect one of their mechanics for obvious reasons (proximity and tools available). I confronted them about it and their sales manager was plain dismissive and rude, although my approach had been pleasant enough and not accusatory. He could have handled it better.

    I notice they didn't keep the girl either. She was gone the next time I went there - pity - she was by far the best of the bunch I met there but at the time I don't think "pleasant" was on their PR advice sheets. It would have been tough for her to work with a rude egotistical manager like the one I dealt with. I had lined up a car to buy through her but didn't proceed after discovering they had axed her, and I didn't want to give any of the other gormless or rude twits the satisfaction of a sale that she had done all the work for. Melville Mazda were completely different and I bought the same year and model in a matter of days at a better price.

    Small things in customer relations count for lots, with me at least. I'd rather pay more to buy from someone I like than less from a moron who doesn't deserve to make a sale.
    Last edited by Doug_MPS6; 11-05-2010 at 05:39 PM.
    CP_e Standback & PNP; CP_e 3" SS Downpipe; Corksport FMIC with Top-mount K&N filter & OEM Ram CAI; Turbosmart BOV; Dashhawk; Prosport Boost Guage; JBR solid shift bushes; DBA 4000 Wiper-Slot front rotors; Hawk Ferro-Carbon HPS Street front brake pads (@ 69,000km); Sumitomo HTRZIII's in 225/45 x 18

  20. #20
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    A handful of people on here know my thoughts and experiences with the McGrath dealership at Sutherland, I sympathise with you Joe, if you've been through half the crap I have with these guys....they should have there licence removed.

    Now back to the topic at hand, I had a Mazda dealer (above) "inspect" my clutch at my 20k service due to me reporting a doughy pedal feel, engagement was fine, it just felt a bit vague under foot at times....long story short, they fried it during "testing procedure", blamed me for abusing the car, after a lengthy meeting with their service manager, they replaced the clutch & flywheel under "warranty", don't give in to these service guys if they wont come to the party, go to Mazda Aust, then take it to dept of fair trading.
    Nearly all men can stand adversity. But if you want to test a man's character - give him power.
    Abraham Lincoln

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