I am getting really really really frustrated...
 

I have just about had it with the dealerships in VA atm. I went in to the Dealership in Yorktown to have the Oil Pan replaced per the TSB because I have been having the problem. They tell me they can't drive the car over 45mph or some such nonsense so they can't recreate the issue. Therefore, they won't repair it. So this last weekend I went home to NC to visit my family and stopped into the Cary Dealership to ask them about it. They were booked that day or would have been willing to repair it right away. No hassle whatsoever. The next day they were available but I was heading out of town to return to work the next day. They told me it was probably just the dealership I went to. So I called up the Chesepeake department today and this guy was really really RUDE. Pisses me off. First off I tell him I need to schedule and appointment to get my car repaired and my oil changed. He says they don't schedule oil changes. So I said fine I still need it scheduled to be repaired. He asks me what the problem is so I explain it to him. He asks me what day is good for me. I told him it didn't matter just don't hook me up with a ghetto loaner. Then he tells me that I won't be getting a loaner because they will just be looking at the car and not actually repairing it. He also informs me that he doubts he will be able to recreate the issue because they too can't drive the car over some ridiculously low speed. However, I need to drop it off and leave it with them all day. So what the hell is up with dealerships in VA. Are they just all assholes or am I doing pretty good about finding them for everyone else?

Call Mazda HQ in Irvine and tell them. Don't just sit here and tell us about it.

No sh*t dude. After I took mine in for warranty work, Mazda HQ wrote, called and emailed me multiple times to make sure I was happy. They will care and will do something for you! GOOD LUCK!

I'm glad to hear that calling Mazda HQ gets something done since Toyota's policy is, "responsibility for customer satisfaction rests solely in the hands of the dealer". The dealerships know there will not be some regional manager breathing down their neck and it shows.

I was told that by some VP as I worked my way up the chain for an issue I had with my local dealer. If the dealership simply chooses to ignore your issue, the only thing the HQ will do is offer their sympathy and wishes that you still consider their product in future buying decisions.

I think the TSB for the oil pan was for a certain range of early production VIN's. I called my dealer (my VIN was included) and they performed the oil pan replacement -- no questions asked. Mazda did call and mail me for my opinion on the service -- gave top scores. If your VIN falls in the range for this TSB then TELL the dealer it will be done. If that fails get the name and number of your regional Mazda rep -- I'll bet he will get things taken care of ASAP -- last thing he wants is a complaint to HQ from his territory.

Which Dealerships are you refering to? What ever you do do not go to Casey imports in Newport News. Biggest bunch of bozos I have seen. Have you tried Hampton Chevy-Mazda on Mercurey Blvd? That is where I bought my 8.

I'm guessing that Mazda is not compensating the dealerships for the full value of the warranty work. I've made two warranty claims with my dealership, both were initially denied. I paid for the first one because it was only $80, but the second one required a call to Mazda in California. Anyone with real information on why some dealerships are slow to undertake warranty work?

DAMMIT.

You're not the only one having trouble with dealers...

I bought my car last Saturday, picked it up Monday night (supposedly going through PDI after being delivered on a truck). Kind of a strange excuse considering PDI is supposed to be something that I do when they deliver the car to ME.

They couldn't find the car exactly how I wanted it, so they got the closest thing and ordered parts.

The part list includes:

Rear Spoiler
Front/Rear splash guards
all weather floor mats
cargo net

Nothing exactly exotic about this. As of Mon or Tues, they tell me that by Friday, "we'll know where they are and exactly when they'll arrive. It should be this weekend or Mon morning at the latest".

I call today (the Friday mentioned above), and they haven't even ORDERED it yet.

I'm distinctly noticing that at Brown's Fairfax Mazda (www.fairfaxmazda.com), once you hand over the check, your customer care slides RIGHT down the dealer's priority list.

UNBELIEVABLE!!

While I agree they're jackasses for not ordering your parts, PDI is Pre-Delivery Inspection- they have to do it on all vehicles BEFORE they give it to you. Yes, you're supposed to examine the car before you take delivery of it too, but the offical PDI is done by the dealer.

Trust me..
 

I will definately be calling Mazda HQ. As soon as I find the number. This is really frustrating me. According to the dealership I bought it from I was the first one to purchase from them and they are "supposedly" the largest distrubutor on the southeast coast. I pruchased it from Capital Mazda of Cary. They are the ones that didnt' give me a hassle but I couldn't stay in the area to get it done.

I am going to call Mazda HQ before my service, which is scheduled for Wed next week.

1-800-222-5500
Our business hours are
Monday through Friday:
8:00AM - 4:45PM (Pacific)
9:00AM - 5:45PM (Central/Eastern

Japan has two levels of customer satisfaction: Either 10 out of 10 is OK, or anything less is unacceptable. They always mail out customer satisfaction forms. The dealer gets rated on this. Always fill them out, and if you choose anything less than 10, they get dinged!!

rx8gator

Is that really true???? My sales person was telling me that and went on and on and on and on begging me to give all tens. I bothered me in that I should be able to rate the service as I want to and not as he tells me to. In my opinion you have to be a god to be a ten at anything. I would rate a very good job as a 8 or 9 and you have to exceed expectations to be a 10. That is a lot.

My dealer showed me a template explaining that to me. It showed that 10 was the only acceptable number in Japan. Who was your dealer? I went to Delray Mazda.

Got mine from City Place Mazda in W. Palm. They were good and went out of their way to find and get my car for me and I would also recommend them. They waved a customer survey in front of me that was filled out to all tens, but I did not read it to learn what was passing and what was not passing.

It is only that I did not appreciate being pleaded with and lectured to rate them a certain way. Kind of a pressure job. That was the only pressure they used in the whole sales process. Just stuck with me.

Now you know why they did that! 10 out of 10!

Re: Trust me..
 

I also got my 8 from Capital Mazda in Cary. I had a great experience when I bought the car and the two times I've been back for service have been great as well. I bought the third 8 they sold. Were you the one who bought the yellow one which they got in around mid-July?

City Place rocks- they're the only dealer I have ever felt comfortable dealing with, either sales or service. They were very honest about some things that another dealership tried to screw me on, knowing they wouldn't make much money from me if they were honest.

If I hadn't moved from WPB, that's where I would have bought my RX8 and would go for warranty work.

Just my $.02

Thanks G8r, Gotta trust a fellow gator. Aren't you the one who moved to Illinios? Unfortunately, I have to deal with the Broward dealers as this is where I work. Maybe I should start a thread for service in N. Broward.

BTW, What the he%% are you doing up there? Hopefully making lots of $

Re: I am getting really really really frustrated...
 

Don't forget that if you get a loaner for an issue like this it is purely at the dealer's discretion as good will.

The Mazda loaner program does not kick in unless your dealer needs your car for more than 24 hours for a warranty repair, or almost never...

Yep- that was me... my company relocated me to Chicago from Boynton- too good of a job to walk away from. After going to HS in St. Pete, college in Gainesville, and finally living in WPB/Wellington for 12 years I was actually happy for the change. I might change my tune after a couple more winters, but for now the seasons are awesome : )

Like anything else, being treated like S___ will only make you leave and that is good.. There are some great dealers that are willing to work w/ you. Patronize them.. This forum is great to weed out some of the lousy ones we have faced. I have been so happy w/ my dealership, It looks like I will be buying my son a Mazda 3 there in the near future.. Good luck..MSJ

yup yup.. service is everything in this biz.. Car buyers have more power than they realize...

nt

OMG! Someone else actually went there and serviced a car with them?

*faints*

The vehicle prep people filled my tires up to 45PSI (VERY dangerous) and put my license plates on with HUGE self-tapping sheet metal screws (buggered the threads on the blind nuts in the rear).

Luckily I live down in Chesapeake and will be using a different dealership for my repair work...hope they are better than Casey.