Equis

I bought my car from this dealership way back in June and somethings on delivery were not put on and I am having issues with the car. I was going to write up a little essay but I kept a timeline journal of it and typed it. I plan on writting this formally and complaing to the main service manager, these guys are just slow, beyond slow.

So no one ever get your oil changed at Magnnesun you might end up with Crisco oil in your car instead.


[May 7, 2004]
Made first appointment for June 29, 2004
Items to be installed or looked at:

1) Install Guide Point.
2) Install “Magnashield” to car.
3) Install Driver side carpet hook.
4) Look at weak A/C system, not blowing sufficient cold air.
5) Install driver side fuse box cover.
6) Look at inaccurate Navigation system, constant reroute problem.
7) Look into car having problems starting at crank.
8) Low oil indicator while driving, just got car from dealer oil sufficient?
9) Car had dent in rear right panel when delivered.

[June 29, 2004]
Car is dropped off at service center

[July 3, 2004]
Car returned:
1) A/C amplifier unit ordered.
2) Fuse Box cover ordered.
3) Driver side carpet hook not installed, part ordered.
4) Navigation still inaccurate, shop says nothing wrong with system.
5) Car still having problems starting.
6) Defroster button on dash broken, part ordered.
7) Dent in car not fixed.

1) Guide point installed
2) “Magnashield” installed.


[July 6. 2004]

I called Amit telling him car Navigation still has constant reroute issue, and car still having problem starting, also constant low oil indicator even when I check that there is full oil in the car. Amit states nothing is wrong with car techs looked at it everything is fine.

[July 20, 2004]
Called Amit on status of parts ordered. Amit forgot to order parts. Tells me A/C is on back order.

[August 11, 2004]
Called Amit status on parts for car, not in yet A/C still on back order.



[August 13, 2004]
Navigation gets worst; car is shown about (5) five to (4) four city blocks off center marker of navigation constant reroute mode. Car is having increasing problems starting especially after car is driven for (1) hour or more, then is off for about (1) one or (2) two hours. I call Amit and tell him about Navigation and the car start problem, and ask about parts, not in yet. I tell him the center console is loose and I think it might be broken.

[August 24, 2004]
Called on status of parts, Amit says the parts have been here for a week, but he does not call me to schedule an appointment. Appointment is made for August 31st.

[August 31. 2004]
Car is dropped off at dealer:

1) Getting looked at; Navigation is totally unusable, constant reroute.
2) Getting looked at; Car increasing having problems starting.
3) Install fuse box cover
4) I tell explicitly tell Amit that I want that dent fixed please.
5) A/C amplifier unit to be installed.
6) Driver side carpets hook to be installed.
7) Defroster button to be replaced.
8) Look at center console.

[September 2, 2004]
Car is delivered to me:

Amit states that car was held an extra day to hook it up to a diagnostic computer for the Navigation and the car start problem.

1) Navigation more accurate but still reroutes when near other highways or nearby streets, is off by (100) hundred feet. Can bee seen in visual navigation mode, in map mode car is often oriented incorrectly when making turns.
2) Car now has become increasingly hard to start.
3) Rear right dent in car is not fixed.
4) Carpet hook not installed because they can not find the ordered part.
5) Defroster button not replaced.
6) A/C not installed.
7) Center console is broken and tell me that I broke it, but they will replace because the car was a showroom model.

1) Fuse box cover installed.

I tell Amit to call me as soon as the parts are all in to schedule an appointment to install all these parts.


[September 16, 2004]
I call Amit and ask if the parts are in, states parts are not in yet. I mention again about the Navigation problem and the car start problem. Amit states that the techs find no problems what so ever from the computer diagnostic. I tell him that is not true navigation often pops me into other streets or from the street to a freeway and reroutes. I argue with him this time as my patience has worn thin, and he tells me to talk to Mazda not his problem, I tell him his problem you guys in a 3 month period were only able to install a fuse box cover, Guide Point, and Magna Shield. I even found the carpet hook in my car underneath the carpet that was supposedly lost at the dealer and could not be found. I tell Amit when will I get anything if at all of this fixed, he tell me he has to look at the computer and find out a schedule for me to come in and get this fixed, I stress that their track record is bad, and I do need this all installed I don’t want to come in episodes since I live 45 miles away.

Equis

COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION INFORMATION:

Mazda

COMPLAINT INFORMATION:

Complaint #: 1651631
Complaint Type: Car Maker
Date Received: 9/16/2004

sjt

I've been fearing going there for my recall/service... I live about 10mins away though but this is the same dealership where I bought my previous Nissan Sentra SE-R & they had to replace the engine which they said it would only take 3 days!!!

uh... no...

it took 14... thanks for tryin though.

As for the RX-8... well I wish there was another dealership closer... Hayward is a bit outta the way & the one on Steven's Creek is even further... I need the airbag recall done, the M PCM recalibration, A/C looked at (it kinda works & kinda doesn't... moody at best) & the weird hissing/clicking has gone away now so it made my life a little easier.

I also had Guidepoint installed there but SURPRISINGLY it only took 6 hrs... about 3 hrs sooner than promised. It was like winning the lottery I tell ya!!!

xxMax Powerxx

I wish there was a Hayward dealership. Menlo Mazda in Redwood City has been good for the minor things I took it in for. From what I can tell, it's your best shot. Avoid Putnum in Burlingame at all costs.

8inVegas

is that the magnussen dealership in fremont? i'm from vegas and i was out in fremont on vacation for four days, and my check engine light went on, it happened on a sunday, so their techs weren't even there. THANK GOD. According to you, it's a joke basically.Also thank god that the check engine light went off and never lit up again.

Equis

Yhea it is the same one in Fremont. They are just grease *****, they don't wanna spend money to fix a little couple of things on the car. And don't even want to look at my car start problem of the Navi problem because according to them everything is fine........

Equis

Oh an in all that time in a span of 3 months all they were able to do was install a fuse box cover. Guide Point is contracted by someone else so if they did it my car would of been there a month.

8inVegas

bitches

Zoomy

I tried to hack through the filters to find the Regional Manager's name, but to no avail. Here is at least the Corporate info. I think if you pound on them enough you might get some action.

Mazda Motor of America, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters:
Customer Relations Manater
Mazda Motor of America, Inc.
P.O. Box 19734
Irvine, CA 92713-9734
1 (800) 222-5500 (toll free)

Equis

Sweet! Thanks for the info Zoomv! I got a J.D. Power associates questionaire, and I had to rate the over all system a (1) unacceptable. sucks since I never can see what the system can really do. I think I am going to photo copy it and send my experiences to this Customer Relations person at Mazda.

rX8rEdLiNe

Allow me to repost from my earlier thread:

Equis, I am curious to know the results from your earlier BBB complaint about Magnussen's Fremont. Any comments would be very appreciated. Thanks.

I had an unbelievably horrific customer service episode earlier this week at Magnussen's Fremont Ford Mazda Service. The experience ruin my mood during the entire work week, still angers me today, and so I wish to vent. Thanks in advance for everyone's patience as this will be a very long post.

I had previously had the airbag recall done on the car a while back, but did not realize that my glovebox damper was broken until recently when I read about it on this forum. It turns out, Magnussen Mazda service had broken it during the airbag recall, so I took my car back about a month ago to have the glove box fixed. I was told that the part had to be ordered, it would be available soon, and they would call me ASAP for an appointment to have it fixed. I never received a phone call, so I called back 2 week later to check on status, and they tell me the part was never ordered in the first place! So they finally place an order for the part, and says again that they will call when the part is in. Two weeks later, after no phone calls again, I check back and was told that the part is in today, and should not take more then 30 minutes to install it. I made an appointment with Service Advisor Gary Byrne for Wednesday morning this week.

Wednesday morning at 10am, I dropped the car off at the dealership and Service Advisor Gary Byrne confirmed that the installation would take no longer than 45 minutes. I waited around in the sales room for over an hour, and checked back with the service advisor an hour later. At 11am, I was told that the technician is currently installing the part for the glove box and to check back again in half a hour. At 1130am, I come back and you will not believe what Mr. Gary Byrne told me. He told me that in order to install the damper for the glovebox, the technician will need to take apart the entire dashboard assembly, that it would take approximately another 6-8 hours of labor, and that I had to leave the car overnight since all the technicians were getting ready to go to lunch? I know from reading about this on the forum that its a relatively easy fix, should not require 6-8 hours as the service advisor is saying, so I smelled some bull **** here. At this point, I was not comfortable leaving the car there at the dealership with these guys. He asked if I would like to speak with a technician regarding the glovebox, to which I replied yes, so I could have him clarify the long 6-8 hour required labor as quoted by Gary Byrne. So at this point, Gary Byrne took off, and I thought he would come back with a service technician. What transpired next revealed the unbelievably unprofessional, inept, and incompetent staff at Magnussen's Fremont.

15 minutes later, to my horror, I see Gary Byrne speeding back in my RX8 without any service tags on the car, or any technicians. Now I was agitated and bewilder at what was going on. The service advisor gets out of my car in an irate manner, scolds at me that the keys are in the car, to leave the dealership and never come back ever again. Then he goes back into the service office, screaming and ranting at me. In disbelief, I checked inside my car, there were no service tags, and the glove box was still broken as if nothing was done at all while I waited for 2 hours.

I was extremely pissed, and had had enough of this travesty of customer service so I demanded to speak with the manager. Low and behold, Gary Byrne refused my request, while threatening me to leave the compounds or else. He then proceeded to slander me by calling security, lying, and accusing me of harassing and threatening him. I left the office, looking for a manager to do something about this mockery of customer service, while this guy Gary Byrne was following behind me, shouting and raving. Finally when I got ahold of Operations Manager Clayton King, and told him about the sham of events that had just transpired. He said he would handle and get everything straighten out.

As I was finishing complaining to Clayton King, Gary Byrne runs towards my RX-8, puts the car in nuetral, and attempts to push it out of the dealership himself! In a quick frenzy, I run towards my car, shouting "Don't Touch My Car Bitch!!!" which causes him to back away from my car. I swear if this guy did not get out of my car, I would have probably gone postal on him out of defense of my beloved RX-8. At this point I was sick and tired, had had enough of all this nonsense, and the Operations Manager Clayton King was incompetent, unhelpful, and had done nothing to resolve the matter.

I finally got in my car and took off, feeling disgusted, wasting 2.5 hours of my day in the worst customer service experience of my entire life or anyone elses for that matter. Nobody from Magnussen has yet to call and formally apologized for the absurdness of events. Clearly, the staff at Magnussen's Fremont are unbelievably unprofessional, inept, and incompetent. I love my RX-8, but this experience has caused me to think twice about purchasing another vehicle from a Mazda Dealership. The Mazda service experience at Magnussen Fremont can be best described as putrid. I am considering filing formal complaints to the BBB, and to Mazda Headquarters.

What other recourse can be done, and thanks for allowing me to vent?

PaulieWalnuts

If you don't get resolution, always go straight to the top. Here's the direct number to MNAO and a few higher level contacts.

949-727-1990. It's not toll free but you'll probably get a secretary instead of automated phone hell.

VP, Sales and Field Operations Dave Zuchowski
Director, Dealer Affairs Peter Donnelly
Director, Service and Parts Weslow De La Mora
Western Regional General Manager Eric Johnston

rX8rEdLiNe

I have filed a repot with the BBB. I will contact MNAO customer relations and write formal complaints to the owners at Magnussen's shortly. If Magnussen’s Fremont Ford Mazda service would be more professional with their customers, provide better customer service, and treat every customer with respect and dignity, Mazda’s customer loyalty would greatly enhanced. Magnussen’s Fremont Ford Mazda must realize and understand the value of each customer as even one bad service experience can affect the Mazda brand name tremendously. A substantial amount of new business can be created simply by “word of mouth” from a customer’s positive service experience. As a result of my negative customer service experience, Magnussen’s Fremont Ford Mazda is not only losing one independent single customer from this customer service misjudgment. My friends, family, colleagues and their colleagues as well will be informed, and will stay as far away as possible away from Magnussen’s Fremont Ford Mazda Nissan.