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Mazda5: Recalls
Hello all. I'm a new Mazda5 owner (took delivery monday) with just under 200 miles on my car.
I have to say, I wish I had read this discussion group before purchasing my car. I have been encountering the A/C problems, mysterious engine noises, and other issues I wouldn't expect from a brand-new vehicle (nevermind the lack of an AUX jack for an external music player...they have a TAPE DECK option? What is this, 1982?)
Anyway, my dealer called me this afternoon to let me know about the recall, and they are trying to round up vehicles to swap out with. I don't know about them not being able to sell any more at my particular dealership, but it seems likely that is the case.
The service manager didn't give me any real timeframe as to how long it would take to get it fixed, but here's my real question:
Should I keep this car?
I have to admit, Im not terribly impressed with the small A/C vents, the fact that the compressor shuts down if the accelerator is pushed 2/3rds of the way down (the service manager told me this), the fact that the massive amounts of glass aren't factory-tinted, and the dearth of audio accessories someone living in the 21st century might actually use (minidisk option? Didnt that die 10 years ago?)
Since my car has very low mileage at this point, and the recall fix is of an indeterminate nature, I think I could probably make a case for the dealer to just take the thing back and cut my losses.
What do other owners think? If you had the chance to get out of your M5 free and clear, right now, would you do it?
I have to say, I wish I had read this discussion group before purchasing my car. I have been encountering the A/C problems, mysterious engine noises, and other issues I wouldn't expect from a brand-new vehicle (nevermind the lack of an AUX jack for an external music player...they have a TAPE DECK option? What is this, 1982?)
Anyway, my dealer called me this afternoon to let me know about the recall, and they are trying to round up vehicles to swap out with. I don't know about them not being able to sell any more at my particular dealership, but it seems likely that is the case.
The service manager didn't give me any real timeframe as to how long it would take to get it fixed, but here's my real question:
Should I keep this car?
I have to admit, Im not terribly impressed with the small A/C vents, the fact that the compressor shuts down if the accelerator is pushed 2/3rds of the way down (the service manager told me this), the fact that the massive amounts of glass aren't factory-tinted, and the dearth of audio accessories someone living in the 21st century might actually use (minidisk option? Didnt that die 10 years ago?)
Since my car has very low mileage at this point, and the recall fix is of an indeterminate nature, I think I could probably make a case for the dealer to just take the thing back and cut my losses.
What do other owners think? If you had the chance to get out of your M5 free and clear, right now, would you do it?
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Comments
The test drive certainly didn't demonstrate that the car might potentially catch on FIRE.
I don't know how long you normally go on test drives for, but mine was less than a 1 mile jaunt around a neighborhood behind the dealer. None of these things showed up 'plain as day'. As far as the options, I was willing to live without the missing AUX jack (which I did inquire about) because the CD deck supposedly played MP3 cd's. It wasnt until after I took delivery of mine that I realized that it was a single-CD model (non MP3).
Thats a dealer issue, to be sure, but it still frustrates me that Mazda seems to want to ignore the fact that 1 in 11 americans own a personal audio player (iPod or similar) and add an AUX jack like scion, mazda, KIA, and a bunch of other competing companies do.
But thanks anyway for your totally unhelpful comments.
I tried to see if I could bail out on the deal, as my trade was being sold on the lot, but the site manager said everything was in process, so it would have to be treated as whole new deal, with me in essence trading in my 'used' (one week old) 5 and buying my 'new' trade-in.
They were courteous though, and seemed genuinely eager to help, and did go ahead and take my 5 into service and gave me a loaner MPV for the weekend. I thought that was pretty nice and it made me feel better about the whole thing.
I guess its wait and see what Monday brings. Good luck everyone.
No way! I just dropped off my 5 for the recall and got a Mazda Tribute loaner with 8200 miles. The difference was dramatic. The 5 is a light and crisp-handling car with about the same interior capacity as the comparatively clumsy truck.
I'm sorry you are suffering Buyer's Remorse. I hope you either get a good windowtint job and come to love your 5, or get out clean and free it up for someone else.
pagetuner
http://pagetuner.com/mazda5
Just to add a note, whoever was in charge of the design should have put the arm rest on the passenger side in mazda5, not the drivers, what were they thinking???
Other companys have the luxury of denying problems when their products have a critical mass of popularity: e.g. Ford's tire problems, Toyota's engine sludge, GM's everything.
I'm sure it's a matter of dropping some more expensive parts in place of ones that were carried over from the 3. I wonder if tuning the engine for better low end torque puts out more heat stress than other deplyments of the engine.
Cheers,
Alex
This is my second brand new car, they all get recalled for something at some point...
Question about tinting though, has anyone tried "gila" tint? www.gilafilms.com?
what is the best one (I'll have it professionally put it anyway), or the the "do it yourself" tint is better from pageturner.com?
thanks
I am not mad with Mazda for not stepping up as they appear to be doing the right thing, however, I am mad with Mazda for the serious lack of information about the recall. Our dealer only told us it was to do with "emissions" and had no information about when our car would be ready. I checked Mazda's website for recall information but found nothing. It was only when I checked this message board that I learned the full facts about the recall and about dealer incentives.
Mazda must ensure dealers do the 'right' thing with Mazda 5 customers and not try to pocket the incentives paid to them without having to actually spend anything.!!!
Just finished a 1300 mile trip from Pa to WV , Va and Tenn.
Averaged around 30 MPG. AC worked great. Just 2 people in it me and my wife.
Still pretty impressed that I get thet kind of MPG with Ac on and temps in the mid 80's to low 90's. Good handling in the Mountains well also. I hate to give it back to the dealer but that's better then having it catch on fire. Well hope everyone makes the best of the renatl cars. On a side note I didn't notice not even one other M5 on the road..
It seems that Mazda corporate is doing the right thing, but the implementation on the dealer side is what is making this process either horrible or tolerable. I was called directly by the sales manager who told me about the possibility of the car catching fire and offered to have it towed if I didn't want to drive it. They immediately offered a new MPV as a loaner. Very very wonderful service.
The only problem is that the MPV is kind of a dog -- underpowered and really ordinary! Now I realize what makes the 5 so perfect (ok, not completely perfect) and highlights what I miss about it. The first MPV they gave me was a base model and it could barely take 3 adults and 2 children up a slight incline. So I returned it and asked for a V6 model, which is much better, but not as zippy as our 5. Since I live in the Washington, DC area, there are tons of Mazda dealerships, so I guess they have to keep a high level of customer service to stay competitive. They kept apologizing for the inconvenience.
Now I'm the proverbial mom with 2 children and a minivan. The only thing missing is a soccer game. UGH.
http://www.autospectator.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2013
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/09/17/143253.html
No new information, really, but at least now the dealers can't say they 'dont know' what the problem is.
Just for the record, I was given a V-6 MPV, and while it certainly doesnt have the 'cool factor' of the 5, I find it a very capable and versatile minivan. I had some family in town over the weekend and it was very useful for carting people around.
I still wouldnt want one myself, but I can see why people buy them.
And I found everyone here is all having the loaner MPV. We are the only one who got such a small uncomfortable rental car. So I called service manager of our dealer this morning and requested a bigger loaner car. Still, they don't have loaner cars so they asked us to exchange the car at Avis. This time, we are getting Ford Freestar which is much bigger and more comfortable. However, the clerk of Avis sucks. The way she dealt with us was like we owed her hundred millions. Gee! I can't believe this is the way they do the business. We had several car rentals with Hertz and Hertz's cars and attitudes of clerks are much better than Avis. We had one experience car rental with NATIONAL and it is better than Avis too.
I called the service manager and thank him. I also suggested him to give the 5 owners minivans instead of 4 door sedan cars. And he said he finally realized that most 5 owners are with a family. Of course, i don't think singles will buy 5. we just feel like at least they have to offer the same level cars to 5 owners at this kind of situation. 5 owners already feel unpleasant about the recall. Even depressed for getting a worse car than 5. So UNFAIR!!! :-(
So YOU REALLY HAVE TO REQUEST
The gilafilms link on my pagetuner page http://pagetuner.com/mazda5/windowtint.html
about window tints was just so you could get more info about the particular product I used when I did it myself. I had purchased the gila film product at Autozone, and I specifically chose a tint that goes on without adhesive and that could thus be removed without trauma if I didn't like the job I did. It is not as clear as the adhesive films, but it allowed me to test drive the darker tint (which it turns out I like fine) while leaving myself an escape clause.
pagetuner
http://pagetuner.com/mazda5/
Don't make assumptions... The initial info from Mazda went out to us late friday via email. We all know alot of dealers arent real good with email.
The folks on edmunds knew it before I did....I spoke to two other Mazda dealers today and they didn't know about the recall.
is no federal recall which means that Mazda is not looking to make
this public. I also contacted the Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer
Complaints in inquiring about the lemon law for this vehicle. Problem is
Mazda has not attempted to notify either. Hmmmm. :lemon:
http://autopedia.com/html/HotLinks_LemonSample.html
Of course, I don't have to sit in the back... sorry kids.
is no federal recall which means that Mazda is not looking to make
this public.
From the e-mail I received from Mazda:
We sent you this letter before the official recall notification, which
you’ll receive soon, because we wanted you to have the opportunity to
begin the repair process on your MAZDA5 as soon as possible.
I read this to mean Mazda has informed NHTSA (after all it is a safety issue) and in due time I'll be hearing from NHTSA. Also, I'm part of the public and I think Mazda was on top of letting owners know there was a problem and working to make sure this problem is address properly.
Sounds like you want out of your vehicle.
The dealer initially gave me an MPV with 12,000 miles but filthy interiors. After I complained and mentioned the Mazda incentive, they gave me a brand new Tribute-SUV with less than 300 miles. Mazda is trying to do things right. The dealer may not.
Now the not-so-good part. They don't have a loaner program but work with an adjacent Enterprise. They gave me the number and I set up an MPV loan. Got there and all they had was a Kia Sedona. I told the young lady at the desk that I had reserved an MPV and she told me that's what I was getting, a minivan. I explained to her that I had specifically asked for a MAZDA MPV and she said they don't have any, sorry. I had the choice of the Kia or a Chevy Aveo they had on hand if mileage was a concern. I took the Kia. I don't know if I'll be able to drive this thing for a month. What a piece of junk.
The steering and brakes are horrible and it handles like my friend's Suburban. It has a bit more low-end power than the 5, but with all that extra weight and size, it's still a pig. Of course there isn't a sunroof or climate control and the rear seats don't fold flat, but I could deal with those issues if this thing was at least going to give me some driving enjoyment in the meantime. Alas, I might end up having to call Enterprise and exchange it for something smaller.
I love my 5 and can't wait to get it back!
On a side note, if you are looking for a great deal on an almost new MPV with a thousand or two mile on it - there should be a bunch showing up in a month! My service guy figures they'll be loaning out about 20!
That's great service from your dealer. I learned about my recall from these boards over the weekend.
Most of the posters here received proactive calls from their dealers about the recall.
However, I had to call my service manager on Monday morning to talk about the recall and ask for a loaner for my Mazda5. I requested a MPV because I needed the space.
When I arrived at the dealer, they were not a bit apologetic and treated my loaner car transaction as a matter-of-fact incident. When I picked up my car from the service bay, a service technician pointed to a Mazda 6 sedan and said 'this is all I got'. I said that can't be right because I arranged for a MPV. The service technician then picked up a key from the key box, walked me over to a MPV and just walked away, not even explaining why he offered me a 6 in the first place.
The 2004 MPV LX had 10k miles on it, less than 1/4 tank of gas, and was filthy inside and and out. It also smelled of smoke. yech. It was a long day so I just drove away from the dealership.
Today, I called the service manager and asked if he had new MPVs for me to switch and mentioned the $1500 incentive from Mazda. He got defensive and said 'Where did you hear that from!?". I explained to him that I heard it from the message boards and he said 'it's a choice they have and they do not plan to exercise that choice'. Well, I respect that but I just wish that they could make this experience a more pleasant one.
I'm just going to take it to a carwash and clean it inside and outside and not ever take my car to the dealer/service station again. It's tough to get some love here in NYC Metro area.
PS - I asked the service guy if they notified any other Mazda 5 owners, and the guy said 'No - not yet'. yikes!
Just to clarify: the dealer only gets the $1,500 + $50/day incentive if he loans out a brand new 05 MPV, right? How does the dealer benifit by giving you a brand new Tribute? Or does the dealer get the $1,500 no matter what he loans out? I'm curious because the used Mazda6 that I got as a loaner certainty isn't worth $1,500 + $50 per day.
We are also in NYC metro, wonder if it is the same dealer.
at a local dealership just north of the Atlanta area do not
seem to keen to following the procedures of the $1500 of
incentives and the consumer is loosing out big time.
There is a saying that once the car is off the lot, the value
of the car is 20% less. With the fact that there is a recall
on these depreciation just went through the roof. Case in
point is the Nissan Quest which sold at $23,000 new and
used with 3,000 miles sold for $16,500.
Mazda is somewhat being proactive, but their efforts are
being hampered by greedy dealerships who would prefer
to pocket the money rather than use it for customer
satisfaction. At the same time they are trying to keep the
issue quiet on a national level.
I do not know about others here but my dealership did not
contact me at all even a day after the recall. Driving family
in the vehicle that has the potential to overheat and catch
on fire seems like good reason to contact the customer
immediately.
If there was a way to get an equivalent or better vehicle for
the same price and take my check back, I would. Unfortunately,
there are no other vehicles in this category. Mazda should be
contacting us as to
1) When the car will be repaired
or
1) Giving an option of a upgrade car replacement due to the
indefinite time the car will be undergoing repairs.
Given that I smelled fumes, should I ask them to tow it in - I live about 40 miles or more from the dealer?
Thanks
being hampered by greedy dealerships who would prefer
to pocket the money rather than use it for customer
satisfaction.
What does that mean??
Perhaps your local dealer isnt helping and I'm sorry about that....but let's try to keep things factual....Your speculating and at this point we don't need speculation.
I still do not quite understand the car industry need for a middleman. Perhaps that's why mercury's new mariner hybrid can only be orderered online, way to go!
Incidently, not that I want to, many most states have a lemon law policy, stating that if a problem on a brand new car is not fixed within 30 days you are entitled to a full refund/replacement. I love my 5 and would not exchange it, but nonetheless...
Bert
I hope Mazda identifies the problem, comes up with a solution, and repairs our 5 soon!
The good news is Mazda knows the exact problem...It's testing the fix and manufacturing the parts that will take a bit. Mazda dealers want the issue fixed as fast as you do...We still have to pay the expenses related to carrying the unsold MZ5 inventory.
The family I helped had fled to SC prior to Katrina (thank goodness) and found themselves stuck with nothing. Four kids, need I say more! Anyway, after I delivered it was so wonderful, I just told my Nav System - "Go Home" and it took me straight home. I will so miss my Nav system during repairs.
Anyone think I should push for a tow since I did smell the fumes???
It's up to you, but you shouldn't have to "push" for a tow. MazdaUSA has already offered to tow your Mazda5 in if that's what you want. Here's a quote from an email I received from MazdaUSA:
If for any reason you do not want to drive your MAZDA5 to the dealership, you may contact Mazda's 24-hour roadside assistance service at 800-866-1998 and have the vehicle picked up and delivered to the dealership. Again, the dealership will arrange a rental or loaner vehicle.
Thank you soooooo much for this information.
I am not getting email from Mazda - would you mind telling me how to get set up for that?
Thanks
Go to www.mazdausa.com, click on "owners", and click on "click to register".
It'll ask you for things like your contact info and your car's VIN number. Then you should get any future notices from Mazda about your car.
Steve