Comments: 1-15, 16-22
Mazda new buyers have a right to know what they are getting into, and how Mazda treats their customers.
My Mazda Speed 6 has been with dealership for more than 1.5 months of the 7 month period of my ownership. Currently, it is with dealership for more than 2 weeks with denied warranty on 11k miles on it.
All repairs were done under warranty, this time when the axle broke again, they are complaining about my driving patterns. This is my second Mazda after a Miata; I have owned 7 new cars in last nine years, I currently drive Infiniti fx-45, which is more powerful than this Mazda Mazdaspeed6. I never ran into these problems in my life in any car, I have no idea how they can claim that it is my driving. I drive car my Mazda Mazdaspeed6 within speed limits; - Yes - I accelerate to beat traffic within speed limits. That wears tire quickly, but I am willing to pay for the wear on tires; should they conclude that I am a bad driver and broke the car? – I do not agree with that!
Every time, I am told that this is not Mazda’s problem and later it turned out to be their problem. I am being told again that this is not Mazda’s problem since they do not have any such info in their database.
Probably this letter will create such database on Google for Mazda to remind them and users/customers of the problems noticed in their car. Right now, we are on their mercy, we never saw this problem, therefore it is not covered under warranty.
Here is the copy for your information when you make a buying decision or like to know how Mazda deals with their customers. Feel free to contact me and I will be happy to provide you more detailed information.
Letter Sent to:
Mazda North American Operations
Consumer Compliance
7755 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, CA 92618-2922
Dear Mazda:
I leased my 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 on December 15th, 2005 after having to test drive countless automobiles, and picked the perfect one.
1. The very first day I had gotten my Mazda mazdaspeed6, I realized that the driver side window was not going down. So the day after I had leased the Speed6, I had to go back to the dealership get it fixed. At first, I did not think much of it, but now I realize how it was just a head start from day one in a snowball effect of problems which would not stop.
2. Just three weeks or 1,251 miles later, I came across a few problems which really astounded me from Mazda’s flagship vehicle. Just from one bolt which came out, the left side drive shaft, differential mount, and the LSD bolts had to be replaced. In which I was not issued a replacement car or a rental car of the same value.
3. Subsequently, at 3,580 miles, about 2,300 miles after the drive train components had to be replaced; the front lighter port underneath the system deck went bad. My service advisor later told me that the fuse had to be replaced, and so he replaced it and I still was not issued a car in return for the inconvenience.
4. Ever since 5,756 miles, the Mazda Mazdaspeed6 had been making a very infuriating and embarrassing squeaking noise. My service advisor had it checked out, and told me that it was normal brake noise, which would normally come to be noticed when the brakes are applied. The dilemma is that the noise still came regardless of if I am applying the brakes or not. First, when in a parking lot, looking for parking going 10MPH, it is a very high pitch and evident noise. Next, the noise is really evident almost every time my Mazda mazdaspeed6 is taking a minor or even a sharp turn at slow speeds of 15MPH or below. Sometimes, the noise would be apparent even at speeds of 45 to 65MPH. So everything was talked about and discussed, nothing was done to resolve my Speed6’s predicament. At the same visit to Mazda, I conversed with my advisor about a problem with my keyless entry system, and the panic button was not working properly, until very close to the vehicle, and my advisor told me that I was not pushing it right, so I just dealt with it. This problem is later fixed after about two more visits to my dealership.
5. At 7,128 miles, I had noticed that the front two tires had been wearing out horribly on the outside, and I had the advisor check the tire pressure, and the alignment out to see if everything is in check. In return, he told and showed me everything was in proper working order, and blamed the tire wearing on the driving habits. In return, I could not do much more because I already don’t drive the Mazda mazdaspeed6 aggressively. At the same time, the 7,500 mile service was due soon, so I got it done and over with, which rotated the tires, changed the oil, and so on. A few days later, I was talking to a friend of mine who is a mechanic at Jiffy Lube, and I told him exactly the conditions of the tire, and he told me that the tire pressure was the problem not the driving habits. So I put the tire pressure at 40psi cold, and ever since then, I haven’t had any problems with it. So after everything was said and done, it was the mechanics lack of knowledge of proper tire pressure which resulted in me having horrible tires at such little miles
6. Since day one, I had trouble with the turbo part of the vehicle, but never had been able to explain or show my service advisor the problem properly for him to understand. So I was on my way to the dealership for some other issues, and on the way there, I had come across the problem, where the turbo just simply shuts down after engine had been driven in or out of heavy traffic. After at least five to ten attempts at explaining the issue to a service advisor, I had finally showed him this, and he debated with Mazda corps, and they told him to first, try a fuel booster, which would later not do anything to the engine, except put foreign chemicals which is not needed in a brand new vehicle. Next, after three or four more attempts, Mazda Corps told my service advisor to re-flash the PCM, and I had gotten the Mazda mazdaspeed6 back the same day, but still was not issued a rental car or any form of transportation. This setback took Mazda 5 months and 7,656 miles to fix a mechanical problem which could have risked the life of me or my family, or even strangers because the turbo could have cut out on me when I would be merging into major traffic, and a sudden lost of power.
7. 8,315 miles down the road of frustration from Mazda’s flagship vehicle, the keyless entry didn’t work majority of the times. The moments it didn’t work, I had to manually open the door with the key tucked inside the credit card like key. So, my service advisor said that the battery was not at its best performing level, even though just 1,000 miles earlier, the battery was rated “good” with the cold cranking Amps was 441. So, they replaced the battery, and gave the Mazda mazdaspeed6 back to me. It worked fine for a few days, then it got really bad again, and the key really was never working any longer. So, my service adviser went a head and compared the current remote I was using to the spare one, and found out that it was the key all along, not the battery or any other programs. So the key got replaced and so did the whole program. It took the dealership 2 attempts at the resolution, but numerous amounts of guessing work.
8. So now, there are about 11,250 miles on the car, and the same thing is happening to the car as it when it had 1,251 miles on it, almost identical noises, and behavior and the people at the dealership are telling me that now the whole rear axle has to be replaced. Now, if the dealership would have replaced everything affected negatively by the loose bolt which came out, and damaged the drive train system, we would not be having this problem 10,000 miles later.
In the past 7 months, I have gone to the Mazda dealership over ten times, plus a car to pick me up from there, and the dealership is about 25 miles one way trip, times two for one car, and multiply the total of that by two for two cars, that’s 100 miles in total for which I have to pay for gas at $3.00 Plus a gallon. Let us not forget the frustration I get from Mazda’s flagship vehicle’s horrific performance, and reliability. I have been utterly disappointed in the work Mazda has done to this vehicle, and so in return, I would like either my money back for what I have paid Mazda, or I want a Brand New 2006 Mazda Mazdaspeed6 with 0 miles on the odometer, and a fresh start.
Do not buy this car period.
If you read your manual, you would not have to go to the dealer for issue #1.
You really should learn to check tire pressure and how to do the complicated job of "filling up a tire".
Blown fuse is not a big problem. It's just a blown fuse.
Your only valid complaints are the loose bolt, the key-less entry system (although it could be you - search around on how to use it properly), and the powerloss issue, cause of a recall, and which is currently fixed by Mazda.
You can't just write off somebody's complaints because you don't view them as authentic. Even if some of the complaints were self-caused, there are enough things there to frustrate even the most patient person. Sure it sounds like a vent, but hell, I would be venting too if I experienced that with a new car.
I currently own an 06 speed6 grand touring and I love the car. My dealership has accomodated my interests and problems with great professionalism and knowledge. This is why I love the car:
1. ride
2. style
3. price (I was able to get the car for 27, out the door - brand new)
4. Power
5. size
These are the problems I have so far encountered with the vehicle (3,500mi and 2 months) :
1. keyless card - 1 operated perfectly, the other gave me problems. dealer reprogrammed it and it seems to be working OK.
2. rear differential humming - at speeds of around 42-46mph, I heard a humming coming from the rear diff and told my service advisor. He addressed the problem and agreed that there was a problem. In the 4 hours they had the car, they had decided to order me a new rear diff assembly - without hesitation. I just received the car today, after leaving it with the dearlership for 24hrs with a rental car, and the car runs perfectly. excellent customer service!
3. rear passenger window did not work the first day, then suddenly worked and never gave me a problem again.
All my problems were addressed and resolved. Mazda dealership has the best service department I have ever dealt with. this is my first mazda and the first impression is a lasting impression. although the rear diff is major problem, I feel that it was corrected immediately and properly - something I would have to fight with any other car. I have dealt with many different car company dealerships and have never encountered a service department that has been so good. unless this car proves to be more problematic, I would definately recommend it to any mazda-first-timer. I love the car and find it to be very comprable to any car in its class.
The letter to the Mazda corporate got bogged down with overly dramatic and inflammatory dialog. May I offer some advice in effective persuasive writing? When you make a bullet point list keep your list items concise and easily readable. Make is abundantly clear what it is you specifically want from the very get go. Assume this is going to be read by a busy manager or worker bee; always write for your audience. Make it readable and your message will have greater chance of actually being read and understood. Save the opines and expounding on your emotions in your concluding statements.
Secondly, it appears that from the problems expressed in regards to the rear differential by the OP and then backed up by a separate post it appears that the reliability of this cars AWD system is suspect. Consumer reports list this car as average in terms of reliability to begin with on the base Mazda6. Adding the complexity of a turbo and AWD drive train may turn this car into a headache on wheels. I'd say if you want to be serious about AWD turbo performance in the 20k price range then look no further then Subaru. Otherwise, take the money you save with the Mazdaspeed 6 and put it away into a repair escrow.
This person went through 7 cars in 9 years? What happened to the other cars?
Hey, go easy on the original poster. It sounds like this guy must have problems in many aspects of his life.
My own experience with my MazdaSpeed 6 (2006) has been very different. I’ve owned a lot of cars (more than seven, but I’ve been driving for a lot more than nine years) and the Speed 6 is the best of the lot. It’s fast; it’s fun; and it even gets relatively good gas mileage (25 mpg average for mixed highway/city). It’s dual personality (gentle when you keep it below turbo range; bottle rocket when you kick it) makes it fun to drive so long as you do so intelligently. Best of all is that it is an enthusiast car for grown-ups. You can have fun driving to work, and once you get there, you can park it and not look silly getting out. (Picture walking away from anything with a big wing when you’re wearing a business suit.)
As for dealer/repair issues, I’ve had none. The worst thing that I’ve experienced is that the Speed 6 is a relatively rare model. There is some confusion over which Mazda 6 accessories will fit the Speed 6. For example, the Mazda 6 trunk liner that I ordered would not fit the Speed 6. The dealer didn’t charge me for the liner, of course, and filled up my tank with gas for the inconvenience.
There are, of course, little issues with the Speed 6. It lacks an auxiliary input on the sound system, and the charge for XM satellite radio installation is exorbitant. It lacks the rudimentary trip computer that is standard on so many cars, and it would be nice if it had maintenance minder like my wife’s Honda. These, however, are small change. The basic car is outstanding. It manages, somehow, to be both sophisticated and crazy as a rocket.
Would I buy the same car again? You bet! Even if it cost me $2K more!
I own a mazdaspeed6 The car is a performer if it has the Federal Emissions and was not reprogrammed. Don`t buy the California Emissions unit. Been there done that! Some noises are transmission attributed and Mazda took the performance away with the recall program. The Federal Emission Speed6 is the performer. I test drove three such units before the recall, but was unable to purchase the Federal Emission unit because I live in New York City. Look elsewhere for performance unless the old program is still available in your area.
Just a few comments on mazda 6speed.
1.The day I bought the car I had to leave it because the rear light lenses were all cracked around the edges.
2.At 3000 miles tire rotation,i was notified the front tires had to be replaced (this car was definetly out of alignment from day 1)
3.at 9000 miles the clutch "exploded" (their words, not mine) was replaced under warranty but not before I got chewed out by the maintenace supervisor for reckless driving (should i have to put up with this??)
4.at 11800 miles (today),took the car in for a noise and was told the bolts off the drive shaft "sheared off".Im waiting for them to show me the evidence Ie:the other piece that was lefton the drive shaft.
5.when notified it would be ready tommorow I told them I would have to pick up the car the following day and wouldn't be able to return the rental payed by them I was told that I was no one to decide when to return the rental, that they were the one who decided that, or that I pay the extra day. I ask myself.,What is the difference to their cost of returning a rental car a day and a half versus two days?is there a difference??
These are the only proiblems I have had with these people.
PS. wrote to customer service and they answered that every mazda dealer is independent and all this was out of their control. Nice answer!!!
I HAVE A MAZDA 6 2006 GT. I also have had many problems. For example there is a loud ticking sound from the engine at idle. The air conditioning has failed twice. My tires all became worn or feathered at around 9000 miles. The alignment was not detected to be off by the dealers machines, but they sent it in to a independent mechanic which found the problem that the car was not aligned properley from day one. The feathered tires caused such loud cabin noise it was infuriating. My passenger window clunks when I lift it. There is a rattle in the drivers door, and my brakes brake rotors have been replaced twice in 20000 miles. But with all these problems my service department at Mazda replaced all four tires with no complaint under warranty. Fixed all my problems with no complaints and the service was well done. I do however think that ford is influencing Mazda quality a little too much. They definitely have some catching up to Toyota. But Mazda's look good, are fun to drive and are overall nice. About the original poster. I have to say that he is write to feel this frustrated and upset. I have bought 3 Mazda's from the same dealer and all of them have had more than 4 problems each. He should get a refund or a new car. Remember in the states you have the lemon law. If your car is that much trouble use this law. Research its power and use it. Remember that brake rotors, squeaks, rattles, and certainly drive train problems are all under warranty and that there is no excuse from any dealer not to fix them. I also do think that Mazda's service personnel are under trained as well. Except for the really good mechanics that come along once in a blue moon.
I had a mazda 6 at one time. There was a weird rattling noise when I drove under 25mph I was told by the dealer that Mazda was aware of it, but there was no fix!! I got rid of my Mazda because I figured if that was how they were going to service their cars when its under warranty what was going to happen once warranty was up?
Good for you for writing Mazda I hope something good comes out of it if not time to get rid of your car!
Most of the squealing brake issues are a simple hardware kit for the pads, under warranty this is done if required. You are not entitled to a rental car unless you purchase the MAP warranty and the repair time for the job is longer than one day or the parts are on back order and are a safety concern, any other vehicles (loaners) are provided by the dealer if they want. Clutch explosions are rare, and are willful abuse. Not covered by warranty so lucky for you guys. If your window clunks, this is warranty, it's a window regulator, it's worn. Tires are not covered by Mazda, they are covered by the tire maker. Remember that mazda had these tires installed because they handle great and compliment the car, but these are no means a long lasting tire and any "spirited" driving is going to shorten their life. I wouldn't expect more than 20000 miles on the OEM tires. Anything more is a bonus. You are not going to get a rental car for a blown fuse so don't mention that, you probably had more than the circuit could handle, cellphones don't blown fuses. Don't listen to a idiot lube jockey. They change oil, and poorly at that. Yes more air to the tire makes it last longer, but you've now decreased the ability for emergency maneuvers. So in short... read the fine print and take some time to do some proper research, it will save you from looking like an idiot.
I bought my MazdaSpeed6 as a 2006 model last December. It was a spontaneous decision, based on my test-driving experience and a couple of articles in several magazines.
Since it was the end of the year, I got an incredible deal on a loaded brand new one (everything but navigation) paying just - believe it or not - 23,000 American dollars for it. And I couldn't be more happy since day one, even though my previous vehicle for many years was a 225-horsepower all-wheel drive Audi TT.
Despite the weight (3600 pounds), my Mazda handles, brakes and accelerates better than the 2900 pound Audi. While providing sport-oriented diving, it is also a comfortable car, which driving experience could be only compared with the BMW 3 and 5-series with sport package (don't confuse with M3 - M5).
I just passed 7000 miles on the odometer, and never had any problems with it, despite reaching the magic 150 mph a couple of times.
Right after I bought the car, I sold the stock tires, which usually last - as any other ultra-high performance summer tires - for only 12 - 20 thousand miles (which I thought should be a common knowledge), and replaced them with a great ultra-high performance all-season tires (which probably will not last for more than 20 thousand miles as it is not just a performance tire).
After a thousand miles, I switched from semi to full-synthetic oil, and had another oil change at 5000 miles.
I can hear a slight noise coming out from the rear differential while driving at 40 - 45 mph, but (according to my Mazda dealer and couple of MazdaSpeed6 forums) it shouldn't be an issue, as it is the "nature of it."
I love the car and I do not find any negatives about it, but just speed and comfort. If I had a choice to buy another vehicle, I would choose MazdaSpeed6 again (even if I had to pay, as one of the guys already wrote, a couple of additional grand).
If somebody thinks that the above is due to the low mileage on my car, I met a MazdaSpped6 owner in my area who hit 24 thousand miles in less than a year with no issues whatsoever, and loves his car as well.
When it comes to the service at the Mazda dealer place, I can only say that it is very good if not excellent, comparable with the one I had at Audi's. Maybe it is a matter of good luck?
Peter.
I'm replacing the original tires on my Speed6 and I'm interested in what type of tires Peter used as a replacement. Someone recommended a set of Pirelli P
Zero Neros. I'm looking for something with a better wear rating than the Bridgestones that came with the vehicle.
2006 MS6 NOT HAPPY! Working on LEMON LAW - NY.
I have NOT had a zoom zoom experience with my MS6, it's been more like a putt putt experience. One thing to bear in mind is that the service department of the dealer and their lack of technical skill plays a MAJOR part in the work done.
I had several oil leaks, they broke the inter cooler, waited a month for the part, then the turbo went south and the car has been in the shop now for 5 weeks straight! They gave me a rental, but I paid all that $$ for a new MS6 not some clunky rental!! So I called the dealer and finally got in touch with the V.P. I told her that I spoke to my lawyer and she said I have a good case for the lemon law, but I would like to try and work it out with the dealer so we could do things off the record and come to a mutually beneficial agreement. She and the service manager told me that they would do everything they could to help me. it has been another week and someone from service has called me a few times stating that the car is fixed and I should come pick it up. But I told them that I am waiting for word from the S.M. or the V.P. The V.P. told me that she faxed my service record to Mazda and was waiting to hear back from them. One other note I opened up a ticket with Mazda's customer service group so far this hasn't done me much good. Wish me luck... : (
I have contacted Mazda N America twice through email and twice on phone about a recurring problem with the Check Engine Light coming on after a specific part fails. I never got a response from them.
This part gets replaced under warranty every time, but the light comes back on after a few weeks due to the same issue. I am considering invoking the Lemon law - but I have to do my homework before I do that. The main thing being, I bought the car used (MS6 2006 model, 14K miles) - so would the law apply to me being the second user? Any comments? - Thanks.