Help with dealer problems (pics)

SmrPants44 · Sep 7, 2008

I know none of you have Mazdas or anything but i was hoping i could get some advice maybe...

So ive been having problems regarding a carpet replacement my dealer did on my car recently. Basically the little plastic hook that holds the drivers side mat down ripped my stock 2005 SP23 hatch carpet set, so I took it to the dealer which recommended a replacement of the carpet. So that's all said and done and I get it back and it really didn't look right, it looked amazingly bad. The little corner where the raised section with the seat and the foot well meet has lots of peaks in it on both sides of the front (like it didn't fit) and the bottom of the carpet in the foot wells had some give in it like it was too short. Well I browse through some TSBs and it turns out the 07+ 3s have higher floors than the 04-06 so there's a TSB on some insulators that you put beneath the carpet in the floor so I bring that in and they do that and there's a marginal improvement. There's no more bad feeling give on the floor of the foot wells but the peaks are still there and the foot wells have level inconsistencies that make them look like rolling seas if you know what i mean. So i go and complain to the service manager (who happens to be the interim district service manager) and he agrees to have the carpet replaced a second time. He explains that the new carpet sets are sent folded up into tiny pieces and the ridges are due to that and the dealership can't do much about it. So they replace it and it looks marginally better now but still pretty crappy (like someone did a bad job replacing my carpet due to any reason) and I need help with further courses of action. The biggest thing I am worried about is resale value, it is unacceptable for mazda to replace my carpet with this new set that obviously doesn't fit (the TSB proves that) and lower my resale in the process. During the first replacement I was at ~47k miles (under bumper to bumper warranty) but in the couple of months since then I have gone over 50k miles (i took a road trip) so currently my warranty is expired. I know that doesn't affect the current carpet problems but im not sure how lemon law statutes work with regards to that. What should I do?! Or am i making a big deal out of nothing?

(baby powder its hard to take pics of black carpets)

PS the carpet in Mazda3s has a plastic backing (all one piece) so its hard as a rock and not pliable

cajun · Sep 7, 2008

Damn, sorry to hear. I've been looking into the 3 and the sh*tty carpet is one of the common complaints. This is a good site for 3's - http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php. I can't tell if you have a legit gripe from your pics, but if you're not happy keep fighting. Like you say it will probably lower your resale value. I know I'd try to cut the price if I was looking at a used car with messed up carpet. Contact Mazda USA.

FallenAngelHIM · Sep 7, 2008

Dude, keep going back, keep complaining to the service manager, and then in his face, ask for a business card and dial the 1-800 Mazda customer service/satisfaction number RIGHT THEN AND THERE. Ask for the names of his entire staff that was involved in working on the car. I did that once because a salesman treated me like ****, and got $3000 knocked off my SRT-4 and $1000 more on my trade-in, and an 180 apology from the dealer's GM.

Those 1-800 service lines are no joke because they go back to the owner who will fire the manager. Especially in this time and day with car sales going down, every customer counts. Do that and you should get a reaction.

SmrPants44 · Sep 7, 2008

i think the main problem im having is that since the new carpets (07+) are different from the old carpets, im dubious that it will ever fit, and im not sure how to escalate it from that point.

ryan s · Sep 8, 2008

FallenAngelHIM said:
Especially in this time and day with car sales going down, every customer counts.

lol 100% wrong :lawl:

even though new car sales figures may have a downward trend...many used customers are "needing better mpg." their suv's arent worth more than the gas in their tanks, so they spend less on a vehicle due to low trade-in. people are taking that hit since they dont have a choice...like suv's are going to go up in value again :lawl:

its kind of sad giving the owner of an 00 expedition $4500 for a vehicle they probably paid close to $40k for...but its true (sold em a jetta).

if you have a lot full of good mpg cars, have a good sales record, and stock cars people want to drive but cant afford new...either customer buys the car or they dont. there's a car out there for anyone and everyone. mpg is enough to bring customers to the lots these days...

cajun · Sep 15, 2008

Smr - did you get anywhere with this? I love the Mazda3, but I keep reading that Mazda dealer service is awful.

JMillerUA6 · Sep 15, 2008

ryan s said:
lol 100% wrong

even though new car sales figures may have a downward trend...many used customers are "needing better mpg." their suv's arent worth more than the gas in their tanks, so they spend less on a vehicle due to low trade-in. people are taking that hit since they dont have a choice...like suv's are going to go up in value again

its kind of sad giving the owner of an 00 expedition $4500 for a vehicle they probably paid close to $40k for...but its true (sold em a jetta).

if you have a lot full of good mpg cars, have a good sales record, and stock cars people want to drive but cant afford new...either customer buys the car or they dont. there's a car out there for anyone and everyone. mpg is enough to bring customers to the lots these days...

The people who are selling their SUV's for smaller, more economical cars are jackasses. I'll take them YEARS to earn their money back. They see it as saving money on gas NOW, but in the long run they're not saving ****.

I'll bet the guy that traded in the Expedition was HAPPY you gave him $4500 for it too. Now your dealership will put it on the lot for $8500, probably get $7000 for it and turn a nice profit.

People are asshats. The used car market is GREAT right now simply because people are idiots.

JMillerUA6 · Sep 15, 2008

P.S. I hate Hybrid cars and the people that own them.

JMillerUA6 · Sep 15, 2008

/endthreadjack

ryan s · Sep 15, 2008

JMillerF23A1 said:
The people who are selling their SUV's for smaller, more economical cars are jackasses. I'll take them YEARS to earn their money back. They see it as saving money on gas NOW, but in the long run they're not saving ****.

I'll bet the guy that traded in the Expedition was HAPPY you gave him $4500 for it too. Now your dealership will put it on the lot for $8500, probably get $7000 for it and turn a nice profit.

People are asshats. The used car market is GREAT right now simply because people are idiots.

he wanted more like 8 for it :lawl:

we actually wholesaled it, cause we knewwwww no one was going to buy it off the lot. i think it was going to sticker for 8995. 66k miles, eddie bauer edition and everything...

he went from a 13/17mpg vehicle to a 24/31 one. he bought an 02 vehicle for ~half of its new price, while getting 10% of what he paid for an 00.

a huge selling point of good mpg vehicles (use it all the time) is that you pretty much instantly double your mpg vs a truck. one guy wanted to trade his zr2 s10 for a cavalier...he got ~16mpg on the highway, and the cavi was rated for 35. so if you take $50, it goes twice as far in a good mpg vehicle. basically, each time you fill up the cavi, you're saving 50 bucks vs the truck...