A mere three months later, the rust returns!

I am simply astounded, but as I write this, a mere three months later, the rust has returned in exactly the same spots. I have sent an e-mail to the dealership regarding the rust, and await their response.

Here are pictures, because I just don't know what else to say.

Disputes with the dealership....

So I just thought I would update on the latest happenings with my 2006 Mazda5 GT. I dropped the car off at the dealership on Dec.17th, 2009, because my dealer told me that Mazda had seen the pictures of the rust forming in my wheel wells and had approved a fix under warranty, they simply wanted a few more pictures for reference. So the dealer took a few more pictures, got me in a rental 2010 Honda CR-V (which I ended up really liking), and sent me on my way.

A few days later, on the 21st of December, my dealer called me to inform me that Mazda had seen the latest pictures, and retracted their approval to have the car fixed under warranty, since the rust had not perforated the metal! The dealer told me that they had already begun work on the vehicle, so they were not sure what I wanted to do! I was furious, and told the dealer so, which then reluctantly agreed to complete the work for free. I simply find this ridiculous, as I clearly would not have brought the vehicle in at all if it had not been covered under warranty! How can Mazda even justify retracting an offer to fix a vehicle under warranty after they have approved it? It seems that Mazda is continually shocking me with their poor business practices.

At this time, my right rear passenger door lock has stopped responding to the key fob... it looks to me as though the lock is broken. I have not yet bothered to tell the dealership about this as I simply do not have the time or patience to constantly bring my vehicle in for servicing! Especially as my Mazda dealer does not provide a complementary loaner vehicle.

Rusting Begins.....

So I just thought I'd post about my latest displeasure. A few days ago, I discovered rust forming in the wheel wells of my 2006 Mazda5 GT. This is incredible, since I had the car rust proofed, under-coated AND "paint protected" at my Mazda dealer at the time of purchase! Since I have taken so many preventative measures, this suggests to me that the paint was improperly finished at the factory! Mazda Canada was sent pictures of my developing rust, and is "investigating". I will keep you informed on what happens, and perhaps try to post some pictures if I can get some while it is still bright outside.

The car only has 93,000 KM at this point, which is only about 58,000 miles, and is just over 3 years old!

Also, I caved and replaced both rear struts at my own cost, as well as both rear brake pads and rotors since my rear pads had less than 10% of use left in them.

This vehicle is certainly turning out to be much more expensive than I had anticipated.... if the rust issue is not covered, I could stand to lose thousands of dollars in lost trade-in value.

UPDATE 29/9/2009: I recently e-mailed Mazda regarding my concerns and was utterly shocked by the rudeness of the response. The correspondence is as follows:

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to you as a disgruntled and disappointed owner of a 2006 Mazda5 GT. This vehicle was purchased brand new from a Mazda dealer, and has received all of it's scheduled maintenance at Mazda dealerships. Despite this, I feel as though I have had an unacceptable amount of issues with the vehicle. I feel that the design of the suspension is faulty, and the number of problems I've had with the suspension components reflect this.

Most recently, at around 86,000km, my left rear shock began to leak oil in my driveway and is now needing replacement. I find this unacceptable, and feel as though it is a design flaw, as my other rear shock blew in the past as well, around 64,000km. The fact that my Mazda dealer has a number of these shocks in inventory at all suggests to me that this is a more common problem than my Mazda dealer would like to admit.

I also purchased the premium extended warranty when I purchased this vehicle and was told that the rear shocks are not covered under this extended coverage. This contradicts with what I was told when I was encouraged to purchase this extra protection. At the time of purchase, I was told that this "premium" extended warranty would cover everything that was covered under the original bumper to bumper warranty. Apparently, $1600 + tax later, this is not the case.

I resent having to spend more money on yet another suspension repair when I have a history of trouble with the chassis components. I have taken the liberty of documenting all of the problems I have had since purchasing the vehicle here:

http://www.mymazda5lemon.blogspot.com/

I would like someone from Mazda Canada to contact me so that we can find a solution to my problem, because as it stands, I have been soured by the experience of my Mazda5.

RESPONSE:

Mr. _______,

Thank you for taking the time to write to Mazda Canada Inc.

Your blog is evidence of lack of good faith in resolving your differences and concerns.

As such, we will not consider your request. Please review the agreement that was provided for you Mazda Added Protection. It clearly identifies what is and what is not covered under the terms and conditions.

Regards,

Mazda Canada Inc.

MY RESPONSE:

That was a fairly immature response to my inquiry. Having dealt with two separate dealers who have yet to rectify my situation, as well as two separate customer service representatives, excuse my "lack of good faith". Had I not kept a written log documenting my problems and concerns, would you have provided me with a different solution? If this is the case, I am appalled by the discriminatory attitude from Mazda Canada.

RESPONSE:

Mr. ______,

We appreciate your point of view and you are certainly entitled to it.

Regards,

Mazda Canada Inc.

My 2006 Mazda5 GT

I started this blog because I feel that it is my last resort. I purchased a brand new 2006 Mazda5 GT in August of 2006, and I have had what I feel is an unacceptable amount of repairs (4 going on 5) to the front and rear suspensions since. I am going to document all of my repairs here, because I feel that the design of the suspension is defective in nature, and I feel that Mazda Canada needs to acknowledge this and devise a strategy to rectify this.

I would advise anyone that is reading this to please refrain from purchasing a Mazda5 until these defects are corrected, otherwise, you may end up paying out of pocket as Mazda suggests I should. If you currently own a Mazda5 and have had issues with the suspension, please document them in the comments section, as I have seen many other complaints online. Perhaps we can all document them here.

The following is a summary of the repairs I have had and the timeline:

1) Alignment issues when car is picked up. The vehicle pulls to the right. Complaint is logged to the dealer at time of purchase, as well as at first servicing at 5,997 km on 10/19/2006. Dealer claims it is "within spec".

2) The vehicle's suspension begins to moan and groan loudly in sub zero weather. Complaint is logged with dealer at 12,066 km on 1/11/2007, and technical service bulletin #06-07 is cited and used for repair. Both front and rear stabilizer bushings are replaced under warranty. Alignment is again refused, with the dealer claiming that I must have hit a curb, even though I never park my vehicle on the roadside.

3) Alignment issue is still present at 18,030 km on 3/21/2007, and I again mention it to the dealer when in for servicing. The dealer decides to "fix" it. The car now pulls to the left instead of the right.

4) Alignment issue and suspension creaking still persists through servicing at 24,249 km on 6/4/2007 and 29,010 km on 8/11/2007 and 34,314 km on 10/20/2007.

5) Front brake pads and rotors replaced at 36,567 km on 3/11/2007 at an independent shop, since Mazda claimed it was because of wear and tear. Independent shop tells me that the rotors are not able to be resurfaced since they are so thin to begin with, and it is no surprise they have warped early.

6) Alignment and suspension issues are again brought to the dealer's attention at 40,875 km on 12/19/2007. The alignment is once again "corrected", but the fix does nothing. 2 front control arms are replaced along with 2 rear stabilizer bar bushings in an attempt to fix the suspension's moaning and groaning over bumps. The driver's seat has also begun to squeak at this point, and is a little loose in it's mount. Dealer claims that interior rattles etc are not covered under warranty.

7) A different Mazda dealer attempts to solve alignment issue for me at 43,971 km on 1/22/2008, but is also unsuccessful.

8) The front suspension bushings and the rear stabilizer bushings are again replaced at 44,232 km on 1/25/2008, in yet another attempt to silence the intense moaning and groaning in sub zero weather. At this point, a new drivers seat buckle is ordered as well, since the current one is sticking, and refusing to open until repeatedly pressed upon.

9) Driver's seat belt buckle replaced at 50,533 km on 4/7/2008 when in for servicing.

10) Regular servicing performed at 56,676 km on 14/7/2008.

11) Driver's side head light burns out and is replaced at 60,056 km on 8/28/2008.

12) Begin to notice multiple oil spots on my driveway, so a complaint is logged with the dealer at 63,910 km on 14/10/2008. It is found that the oil drain plug is defective, and is replaced under warranty. At this time, it is also found that the right rear shock is blown and leaking oil, so the part is ordered. The driver's side door checker is also replaced at this point, since it is sticking and creaking.

13) Right rear shock is finally replaced at 65,432 km on 23/10/2008. Maybe the part was on back order?

14) Key fob stops working at 67,459 km on 12/15/2008 and is replaced under warranty while the car receives regular servicing. Suspension creaks and groans in cold weather are still persistent, but I am tired of complaining at this point, since the "fix" only seems to work for a few days.

15) Regular servicing performed at 74,877 km on 6/4/2009. A complaint is also logged with the dealer that a continuous squealing noise is heard from the engine in wet conditions. Dealer claims they are unable to reproduce the noise.

16) Regular servicing performed at 83,262 km on 4/8/2009. A complaint is logged with the dealer regarding the steering wheel audio controls, which are beginning to perform incorrect functions, such as volume changing track etc. Squeal in wet conditions is again complained about but since there is no rain, the dealer cannot reproduce it.

17) At 83,509 km, I realize that the squeal happens when the AC is on, and suggest this to the dealer. They claim to have never checked that as a possibility, and find that it is indeed the culprit. The AC tensioner and belt are replaced under warranty.

18) At 85,763 km on 8/9/2009, I am again beginning to find puddles of oil on my driveway. I suspect that it is now the left shock that is blown, and am informed by the dealer that it will not be covered under warranty since it is wear and tear! Even with the history of problems associated with the suspension, and even though I had purchased a "premium" extended warranty at the time of purchase! At this time the right front head light has burned out as well.