Serious problems with Mazda6s PLEASE HELP

sweetpea1146 · 08-26-2008, 10:15 PM

Well first off this is my first time in this forum or any forum for that matter. I have a 2004 mazda 6s hatchback. I must first say that I am not very car savvy and do not know any car lingo.
I thankfully bought an extended warranty on my car because after 55000 miles my car completely went to shit.
First my car needed new brake lines because the brake lines were completely melted to the axle boots. Which I have no idea how it happened because I did my front breaks a year prior to this happening. I took my car in and they said that my boots are completely messed up and I need a whole new axle immediately and if I dont get the brake lines fixed right now that the fluid will come out and be a bad experience. They also said that the brake lines look messed with and the warranty wont cover it if they looked at it as is. So they continues to say that if we payed 300 dollars and got the brake lines fixed that the warranty investigators would pay for the axle with no problem so we did. Not sure what a great decision that was. Then they fix the whole front axle.
A month later my car started to accelerate funny but nothing big so I didnt do anything about it. A few weeks go by and it very gradually gets worse and then one morning I wake up on my way to work and I cant go over 15 miles per hour and my check engine light comes on. So I have it towed in to the dealer to find out that my transmission needs to be replaced with no problem or complaints from the dealer which is weird. So warranty covered 5000 dollars for that.
Now the last few weeks my check engine light has been going on and off. See the problem is I dont have anyone to take me to the dealer and get me home and not much money to keep getting a rental car with a young toddler. So I havent taken it in yet. I know I probably should. But now starting yesterday my car seems to idle really low when I stop and kinda hump the whole time I am sitting at a light or something. It is idling lower than 1 rpm which I am not sure is bad or not. But when I push the accelerator it is great and runs the best it has in a long time. The gas mileage is better too. The check engine light is on again now today.
But I hate to take it to the dealer I dont trust them and they are so expensive. But now I only have 5000 miles left on my extended warranty. Is there something else I can do or advice on what to say to them? I want to know a little more about the problem going in so they dont try to take advantage of a young girl who is not very knowledgeable about car repair.
PLEASE HELP
Also anything else about my car and what to look for would be great. I have 69000 miles on my car right now.
THANX

Johnny Drama · 08-27-2008, 10:40 AM

Hi, welcome to the forum.

Really sorry to hear about your problems. Have you owned your car since new? if if so you might have bought someone else's problems as well.

With that many things going wrong, it might be hard to diagnose over the forum, but it's obvious you have some real issues.

Is your extended warranty through Mazda? if so, you can take it to another dealership for service...and I would highly recommend that. These guys seem to be ripping you off. If it's under warranty, these things should not be costing you anything ( if it's under the terms of the warranty )

Definitely do not wait until your warranty is over before getting everything addressed.

Most of the time these forums exist so that others can learn and fix their own problems, as a way of avoiding dealerships. You're not the only one that has problems with them, but... I think the best advice I can give is how to work the system to your advantage.

First off, whether you know cars or not, you have to take charge or they will. Sounds obvious, but if you look to these people as the experts and say OK everytime they suggest something, you'll wind up paying. They are in the business of making money, it's up to you to keep them honest sadly.

I would look up some other dealers, and make another post here asking if anyone has some recommendations in your area. Then, go in for a visit and ask to speak with the service manager. Be straight up...

You've had your car for a while, and it's a piece of crap, but it's all you got. You can't afford to be with out a car. The current dealership charges me for warranty repairs and never fixes the problems. Tell them that what you need from them is proper service, and honest support. You understand the terms of your warranty, the car is not abused, and is obviously falling apart. IF they are willing to work with you, then let them go. If you get attitude, or a feeling that they see another girl with out a clue, then say I don't feel comfortable that you can address my needs, and go somewhere else.

Spending some time on forums such as this can give you a glossary overview of how cars work, what parts interplay with them and what can be done about it. You might not understand it, but you won't be completely lost in the jargon.

For example, your check engine light comes on.The ECU stores those codes which are little histories of what's going on in your car. is. Missfire on cylindar #3, oxygen sensor faulty, EGR failure etc. All of which you could have happening on your car right now based on your description. So... get those codes read, ask for a report on them and then discuss the likely causes with the service manager. Just deal with him/her, skip the advisers, they're all about throughput.

get the parts ordered, and schedule the repairs. and ask for a loaner car, or see if they will cover the rental. They should be making good money on the warranty repairs, I get loaners or rentals all the time if my car takes more then a couple day in the shop.

I feel this may have been a run on post by now, since I forgot what i said at the beginning, so feel free to ask specifics.

sweetpea1146 · 08-27-2008, 03:24 PM

Thank you, that helps. Well the problem with the warranty is that the dealership used to be owned with Chrysler and so for some reason I have a Chrysler warranty. I do pay only $100 deductible but like the other problem they seem to always charge for other things. Since I bought my car, new by the way, the dealership went on their own and they seem to not want to deal with my warranty. The loaner cars as well only pertain to Chrysler. It all seems a little messed up to me. But thank you again. I have been reading a lot of the forum and that seems to help a little as well.

MazdaRick · 08-27-2008, 07:51 PM

Wow, sounds like you're having a tough go of this. Regardless of who owns what, if the dealership you bought from still exists, they should support you. If not, I'd consider getting in touch with Mazda directly and see what they say. All dealerships are independantly owned, so they're quick to say they can't do much, but fact is, they represent the brand. Mazda can force the issue if they want to.

Also keep in mind, and I'm not sure of the particulars in your state, but the dealership has to disclose how much you're going to pay before they start the work. They are allowed to go over by a bit, but they can't say, oh ya, we'll take care of it, then give you a bill for 500 bucks.

Make sure you know exactly what you're in for before signing anything upfront.

I hope I don't sound like a wanker here, but people will take advantage when they can.. stand up for yourself and don't let them do it. If something doesn't feel right, tell them, say I don't agree, I think you're taking me for a ride, and stick to it.

08-26-2008, 10:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
sweetpea1146 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Elk Grove Village , IL Posts: 2	Serious problems with Mazda6s PLEASE HELP Well first off this is my first time in this forum or any forum for that matter. I have a 2004 mazda 6s hatchback. I must first say that I am not very car savvy and do not know any car lingo. I thankfully bought an extended warranty on my car because after 55000 miles my car completely went to shit. First my car needed new brake lines because the brake lines were completely melted to the axle boots. Which I have no idea how it happened because I did my front breaks a year prior to this happening. I took my car in and they said that my boots are completely messed up and I need a whole new axle immediately and if I dont get the brake lines fixed right now that the fluid will come out and be a bad experience. They also said that the brake lines look messed with and the warranty wont cover it if they looked at it as is. So they continues to say that if we payed 300 dollars and got the brake lines fixed that the warranty investigators would pay for the axle with no problem so we did. Not sure what a great decision that was. Then they fix the whole front axle. A month later my car started to accelerate funny but nothing big so I didnt do anything about it. A few weeks go by and it very gradually gets worse and then one morning I wake up on my way to work and I cant go over 15 miles per hour and my check engine light comes on. So I have it towed in to the dealer to find out that my transmission needs to be replaced with no problem or complaints from the dealer which is weird. So warranty covered 5000 dollars for that. Now the last few weeks my check engine light has been going on and off. See the problem is I dont have anyone to take me to the dealer and get me home and not much money to keep getting a rental car with a young toddler. So I havent taken it in yet. I know I probably should. But now starting yesterday my car seems to idle really low when I stop and kinda hump the whole time I am sitting at a light or something. It is idling lower than 1 rpm which I am not sure is bad or not. But when I push the accelerator it is great and runs the best it has in a long time. The gas mileage is better too. The check engine light is on again now today. But I hate to take it to the dealer I dont trust them and they are so expensive. But now I only have 5000 miles left on my extended warranty. Is there something else I can do or advice on what to say to them? I want to know a little more about the problem going in so they dont try to take advantage of a young girl who is not very knowledgeable about car repair. PLEASE HELP Also anything else about my car and what to look for would be great. I have 69000 miles on my car right now. THANX

08-27-2008, 10:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
Johnny Drama Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 555	Hi, welcome to the forum. Really sorry to hear about your problems. Have you owned your car since new? if if so you might have bought someone else's problems as well. With that many things going wrong, it might be hard to diagnose over the forum, but it's obvious you have some real issues. Is your extended warranty through Mazda? if so, you can take it to another dealership for service...and I would highly recommend that. These guys seem to be ripping you off. If it's under warranty, these things should not be costing you anything ( if it's under the terms of the warranty ) Definitely do not wait until your warranty is over before getting everything addressed. Most of the time these forums exist so that others can learn and fix their own problems, as a way of avoiding dealerships. You're not the only one that has problems with them, but... I think the best advice I can give is how to work the system to your advantage. First off, whether you know cars or not, you have to take charge or they will. Sounds obvious, but if you look to these people as the experts and say OK everytime they suggest something, you'll wind up paying. They are in the business of making money, it's up to you to keep them honest sadly. I would look up some other dealers, and make another post here asking if anyone has some recommendations in your area. Then, go in for a visit and ask to speak with the service manager. Be straight up... You've had your car for a while, and it's a piece of crap, but it's all you got. You can't afford to be with out a car. The current dealership charges me for warranty repairs and never fixes the problems. Tell them that what you need from them is proper service, and honest support. You understand the terms of your warranty, the car is not abused, and is obviously falling apart. IF they are willing to work with you, then let them go. If you get attitude, or a feeling that they see another girl with out a clue, then say I don't feel comfortable that you can address my needs, and go somewhere else. Spending some time on forums such as this can give you a glossary overview of how cars work, what parts interplay with them and what can be done about it. You might not understand it, but you won't be completely lost in the jargon. For example, your check engine light comes on.The ECU stores those codes which are little histories of what's going on in your car. is. Missfire on cylindar #3, oxygen sensor faulty, EGR failure etc. All of which you could have happening on your car right now based on your description. So... get those codes read, ask for a report on them and then discuss the likely causes with the service manager. Just deal with him/her, skip the advisers, they're all about throughput. get the parts ordered, and schedule the repairs. and ask for a loaner car, or see if they will cover the rental. They should be making good money on the warranty repairs, I get loaners or rentals all the time if my car takes more then a couple day in the shop. I feel this may have been a run on post by now, since I forgot what i said at the beginning, so feel free to ask specifics. __________________ MazdaSpeed6

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08-27-2008, 03:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
sweetpea1146 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Elk Grove Village , IL Posts: 2	Thank you, that helps. Well the problem with the warranty is that the dealership used to be owned with Chrysler and so for some reason I have a Chrysler warranty. I do pay only $100 deductible but like the other problem they seem to always charge for other things. Since I bought my car, new by the way, the dealership went on their own and they seem to not want to deal with my warranty. The loaner cars as well only pertain to Chrysler. It all seems a little messed up to me. But thank you again. I have been reading a lot of the forum and that seems to help a little as well.

08-27-2008, 07:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
MazdaRick Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Boston Posts: 22	Wow, sounds like you're having a tough go of this. Regardless of who owns what, if the dealership you bought from still exists, they should support you. If not, I'd consider getting in touch with Mazda directly and see what they say. All dealerships are independantly owned, so they're quick to say they can't do much, but fact is, they represent the brand. Mazda can force the issue if they want to. Also keep in mind, and I'm not sure of the particulars in your state, but the dealership has to disclose how much you're going to pay before they start the work. They are allowed to go over by a bit, but they can't say, oh ya, we'll take care of it, then give you a bill for 500 bucks. Make sure you know exactly what you're in for before signing anything upfront. I hope I don't sound like a wanker here, but people will take advantage when they can.. stand up for yourself and don't let them do it. If something doesn't feel right, tell them, say I don't agree, I think you're taking me for a ride, and stick to it.