went to my main dealer today to buy a gearbox drain plug washer.
no parts department!
oik comes out from ‘the back’, I explain that I want an Aluminium crush washer for the gearbox drain. Sucks his teeth and disappears
10 minutes later, (10 minutes!!!) he comes back saying that they do exists but had none in stock. I could order on at £0.85 plus £5.00 special order fee and it would be here withing a week.
I asked what the service department used when doing a 30000 gearbox oil change and he just looked puzzled.
needles to say, I left without my washer. I’ll get a generic one from a motor factor
Now do you think I’m confident enough to consider buying a new MX5 next year from the same dealer?
Oldest trick in the book, a wipe around the drain and fill areas and it looks like the service has been done… b******s. I know it’s of no use to you, but the only Mazda mechanic/technician to touch my car was Roadster Robbie.
a while back mx5 parts were out of stock on oil filters so i made a phone call to an edinburgh main dealer :
gm: do you have an oil filter for a mk1 mx5 ?
parts : can you give me the reg number ?
gm: yes, it's XXXXX but you won't find it on your computer
parts : oh, we can't find that on our computer
gm: yes, that happens every time
parts: can you give me the chassis number?
gm: i just need an oil filter - they are all the same up to a mk3
parts: is it for a petrol or a diesel?
gm : <>
and they didn't have one in stock !
Yes I think mazda dealers are hopeless. They could not find fault ages ago with my headlight problem, turned out to be a relay, they could not find a wiring diagram for a mark one.
I think that you pays your money and takes your choice. I don’t agree that all are not any good but certainly my local Mazda Dealer in Letchworth is great and they love to see me come in as they are always facinated to see what I have done to the car. You may rember my Eibach problems and they were insrumental in sorting that with a deal of pressure from me. The local Audi dealer was good, moved offices and now has a £100m showroom, 6000 sales staff and no sales - Oh, and they have gone from great to CRAP!
I did not buy my 5 from a dealer but have used the parts dept an victoria park mazda in Cardiff on a number of occasions. I have nothing but praise for the service they have given me. I needed a few plastic hose clips for the engine bay and they were able to identify the part numbers very easily. They even gave me the exploded diagams of the areas i was looking at.
I think is very much depends on the individual you are dealing with rather than generic ‘mazda dealers’
I think Norton are one of a very small minority. When I 1st got the car they were the only dealer that would actually sell me parts ordering against what ever chassis No. they had in the workshop at the time. I think it’s more to do with them being decent people rather than usual miseries you get in dealerships. The service manager is a top bloke, blagged use of their lift a few times as well.