OK, so I’ve had my 2014 NC in to a specialist today as the handling has been off.
I’ve been advised:
Rear subframe corrdoded, soft but not holed (he says this can wait a bit)
Lower front arms bushes split and perished (they’ve practically been pushed out of the arms)
Rear discs corroded and scored on inner face
Rear upper arm bushes cracked and perished (these have multiple splits all round)
The rear subframe brace bars are also completely rotten
Play in steering rack
I bought the car 3 months ago, now on 62800 so I’ve put 1800 miles on it. It was last MOT’d in September by the dealer with no advisories. The car has been wandering all over the place with the recent alignment all wonky again due to the issues.
I’m now looking at a 4 figure sum to sort this (and that’s without repairing the rack or swapping the subframe) which is 2x rear upper arms both sides, 2 new front lower arms, new subframe braces, new discs and all the assorted fixings to go with it. The front wheels have been leaking air since I got it but I was happy to get them refurbed at my cost.
It did come with a 3 month WarrantyWise but that ran out last week.
I’ve got ZetaSports coming and wanted the car looked at beforehand but this list is a bit alarming for a “stunning example”. I get that things will need looked at but this is quite signficant so early into ownership and I didn’t get the car for a bargain to begin with.
The garage say it is a good car, it’s just that the bits listed above need addressed before fitting the new suspension.
Do you think I should be going back to the dealer I bought it from for some assistance towards this? Never been in this situation before so not really sure what to do. Do I just have to suck it up?
Oh PX51, I really feel for you, however I think it highly unlikely that the dealer will look to help after their 3 month warranty has elapsed.
Doubt some of the items listed would be covered anyway with 1,800 miles added as they will say bushes and discs are general wear and tear.
I always get my cars checked over by my trusted independant mechanic as soon as possible after buying, to avoid such issues.
Really hope you get it sorted though, as I’m no solicitor. I’ll gladly lend my experience of the suspension / subframe bits if needed though, as just done this.
I’m keeping the car for the long haul so if it the all the bills need paid by me, then so be it - it’s just a bit of a stinker so soon after paying to get the underseal done (and front cross brace replaced - they never mentioned anything else being a bit cruddy). I keep seeing posts around the internet mentioning Consumer Rights which should cover you for up to 6 months, with it being on the dealer to prove they weren’t there at the time of purchase. I guess I’m just wanting to give it a go before I burn some more money. The car was paid for in full via bank transfer so no credit card protection. I know things get worn a bit quicker on used cars but such a large list of things so soon is, well, a bit guff.
Garage reckon replace the upper link bushes with powerflex and then think about a subframe later in the year, as this was just a warning for the moment. The car handles like a bag of spanners at the minute which is a real shame, a lot of vibration at the front once you get the speed up combined with unpredictable wobbles and dives at the back when turning at all speeds. I’m lucky I have another car so can live with it off the road for a bit.
I can do the brakes myself easily and cheaply enough - already have new calipers in the garage.
I guess I hoped that 11 services at a main dealer and a “stunning example” would have meant the car would be properly buttoned up, for a while longer at least.
Fairly DIY minded, I usually do my own maintenance on the driveway but I don’t think I want to spend hours with a reciprocating saw and assorted tools just to get a single bush out - maybe I’ve been misguided on this and it’s not as much of a pig of a job as I think it’ll be.
The underside of the car has already been caked in Dinitrol which has the detrimental effect of making the removal of existing fixings a bit more difficult, before considering that some of them might be seized in place already.
I’m no doubt just trying to manage the initial shock and disappointment when in fact “it’s not that bad”. Everything can be sorted, and that’s what I want.
The dealer MOT’d it - somewhere local that they use. It had been done by Mazda 5 months prior. It’s only ever had one advisory, for brake pads in 2020.
I don’t think it’s a dodgy MOT per se, they’ve just not been as pernickety as some testers might be. To see the state of the bushes with the car up in the air today does make me think there’s no way they couldn’t have been in a similar state back in September, with less than 2000 miles added since.
I and the garage I took it to both expected the car to be better than it is but they have assured me it’s not a bad car.
I’m not sure how much consumer rights you might have in this situation. I would certainly get in touch with the dealer and see where they stand. Likely they will say that some of the issues are wear and tear but to me that would be a cop-out since bushes and discs don’t go from “stunning example” to need replacing now in 1800 miles over 3 months.
Good luck in sorting it out! If it comes to DIY then you can always ask here for further help, lot’s of folk have much experience!
I think it’s worthwhile having a conversation with the dealer you purchased from. With some ‘feedback’ in mind, if nothing else. But as said, I wouldn’t get my hopes up given the time and mileage that has passed.
From what you’re saying, and that list of items, I find it a little hard to believe that some of those issues weren’t at least advisories on previous MoT tests. Yes, there’s wear & tear to consider but items like the subframe doesn’t suddenly corrode overnight…
Yeah, that’s what I was wondering - how many rights do I have for things like bushes? I thought the warranty would be good in case the engine or gearbox went pop but never considered the bushes. I’d have thought the subframe would’ve been an advisory too but apparently not. I’ll have a think about how to approach the dealer. Any contribution towards repairs would help and I’m not expecting them to throw me a blank cheque. Don’t ask, don’t get after all.
Anway, I’ve had a cup of tea now and putting a plan in place.
Autolink are sending me out some bits nexst week and I’ll look for the rest over the weekend. I want the car to look and feel as good undereneath as it does inside and up top, so I’ll just get stuck in. I’ve got a week off coming up when I can start. My experience of working on BMW’s has taught me to multiply the time for many jobs by 4, I guess this’ll be no different - it’s just going to be on a much newer car. That same experience has taught me to have plenty spare fixings on hand too.
I’ve pinged off an email to the dealer there outlining the issues the car has, a brief mention of the Consumer Rights Act, the description of the car when sold and how I am willing to reasonably enter discussions with them about a contribution towards some of the remedial works needed.
If a problem is found after 30 days, but within six months of purchase, you can request a repair or a replacement vehicle. The onus is on the seller of the car to prove the fault wasn’t present when the car was sold; if they can, and you’re likely to have known about it, you won’t get a refund.
When it comes to repairs, the dealer has one chance to fix the fault. If the fix doesn’t work, you are entitled to a refund. You won’t get the full purchase price back, though. Any usage of the car will be taken into account and the refund will be adjusted accordingly.
Under previous legislation, the supplying dealer was allowed more than one attempt to rectify the problem and it was considerably more difficult to get a refund on a car, so the Consumer Rights Act is good news for consumers.
If a fault appears after six months of ownership, it is down to you to prove that it was there at the time of purchase. To do that, you’re likely to have to get an expert to examine the car or component and get a written report about it.
This is what came up first when I went researching the Consumer Rights Act and used as a basis for my email to the dealer.
I want to keep the car as I’ve already invested over £1500 into it in other works (underseal, replacemant front brace, stereo) which I wouldn’t get back, as well as any depreciation they deemed fit. Plus as many of you know, you become attached to your MX-5.
My email politely requests a contribution towards the works required immdiately and not those which are going to be required in the not-too-distant future, such as the subframe, steering rack and brake discs. I think that’s reasonable on my part. A spreadsheet thrown together this evening suggests that (without labour) repairing everything highlighted by the inspection today, including rusted or seized fixings, would be over £2000. I’m not asking for near that much. For the price I paid for the car, I feel there’s still room for the dealership to make a decent contribution and still have made a reasonable profit on the sale. I’m willing to put the work in and take responsibility for organising the repairs so the effort required on their part is minimal, being a token financial contribution only.
The dealer have been back in touch. They’re suprised by the report but have intimated they are willing to work with me - asking for me to bring it down to their trusted garage, and also the place where the most recent MOT took place, for their own inspection.
This sounds like a positive step in the right direction. It’s clear from the issues identified that even after 1500 miles they could likely be considered as pre-existing, so if the dealer and their trusted garage agree to make the most urgent repairs perhaps you may be left with a smaller potential outlay to rectify any remaining areas of concern. Please keep us updated.
Certainly, I was pleasantly surprised. I reiterated to them that I wasn’t looking for them to take full responsibility for repairs, only contribute a nominal amount towards them. Anything is better than nothing, right?
Excellent! That is as good of a response as you can hope for. I hope you get some help from the dealer to rectify the issues so you can get to enjoy your car!
Keep us posted with the progress.
I’ve just had the rear subframe replaced on my NC1 as it was rusted and the suspension arms had to be done as well. The cost of a genuine Mazda subframe was horrific but my garage sourced a pattern part and used that it brought the cost down significantly but the end result with new suspension arms was still £2400.
Thanks for the info. I see refurbished subframes for £500 and that’ll be a plan for later in the year.
As it stands just now to get it to a suitable state where the coilovers can be fitted the cost of parts is around £1100 (on top of the £350 worth already ordered), then the £500 for subframe and nearly £500 (-£180 deposit) for the steering rack on top. It’s going in for an inspection at the dealers trusted garage next week but I’ve started ordering bits already.
I think I’ll be attempting most of the jobs on the driveway as I imagine a garage battling with bushes or bolts instead will fair rack up the costs. A few new tools, some swear words and many cups of tea should bring the overall cost down. Once the new fixings, bushes and arms are in then my local specialist will tackle the subframe later in the year - it’s “soft but not holed yet”. That’s the current plan anyway.
Considering the description of the car at the point of sale, i think the dealer should at least offer to fit the new parts you have bought, particularly the subframe.
