…just had our 1st service at a local dealer, £185.
They have offered a 3 year service plan at £900 (includes 2 MOT’s), will 3 services and 2 MOTs cost that much? The only high cost items I can see are the need for a bi-annual brake fluid change, (about £60 each?).
Sounds expensive to me, my MOT costs the full price £54 so minus that x 2 from that figure it’s £264 per service. Usually up to 3-4 years old cars don’t need much in the way of replacing much, just consumables.
Read the small print of what’s included, stuff like brake discs/pads if needed would be extra I reckon. Find out what a second then a third year service would cost on there own and compare.
I would expect you can haggle that deal down, have a go.
Its expensive and the reality is oil that should be being changed (diff & gearbox) aren’t under the dealership servicing.
…ta for the feedback. When we brought the car, (new) I am sure they offered us a 3 year service deal at around £600 which is probably not too bad, but would have not included the 4th service and MOT.
We had our last Mazda for 17 years and I think I only got the hydraulic fluid changed a couple of times, and the gearbox/diff oil once! (50k miles in total).
Also not sure how often you should change the coolant / water?
I think I will give the £900 option a miss!
Assuming a 1 year old ND??
The coolant on the NC is long life, so around 10-11 years needs changing. I would say the ND will be much the same unless they use a different coolant, change time.
If you plan on keeping the car long term as your last I would like my gear oil changing at least at say 30k miles then again @60k but that’s my thinking. Same with the diff oil possibly more regularly. I did my NC diff again after 20k miles. Also don’t forget brake fluid, around every 2 years some experts say, I tend to leave mine a little longer, your choice.
ND Gearbox oil change is very different from previous models, the gearbox is clearly flawed and experts are recommending regular oil changes and the use of 75w/140 (what I’m using). Personally, I only do 3k a year maximum, so i’m planning on replacing the gearbox oil every 2 years with the engine and diff being done annually.
annually for dif oil change seems a bit OTT?..are there any problems associated with the dif?
yes, it runs VERY hot. Paul Roddison recommends changing it annually. Its also VERY easy to do and relatively in-expensive.
With the nc there was a tsb issued for incorrect excessive use of lapping paste during assembly. If you waited the prescribed time to change the diff oil you would already have extreme wear. Oil is cheap.
As for the 11 year coolant change,for the sake of £25 I changed it at 6 years but used the drain and refill method which is a much easier task than the flushing method. I feel if the fluid additives aren’t exhausted then there is nothing to flush.
Mazda UK quote £649 for their service plans for the first 3 services for the MX5, and no dealer should charge more. Where I work in Basingstoke we run our own to the same spec and charge £100 less, and its payable monthly interest free. See if a dealer local to you does the same.
That’s definitely a rip-off!! If it were me (‘cos I like catching this sort of thief out!) I’d tell them I’d been onto Mazda UK who’d told me it should be £649 (as per timangus’ post above) and that they’d asked for the name of the dealer concerned - then step well back and watch the reaction, should be fun!
…to be fair it’s not the “first” 3 services as I have just paid for the first service, so it will be the “next” 3 services, so I assume will need to include an extra MOT and possibly some extra work needed on the fourth service?..
I believe that the 4th service is just the same as the 1st & 2nd regards replacements (engine oil & filter) but there are more “inspections” listed and the cost of an additional MOT is only around £40-00, the 5th service is the one that the gearbox oil should be replaced.
There is a service checklist for the ND in the technical section but I think you have to be an OC member to access it.
I am going to get mine’s done on 2535 miles.
What can possibly need serviced at that mileage!
It’s a good money spinner for Mazda!
My other half introduced her own version of flexible servicing at the local Ford dealers about 8 years ago.
“Are you telling me that my 12 month old car with 4000 miles on it needs a service, so Ford can’t build a Fiesta that can go more than 4000 miles before it needs a service?”
Needless to say she has never had a car serviced and Ford eventually backed down and changed the service intervals to once every 2 years!
I am sure it was her comments that brought this about! 
If you are comfortable making the rest of the visual checks on the rubber components, splits in any tyres, leaking rad or sump, seized handbrake, low battery charge, missing software updates, etc…and don’t mind invalidating the anti-corrosion warranty, i guess every 2 years might suit…
Use your dealer or one day they wont be there…
My car has only done 1000 miles in the last year, have I serviced it? YES
As said above oil is cheap compared to rebuilds.
If it wasn’t for lockdown I was going to have another open night and show how carbonbuild up is evident on 4yr old N/D’s
Why do quite a few manufacturers have extended servicing intervals?
Why do they charge far too much?
Mazda quoted average £325 for a 4th year major service on our Mazda 2 1.5 115BHP (similar sky active MX5 engine) and service parts. My trusted independent serviced it 1.5 hours labour for £80.25 plus my own supplied oil and genuine parts. Basically £130 all in. AND if you do that within warranty it IS still covered. I suppose if you have around £200 to give away then each to there own.
Because they have far too much high cost overheads, perhaps main dealers will be the losers and then the customers. Unfortunately the “small” main dealers are generally gone because the greedy big firms make it far too difficult for them and eventually buy them out. Seen it time after time with all the manufacturers. Just an opinion.
I should say a good trusted independent mechanic will win my vote all day long. 
Hello Paul
I am looking forward to the next open night, I am sure Burton will advise when the time is right.
For those who have not yet attended a Roddison open night you are missing out on a thoroughly entertaining & informative event. Therefore keep abreast of the event(s) through the Forum.
I plan to visit Donington August 22/23 for the Truck racing (never seen it before) plus of course the MAX5/Mazda Motorsport UK racing, even though it seems the public cannot visit the pits.
Stay Safe & Enjoy Life!!
Keith
ps. Somewhat off topic but relevant to Rodders posting.
Hi Keith
It would be great to see you at donington, social distancing obviously
In my opinion Mazda are taking the mick with the 1 year fixed servicing malarkey.
My other car had it’s first service at 18.5k and isn’t due another till July 2021 or 39k.
If I can get out of the garage £200 down and no scratches I will view it as a positive experience.