New MX5 owner and first Mazda car we have every owned.
Always looked at the MX5 as an interesting car, but our paths never crossed until recently when we decided to take the plunge and pick up a 1.5 Sport 2021. I demo’d the 1.5 and the 2ltr and didn’t find the 2ltr as enjoyable as the 1.5 (to me), and having a fair few RWD sports cars over the recent years with much higher HP, we decided to buy the 1.5 so we can use the limited power for longer than 2 secs on a B road. My wife and I really wanted to get back into a fun car for driving holidays and spotted this one and decided to buy!
I don’t know what it is about cars that push from the rear, instead of pull from the front but its just so satisfying to drive.
Hoping to keep this to run about in East Anglia and Wales in September and European road trips next year!
It’s the countryside problem of small B roads, dog walkers, horses, cyclists and my nature to give them plenty of space and consideration. Track days and Ring trips is where I get me speed fix.
Car returned for a full refund, needless to say it wasn’t the easiest of processes, and I believe it could have been resolved quicker and with some acceptance of responsibiltiy/apology by the Mazda main dealer for the issues.
I have bought a lot of cars in my time as a car enthusiast from a lot of main dealers, and this is the only time I’ve ever felt the need to take any kind of drastic action, which in the end has cost me money (car tax, insurance, Gap insurance, fuel, time off work) none of which I asked to be reimbursed for, as I just wanted out of that particular car.
Going to keep looking and at some point i will find a good one.
Water in boot on collection soaking the boot liner and requiring it to be dried out for 3 days.
Vibration on drive home and found 2 buckled wheels when I looked (even though it was MOT’d 3 days before collection and PDI).
Then when it was back in for buckled wheel repairs, someone, not sure who, drove into it requiring bumper and wing respray.
It was at this point that I said enough was enough. It was like pulling teeth, but we got there in the end which is the main thing.
They called me the day after I returned the car for the buckled wheels, that they had crashed/damaged it. It could have been worse, they could have kept the car and disguised the damaged with a week of ‘getting the wheels sorted out’ so at least that was positive.
I believe the wheels should have been on the MOT as advisory, or a failure if deemed severe enough. I never the believe the 120 point inspection rubbish with cars as half of the things are, it starts, it has seatbelts, handbrake works etc. but between the 2 activities prior to collection one of them should have picked it up.
I checked the MOT cert before collection electronically, and it was clear.
The water in the boot was most likely close high pressure jet wash (I never had it long enough to confirm though). But if it was jet washing, you would have thought that with a car in production for 30+ years it was common knowledge to not use a pressure washer and overloading the drain holes. I had water running out the boot carpet when removed and the wiring loom on the OSR wrapped in tape could be squeezed and water trickled out on collection day.
Simply giving the car a cursory look over to put an MOT on it just to sell it is not on! Given the obvious damage to the wheels, an MOT pass surely merits an investigation by the ministry. The car was obviously heavily “kerbed” at speed, and who knows what other damage was caused. I can’t think of another way to buckle a wheel, apart from bashing it with a large hammer. All in all, a bad episode.
I read your story to my wife, she said “That’s a shame, i feel sorry for that chap, fu**ing dealers”
Anyway, onwards and upwards, we’re all on your side and there’s plenty more out there.
Better luck next time.
Yeah all good now, thinking positive about the next one! Just need the tax returned and a few personal possessions still in the car, but I will collect at some point from dealer.
Wow. What a nightmare. Sorry to read about this. I can only imagine how stressful it was.
Unfortunately the pitfalls of buying a used car. We don’t get to see how it was driven or ‘looked after’, so it’s always a lottery of sorts.
Hopefully that’s your bad luck done, and whatever you get next will be fine
