Argh! Rust! help please.

[Campin]

Hi I'm the new owner of a used 2004 Mazda 3, I bought it off the dealer and even got their MAPs warrenty with it! All together probaby over paying a little too much but I went to the dealer because I was worried about getting a lemon and thought I could at least trust them for that!

I wouldn't call it a lemon, it runs quite well and has a good carproof report at about 120000km! However I didn't realize the history these cars have with rust! Now the car is newly purchased, only having it for a few days and there really seems to be quite a lot more rust then I thought!

So far the rust isn't all that bad, just a little bubbling around the back wheel well, the drive side doorway and a little on the back lights! But I know if I leave it as is in a few years my car will start looking like a rust bucket!

I'm going to call the dealership on Tuesday and complain, but I'm afraid they're going say tough luck as i've already given them my money! But considering how much dropped is it unreasonable to ask for a car that won't look like crap after a few short years?

Thanx any help appriciated!

[S.F.W.]

just go into the dealership and talk to the service advisor or service manager. Mazda is covering rust on the 04's and 05's for 6 years from initial purchase. Depending on the original purchase date, you will likely still have coverage.

[Campin]

Thanx I'll try that! Really hope it still qualifies! Hate to think I'd have to go to an autobody shop if non of this works!

Do you have to go to the dealer where I purchased it (Markham) or just the closest one (Newmarket)?

[S.F.W.]

you can go to any dealership. However, since you just bought the car from Markham, they may be more interested in helping you out.

[budgetracer]

I just spoke to a Mazda Canada customer service rep. There is no 6 year corrosion warranty,other than exceptional cases. What that means I do not know, so unless you can show a service bulletin I wish that people would stop giving out misleading info.
I did find out the date that our 2005 car's warranty started, I have three days to make a claim. I saw last week after a car wash what appears to be a small perforation on the driver's rear wheel well & bubbling without surface damage on the passenger side. The car has been undercoated by the dealer & sprayed with oil twice. Finger's crossed. Car looks like new with 94000km, but tires every 50,000 km, rear brakes every 40,000 km, it is getting hard to keep on loving the little darlin'.

[mazdabetty]

I just spoke to a Mazda Canada customer service rep. There is no 6 year corrosion warranty,other than exceptional cases. What that means I do not know, so unless you can show a service bulletin I wish that people would stop giving out misleading info.

First of all, Mazda Canada service reps are completely useless. I know this first hand as I've had my own personal experiences with them giving me VERY incorrect information, and were unwilling to help me, telling me to let the dealers take care of it and basically hanging up on me.

If you do some reading on the more recent pages on the two corrosion threads (http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?77-Problems-with-the-Mazda3), which have been stickied, you'll see that yes, there is in fact a one year extension on the 5 year perforation warranty. And you'll also find that there are a few members here whose dealerships are honouring this. Unfortunately, Mazda is very inconsistent as far as honouring their warranties go, mostly because there are so many gray areas. And no, there is no service bulletin for this... shady I know.

From my experience, I was told by one particular dealership that the extended perforation warranty will only cover certain areas on '04-'05 models, the exceptions being the b-pillars and bumper seams. I posted the details a while back but the post got lost among a lot of other non-informational posts, so I really can't remember exactly what's included. You're better off checking out a few different dealers and speaking directly with the service managers to find out more information about this.

Good luck!

[bubba1983]

when i had mine done a few months back (2004 model), they explained to me that mazda was covering, doors, rear quarters and trunk lids theplace i went too has not yet had a claim denied

[budgetracer]

Thank you all for your speedy replies. There are so many posts here on rust that I have been having trouble navigating back to the ones that made an impression on me. Sorry, I saw mention of stickies in an earlier post but was unable to find "stickies"; I am not a troglodite, but sometimes I do have trouble finding the obvious.
I called up a preferred body shop in town (Newmarket) to see if they were doing any warranty work for the local Mazda dealer, unfortunately no. So I hope to make it to Scarborough tomorrow morning(selling dealer, but not selling manager), if not Dave Wood or Avante. Any thoughts?

[xdutrax]

when i had mine done a few months back (2004 model), they explained to me that mazda was covering, doors, rear quarters and trunk lids theplace i went too has not yet had a claim denied

Do you know if Mazda is covering '06 as well? I notice a bit of rust starting on my trunk lid and want to get that taken care of asap.

Thanks bubba!

[S.F.W.]

Do you know if Mazda is covering '06 as well? I notice a bit of rust starting on my trunk lid and want to get that taken care of asap.

Thanks bubba!

06's would still be within the original 5 year rust warranty, so you should not have an issue with coverage.

[xdutrax]

06's would still be within the original 5 year rust warranty, so you should not have an issue with coverage.

Alright thanks! Who should I go see to have the rust work done to my car? Any Mazda dealer or the one I bought my car off of?

[Pokey]

when i had mine done a few months back (2004 model), they explained to me that mazda was covering, doors, rear quarters and trunk lids theplace i went too has not yet had a claim denied

Which place did you go to? Contact name?

[bubba1983]

keiswetter mazda, the body shop

[budgetracer]

O.K. so I took my 05 into Dave Mazda, spoke to a very helpful service adviser who sang the same theme as what you hear on this forum- Mazda customer service spouts corporate policy & are of limited help/ coverage is 6 years. I asked if it would be a grind & fill or cut & weld process. H e said that there is a new process using a "harder paint' that was developed in Europe that neutralizes the rust. Mmmmm, we'll see. So he took pics with a serial number tag on each pic & identified other areas in the rear wheel well that I missed. He said that the pics go to an insurance company that makes the decision- should know in four days or so.

[Mr Fatty]

From my experience, I was told by one particular dealership that the extended perforation warranty will only cover certain areas on '04-'05 models, the exceptions being the b-pillars and bumper seams.


Bahhhhhh, that's exactly where mine has rust!! :(:(:(:(

[budgetracer]

So, last Wed. Aug. 11 I received a telephone call from Dave Wood Mazda (three days after the application was made!), our car has been approved for repairs. The left side would be cut & weld, while the right side would be grind & repaint unless a perforation occurred, then the claim would be resubmitted for cut & weld. Currently the bodyshop is busy & we have to pick an end of August or beginning of September date for the repairs that should take six days- a request for a loaner was politely turned down. More updates to follow..

[SKYMP3]

for the repairs that should take six days- a request for a loaner was politely turned down. More updates to follow..

Same for me, except mine is still under factory warranty period. Let's see if you have better luck or I do...