Whitby Mazda - service concern

[Drewsryd]

Was at Whitby Mazda this morning. Had made an appointment for a wheel bearing. Didn't have the tools to do it myself so decided to bring it in. About 1 hour in.... Receptionist comes up to me to tell me that they will need to replace my rotor because it's stuck on and they would have to break it to get it off.....

As an FYI.... I do the majority of my own repairs and just switched over to my winter tires and of course did an inspection of my breaks and rotors.... No issues. Also.... How badly rusted do your rotors have to be before they have to "break them off".

So after looking at the receptionist like she had three heads..... I asked to see the rotor/car. As she gets back our of the garage section she says the mech will be right with me. As pear into the garage through the little window beside the door, the mech lightly taps the rotor... And poof.... It comes off.... As soon as he does this he looks over at the window to see me looking at him.....

The mech then walks into the reception area and wispers something to the receptionist who promptly turns to me and says " it's ok... He was able to get it off without damaging it".

I hope the laser beam stares I gave them both gave them the idea not to shit on anyone else.

Whitby Mazda service gets an "F" for trying to tack on other services you don't need.

[staax]

Well to answer the first part, its not uncommon for the rotor to rust on there like a sum bitch. This is what I dealt with a month ago on a 2012 with 70k:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/IMG_20150830_143523_456_zps4lbrguil.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/IMG_20150830_143523_456_zps4lbrguil.jpg.html)

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/IMG_20150830_161555_398_zpsf8dr3zdj.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/IMG_20150830_161555_398_zpsf8dr3zdj.jpg.html)

Yes both were like that. As for watching him casually tap off the rotor... yeah... sounds like they were trying to pull a fast one.

[r4BBiT]

Well to answer the first part, its not uncommon for the rotor to rust on there like a sum bitch. This is what I dealt with a month ago on a 2012 with 70k:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/IMG_20150830_143523_456_zps4lbrguil.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/IMG_20150830_143523_456_zps4lbrguil.jpg.html)

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/x2daz11/IMG_20150830_161555_398_zpsf8dr3zdj.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/x2daz11/media/IMG_20150830_161555_398_zpsf8dr3zdj.jpg.html)

Yes both were like that. As for watching him casually tap off the rotor... yeah... sounds like they were trying to pull a fast one.
I had same thing on my 2010, but a good shop should be able to get it off with heat and pullers (which I didn't have). Sometimes they won't be though.

[kickz]

it is pretty common the rotors have to destroyed to remove them. the tech was just trying to save his ass. you would be more mad if they didnt tell you then add a rotor to the bill

[S.F.W.]

I very much doubt Whitby Mazda would try and rip you off. As said above, they were saying they had to break the rotor, in case it did break. If they didn't tell you and it broke, they would have to pay.

[iAaronx]

Yeah lucky that it came off just like that. also happened to mine but i had to use an air chisel and torch to get front left AND right off. 3 hours later but its scary to see them just snap.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/08/e72562e5bd9204092074dad50761b962.jpg

[js593]

Started browsing a few threads and came across this. I have looked at my rear rotors and they do not look like they need to be replaced, but i'm running up 75K now on the odo. Any idea when these are supposed to be replaced? Seeing that people are replacing them on a 2012 and newer kinda scares me to see this...

[loki]

rotors are cheap

[staax]

I bought mine used... Who knows how the PO drove. And it was the fronts I replaced. Still had pad life but the rotors were warped and steering wheel was shaking like an sob.

Rears still have about 30% left.. Won't be Doin them tho! Haha

[XTOTHEL]

Started browsing a few threads and came across this. I have looked at my rear rotors and they do not look like they need to be replaced, but i'm running up 75K now on the odo. Any idea when these are supposed to be replaced? Seeing that people are replacing them on a 2012 and newer kinda scares me to see this...

I just replaced mine around 100k while replacing the breakpads, I didn't have to replace the rotors, it really depends on your driving habits.

[midnightfxgt]

Sounds more like the were covering the A$$ incase smacking it did damage.

I've been to Whitby Mazda more than a half dozen times, will be back soon for an oil change :)

[Drewsryd]

Sounds more like the were covering the A$$ incase smacking it did damage.

I've been to Whitby Mazda more than a half dozen times, will be back soon for an oil change :)

I had checked my dics and pads 2 weeks before I went into Whitby Mazda as I was changing over to my winters. They were nowhere near any of the rusty pictures in the thread below and as I mentioned....I saw the tech tap and take it off.... It wasn't about covering his a$&.....and just by asking to see the rotor it surprisingly was "ok"...... I'm just not that gullible.

[midnightfxgt]

Visually inspecting them does not tell you how easily they will come off. I've seen rotors look new that need to be smashed to hell to get off.

[m_bisson]

Here's the thing:

What if Drewsryd said, "Oh okay then, go ahead," but they were able to remove the rotor without issues. Do you really think they'd be honest, or since they got the go ahead, would the put the new rotor on anyways?

[Flagrum_3]

Visually inspecting them does not tell you how easily they will come off. I've seen rotors look new that need to be smashed to hell to get off.

Exactamondo, My original rotors, when I replaced them, looked actually very good but had to be smashed to shite to get them off, what a pita lol. I think this is a case of failure to communicate; The issue with the OP may have simply been a misunderstanding/miscommunication by the receptionist, as the tech probably told her the rotors 'MAY' have to be broken to do the repair, and she took it as they 'HAD' to be broken....It wouldn't be the first time shite like this happened.




Assuming dishonesty without absolute proof and airing it publicly can be detrimental....just saying.

[midnightfxgt]

Here's the thing:

What if Drewsryd said, "Oh okay then, go ahead," but they were able to remove the rotor without issues. Do you really think they'd be honest, or since they got the go ahead, would the put the new rotor on anyways?
Having dealt with them for years, I'd say they would he honest. Ajax Mazda, from my experiences, would not be honest.

[bbbwood]

Always had honest service from WM. They're not the cheapest, as most dealers are not, but I've not had a single negative experience with the sales or services teams.

[Mimizu man]

Don't know who you dealt with but I only deal with Jonathan (http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/member.php?17640-JD-WhitbyMazda)when I'm there.
I can't say that I've ever felt that he's been dishonest with me.
I've only ever been there for oil changes and a block heater install but there has never been anything extra suggested.
If I hadn't moved to Oakville, I'd still be going their for oil changes.

[Bagmister]

I've been going to Whitby Mazda for all of my regular maintenance since I bought my car.
Never had any issue's with them. In fact they have helped me out a few times.

Like the person who posted previous to me, Jonathan is the person to see when you go in there. Very knowledgeable, and polite.

Probably a bit of miscommunication regarding your rotor's combined with the need to cover their arses in case anything happened while they were working on your Mazda.

I'd recommend this dealership vs. any other in the area.

[S.F.W.]

Edited thread title to be a little more accurate.

[KaylaHeart]

Unfortunately i too have just recently had a issue with them last fall.

I bought my 2014 from them in 2015 and at first i thought they were great, but then I started noticing I was being charged to have things replaced when they didn't need to be like my brakes. They kept putting brand new pads and rotors on when they didn't need to.

Now at the time, I was at the part of my life where I said 'screw it to working on my car ever again' and that's why I had bought the 2014 Mazda 3. But my dad started telling me that I was probably being ripped off and I didn't really see it or cared until i started noticing my back brakes were squealing after 40,000 kilometers since last replacement which cost me 400 dollars.

So we went in and they said that both my fronts and rears need replacing. The fronts I knew were going to need replacing, but they were gonna charge me 1,000 bucks to change my fronts and rears. Now, at this time, I had a history of always dealing with Johnathan who was helpful, but when they came to tell me after looking at the brakes they sent some young girl, instead of Johnathan who coincidentally just took a lunch break, and who now tells me it's a thousand bucks to replace my brakes (pads and rotors) all around.

Well, she ends up talking to the manager and comes back and says that they can take two hundred off so I will only have to pay $800 all together (800 divide by 2 is 400 for front and rear). As a result, my dad demands to see the service manager and he comes over and my dad has a big discussion over how we just came in to get the rears looked at and, now that we have them looked at, why the Front brakes are lasting twice as long as the rears.

The manager says he doesn't know and after more bickering and political ass hatting, the manager says they'll cover the rears and get all the brakes replaced. So he walks away and about a half second later my dad turns to me and asks whether i agreed to having the fronts replaced. so i go walking to the service managers office and bring him back to the table where we were seated and I tell him there that I didn't want the fronts done. He replies that they need to be done cause they're in the red on the depth gauge.

I ask him to show me and we go into the garage and the fronts are already off and the service manager has to go looking in the trash can for the pads. He finds them and says to me that they're no good. I tell him lets put a depth gauge on them and he complies he holds up the red depth gauge (They go by colour coded depth gauges) and the pad is higher then the top of the red depth gauge. so he puts the yellow one on and its just around mid point on the yellow. so i look at him and he starts back pedaling saying that he just assumed that I was a daily driver and they should just automatically be replaced.

I tell him that the cars will be sitting for three months and I don't have $800 to replace the brakes with at this time. He instantly agrees that it would probably be better if the fronts don't get replaced "since well I guess if your not driving the car, the fronts don't need replacing, but if you were they should be". so

In the end, I finally get things straightened out, but not after spending an hour and a half waiting for the car to get into the garage and nearly four hours getting the rear brakes done. I also had them give me the old parts just to make sure they replaced them which ill post about soon as there being part of my weight transfer mod on my Mazda in the trunk.

[JonsMazda]

Unfortunately i too have just recently had a issue with them last fall. i bought my 2014 from them in 2015 and at first i thought they were great but then i started noticing i was being charged to have things replaced when they didnt need to be like my brakes they kept putting brand new pads and rotors on when they didnt. need to. now at the time i was at the part of my life where i said screw it to working on my car every again and thats why i had bought the 2014 mazda 3. But my dad started telling me that i was probably being ripped off and i didnt really see it or cared until i started noticing my back brakes were squealing after 40,000 kilometers since last replacement which cost me 400 dollars. so we went in and they said that both my fronts and rears need replacing. The fronts i kinda new were gonna need replacing. but they were gonna charge me 1,000 bucks to change my fronts and rears. now at this time i too had a history of always dealing with johnathan who was helpful. but when they came to tell me after looking at the brakes they sent some young girl, instead of johnathan who concedtally just took a lunch break, who tells me its a thousand bucks to replace my brakes (pads and rotors) all around. well she ends up talking to the manager and comes back and says that they can take two hundred off so i will only have to pay 800 all together (800 divide by 2 is 400 for front and rear). so my dad demands to see the service manager and i he comes over and my dad has a big discussion over how we just came in to get the rears looked at and, now that we have them looked at, Why the Front brakes are lasting twice as long as the rears. Well the managers says he doesnt know and after more bickering and political ass hatting, the manager says they'll cover the rears and get all the brakes replaced. so he walks away and about a half second later my dad turns to me and asks whether i agreed to having the fronts replaced. so i go walking to the service managers office and bring him back to the table where we were seated and i tell him there that i didnt want the fronts done. He replies that they need to be done cause there in the red on the depth gauge. so i ask him to show me and we go into the garage and the fronts are already off and the service managr has to go looking in the trash can for the pads. so he finds them and says to me that there no good. i tell him lets put a depth gauge on them and he complies he holds up the red depth gauge (They go By color coded depth gauges) and the pad is higher then the top of the red depth gauge. so he puts the yellow one on and its just around mid point on the yellow. so i look at him and he starts back pedaling saying that he just assumed that i was a daily driver and they should just automatically be replaced. i Tell him that the cars will be sitting for three months and i dont have 800 to replace the brakes with at this time. He instantly agrees that it would probably be better if the fronts dont get replaced "since well i guess if your not driving the car the fronts don need replacing but if you were they should be". so i finally get things straighten out. but not after spending an hour and a half waiting for the car to get into the garage and nearly four hours getting the rear brakes done. I also had them give me the old parts just to make sure they replaced them which ill post about soon as there being part of my weight transfer mod on my Mazda in the trunk.

Just drive to see Jimmy at Street Performance, it's gonna be a drive, but we'll worth it!

[mazdaagain]

Why the Front brakes are lasting twice as long as the rears.

It's well documented that the set up for the Mazda 3 results in rear brakes wearing much faster than front brakes. This is common on these cars.

[Mr Wilson]

^^^ It is? Not being a dick, just didn't know that. Is it generation specific?

[Flagrum_3]

KaylaHeart Next time you need anything done, come on here first for advice or references. Don't take it to that place again.


_3

[Flagrum_3]

^^^ It is? Not being a dick, just didn't know that. Is it generation specific?

I don't know if its "well documented" but there did seem to be an issue with the 1st gen MZ3 for excessive wear on the rear brakes. That's straight from a couple of Mazda technicians. Probably something to do with a bad brake bias set-up.

_3

[Mr Wilson]

I don't know if its "well documented" but there did seem to be an issue with the 1st gen MZ3 for excessive wear on the rear brakes. That's straight from a couple of Mazda technicians. Probably something to do with a bad brake bias set-up.

_3

Yeah, rather not have a rear bias, guess it wasn't an issue suffered by the Speeds.

[Flagrum_3]

Yeah, rather not have a rear bias, guess it wasn't an issue suffered by the Speeds.

Well the speeds came a couple years later, plenty of time to rectumfy the issue. ; )

Also not sure the later model gen1s still had the issue.



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