Mazda of Bedford — Attraction in Bedford

This review is not meant to persuade anyone in their decision to do business here. Just sharing for informational purposes on my experience.

I only have visited their service department two times prior to this particular service appointment. I have had really good service during those times, but cannot say the same for this most recent one. I took my 2014 CX-5 in for a front suspension knocking noise diagnosis (3/7/24) that I couldn’t figure out. I explained that I have been working to pinpoint the problem for about a month and gave them a rundown of the parts that I replaced (RF strut bearing and mount, RF control arm). I left that day with a quote to repair what they believed was the problem per the work order (see below). They did not know for sure if that was the issue to begin with but that is where they wanted to start. $600 to pay them to repair it or I buy the part and install it myself for a third of that. I decided to replace the strut myself since I had already taken it all apart the week before to replace the bearing and mount. Using factory Mazda parts that I purchased from their dealership, the noise was still present after strut replacement. I knew that the strut was likely not going to fix it based on my previous experience as a mechanic, and because both struts were replaced 2.5 years prior, but I trusted that their techs knew more than me with superior training and experience. The noise turned out to be a loose bolt to the brace on the strut tower that has never been removed in the entire life of the car. The bolt on the driver and passenger sides were both loose, but only the passenger side was making the knocking noise.

I visited the dealership the day after I installed the new part (3/14/24) to show my advisor what the real issue was and if there was anything that they could do to refund my $178 diagnostic charge that was wrong. Seeing as I bought $200 worth of parts from their parts department that didn’t need replacing in the first place, I assumed that asking for a refund on the incorrect diagnosis was only fair. After two weeks of back-and-forth, the best that they could do was give me HALF of that diagnostic fee back. It was suggested by the manager that because of my cars high mileage (189k) and since I repaired it on my own, they could not do anything further. I should also mention that I have had several people from that service department comment during that same visit on how clean and in good shape my vehicle was for the mileage that it had. Some even saying “you guys have done a great job maintaining this vehicle“, so I guess any repairs that I have done over the last 10 years on this car must have been done right to get to this point.

Shannon, the service department manager that I worked with, said that they could have handled it differently if I had done the repairs at their dealership. However, when I asked her for an example of how that would look on this particular instance, she could not explain to me in detail what they could have done if I had them perform the repairs. If they did exactly what I did, I would still be on the hook for a new strut and other components, not to mention anything else that they suggested replacing before finding the true issue.

At the end of the day, I paid for diagnosis that didn’t diagnose anything and only caused additional expense by me to replace parts that didn’t need to be. That $89 must really mean a lot to them, but I certainly have decided that I will take all of my Mazda vehicles to another Mazda dealer for future...

I bought a car from this place with the help of their sale’s associate named Phil. He was very friendly and helpful. I bought a 2014 Forester almost brand new. They gave me a good deal on it and I left very satisfied, but as soon as I got off the highway, the car just turned off. We figured it was the battery because the dealership and I knew it was dangerously low (Phil told us that he recommended we get a new battery as soon as possible because the dealerships’s mechanics had double checked after we informed them about it through our mechanic’s pre-purchase inspection) so we bought a brand new battery and installed it, but the car still wouldn’t turn on.

We bought a car, brought it home, and it just died. You can imagine the disappointment and fear that we had accidentally bought a lemon.

The next day we contacted the dealership. The mechanic that we spoke to was very helpful. He told us that the dealership would have the car towed back to the dealership and they would pay for the towing and would try their best to get the situation resolved. Then when my husband went to pick up the car, the manager wanted us to pay for everything. Service, towing, and time. The manager refused to believe that one of his employees had agreed to anything.

We had completed a $16,000 purchase the day prior and the manager wanted us to give them more money because “their mechanics have to get paid for their service.” Then the manager began blaming my husband for something being wrong with car in the first place. An employee had to come over to my husband and his manager and confirm that the dealership had agreed to pay for the towing and so we left having to pay for the mechanic’s service and car parts.

After this experience, I’m sad to say I won’t be returning to give them anymore of my time or money. We were made to believe by the sale associate that their customers are taken care of during and after a purchase, but this experience made us believe that they are just like any other dealership. Friendly when you flash your money, but as soon as it’s theirs you’re SOL.

UPDATE:

Soon after the car had its problems, the dealership that we bought the vehicle from called trying to make amends for the incident that occurred. They completely detailed my car and even fixed an unsightly scratch that had appeared on my new car between the time it was towed and when I had gotten it back from repair.

I was impressed with how well they tried to rectify the situation after the incident.

Phil is a great salesmen. He’s was very helpful and honest. There are two managers at this dealership. The Manager, Patrick, was also helpful and will most likely be the only manager at this dealership that we will speak to from now. The other manager, whose name we never caught, is the one one that is rude and disrespectful.

I didn’t delete what I previously wrote because it was an honest review of what I had to go through, however, the dealership did work to try to make...

I first want to say this Mazda location has always made my experience pleasant and one to remember. From getting my very first Mazda here to bringing it back for all service needs. So to recently experience technical issues with my truck after a recent service received was more than disheartening. My engine oil light came on recently which caused major concern. I went to a local auto zone to determine what could be causing this alert. Upon going to auto zone it was determined my oil was very low and in a concerning matter. I then called Mazda service department and I spoke with Milo who was very adamant about there being no fault on there end. There was no blame of fault on my end but this is the shop my truck is serviced at 100% of the time. I expected my concerns to be met with attentiveness and empathy. Milo spoke with the auto zone worker who also clarified my concerns were correct and then only did Milo address this with urgency regarding bringing my truck back in to be looked at. Auto zone did not provide any services as I did not want any liability on a third party’s end. I let Milo know I would be bringing the vehicle in today 06/26 at approximately 5:45pm. Before the call ended I overheard Milo speaking with someone stating “It could be a head gasket or cylinder but that would be no fault of ours”. Upon arriving at the service center Nick swiftly greeted me and briefed me that they would take my truck in to be seen. After roughly 10 minutes myself and my daughter went to go search for Milo as that is who I spoke with only to be told he had left and was no longer present. Very disappointing as I clarified I would be in route and wanted to speak with him. Nick explained that he put 2 quarts of oil in the truck and did not see any damage or concern and that I was free to go. I was not satisfied to leave as my truck was sputtering and hesitating when accelerating. I requested a loaner so my truck could get further diagnostics. As driving with that light is a safety hazard and after filling the truck it was leaking fluids as we were waiting. Nick was the only one to speak with attentive manner and professionalism. That is the service I know Mazda wants to be represented as. As I always spread through word of mouth to go here to get a Mazda and service this recent experience has not met my previous expectations. I drive an extended time passing several competitors to service my vehicle and as a loyal customer I should always feel confident in the service I receive. Especially with spending thousands of dollars. It is my hope that this gets to Jerry the owner and this can be resolved in a timely matter with a professional resolution. Thanks...