I've been trying to get the Cory Fairbanks Mazda here in orlando to replace my broken automatic belts. I've been to the dealership a total of about 10 times, talked to at least 5 different people, all telling me they needed to confirm the recall with Mazda HQ before they would start the replacement. I tried giving them time since the last visit thinking maybe it took a while.

I'm now 2 months from my last visit and not so much as a call from them. I called up there, got transfered to the service department who told me the last thing they have on record of me visiting there is back in August (MY ***! I was there at least 4 times between then and the end of October). I'm quite angry right now and am wondering what I should do at this point.

I'm going to go up there today with the recall printed out and in hand and if they don't take my car in, I think im going to start getting the law system involved.


I personally feel its a very big flaw in the vehicle as it IS the seatbelts that are broken. The fact that I've been blown off repeatedly by the technicians because I'm a young kid is driving me nuts. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I should be prioritized to the bottom of the list if at all.

Just wondering if anyone else here would do anything else before getting the law system involved.

All I want is my damn seatbelts fixed so I can drive around in my already semi-unsafe car and feel a little more comfortable knowing if I get in a crash/t-boned/whatever else that I'm not going to be thrown out of my windshield.

*sigh*

I hate the dealership. As soon as this is fixed, I'm never stepping foot on their property again.

 

I work for a mazda dealership and if they don't write up an Repair order when you bring it in, there will be no history in the computer that you visited the shop. If they did write up an RO, then you should have a copy of it, as they are suppose to give you a copy when you pick up your vehicle.
If it is a recall that you want performed then you will need the recall # or TSB # for them to look up, otherwise looking for a print of an 80's early 90's vehicle will be hard.
PM me your vin and I can do a vehicle warranty inquiry. (if the system goes that far back. I haven't tried looking at older vehicles.)
Although if the recall has already been done before and your concern has arisen this 20+ years, It will not be covered under warranty because yout vehicle has out done its time and mileage period. Thus being expired. That means if you have a copy of this "recall" you want done, bring that ssp## recall number or tsb ##-###/## number to the dealership and tell them that you want this done. It will have the labor times on it if you have the correct printout. That means IT WILL BE CUSTOMER PAY. not FREE.

 

From my understanding the automatic seatbelts are covered for the life of the car so you shouldn't have to pay. There are a few topics on this so let me see if I can dig anything up.

here it is

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...matic+seatbelt

 

This is correct. To my understanding, Mazda never made a "updated' part to replace the faulty automatic seat-belts, they just replaced it with the same.

This is the issue I keep running into. Every time one of the techs looks up the VIN of my vehicle, he tells me the recall was already performed back in '97 and that he will have to call corporate to check and see if it will still be covered under the recall.

Unfortunately, thats the point where I get left hanging and never receive a call back from the dealership.

I've called NHTSA and they've told me to go ahead and file the lawsuit as it is a big issue that my seat belts don't work and should be replaced by the dealership for free under a recall.

Just wondering if I should try anything else before going through with it. It'll be a long time before I get my seat belts fixed and even though its not going to be money out of my pocket at the end, its a LOT of hassle to do the process...

 

Unfortunately, the recall is for the life of the vehicle, not while its under warranty. As long as my car can move under its own power and is still in 1 piece, they are by law required to replace their faulty part.

And in case you were wondering, the NHTSA campaign ID of the recall is 96V173000.

 

http://fc3spro.com/TECH/PROBLEMS/INT/sbrecall.jpg

There is a link to the recall itself. According to it, the recall is to be PERFORMED FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE and is FREE OF CHARGE.

 

Go there and tell them to fix it. If they tell you they have to confirm it ask them for the number for Mazda and call them yourself. If they won't give you the number tell them you will wait while they place the call. Stop being a ***** and leaving every time they try to brush you off.

Take pictures of your interior in case they break your trim they will have to replace it.

If they still won't do it call the BBB and go to a different dealership.

 

You are very wrong my friend!!!! I think you need to contact North America Mazda and talk to Rich. ITS A LIFETIME RECALL!!!! So that means the dealership will do the repairs for free. I wish you dealerships get this threw your head.
Thanks Robert

 

I didn't leave when they told me to call corporate. I told them I called corporate and they told me the recall was for the life of the vehicle. The tech told me that since the recall was already performed on the vehicle, he couldn't do it. I told him he had to and that I wasn't moving until they took in my car. He told me fine, he was going to be off the clock in 10 minutes and I could stay there all night. Unfortunately he was the service manager so their was nothing I could do but call corporate again and tell them their service manager was refusing me service on a recall.

And I don't have the trim installed right now. I removed it 5 months ago the first time I took it in for fear that they would break it during the repair process. But they never accepted my vehicle.

 

It's for the life of the vehicle and it's free. I had mine done on the drivers side and, since they know me so well at my dealership, they did the other for the hell of it.

Yes at first one of the guys tried to say it wasn't covered since it had already been done. Yes they wanted to confirm it with Mazda HQ.

Download and print the letter and this.

It's the law, they have to do it. If not the letter shows who to call.

 

I searched mazda's MS3 site and found this automatic seat belt campaign... recall 68702. all that is provided is the campaign information, no dealership or customer letters, but the poster above has a scanned image of the customer letter which is all you need to show the dealership. give them a printout of that letter and give them the recall number 68702 which will give them all the information to file for the warranty claim. I don't know why mazda's site doesn't have that customer letter in the archives. but that should be all you need to do to get your car fixed.

 

So I guess this means you got the wrong info.

 

dude what is up with the hostility, i was just trying to help. I didn't say he would have to pay. I said if the recall was expired and he was out of warranty, then it would be customer pay if it has been done before. I didn't know that mazda extended the warranty for life. If i would have known that, then I could have just gave him the recall printout for the repair and warranty information to help him get it fixed asap. And whats with the whole "you dealerships" talk. I'm just the tech helping a fellow mazda owner out. no need to lash out like you are better than me or something. after all, I asked him to pm me his vin so i can find out all the information for him so he can take it back to that dealer. Just cuz one dealer sux, doesn't mean that they all do.

and to the originator of this thread. good luck and i hope this get it fixed soon. btw a tip for you... since mazda extended the warranty for the life of the vehicle, that means that because it is a "safety related issue" they should be able to give you a rental car while your parts are on order so you don't have to drive in an unsafe vehicle. just thought i'd let you know.

 

Not trying to be hostile, its just that the service manager I had to deal with was a jerk and a half. Thanks for the info, I didn't know the rental car part. Thanks a ton!

 

Dude you need to reread what you wrote. You just contradicted yourself. Here is a quote from what you wrote:
I work for a mazda dealership and if they don't write up an Repair order when you bring it in, there will be no history in the computer that you visited the shop. If they did write up an RO, then you should have a copy of it, as they are suppose to give you a copy when you pick up your vehicle.
If it is a recall that you want performed then you will need the recall # or TSB # for them to look up, otherwise looking for a print of an 80's early 90's vehicle will be hard.
PM me your vin and I can do a vehicle warranty inquiry. (if the system goes that far back. I haven't tried looking at older vehicles.)
Although if the recall has already been done before and your concern has arisen this 20+ years, It will not be covered under warranty because yout vehicle has out done its time and mileage period. Thus being expired. That means if you have a copy of this "recall" you want done, bring that ssp## recall number or tsb ##-###/## number to the dealership and tell them that you want this done. It will have the labor times on it if you have the correct printout. That means IT WILL BE CUSTOMER PAY. not FREE.
The problem I have is the dealerships always try to wesel there way out of warrenty work. I have been in the business for over 13 years and have many complants that the dealerships will not honor factory campaigns because they think its expired. If you do work for a dealership than you should check this out before you give the wrong info!!!
Thanks Robert
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fc3s91, he was right. He stated that if it was out of warranty, I would have to pay. He didn't know that the recall was for the life of the vehicle and that the recall stated that the work was free of charge. A lot of recalls only state that the part itself is free replacement, not the labor.

 

I think you should post in the S4 vs S5 thread now.

My S4 belts work just fine.

Seriously though, good luck, I hate when dealers try to get out of warranty work.

 

I'd find a different dealer.

Forcing a hostile and recalcitrant shop to fix your car doesn't sound like a good idea to me.
No doubt lots of shops are unaware of the recall details but once faced with the documentation will go ahead and do the job.
Your shop seems to be actively trying to avoid you and that can't be a good sign.

 

about the RO(repair order), any car that enters a dealership and gets touched by a technitian is gonna have an RO

 

If you do find a dealer to do it for free, remove the trim pieces around the belt slider part.

I had mine done, and they broke them both.

 

I work at a Mazda dealership and we just repaired one a few weeks back. Should be simple and easy. Go find another dealership or call the owner of that dealership and tell him you feel the serv dept is brushing you off cause your young. That will get the serv manager rollin.............

 

If the dealer should break the pillar trim, and likely will, is it their expense or ours? And at what point do the belts qualify for needing the recall performed? My pass side belt works great but the driver's side is so damn slow that I have to help it along and on really cold mornings....well....it just sits there about halfway.

 

Jeff, takes your upto the mazda dealership in norman and get tony to do the work on it, tell him david sent you he should do a good job.

 

Unfortunately... if it breaks while they are trying to fix it you're out of luck from what I understand.

But... I had them do both sides with no problem and have taken off my A side several times with no problem.

Slow was the reason they decided to do my passenger side they said. I'd say if yours is doing what you said get it fixed.

 

Take pictures of all the trim in the car before you bring it in. Then when it comes back broken, so them the pictures and tell them to fix it.