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View Full Version : Markham Mazda -- Nothing has changed !



chinsterr
05-31-2007, 12:00 PM
Its been almost 8000km since my last oil change and I am in a desperate need of one. It seems that MOT and Avante are booked up all the way till next week. So I decided to give Markham Mazda another shot, mind you I haven't been there since i brought the car there for its first oil change --- in which they gave me back the car with oil all over the steering wheel and seat belt !!!!

I vowed never to go back to Markham Mazda again for service, but because I was in a bind i decided to give them another chance.

I called Markham Mazda yesterday to see if I could bring in the car that exact same day for just an oil change, and the service rep said "no problem." So i brought the car in and told the service rep that I brought my own oil (synthetic) and that it was in the trunk of the car. He then gave me a blank stare as if i was speaking to him in a totally different language. I repeated myself again and then gave him a few minutes for it to sink in and he proceeded to print off the work order.

I handed over my keys to him and told him that the car was unlocked. He looked at my compustar remote and started pushing the buttons on it ! OMG! i just told him that the car was unlocked! He unlocked and locked my car 3 times and then the alarm went off when he tried to open the door .. NEWB! All of this was done just to check the ODO reading on the car.

After he got the reading he came back in and handed the keys to the car jockey to bring my car in (he told the jockey that there was oil in the trunk). The jockey turns my car on, must've heard the aftermarket exhaust, and decides to give it a few revs before bringing it in. Unprofessional yes, but i really didnt mind until i hear my subwoofer pound... then I'm like WTF! I clearly remembered turning the HU off before going into the dealership. I didn't want to raise a big stink about this to the service rep right away, so I waited to voice my concerns after the oil change is completed. The next thing i know one of the mechanics asks me if i own the white mazda with black rims, I replied "Yes." He then proceeds to tell me that an oil change cannot be performed on my car because it is lowered. I KID YOU NOT !!!

I voiced my concerns in a professional manner and simply told them that Avante Mazda has never had a problem hoisting my car up.

I will never step foot into that dealership again!

- Chinsterr

MPS
05-31-2007, 12:09 PM
ROLF its lowered

chinsterr
05-31-2007, 12:12 PM
ROLF its lowered

and on H-techs, which are a MILD drop . *sigh

man, i have been putting off getting an oil change for weeks . Maybe i should just do it myself :)

sp3GT
05-31-2007, 12:14 PM
LOL, I've been there once never again! "Sub pounding" lol

chinsterr
05-31-2007, 12:19 PM
I really don't see why they have to play with customers car like that .... o'well the service department in there is like a ghost town, I guess all the bad reviews posted about that place is finally taking its toll.

3GFX
05-31-2007, 12:25 PM
Well now that they can't do the change tell them you want a filter for free because you don't give out free rides around the dealer jsut so Jockey's can hear the exhaust and sound system. I'd have been so peeved.

MPS
05-31-2007, 12:27 PM
go see Jimmy @ Street Performance 905-943-9449

chinsterr
05-31-2007, 12:27 PM
yup, ill give Jimmy a call right now ... its close to home too !

eqlso
05-31-2007, 02:12 PM
My dad brought in our mazda yesterday too for an oil change, rotation of tires, and told them to check up on the sluggish acceleration. Other than the fact that it took 6 hours to complete, which my dad happily bitched them out for, everything else seems alright. They said they reprogrammed something to compensate for the acceleration, and I took it out for a spin last night and it did seem a little smoother. Now to look for oil stains...

chinsterr
05-31-2007, 02:26 PM
Now to look for oil stains...

I bet your engine cover is all grimey now !

eqlso
05-31-2007, 02:30 PM
I bet your engine cover is all grimey now !

Haha...picky picky picky. Hmmm now that I think about it, I did notice my air freshener gone. Hope they won't swoop that low and take it ><

bubba1983
05-31-2007, 06:21 PM
so..end result, did you get an oil change from these guys?

jaym3
05-31-2007, 07:04 PM
the service rep started reving your engine and playing with your audio while you were watching him? wtf haha...

ive been there for a service when my car was max slammed on coils...im guessing the people are just being a bitch there

chinsterr
05-31-2007, 11:35 PM
so..end result, did you get an oil change from these guys?

nope, and i wont let them near my car anytime soon

chinsterr
05-31-2007, 11:36 PM
the service rep started reving your engine and playing with your audio while you were watching him? wtf haha...



The service rep was dicking around with my compustar remote.

The Car Jockey was dicking around with my sound system and revving my car >< .

plusvolume
06-01-2007, 10:28 AM
WTF?

that is very unproffessional...

ive been there a few times and never really had a problem....

i delt with some young dude that works the desk there.........he seemed like a stand up guy (SEEMED to be key word here)...

and the mechanics seemed to be fine....

mind u, i ONLY have lowering done to my car. thats it.

mzkaye729
04-30-2009, 12:21 PM
I just did a search on here and I swear I've only read nothing but bad reviews about Markham Mazda.

I just got back from Markham Mazda to have them check my tires and the noise I am hearing when I'm running the car... they seemed pretty spot-on to me... Jimmy (the service advisor) was actually quite a pleasure to deal with and Prasad (the service technician) was really quite helpful as well...

It's too bad about all these negative reviews though. Makes me think twice about going back to get my repairs done there because of all the negativity but I dunno... since I actually enjoyed my experience there, I'm sort of at a crossroads...

zeron
04-30-2009, 12:54 PM
I have also read a lot of negative reviews about this dealership. However I have bought two cars from them and serviced (recalls and oil change) a few times - so far no complains. One thing to note is that their sales manager and service department change very frequently.

mzkaye729
04-30-2009, 12:58 PM
I have also read a lot of negative reviews about this dealership. However I have bought two cars from them and serviced (recalls and oil change) a few times - so far no complains. One thing to note is that their sales manager and service department change very frequently.

What you said about the service department changing frequently might be true as I came across a few customers there wondering where "all the familiar faces were" !

MZR3
05-02-2009, 11:27 AM
What you said about the service department changing frequently might be true as I came across a few customers there wondering where "all the familiar faces were" !

Maybe that's the reason they are serving better...cut the crappy staff and bring new blood to change for the better.

Mazda3ZT
05-04-2009, 12:29 AM
One of my family members has just recently bought a new 2010 mazda3 gt there. We got a $1.8k discount on the OTR price, and oddly no one mentioned anything about the new case incentive on the 2010 starting May1. So in the end it was only $1.3 cheaper. The funny part is some of the people doesn't sound like they know enough about what they're doing, and they had never even heard about the recall announcement last month in the states.

mzkaye729
05-04-2009, 08:33 AM
I'm a little suspicious now because when I went to Markhm Mazda, I was told I needed to have my intake manifold replaced. Now I dunno what the hell that is so I related the info to my dad and he said there's nothing wrong with my intake manifold. I then took it to it mechanic for a second opinion and he said there's nothing possibly wrong with my intake manifold. I wasn't satisfied so I had my boyfriend's mechanic neighbor check out my car when I was in Scarborough yesterday and he said there's nothing wrong with the intake manifold ! What the hell ! Now that's three people who said my intake manifold is fine versus the Markham Mazda technician who told me I have to get it replaced along with my belt tensioner. An $1100 job apparently. I know my pulley needs replacing but now I'm a little bit agitated as to why MM would tell me I need to replace something that doesn't need replacing at all.

Mazda3ZT
05-04-2009, 08:05 PM
I'm a little suspicious now because when I went to Markhm Mazda, I was told I needed to have my intake manifold replaced. Now I dunno what the hell that is so I related the info to my dad and he said there's nothing wrong with my intake manifold. I then took it to it mechanic for a second opinion and he said there's nothing possibly wrong with my intake manifold. I wasn't satisfied so I had my boyfriend's mechanic neighbor check out my car when I was in Scarborough yesterday and he said there's nothing wrong with the intake manifold ! What the hell ! Now that's three people who said my intake manifold is fine versus the Markham Mazda technician who told me I have to get it replaced along with my belt tensioner. An $1100 job apparently. I know my pulley needs replacing but now I'm a little bit agitated as to why MM would tell me I need to replace something that doesn't need replacing at all.

:loco crap... now I gotta be more cautious. they are doing the rustproof thing too for our new car

mzkaye729
05-04-2009, 09:54 PM
:loco crap... now I gotta be more cautious. they are doing the rustproof thing too for our new car

I was always told to be wary of dealership service but I dunno... maybe they were just on me because I didn't know too much about what's under the hood. I am glad I did not agree to get it fixed there and had several opinions before doing anything drastic to the car.

Though they didn't charge me for the diagnostic that was performed, I was not at all pleased to be served an $1100 repair bill for something that doesnt need to be repaired at all. Come to think of it, now I'm actually pissed off about it.

wikdslo
05-05-2009, 08:58 AM
I was always told to be wary of dealership service but I dunno... maybe they were just on me because I didn't know too much about what's under the hood. I am glad I did not agree to get it fixed there and had several opinions before doing anything drastic to the car.

Though they didn't charge me for the diagnostic that was performed, I was not at all pleased to be served an $1100 repair bill for something that doesnt need to be repaired at all. Come to think of it, now I'm actually pissed off about it.

We're only seeing one side to this story.
What did you take it in for and what did they run the diagnostic on?

There is a sensor or valve in these plsatic housed intake manifolds that likes to break, and the whole manifold has to be replaced to correct it.

I believe this is associated with a ticking sound coming from the engine bay.

If you search on the forums you will find many threads about it.

mzkaye729
05-05-2009, 02:26 PM
We're only seeing one side to this story.
What did you take it in for and what did they run the diagnostic on?

There is a sensor or valve in these plsatic housed intake manifolds that likes to break, and the whole manifold has to be replaced to correct it.

I believe this is associated with a ticking sound coming from the engine bay.

If you search on the forums you will find many threads about it.

I'm aware of the part(s) that lie inside an intake manifold as I had the tech from MM explain to me what could happen if an intake manifold breaks, or what could cause an intake manifold to break. On top of that, I had my boyfriend's mechanic neighbor explain to me what the intake manifold houses.

I originally took it in to get my tire looked at as I had to pump air into it three times in two days (turns out there was a hole in it). Markham Mazda said there werent any holes in it at all and told me to replace all four tires instead as it was caused by wear and tear.

I told them I was hearing a squeaking sound from 1000-2000 rpm and the sound disappears only AFTER I pass 2000 rpm. Otherwise, the squeaking noise is pretty evident while I'm driving inside. I was then told by MM that this was a belt/tensioner problem. Then was told by my boyfriend's mechanic neighbor that it's a pulley making the noise (dunno much about this one).

The odd thing is the technician who serviced my vehicle at MM caught up to me as I was about to drive away, gave me his card, and told me to call him and he'll take 50% off of $1100 that Mazda was charging him if I call him outside of his work and he'll work on my car on his property. Basically, soliciting a customer. Hmm..

FLIPDADY
05-05-2009, 02:38 PM
The odd thing is the technician who serviced my vehicle at MM caught up to me as I was about to drive away, gave me his card, and told me to call him and he'll take 50% off of $1100 that Mazda was charging him if I call him outside of his work and he'll work on my car on his property. Basically, soliciting a customer. Hmm..
That's what we call a side job.:chuckle This is how techs make they're money on the side. If they find out he's stealing potential customers away he could get canned.

mzkaye729
05-05-2009, 03:30 PM
That's what we call a side job.:chuckle This is how techs make they're money on the side. If they find out he's stealing potential customers away he could get canned.

Hahaha I figured. That's how one of my managers at work got canned.

This is what makes me suspicious... the fact that he actually came up to me and said he'll do it for half price ... I'm not sure if he made all or some of that diagnosis up so he can make some money on the side. And I do not wanna name names either.. don't wanna get him in trouble.

mazdabetty
05-05-2009, 07:39 PM
Wow sketchhyyyy... stay far, far away from there. That really sucks I've heard a lot stories like this lately... why can't dealerships just be honest with us?!!! :( lol

fourtrack78
05-05-2009, 08:24 PM
I used to go to MOT, but because I moved and got a new job that is further away from MOT I started going to Markham Mazda. The first oil change was a breeze. The second they recommended I change my transmission fluid $90, I thought 40K and I need to change that already? I changed it . The third oil change they said I needed to change my transmission fluid again. I was WTF. I told the service guy look at my last time I came in I just changed it!!! He then told me ohh, I just got it changed and not flushed it will cost me 150 for a flush. I told him he needs to do it for free because I 'm not paying. He then said he will knock off the $90 I paid from before. But he needs to call me back. He calls me back 10mins later and tells me the tech got my car mixed up with another car I don't need to change the transmission fluid. I told him to have my car ready now i'm picking it up.

Then a month later my car wouldn't start (this happened to me before and I took it to Markham Mazda). I tried putting in neutral and try starting it, it wouldn't. I called roadside and they said the closet dealership was Markham mazda, I asked if I can take it to another dealership they told me no.CAA showed up, I told him what happened and he tapped my starter, and my car started. He said take to the dealership. I took it back to Markham mazda (like an idiot) told them what happened they said they will look at it. Hours later they called me back and said its probably the starter cable, they need to contact Mazda head office on this one (warranty work). They called me back and said yes they will change the cable covered under warranty. So I went to pick up my car and asked him for a receipt for the work they did. The service guy said they will mail it to me. I left and I'm still waiting on my receipt...... needless to say I will never be going back to Markham Mazda.. I got my next oil change this Sat @ avante

mzkaye729
05-06-2009, 10:32 AM
I used to go to MOT, but because I moved and got a new job that is further away from MOT I started going to Markham Mazda. The first oil change was a breeze. The second they recommended I change my transmission fluid $90, I thought 40K and I need to change that already? I changed it . The third oil change they said I needed to change my transmission fluid again. I was WTF. I told the service guy look at my last time I came in I just changed it!!! He then told me ohh, I just got it changed and not flushed it will cost me 150 for a flush. I told him he needs to do it for free because I 'm not paying. He then said he will knock off the $90 I paid from before. But he needs to call me back. He calls me back 10mins later and tells me the tech got my car mixed up with another car I don't need to change the transmission fluid. I told him to have my car ready now i'm picking it up.

Then a month later my car wouldn't start (this happened to me before and I took it to Markham Mazda). I tried putting in neutral and try starting it, it wouldn't. I called roadside and they said the closet dealership was Markham mazda, I asked if I can take it to another dealership they told me no.CAA showed up, I told him what happened and he tapped my starter, and my car started. He said take to the dealership. I took it back to Markham mazda (like an idiot) told them what happened they said they will look at it. Hours later they called me back and said its probably the starter cable, they need to contact Mazda head office on this one (warranty work). They called me back and said yes they will change the cable covered under warranty. So I went to pick up my car and asked him for a receipt for the work they did. The service guy said they will mail it to me. I left and I'm still waiting on my receipt...... needless to say I will never be going back to Markham Mazda.. I got my next oil change this Sat @ avante

Oh my goodness... what a nightmare... I would not, under any circumstance, return my car to Markham Mazda. Something just isnt right and mazdabetty is right in saying it's sketchy.

I'm not sure how diagnostics work, but when a Mazda dealership runs them, do they do a FULL inspection ? Meaning, do they check for absolutely everything in there that is ready to fail or anything like that ? Or do they only check what you tell them to ?

I'd go to MOT but it's far LOL well, not THAT far...

yakyak
05-06-2009, 10:56 AM
Service Advisors are like that everywhere. They get commission. They always pushing all these preventive maintenance services. They like to use these tactics, suggesting your warranty may be voided if you don't perform something like changing your cabin filter.

zeron
05-06-2009, 07:12 PM
The odd thing is the technician who serviced my vehicle at MM caught up to me as I was about to drive away, gave me his card, and told me to call him and he'll take 50% off of $1100 that Mazda was charging him if I call him outside of his work and he'll work on my car on his property. Basically, soliciting a customer. Hmm..

I would not mind this at all as long as he does a good job. My family used to have a jetta and my dad made friend with one of the mechanics at the dealership and he was able to do repairs at a reasonable rate and he did a pretty good job too.

mzkaye729
05-06-2009, 10:52 PM
I would not mind this at all as long as he does a good job. My family used to have a jetta and my dad made friend with one of the mechanics at the dealership and he was able to do repairs at a reasonable rate and he did a pretty good job too.

I wouldnt mind it either but it just seemed kind of suspicious when the timing is put into play.

Go_Habs_Go
05-06-2009, 11:11 PM
this place sounds SKETCHY. Kinda like walking in a dark alley downtown late at night SKETCHY.

whiteomega
05-06-2009, 11:19 PM
I would never accept a side job offer from a technician; regardless of whether or not he works for the dealership. Since you're required to show proof of proper maintenance in order to keep your warranty, having a technician work on it on the side means you probably won't get a receipt for it.

fourtrack: I would go back to Markham Mazda and ask them to print you a receipt. Don't accept that they'll mail it to you. They may have every intention of doing so, but good intentions often fall through the cracks, and there is no reason they couldn't look up your service history and print a copy of the invoice for you.

I've had my own bad experience at Markham Mazda (it's documented somewhere on the boards), and I will not go back. I'd rather pay extra to tow the car further (to Mazda of Toronto).

mzkaye, you should take your car to another dealership and see if they recommend the same thing as Markham did. Don't tell them what Markham said, just ask them to have a look at it, and report their findings back to you. At least that way you can get a second opinion from a service tech.

mzkaye729
05-06-2009, 11:57 PM
mzkaye, you should take your car to another dealership and see if they recommend the same thing as Markham did. Don't tell them what Markham said, just ask them to have a look at it, and report their findings back to you. At least that way you can get a second opinion from a service tech.

It sucks I have to pay $98 for a proper Mazda diagnosis though. Markham Mazda didnt make me pay for diagnosis but for sure I am never taking my car back there. Can't trust anybody these days... it is really upsetting to me.

Right now, as it stands, my car is not even working at all. I've towed it to my own mechanic and I would REALLY hate to think that the technician who serviced my car screwed up the car on purpose but that might be stretching it a bit too far... Ahhhhh I dunno anymore... I just want my car back ::bang

mf5781
05-07-2009, 04:51 PM
mzkaye729

Don't go to Markham Mazda. Their services are suck. Their services won't change from bad to good as long as Mr. Williams is still the Service Manager.

If your car is no longer under warranty, why would you go to a dealer and spend $98 for diagnosis? You should go to a mechanic you trust. An independent mechanic normally charges less than a dealer.

mzkaye729
05-07-2009, 05:09 PM
mzkaye729

Don't go to Markham Mazda. Their services are suck. Their services won't change from bad to good as long as Mr. Williams is still the Service Manager.

If your car is no longer under warranty, why would you go to a dealer and spend $98 for diagnosis? You should go to a mechanic you trust. An independent mechanic normally charges less than a dealer.

I dont think my car is under warranty anymore as it's 137k when I bought it (which was three weeks ago) :blush

I cant even find a trustworthy independent mechanic these days, let alone someone who knows what the hell they are doing. Maybe I am going to the wrong places.

And I am never taking my car back to Markham Mazda... they are just so sketchy (like what mazdabetty said).

whiteomega
05-12-2009, 03:08 PM
I dont think my car is under warranty anymore as it's 137k when I bought it (which was three weeks ago) :blush

I cant even find a trustworthy independent mechanic these days, let alone someone who knows what the hell they are doing. Maybe I am going to the wrong places.

And I am never taking my car back to Markham Mazda... they are just so sketchy (like what mazdabetty said).

go talk to Jimmy @ Street Performance; he's around Woodbine and 14th. He'll give you a pretty good, no-nonsense diagnosis if he can.

crystal8484
05-14-2009, 12:23 PM
I bought my car from Markham Mazda - I don't even want to begin to rant about them and their service....

Let's just say that after 7 days of driving it, my clutch started slipping - and they wanted me to pay them their $1000 service bill, after I just wrote them a cheque for the vehicle amount. After much screaming, they decided that spliting 50% of the bill was "FAIR." ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

They almost made me pay for a rental car, then gave me attitude when Ididn't return the rental car at 6pm promptly... I'm sure everyone knows what the DVP is like at 5pm. And those were just some of the horrible service I received at Markham Mazda.

Anyways, my car is fixed and I've vowed never to go there ever again for anything.

EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

Tokic_o
05-14-2009, 12:43 PM
I wish someone from Markham Mazda would come on this board and tell their side of all these stories, that would be very interesting read.

crystal8484
05-14-2009, 12:44 PM
I am quite sure they don't know how to work their computers... :chuckle

HunGJaI
05-14-2009, 02:15 PM
hehe, I was about to buy my car from Markham Mazda :)

Thank god, I saved myself there.

+1, they probably don't know how to use a computer :P

Most of the sales seemed kinda old.

ManchuWok
05-15-2009, 12:29 AM
Went in for a simple oil change at 16k last week.
Appointment was at 10am. Got out of there by 10:40am.

No issues here.

HunGJaI
05-15-2009, 10:23 AM
Yes,

A simple oil change... (You better be out in less then 40 mins)

Better check no oils leaking btw.

Chimera
05-20-2009, 02:24 PM
i dunno... I just purchased a Mazda 3 from Markham Mazda and their service was pretty good, boarder line excellent.

no real pressure, very friendly, pretty open to negotiation, and answered everything pretty accurately.

and i guess they changed up staff recently, the two managers were pretty young (low to mid 30's) and there was another sales associate there who told me he just got transferred and has been there for a full 2 days...

crystal8484
05-23-2009, 03:51 PM
i dunno... I just purchased a Mazda 3 from Markham Mazda and their service was pretty good, boarder line excellent.

no real pressure, very friendly, pretty open to negotiation, and answered everything pretty accurately.

and i guess they changed up staff recently, the two managers were pretty young (low to mid 30's) and there was another sales associate there who told me he just got transferred and has been there for a full 2 days...


Who's the BM there right now?? Do you remember??

crystal8484
07-17-2009, 12:03 PM
Alright, so I got a letter in the mail saying that Management at Markham Mazda has been completely revamped - perhaps there is still some hope!!

evilempire
07-20-2009, 02:41 PM
ouch looks like there's alot of problems in the dealership near me

Chimera
07-27-2009, 12:19 PM
i dealt with Edmond Lau as the sales associate, and but the manager was Henry.

TheMAN
07-27-2009, 03:50 PM
who cares, that place always sucked... why chance going there again? there's plenty of other good dealerships in TO

it's not like some places where people are screwed to the only dealership for hundreds of kms

ggn00b
07-30-2009, 01:17 PM
i hate markham mazda i bought my mazda 3 there but the mechanics there are lazy or just jackasses. I wanted them to test my sunroof because it was faulty but he said that if he brought my car in and just tested my sunroof it would cost an hr of labour. if it wasn't warrantied so hesitated and said forget it maybe it was my fault. It got to the point where the sunroof stopped opening and closing before i had to bring it back to get it fixed i had to go back and forth about 4 times before they finally fixed it for good

JashiK
08-08-2009, 07:39 PM
They've moved to a new building... Hopefully they moved their bad mechanics to the curb.

n00bMeiSter
08-11-2009, 01:37 PM
Markham Mazda is a terrible dealership. They are extremely racist.
I've walked in there on four, yes four, separate occasions looking to buy a car. Each time I was ignored. The sales reps won't come near me, and the receptionist pretends like I'm not there. But there's a reason for this, it's because I'm caucasian. This is no word of a lie. Please keep in mind, I'm not a racist person, I'm just stating the facts as they happened. I'll try to keep this as politically correct as possible. Here's my (very disturbingly true) story:

I got my g2 and was excited to buy my first car. I'm in love with the look of the mazda 3 (pre-2010 mazda 3). So I went over to Markham Mazda to have a look and talk to someone. I spent a minute or two outside looking at the cars near the door, then I walked in. There were a few other customers in the showroom looking at cars and all the sales people were busy. So I started looking at the cars in the show room, and I spent a lot of time looking at the mazda 3. As the sales people became free, the other customers were looked after until only I was left. Not a single sales person would approach me. I waited a few minutes thinking maybe they were busy finishing up some paperwork. While I was waiting, two asian customers came in. The first one was immediately approached by a sales person and they went off to look at one of the cars in the showroom. When the second asian customer walked in, they too were immediately approached by a sales person. So I walked up to the receptionist and she completely ignored me. I waited 20 seconds and then said "Excuse me", and asked her if there was someone I could speak with. Without looking up she said everyone was busy, which was a complete lie. So I walked over to a sales person who was just sitting at his desk, and asked if he could help me. He hesitated and looked around before very reluctantly saying yes. After getting some information out of him, I asked him if I could take a car for a test drive. He said fine. It was a very short test drive, and afterwards he tried to end it without even talking numbers to me. And I was ready to purchase right then and there. We talked numbers, and I went home to think about it. When I came back a few days later, the sales person tried to avoid me.

I came back 3 other times, and each time, no one would serve me. So I decided to have a look at their website. While on their website I looked at the staff page. Every single person who works there is asian, except for two. And you will never see these two people as they work in service, and not at the service desk, or in a position where they will be interacting with customers.

So I had 4 friends — who were also legitimately looking for a new car — test this theory. 2 of them are caucasian, one of them is indian, the other is asian.

When my asian friend walked in, he was approached almost immediately (the salesperson was just finishing up with another customer), and he was greeted very warmly by the receptionist. The sales person answered all of his questions, and then some. They sat down, talked numbers, did a test drive, and everything. Everything went well. He ended up buying a mazda, but not from them.

When my indian friend walked in, the receptionist greeted him, but just a normal greeting, of "hi, welcome" etc. No where near as warm as my asian friend. A sales person approached him after a few minutes of him looking around at the cars in the showroom. They gave him a good deal, not as good as my asian friend, but better than what I was shown. They answered his questions, and let him do a test drive no problem.

Then my two caucasian friends go in (separately, and on separate days). Recpetionist looked up and then back at what she was doing. And they got the same treatment I received.
My girlfriend's coworker (caucasian too) leased a mazda6 from markham mazda. And they treated her like garbage when she brought the car in for routine servicing and even for the odd warranty covered problem. Even when she had her husband deal with them, they didn't treat him much better. When they came back to return the lease and buy a brand new mazda 6, markham mazda would not give them the time of day. The sales person just took the keys, and said goodbye. They were prepared to drop $40,000 on a brand spanking new car, buy it outright, and still nothing.

So I thought I would try another experiment.
I went in with my girlfriend, and would you believe it, we actually got some service. When we walked in, the receptionist actually said hello. A sales rep approached us after about 5-10 minutes of us looking at cars in the showroom. He was somewhat helpful, and gave us an okay deal. Did I mention my girlfriend is chinese?


I've called Mazda Canada and filed a formal complaint against Markham Mazda, and I urge everyone else who has bad experiences there to do the same.

Karen Lee-McNair
08-21-2009, 02:28 PM
that's horrible!! I hope that wasn't the case, but if it was, that is just wrong!!

psyduck912
09-09-2009, 09:20 PM
i went there last week, they had a friendly dealer there. hmmm. but he was probably not employed when this was posted.

DumpInfo
09-09-2009, 09:25 PM
That's definitely f*#$'d up...things like this make you wonder how they make it by.

psyduck912
09-10-2009, 12:45 PM
thats soo weird. as well. sometimes i pretend racism is long gone, but wow.

Fuman
09-10-2009, 12:54 PM
missed your post n00bMeiSter. Would love to test it for you, but I'm Chinese.

JonsMazda
09-10-2009, 01:17 PM
I've noticed that age plays a role too. If you look young like under 20, they won't take you seriously. I've encountered that a few times when I was about to purchase a car.

Fuman
09-10-2009, 02:07 PM
I've noticed that age plays a role too. If you look young like under 20, they won't take you seriously. I've encountered that a few times when I was about to purchase a car.
they let me test drive a mazda 6 back when I was 20.

psyduck912
09-11-2009, 12:18 AM
well. the receptionist was a total "unfriendly" person. a bit of b**** if you ask me.

They gave me someone pretty quickly. The guy was pretty friendly. I really don't like how they leave the room to see what deals the manager can get me, and the sick the manager at me with absolutely no benefits or room for negotiation. The dvn toyota dealer was the worst. The sales person was friendly, then the manager came to talk to me in a derogatory manner as if I have no other choices.

Fuman
09-11-2009, 09:50 AM
well. the receptionist was a total "unfriendly" person. a bit of b**** if you ask me.

They gave me someone pretty quickly. The guy was pretty friendly. I really don't like how they leave the room to see what deals the manager can get me, and the sick the manager at me with absolutely no benefits or room for negotiation. The dvn toyota dealer was the worst. The sales person was friendly, then the manager came to talk to me in a derogatory manner as if I have no other choices.

you mean DVP Toyota & Lexus?

S.F.W.
09-11-2009, 09:52 AM
you mean DVP Toyota & Lexus?

I think the dealership is called, Don Valley North Lexus Toyota, hence DVN.

Fuman
09-11-2009, 11:22 AM
I think the dealership is called, Don Valley North Lexus Toyota, hence DVN.
ahhhh Funan Fails.... lol.
either way thought they were suppose to good, guess not.
I just saw their add last night on the Chinese channel
"We speak your language"... lol

aerooo
09-13-2009, 03:04 PM
n00bMeiSter, seriously...

I have bought two cars from Markham Mazda. It took me some time to get the service department not to pour an ounce into the wiper's tank from a windshield liquid jug and then try to sell me the rest for $5.

I still find it hard to believe the sales people didn' pay any attention to a customer. I bought from two different sales guys. The first one was good but went to the Mercedes dealership. The second one didn't cause any trouble either. I had my homework done and he was quite courteous. Both of them were Chinese.

My ancestors have come, just like yours, from Asia before settling in Europe. And there is no way they would have thought I was of Chinese or any other East Asian background.

n00bMeiSter
09-22-2009, 07:51 PM
aeroo: I'm dead serious. I have neighbours who have bought cars there and received the same treatment when they tried to trade in for a new car or return a lease to buy a new car. My girlfriend has coworkers who have experienced the same. I would never dare to make up something like this, that's why I did some research. One of my classmates in college had a very similar experince. I'm not a punk kid, and I don't throw on a pair of baggy jeans and beer shirt and head in. I dress respectably and conduct myself in the same fashion. I grew up in my fathers business world, respectfulness and accurate facts are everything; wild speculation, theories and stories are nothing and get nowhere fast. I hate playing the race card, and I wish nothing more than to be able to burn that card in my fireplace. But I went in there a few weeks ago when they were having their "moving / construction" sale. Exact same treatment. Every other dealership in Markham, Unionville, Richmond hill and Thornhill have addressed me as soon as I walk in the door, and usually within a minute or two a sales associate is over to speak with me. Heck, Markham mitsubishi was all over me, they knocked nearly $3000-$4000 off. I envy you aerooo, I wish I could get treatment even half as good as that from them. It's a shame really, because they are very close to my home and are missing out on a lot of business.

Fuman: Lol, thanks for the offer though.

JonsMazda: You are correct, age (or appearance age) does play a role. So do small props like wedding rings. If I put on a wedding ring and walk in to a dealership, I get different treatment. Same if I shave. If I shave apparently I look like I'm 18-20, if I leave some 5'oclock shadow on, they seem to think I'm 25-26 ish. Of course if I call, I sound identical to my father, so they think I'm a 50 year-old businessman.

Anywho, all I'm saying is be careful if you go, are going, or are thinking/planning to go to Markham mazda. And if you do have a bad experience there, tell mazda Canada, and tell others (post here!), otherwise nothing will ever change. I really hope they change. Avante mazda is amazing, but I don't want to have to drive all the way out there everytime I need to take my car in. I don't really want to have to drive to all the way to mazda of Toronto or agincourt mazda for that matter.

Karen Lee-McNair
09-22-2009, 09:00 PM
Hi noobmeister,

agincourt is located near the markham and scarborough border on markham road. If you don't mind making the trek, hopefully I can be of some assistance to you in the future. We often shuttle to these areas outside our region ;)

Nova 3 GT
10-02-2009, 10:34 AM
@noob: It's sad to see that your race has an influence in the dealer's behavior....

However, the same can happen the other way around. Being asian (I'm chinese too), it' really hard to get some info in English since I live in an French speaking province. Luckily, my local Mazda dealership was polite and understanding.

Before I bought my 3, I went to Toyota to check out the 2006 Matrix XRS. Guess what, the same thing happen to me just like noob with Markham Mazda but I had to wait 10 min for a salesperson to notice me. Then, just as he was coming toward me, 2 caucasians walked in and he diverted toward them! WTF!?!? :flaming I was here longer than them!! So, I left the dealership disgusted.

koorick
11-23-2009, 11:36 PM
I got my car there and let me tell you....don't get me started on it....
I don't wanna lose much sleep tonight =(

koorick
11-27-2009, 09:37 AM
Is it possible to prove a dealership didn't do a proper PDI after you have picked up the car?

spd frk
11-27-2009, 11:34 AM
I bought my RX8 4 years ago from Markham Mazda. I am white but had an asian salesman and they treated me well, but he is now at Prima Mazda. Service was always a disaster once Benson Chu left though so I started going to Dufferin Mazda. Dufferin Mazda had very good srevice I found and knew RX8's very well. When I got rid of my RX8 I was working in Oakville and bought my MS3 at Oakville Mazda, and had a much friendlier experience there. But I live in Stouffville so it is not practical for service.

Benson Chu is back at Markham mazda now doing service so I go there just for that. I don't think I would buy a car there anymore though.

n00bMeiSter
11-27-2009, 12:39 PM
Is it possible to prove a dealership didn't do a proper PDI after you have picked up the car?

You could try taking it to one of the reputable mazda dealers listed in the affiliates section and see if they will check it out for you. Tell them that you think the dealership did not do a proper PDI, and any other concerns.

koorick
11-27-2009, 03:32 PM
You could try taking it to one of the reputable mazda dealers listed in the affiliates section and see if they will check it out for you. Tell them that you think the dealership did not do a proper PDI, and any other concerns.

I need a 'middle guy' who is neutral and can give me some light on an issuse that I am 99.9% certain it happened before the car was picked up....

Fuman
11-27-2009, 04:31 PM
I need a 'middle guy' who is neutral and can give me some light on an issuse that I am 99.9% certain it happened before the car was picked up....
PM one of the people that work at a dealership, see if they can help you.
I don't think you should post the details online, until things are settle.

QEWmazdaPrez
11-27-2009, 09:05 PM
I need a 'middle guy' who is neutral and can give me some light on an issuse that I am 99.9% certain it happened before the car was picked up....

Koorick,
Let me know if I can help at all. You can email me at j.guttman@oakvillemazda.com

n00bMeiSter
11-28-2009, 02:21 AM
PM one of the people that work at a dealership, see if they can help you.
I don't think you should post the details online, until things are settle.

I agree

cs221390
12-13-2009, 03:46 AM
Even I am chinese I tend to stay away from the chinese dealership.

W_L89
12-15-2009, 11:04 PM
ive bought a bunch of different parts from them and the parts people seem to be alright.

Manpreet
12-22-2009, 08:42 PM
went to go pick up a part for my car, got it in seconds when i told them which body shop i was from:chuckle

koorick
01-14-2010, 02:45 PM
Koorick,
Let me know if I can help at all. You can email me at j.guttman@oakvillemazda.com

Thanks the offer , but I have my issue resovled with them over the last two weeks

koorick
01-14-2010, 03:11 PM
So after several months of feeling sour about my 2010 MZ3 bought in late August, I am now finally giving Markham Mazda a feedback on this forum.

The morning after brining my Brand new car home from the Markham Mazda, I have discovered a crack at the bottom left (underneath the fog light) of my front bumper. So I quickly called up the dealership and spoke to the sales manager at that time, Michael, and told him the situation and I was told to bring the car in ASAP for them to check it out.

After brining the car there, Michael took couple pictures with his blackberry and promised me he will have to send them to Mazda Canada and they will have to evaluate and come up with a conclusion on how to resolve the situation since I have already brough the car home. I have CLEARLY stated that with my perfect driving record and 0 accident rate, I would have never cause such damange and there is no way that crack from the bumper could have been caused by an accident (pic will be posted when I am back home)

Few days later, I got a call from Michael and he told me that Mazda Canada claim the damage is due to collision and won't cover it and I was shocked and :flaming to such response. So I quickly drove over to the dealership to see what else can he do. He pulled out a mechanic and inspect the damaged area and the mechanic claim it's a collision when the paint are perfectly intact. However, Michael said he'll see if he can talk to Mazda canada AGAIN and find out what he can do. couple days later, I get another call from him saying that Mazda Canda is not gonna write off the bumper for free but the dealership are willing to cover 1/3 the cost of replacing it.

After couple more weeks of fruitless argument, I gave up all hope of the issue and try not to lose anymore sleep over a broken bumper and carry on with my life :complain But a few weeks later I had new discovery around the bumper when I was washing my car. The insert connecting the tire wall to the left bumper went missing. I brought the car to the closest dealership and they took a look at it and showed me the cutout where those inserts go into are broken, they also told me some force must have pushed up against the car from the bottom and broke those two inserts out; someone must have know about this and kinda stick those inserts back. And the force from such push probably bended the bumper piece and caused the crack in the bottom of my bumper. Got simliar 'answer' after showing my car to another dealership and couple body shops.


So when I brought my car in for the free oil change i got when I purchase the car, I asked for the Service Manger Jon and told him about the situation and he was very professional. Then I was told that Michael is no longer with the company, Jon then introduced me to Rick , the new sales manager, and I told him the situation. After learning some of the history of my case, Rick agreed to replace my bumper at no charge. Moreover, Jon has also provided me with a rental car for the 2 days that my car was left in their shop. :bana2 Got my car over last weekend and I am much happier now with a car that doesn't have a broken bumper ! :headbang

This is a classic example of what kinda negative service customers were getting from Markham Mazda back in the days. But I really give Jon and Rick huge credit for correcting mistakes made by previous management. And I was told by a friend of mine who happenes to work there that they are undergoing a big management trasnformation. So if you have a legit case with them in the past, I would strongly suggest brining your case again to their new management and hopefully you can as lucky as me.