Downsview Auto

[neo3639]

They have a lot mazda 3 cars, and the price is kinda lower than market, I ordered one last Saturday, and tomorrow will go pick it up. Right now I feel kind of nervous, cuz I don't really know what am I buying, they don't allow a test drive. How do you guys think about that dealer? Is there anything I should be aware of dealing with them tomorrow?

[kevcol74]

NEVER buy a car you can't test drive!! NEVER!!!

[MSMitch]

They have a lot mazda 3 cars, and the price is kinda lower than market, I ordered one last Saturday, and tomorrow will go pick it up. Right now I feel kind of nervous, cuz I don't really know what am I buying, they don't allow a test drive. How do you guys think about that dealer? Is there anything I should be aware of dealing with them tomorrow?

Are you buying, leasing, financing? Is it a new or used car - definitely do NOT buy a used car without driving it! As for new, I didn't get to test-drive the Speed3 - there simply weren't any to test-drive when I ordered mine. But for a Mazda 3, they SHOULD have a car you could drive. What kind of paper-work did you sign?
If it's a new car, and a good deal, you should be okay.

[SpeedBaby]

http://torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=19460

http://mazdaforum.com/m_75324/mpage_2/tm.htm

[Malcolm991]

Do you know anyone with alot of experience and knowledge of vehicles? If so take them with you to look again at the car, something is wrong if they wont let you test drive the car. Walk away if they wont let you drive it! There are alot of other cars for sale out there!

[mazdas3sporte]

if they dont let u drive it for 2 mins then that should register with u that something is up, have someone knowlegeable look at it ASAP, this is not a enzo u should be able to drive it for at least 2 mins, i think something might be up..... not trying to scare you but seriously have a good mechanic or someone u kno that knnows cars to check out the car,

[neo3639]

I had a mechanic friend with me. They don't allow test drive but they did give us the key to start the engine and allowed us checking around.But my friend can't tell everything without a test drive.

Well, last Saturday, this dealer had sold about 16 mazdas, I googled around and didn't really find anything particular about this dealership.

:loco

[S.F.W.]

I had a mechanic friend with me. They don't allow test drive but they did give us the key to start the engine and allowed us checking around.But my friend can't tell everything without a test drive.

Well, last Saturday, this dealer had sold about 16 mazdas, I googled around and didn't really find anything particular about this dealership.

:loco

Why don't they allow test drives? Every other dealership does. For me, no test drive=no sale.

[neo3639]

Why don't they allow test drives? Every other dealership does. For me, no test drive=no sale.

I really have no idea...

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Guys this surprisingly isn't new. When I was looking for P5's I never got to test drive a single one.

Many dealerships told me to talk numbers before I got to test drive. Downsview being one of them (I was looking at 3's at this point)

I was very unimpressed at the quality of cars at Downsview also. A lot were fairly run down and beginning to show signs of rust problems. When I inquired about the vehicles and why I could not test drive they told me what can be wrong with a 4 year old car and to buy it.

I left, the only car I got to test drive was the one I bought.

[mdass52]

becareful of downsview auto and other used car dealerships. The vehicles may not be ontario cars and may have been accident prone in other provinces. I was looking at downsview auto as well as other dealerships right here on chesswood drive because that's where i work. But after doing some vin research I found out that a lot of the cars were from montreal, quebec, etc. So there's a reason why downsview auto as well as other used car dealerships have 04's and 05's for almost 4000-5000 cheaper then a mazda dealership. So it's buyer beware. Also my payments on the used car at 8.9% were almost the same as a new mazda 3 at 0%. That's why I opted for a new 08 rather then a used 04-05. Just my opinion.

[kevcol74]

Before you buy it, ask for a Carproof report (specifically Carproof, its Canadian, not CarFax) If they won't give you that or get it, walk away.
Also, don't go to Vision Fine Cars on Steeles, they screwed me over... I don't reccomend them!!

[Thrizzl3]

sadly i bought my 3 from a non mazda used car dealership and it originally came from quebec when i did the carfax on it. i couldn't get a 3 from the dealership as my maximum budget was $10k. when i visited downsview auto i looked at all the cars and to my surprise some of them had damage such as scrapes along the side, dents in the doors and bumpers and inside the door trip was peeling off. a co-worker at work bought her 3 at downsview auto but she hasn't come to me about any problems so i guess im neutral about this dealership

[cereal83]

Before you buy it, ask for a Carproof report (specifically Carproof, its Canadian, not CarFax) If they won't give you that or get it, walk away.
Also, don't go to Vision Fine Cars on Steeles, they screwed me over... I don't reccomend them!!

Yes I also suggest Carproof as my last car show up clean with Carfax but with when I ran carproof, I found out lots of nasty stuff.

Its worth the $70

[kevcol74]

Yes I also suggest Carproof as my last car show up clean with Carfax but with when I ran carproof, I found out lots of nasty stuff.

Its worth the $70

I'd demand the dealership do it. If they want to make the sale, they will have no problem providing it for you. If its a private sale, then yes, its worth the $70 yourself.
Oh, and Carproof works with an american company as well, so you get the "CarFax" built in (Experian)! So any american history will show as well.

[blk_muzda]

I heard people got screwed when they ask the dealer/seller to do the carproof/carfax for them. The seller showed the buyer a clean report, but it was actually a modified version where the seller tried to cover up all the accidents by providing the report for free. It's better to get these reports yourself.

[01Racing]

Before you take delivery run the serial number through car-fax or car-proof. We have seen many salvage units come through used car dealers and the warranty will be voided if the car has had collision damage or the ownership branded! If you dont do that, you basically have no protection, as it is "buyer bewarre" with used car dealers

[kevcol74]

Before you take delivery run the serial number through car-fax or car-proof. We have seen many salvage units come through used car dealers and the warranty will be voided if the car has had collision damage or the ownership branded! If you dont do that, you basically have no protection, as it is "buyer bewarre" with used car dealers

Not necessarily true, make sure the dealership is part of the UCDA (Used Car Dealership Association), and you have SOME recourse. None-the-less, its always a gamble to a degree getting a used car. Also, if you feel you got screwed, contact OMVIC, and see what they can do for you (Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council), they govern the used car dealers and make sure they practise fairly and within the "code of ethics".

[rick10]

i actually bought my mazda 3 at downsview. The place is a little bit shady , but the deals they have are the best ones in toronto. I bought mine 04 gt with 38000kms for 11 900 a year ago which beat the dealer price for almost 3-4 thousands

However i did have some issues with the car. First of all the car was hit on the rear left passenger door ( it was fixes and you could not tell so it was ok) then the tires were gone (original tires ) and there was a problem with the aligment

So during the first year i had to

buy new tires - pretty common in mazda 3s, cost me around 750 for a set of 4
deal with the alignment issue - cost me 350 to get it fix

aside from these two issues the car runs great , now that they are fix the car runs awesome.

It was still a great idea because if i would of bought it at the dealer i would of ended up paying 4 thousand more and i would of prob have to buy new tires too

however it is a gamble to buy there, go with someone that knows about mechanics and do not buy their warranty it is useless

[kevcol74]

i actually bought my mazda 3 at downsview. The place is a little bit shady , but the deals they have are the best ones in toronto. I bought mine 04 gt with 38000kms for 11 900 a year ago which beat the dealer price for almost 3-4 thousands

However i did have some issues with the car. First of all the car was hit on the rear left passenger door ( it was fixes and you could not tell so it was ok) then the tires were gone (original tires ) and there was a problem with the aligment

So during the first year i had to

buy new tires - pretty common in mazda 3s, cost me around 750 for a set of 4
deal with the alignment issue - cost me 350 to get it fix

aside from these two issues the car runs great , now that they are fix the car runs awesome.

It was still a great idea because if i would of bought it at the dealer i would of ended up paying 4 thousand more and i would of prob have to buy new tires too

however it is a gamble to buy there, go with someone that knows about mechanics and do not buy their warranty it is useless

What was wrong that the alignment cost $350 to fix if you don't mind me asking?

[rick10]

the right rear wheel was bend out . I know they come like that from the dealer becaseu of the sport handling but mine on the right side was way out.

Now to be honest my wife hit the car backing out like a week before i noticed it , so i blamed it mostly on that , i think it just made it worst.

However when i bought the car i could tell the car was pulling to the right.

The had to replace the arm and do a 4 wheel aligment. Now its good

I would recommend downsview auto because of the price they have on mazda 3s , for someone who is not willing to pay the overprice dealers have, although it is risky because you may get a lemon

[kevcol74]

I went to look at them at Downsview, half an hour of looking out in the lot and in the showroom, and NO ONE came to help me... They even walked by me, but no help. And the visible signs of wear and tear and lack of the cars that were "advertised" at low prices... I walked away before I could end up having a bad experience there! lol
My opinion, there are better run places than them. I'd try Haldimand first, they seem to have very competitve prices to Downsview.

[rick10]

I went to look at them at Downsview, half an hour of looking out in the lot and in the showroom, and NO ONE came to help me... They even walked by me, but no help. And the visible signs of wear and tear and lack of the cars that were "advertised" at low prices... I walked away before I could end up having a bad experience there! lol
My opinion, there are better run places than them. I'd try Haldimand first, they seem to have very competitve prices to Downsview.

Put it this way . Downsview is use to selling tons of cars a week , one customer less or one more customer does not really make a difference. Their cars are price so low the if you do not buy it the car is going to get sold to someone else maybe even the same day. They have so many people coming in (specially on the weekends) that they really do not bother with their customer service. Now the dealer is different because their prices are so high that they may get 1 or 2 customers a week for an used car so they make sure they treat you well . So many other places i went too i was given the vip treatment however their mazdas were price 1 or 2 gs more than downsview.

There is another place like that called quality vans where my dad bought his van, their prices are the bests ones for vans , my dad got his 2004 dodge caravan for like 6 gs and that was back in 2006 but their customer service sucks too.

It does not mean their cars are s h i t , because mine turned out to be good except for minors things. But i also know people who bought use mazdas at the dealer and they turned out to be lemons. Buying a use car is always a gamble.

It is like taking your car to the dealer for a tune up or taking it to a small garage , you are going to pay a lot more at the dealer but your service is going to be great, at the small garage you have to get a shi t customer service but you would end up paying a lot less

[krasyal]

Yes -- I agree with some of the post that it was a little 'shaddy' not to be able to take the car I was interested for a test drive. However, the saleperson gave me the option to have the car checked out by my mechanic or a mazda dealership. I choose the Mazda and Downsview Auto took the car to Mazda and I recieved a full report that the car checked out ok. The reason I was told I could not go for a test drive was that the car was not certified so I was more than o.k taking it a Mazda dealership to verify everything. Yes -- they are some aspects that could be improved at Downsview but overall I was generally happy with the service but more happy with the deal I got for my Mazda !!

[Sergiomax11]

i bought my 3 from there during the summer i had had no problems the car is running perfect no problems. i think there a good dealer

[Sergiomax11]

oh and i forgot they have a policy if you dont like the car you can return if i remembered correctly

[krasyal]

Yes -- I was given the same policy if I wasn't happy with the car ..

My personal opinion is that if one is to buy a used car they should get the car checked out by a mechanic or a trusted dealership such as Mazda. Downsview had no problems with either option and made life simpler by taking the car I purchased to Mazda of Dufferin for me. It's been 8 months and I have had no problems with the car !!!

Look if you want that extra service and cup of coffee to go along with your car purchase. I suggest you go to a 'new' mazda dealership. If you want a good deal than check out Downsview Auto. Either way .. have that car checked out by your mechanic or a Mazda dealership anytime you buy a used car ..

[igzy]

We got our zoom zoom there too and it was an average used-car shopping experience. We did drive the car in the parking lot across the street before we bought it but was insufficient to pick up on some issues I found later on. Some things that I asked for to be done before delivery were done very shoddy at best. I had to fix those things myself at the end. Overall, we saved a few $ after all repairs. My wife loves it and that's all that matters :D

[rick10]

We got our zoom zoom there too and it was an average used-car shopping experience. We did drive the car in the parking lot across the street before we bought it but was insufficient to pick up on some issues I found later on. Some things that I asked for to be done before delivery were done very shoddy at best. I had to fix those things myself at the end. Overall, we saved a few $ after all repairs. My wife loves it and that's all that matters :D

yea same here. We had to fix a few things , bout overall we still ended saving a few 1000s . Minor things though , the car worked perfectly , its just those little things bother me a bit

[pothon]

Do you guys remember if their price is negotiable because I asked them and they said that its non negotiable and that they guarantee the lowest price in the gta.

[rick10]

Do you guys remember if their price is negotiable because I asked them and they said that its non negotiable and that they guarantee the lowest price in the gta.

same here , they won negociate their prices . I looked around and their prices are in fact the lowest i seen . They know their cars will sell at that price . I was trying to negociate two cars the first week i went , i came back next week to see if he changed his mind and the cars were sold already.

I got the 04 gt with sunroof and everything for 11 900 with 38 000 km on it. I had to fix minor things

change tires (pretty commong in mazda 3s , their stock tires are garbage)
change the mufler (i think someone put a marble inside ) 140 $ (zorro mufler)
fix the aligment (350) mind you mi wife hitted the car so it just made it worst than it was

So about a 1000 to have it like new. I still think it was a pretty good deal , and i can not really say tires were their fault because mazdas have sh i tt y stoc k tires


BTW. I called the dealer to find out their price on the same car with similar mileage

14 800 for an 04 with 50 000 km
and i would of probably had to change the tires on that too

[rick10]

BTW

do not buy their warranty it is gargabe. I made the mistake of buying and when i called the warranty company i was told the followin

50$ to activate the warranty
warranty only covers 800$
to make matters worst you can only take your car to their shop

So lets say your engine goes , they would charge you 4000 to fix it , warranty covers 800 so they charge you 3200. However you can probably go to another shop and get it done for 3000

All they do is charge you 800 $ more of the original price to fix your car and then take out of the receipt and say that they covered those 800$

Also remember that it is not their warranty , it is actually a warranty company that all used dealers use , it is a scam

[pothon]

thanks for the tips!

[trini_mazda_fan]

i went into Downsview Auto last week and i must say it was the WORST SERVICE ever. It felt like they didn't even want to assit me. I asked where the Altimas were and was told to go down to the other showroom so i did..I waited in there for 15 mins then walked back to the 1st showroom..stood arround in there and nobody came to assit me. they were too busy chatting with each other. here is the best part of my vist, I asked the girl at the front desk were the Mazda 3 hatch were and she said on the hill didn't u look..I told he if I new where to look i wouldn't be asking...After that i just left.. the prices in there are good but the customer service is crap b4 u buy, can just imagine how it would be after u buy and have a problem...

[stalona]

I happen to disagree with the last comment I bought my Mazda 3 GT form Downsview Auto last month and their sales person was very helpful with finding me the right package and I would like to say that they treated me great!!! They let me inspect my Mazda at a Mazda dealer before I paid in full. The car checked out ok at Mazda. After taking position I had some problems with my power steering and Downsview Auto replaced the power steering pump for free. I saved about $2000 with my purchase compared to other dealers.
I do agree that their customer service could use some improvements only due to the fact that their so busy and their under staffed but overall my experience their was great, I already recommended them to some of my co workers. I give this dealership two thumbs up!!!!

THIS MEMBER HAS BEEN CAUGHT POSTING A FICTITIOUS REVIEW OF DOWNSVIEW AUTO AND POSTING FROM THE SAME IP ADDRESS. IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT THIS PERSON IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DEALERSHIP'S INTERESTS. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS WHEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE VALIDITY OF THE COMMENTS.

[kevcol74]

I happen to disagree with the last comment I bought my Mazda 3 GT form Downsview Auto last month and their sales person was very helpful with finding me the right package and I would like to say that they treated me great!!! They let me inspect my Mazda at a Mazda dealer before I paid in full. The car checked out ok at Mazda. After taking position I had some problems with my power steering and Downsview Auto replaced the power steering pump for free. I saved about $2000 with my purchase compared to other dealers.
I do agree that their customer service could use some improvements only due to the fact that their so busy and their under staffed but overall my experience their was great, I already recommended them to some of my co workers. I give this dealership two thumbs up!!!!

They are so busy? I was the only one on the lot when I was there, and nobody bothered to help me out.... You are very lucky to have gotten service!

[Chuckie]

I've never bought from a used dealership. I really have nothing to add to the topic but

I would like to know and point out why the good reviews are from people with no more than 2 posts (in this thread), registered the same day as the post, and has not had any activity since the posts.

Take it for what its worth.

[kevcol74]

I've never bought from a used dealership. I really have nothing to add to the topic but

I would like to know and point out why the good reviews are from people with no more than 2 posts (in this thread), registered the same day as the post, and has not had any activity since the posts.

Take it for what its worth.

Maybe they are the idiots down at Downsview, surfing the net rather than selling their cars! lol
I'd say rick10 is the only one here that has made his case in favour of buying from them.... and like you say, 1 in how many? Not the greatest odds! :chuckle

[Thrizzl3]

stupid downsview auto i remember after i got my 3 and I parked it in the opposite lot beside some other 3 that were for sale and some customer walks up to it even though my car had plates on it and started walking around it and asking the guy how much it was:loco i was like thats my car and he just walked away. AND their service is indeed the worst i've seen as we had to wait 45 mins for assisstance and there was 5 of them working its pretty disgusting

[rick10]

Maybe they are the idiots down at Downsview, surfing the net rather than selling their cars! lol
I'd say rick10 is the only one here that has made his case in favour of buying from them.... and like you say, 1 in how many? Not the greatest odds! :chuckle

Indeed. I would not recommend this dealer ship to someone who has the money to spend and does not know much about cars because they will most likely end up with a lemon

However, If someone does not have much $ and is only looking to get a mazda 3 for the lowest price DOWNSVIEW is probably the place to go. And like i said make sure you know how to check the car before you buy it .

Their customer service sucks but their prices are low.

My cousin recently recently bought his mazda 3 there and it turn out ok. He also had to fix minor things but he still ended up saving a few 1000s

They only real issue i have with downview is that their prices sometimes are so low that they are ruining the resale value in mazda 3s. :flaming

[mazdas3sporte]

I never buy from dealerships that are not the manufacturer, there were so many documentry on these dealers in W5 on CTV and other news stations, I'll rather pay the premium and get a car that is safe and reliable, who knows what these dealers do to the cars. in Toronto there is a 78% failure rate , do you really want to take that chance?
read this article
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080307/wfive_apa_080307/20080307?hub=WFive

George Iny is a man on a mission -- to clean up the automotive world. Used cars, new cars, car mechanics -- all have been in his sights for fifteen years. As president of the Automobile Protection Association (APA), Iny and his team have looked under a lot of hoods and kicked a lot of tires while conducting undercover investigations. This year's survey of the used-car market in Toronto and Vancouver is no exception.

"Car dealing can be slippery," Iny says. "The used-car business brings with it the additional element of not only advertising concerns but also the fact that the car has had other owners and may have secrets to hide."

It takes many hours trekking through used-dealer lots -- and many kilometers of test drives -- to unearth the hidden secrets of dishonest car dealers. But there's no stopping the dedicated gumshoes of the APA in their quest to uncover the insurance write-offs, concealed accidents, and shoddy repairs of some used-car sellers.

This year, the APA sets out again to rate the performance of different used-car dealerships. After mystery-shopping 36 dealers and clocking hundreds of kilometres over two months, in Toronto and Vancouver, the team reported some disturbing results.

With only four of 18 used-car dealers passing, Toronto had a shocking 78 per cent failure rate. Vancouver received a 55 per cent failure rate, with ten of 18 used-car dealers not making the grade.

Seventy per cent of all vehicles sold are used. That translates into nearly four million used cars sold last year in Canada. The work of the APA is relied on by many.

The small but mighty APA team -- made up of Iny, his secret shoppers and a secret mechanic -- start by scouring the classifieds in publications such as Auto Mart, Auto Trader and the Buy & Sell.

A red flag for Iny is always the newer used vehicle priced under market or advertised as "no accidents."

Once they compile their list of dealers, the APA -- posing as buyers -- sets out to shop the cars. Working with W-FIVE, the team is first wired with hidden cameras and microphones to record what dealers tell them about the cars for sale. The secret recordings become critical to proving the deceptive claims of car dealers.

When inspecting used vehicles, the APA squad is particularly on the look-out for a "rebuilt" -- one that has been in a severe accident, often declared "salvage" and then apparently fixed to make it roadworthy. .

"Rebuilts" are of particular interest to Iny and his team because while a vehicle might look roadworthy with shiny new paint and a replaced grill -- the repairs aren't always enough to make the car safe. It's a double concern for Iny -- not only can the buyer be paying a lot of money for a wreck, it can also be a public safety issue.

And in the field during this year's survey, Iny is sadly not disappointed. A common problem they found was the misrepresentation of accidents. In many cars the APA inspected, dealers failed to tell the mystery shoppers about serious collisions the vehicles had been in -- or lied about how bad the accident was.

In Vancouver, a 2004 VW Golf, advertised by Alpha Auto Access in Auto Mart, as having "no accident" turned out to have been in a collision with damage estimated at over $21,000.

Down the road at another dealership, a 2006 Acura RSX, was pitched by the salesman as "being hit on the left side - but nothing that major." Following the visit, W-FIVE found documents that revealed the vehicle was an insurance write-off, "a total loss."

On the used-car lots the APA's crack mechanic can usually spot a problem vehicle right away - one that has been in a serious collision and has had extensive repairs done. The evidence is in tell-tale signs such as bad welding - welds where a new, undamaged car would have none - and evidence of repainted vehicles.

The APA gathers serial numbers or vehicle identification numbers (VINs) that can tell a lot about a car and its history. Once the APA mystery shoppers finish their dealer visits, they share their findings with W-FIVE.

Producers at W-FIVE check the suspect VINs through a car history database which contains information from the U.S. and Canada - everything from registration data to odometer readings to accident claims. From the database report, the producers can determine a car's entire history - where it's been registered, if it's branded salvage or rebuilt and if there are any collisions.

Those car history reports are key to W-FIVE uncovering the underreporting of a car's collision history by the dealer. But their use is not limited to the program's documentary producers and researchers. For a fee - less than the price of a tank of gas - any used-car shopper can get a vehicle history before signing on the dotted line.

Unscrupulous dealers aren't the only ones on the APA radar. There's another breed of dishonest car seller found by Iny's mystery shoppers - the "curbsider," or "curber". They sell their cars through classified ads, posing as private sellers, pretending to sell their own used car. In reality they are unlicensed dealers, operating from repair garages and driveways.

Iny and his squad go over the ads looking for phone numbers that regularly show up. The APA quickly identifies individuals who have as many as 10 cars for sale in a three-month period and plan their visits as interested buyers.

Curbsiding is a problem throughout Canada. Some provincial authorities say curbsiders are particularly dangerous for consumers. In Ontario, not only might a buyer end up with a wreck, but there is no recourse to get your money back from an unlicensed dealer.

The Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council -- or OMVIC -- lays about 2,500 charges a year against curbsiders. Currently the fine for a first offence is $250. New changes, expected to come in effect later this year, will mean a minimum $2,500 fine for a first curbsiding offence in Ontario. But enforcement is still a problem.

Fake dealers, frame damaged cars, and bad welds are all in a day's work for Iny - who says the best protection is "doing your own history search and having your garage inspect the vehicle."

[Not4you]

I just bought our hatchback from Downsview Auto. I have similar feedback as the others here - nobody comes to help you when you are looking at the cars, a test drive is like pulling teeth and I had to plead for them to let me pick up the car on a Saturday. They said it was their busiest day and so they don't like taking the time for pick-ups.

The sales guy showed me a Carfax that was clean but said that when their cars come off lease and need repairs, they get repaired before delivery to their lot but they are never told what the repair was. He said its just cosmetic stuff and that the carfax shows that there was no accident. I ran my own Carproof and it did in fact show two minor accidents. Nothing significant that would have a longterm affect on the car so I'm not too worried. The part that bugs me is that they showed me a Carfax that was clean to sell me on how good the car was, yet in a few minutes I was able to tell them that it had been in two accidents! Shame that they wouldn't do the Carproof and be honest about the car in the first place.

I also found it odd that they had the car safetied and I paid extra for Dufferin Mazda to do a thorough inspection, yet when I picked it up it had a taillight out!! So much for thorough ...

But the car was in good shape and the price was great so I bought it in the end. As with any used car, fingers crossed I guess.

[Thrizzl3]

never trust carfax...

[mazdas3sporte]

LOL, u went to Dufferin Mazda for an inspection, you probebly made the worst mistake in your entire life, those mechanics dont know jack shit, go to another dealer ASAP, and Do Not EVER take your car into Dufferin Mazda again, PM me and I'll list all the reasons me and other customers do not go there,

[Thrizzl3]

LOL, u went to Dufferin Mazda for an inspection, you probebly made the worst mistake in your entire life, those mechanics dont know jack shit, go to another dealer ASAP, and Do Not EVER take your car into Dufferin Mazda again, PM me and I'll list all the reasons me and other customers do not go there,

oh no!:chuckle

:OT

[nex416]

seems like this place doesnt really get n e good reviews..


i checked out one of their mazda3's for 7000.. i looked in the glove compartment n found papers that the car came from quebec.
i deliberately asked them if the car was from ontario n they told me that he had to check. when he came back out, he told me that it was from ontario...

:whoa

[Darkfrosty7]

thats how it goes.

[wikdslo]

When I went by there and Chesswood looking at cars, I walked away from both in the end.

At Chesswood, I had called before since it's a bit of a drive for me to get out there. The car in the pictures had looked like something was not right in the front right corner of the car. He told me it was perfect, and no accidents.
Ok, I get there and look at it, the hood/fender/bumper/headlight did not line up to save it's life. Obviously repainted, and not smooth like it should be.

So when I told the guy I wasn't interested because it looked like it was in an accident, he decided to inform me, despite my insistence that I did NOT want to know, that if you were to be backing out of your driveway and hit the corner of your garage, that's not an accident......

I don't know what to call it, but whatever. I want nothing to do with a car that has a question mark, or a place that tries to convince me an accident is not an accident.

Went to Downsview.
Like others said, I walked around for 15 minutes looking at cars, no one came out, and I was the only one there.
The cars they had were beat looking. Dents gallore, scratches, etc.
Saw lots of BAD paint blending where they repainted a part of the car and tried to match but failed.

Saw a couple cars where it looked like the hulk punched his fist into it.

All in all, I walked away from that place too, without ever even talking to anyone.

Would stay away from that area in general.

If a deal is too good to be true, it usually is.

[mazdas3sporte]

LOL, thats customer service for you, I wouldn't buy a car there if they paid me, I am getting a headache even thinking of the problems with there cars. If you watch W5 on CTV you can see how they once sold flood cars or taxis that were repainted with real Km on the car over 250K and rolled back to 100k+

[Cardinal Fang]

Good point. That's one of my biggest concern about these places. The rolling back of the odometer. They mislead you about the history of the car. They mislead you about what is considered an accident. How on earth can you trust the mileage as accurate.

[Bean]

You should get in touch with TADA (Toronto Automobile Dealers Association) as apparently both of these places, are recommended by them and tell them what you saw with the cars. It wouldnt hurt

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Good point. That's one of my biggest concern about these places. The rolling back of the odometer. They mislead you about the history of the car. They mislead you about what is considered an accident. How on earth can you trust the mileage as accurate.

rolling back of the odometer shouldn't be too much of a concern with the mazda3 as you would need to hack the module in the gauge cluster to do so, or swap the gauge cluster with a car that has less KMs; however, the gauge cluster also contains the 2nd part of the key pair in the immobilizer and would need to be programmed by a mazda technician with a WDS.

it is still a possibility that a scrap yard and mazda technician could be on the take...but the cost of all that is involved isn't worth it.

if anyone is seriously considering the purchase of these cheap cars, go take a pic of the VIN (since no one pays attention to you in the lot anyway, the VIN is free game to be photographed) and then run a CarProof on it... only then will you know the real history behind the car.

[rick10]

I dont think the roll back the odometer as most of their mazda 3s are high mileage. Like others said customer service sucks , cars are not always in amazing shape. However you still end up saving a lot of money comparing it to a dealer.

Like i said before i bought my car for 3-4 thousand less than the dealer and i had to spend maybe 1000 (includint new tires). The car is in decent shape and i got nothing but compliments from friends for the shape the car is in .

Its a gamble.

Im 50-50 with this dealer.

[Darkfrosty7]

NEVER buy a car you can't test drive!! NEVER!!!

1+ best advice you can get

[mazdas3sporte]

it aint about being hard or easy, with time anything can be done, and rolling back a digital odometer is not impossible it just takes more time and money , if ur a crook and u want to make an extra buck on the car u will go the extra mile to do that, some people will spend the money to make as low of an ammount as 50 dollars on a car while some will make thousands by doing illegal things to make the car appear in good condition.
I dont trust private dealers at all, I;ll rather pay the thousands of dollars in premium and get a car from mazda canada dealer than risk spending hundreds if not thousands fixing a car or risking my safety. just watch some videos on youtube and you will be completly turned off of buying private dealer used vehicles, u can search W5 CTV and get a good idea of what I mean

[Bean]

Saw their ad today in the current Auto mart mag, it says they have Good service. HA

[Ant1loop]

They also re-use car images on AutoTrader...

You have to go look for yourself to find out...

[karlo]

seems like this place doesnt really get n e good reviews..


i checked out one of their mazda3's for 7000.. i looked in the glove compartment n found papers that the car came from quebec.
i deliberately asked them if the car was from ontario n they told me that he had to check. when he came back out, he told me that it was from ontario...

:whoa

Yup, I had the exact same thing happen to me. The car was from Quebec but they told me it was from Ontario

[Bean]

Someone should report them to UCDA.

[01Racing]

In all due respect, there is only one reason why a used car dealer would be cheaper than a new car dealer and this is a classic example of why. As a new car dealer we will pay top dollar for a quality used or off lease car that we can verify the mileage accident history, province of original sale, owners history etc. We have turned down many of the Mazda 3's people are finding on these used car lots. As long as people keep looking for "the deal" these types of places will exist and flourish.

[krasyal]

Follow Up

Here are my comments after my Mazda purchase from Downsview.

- As stated their service good use improvement. However,

[krasyal]

Here are my 2 cents after purchasing my Mazda from Downsview Auto.

- YES - Service could use some improvements. However, within 2 weeks of my purchase I did have a minor problem that was fixed my their mechanic at no cost. YES -- a bit of a pain the the ass to head back to their mechanic and set up a reasonable to get this looked at .. but I was glad that the problem was fixed.

- I would not have bought the car without taken the car to get checked out my another mechanic. I was given an option to take the car to my local mechanic if he was in the area or take it to a Mazda dealerhship or even Canadian Tire .. I think this was option was GREAT ! Yes, I had to pay for it but it was well worth the peace of mind. I think buying any used car could be a bit of a gamble. However, having the option to get a 3rd non bias opinion gave me enough reason to go ahead with the purchase.

I quite surprise to head some of the negative feedback but I think it comes down to what peoples expectations are. I came in knowing I was buying a used car and had some sort of idea that car would not be 100%. I could live with a few minor scatches -- The car was 3+ years old !

Anyway .. those are my 2 cents ..

[rick10]

In all due respect, there is only one reason why a used car dealer would be cheaper than a new car dealer and this is a classic example of why. As a new car dealer we will pay top dollar for a quality used or off lease car that we can verify the mileage accident history, province of original sale, owners history etc. We have turned down many of the Mazda 3's people are finding on these used car lots. As long as people keep looking for "the deal" these types of places will exist and flourish.

Why would you say top quality used car or off lease car. How do you know the car was notr abuse???

Almost all lease cars have been abuse by their owners in some way... A used car is a used car no matter if the dealer sells it. Do you think they care if the car was abuse , they wont even bother as long as the car runs.

I seen enough people complaining of use cars they bought at the dealers. It is almost imposible to determine if the car has been abuse or not because all dealers fix up minor body damage and try to cover up as much as posible including dealers.

Dealer tend to give you a better service however you are paying 1000s more to buy it off them.

For example , i bought my 04 mazda 3 gt with 40 000 at 12000 and the dealer had it at 14500. I probably spend 1000 in repairs and thats including 4 brand new tires i bought for the car. I still ended saving 1500 ( maybe more because the dealer was not going to give me a use car with new tires) .

BTW my mazda just passed emissions and it passed with flying colours, i took it to the dealer for a transmission oil change and they said the car was in perfect conditions except for minor scratches.

I wouldnt say downsview has the best service however you do have the OPTION of taking the car to the dealer and verify everything is ok.

So far almost everyone who bought it there does not seem to have many issues with their cars. Hell i seen more issues posted on cars bought at the mazda dealers than i see people complaining about used dealerships

[stalona]

I don’t know why all you guys criticize Downsview auto, I bought my car from there my brother bought a car from there and a couple of my friends, they all are happy with their cars and they saved a lot of money compared to the other deals that were around, if your concerned about the km just do a car fax, my car was checked by my mechanic and he said its in great condition!

THIS MEMBER HAS BEEN CAUGHT POSTING A FICTITIOUS REVIEW OF DOWNSVIEW AUTO AND POSTING FROM THE SAME IP ADDRESS. IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT THIS PERSON IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DEALERSHIP'S INTERESTS. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS WHEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE VALIDITY OF THE COMMENTS.

[lucian3]

I wanted to add some more information to this Downview Auto thread. Yes! Their service is horrible and they really act like they don't give a damm. Also can somebody please tell me what the $250 administration and $350 other charge is for. They are already making a markup on the car, so what with these other charges. Hoping somebody can explain this to me..Thanks

[Amanda]

I just purchased a car from downsview. I pick it up this week but I don't think the service was that bad. my only complaint so far is that I think its rude that the guy was smoking the whole time.

[mazdabetty]

I just purchased a car from downsview. I pick it up this week but I don't think the service was that bad. my only complaint so far is that I think its rude that the guy was smoking the whole time.

uhhhhhhh...............


:whoa



That's your only complaint??? lol.... that's beyond rude.... hahahaha I can't believe how sketchy this place is... I'm blown away that people actually buy from there.

Hope you scored a great car though, congrats!

[Bean]

A friend of mine went there the other day just to look around and did not like the cars. He stated they had rust on them and not one person came out to talk to him. He is not buying a Mazda afterall, I told him to get a Honda and he is.

[Thrizzl3]

i wonder how many people on here bought their car from downsview auto?

[Amanda]

Well I pick her up tomorrow- so maybe I'll have a complaint then :P haha


uhhhhhhh...............


:whoa



That's your only complaint??? lol.... that's beyond rude.... hahahaha I can't believe how sketchy this place is... I'm blown away that people actually buy from there.

Hope you scored a great car though, congrats!

[Amanda]

Administration & Transaction Fee- $255
Safety / Emission Package- $350


I wanted to add some more information to this Downview Auto thread. Yes! Their service is horrible and they really act like they don't give a damm. Also can somebody please tell me what the $250 administration and $350 other charge is for. They are already making a markup on the car, so what with these other charges. Hoping somebody can explain this to me..Thanks

[Reaper]

Downsview Auto is the worst dealer you can buy a car from...period..here's a story of what happened to my friend's car...they sold him a vin washed car and later when he found out they had to exchange it or lose their license from OMVIC...they buy the worst mazda's from rental companies and such. Most of their cars have extreme rust and if I were you Amanda I would car proof that VIN number..and wth is admin fee and such..just another way to rip off ppl's hard earned money..those shysters!

[kevcol74]

$350 for a safety and emission Package?? What BS! An e-test is $35, and a safety, less than $100!!! Besides, that should be in the price of the car!! What a crock! I'd tell them to shove their fees up their @55 and walk away!
If you have time Amanda, run the VIN through Carproof (not Carfax). Its worth the piece of mind. As stated many time, alot of their cars are rentals. And by law, they HAVE to disclose that information.

[mzkaye729]

$350 for a safety and emission Package?? What BS! An e-test is $35, and a safety, less than $100!!! Besides, that should be in the price of the car!! What a crock! I'd tell them to shove their fees up their @55 and walk away!
If you have time Amanda, run the VIN through Carproof (not Carfax). Its worth the piece of mind. As stated many time, alot of their cars are rentals. And by law, they HAVE to disclose that information.

That's what I had thought too -- that the cost of the safety and emission is supposed to be incorporated into the price of the car.

When my dad and I were planning to buy from them, they offered to take out the admin fees for us but seriously, no test drive ?

Amanda, there are some people on the board who have bought their car from Downsview Auto and they didnt have any problems with the car. I wish you and your car well and I'm hoping everything goes great from here on out ! Do not skip out on CARPROOF like what kevcol said. Do not use Carfax, use CARPROOF instead.

[Amanda]

Thanks everyone =)
ummm
so Do I have to pay for this carproof thing ? or just use the lemon thing?

"Great news! This vehicle was never registered in the United States and has no "lemon brand"."


& yeah they took off the $350 charge for us.. my dad did all the talking and everything. i dont really know alot about cars

[mzkaye729]

Thanks everyone =)
ummm
so Do I have to pay for this carproof thing ? or just use the lemon thing?

"Great news! This vehicle was never registered in the United States and has no "lemon brand"."


& yeah they took off the $350 charge for us.. my dad did all the talking and everything. i dont really know alot about cars

This Carproof thing costs money but at least you'd be paying for more peace of mind...

Here is a link to get you started:

https://www.carproof.com/Default.asp

[kevcol74]

I expressly say Carproof, as many will use Carfax due to its lower price. But Carfax does nothing much for Canadian car histories. If the car was ever in an accident or registered in the US, it will show up on Carfax, but it will also show on Carproof. But Carproof has canadian history, which if i'm not mistaken, is where we live! lol
But, keep in mind that not everything can be reported, so there may be surprises regardless of all precautions taken when buying used. (ie someone ditched the car, never reported it, never made a claim, but fixed the car on their own)
GL Amanda, I walked away from that lot, even though they advertised lower prices. The general shape of the cars, and the fact that I saw some being worked on (body work) in the back part of the lot made me walk away... and the fact I mulled around inside and outside for 20 minutes and NO ONE even offered to help me. I bought a car the next day, too bad for them... or good for me I guess! lol

[lightingwhite32008.5]

The worst part about downsview is that they over price and I thought the condition of those mazas were not as good due to this fact bought a nice new mazda:)

[Manpreet]

its my first time posting but ive bought my car from there and they did the same thing with me they never let me test drive the car which i ended up buying. But the car still runs good so far havent had any problems so far except for rust and painting chipping thats coming off the front bumper. Id say if you do grab a car from there think twice and check it from top to bottom. :bana2

[Amanda]

I finally got herr!!! So far so good *knocks on wood*
just have to change the rusty squeeky wiper blades


Random Question; the clocks under 24hour thing
and when you hold the clock button it gives you the choice
12 h < > 24 h

but how do you move it to 12 hour?

[Bean]

Didnt they include the Owners Manual with the car? I know the instructions to change the clock are in their

[mzkaye729]

Didnt they include the Owners Manual with the car? I know the instructions to change the clock are in their

They are in the manual. Lucky I have mine right here in my room.

Press CLOCK button until a beep sounds and 12Hr and 24Hr will be displayed. Press SET button to switch between the two. To select the desired time format, press the CLOCK button again while the preferred setting is flashing.

[mazdabetty]

They are in the manual. Lucky I have mine right here in my room.

Press CLOCK button until a beep sounds and 12Hr and 24Hr will be displayed. Press SET button to switch between the two. To select the desired time format, press the CLOCK button again while the preferred setting is flashing.

LOL!!! I have to laugh at this.... mzkaye do you bring yours to bed sometimes too for a good read???? hahahhahahah I did this during my first couple weeks of owning it... awesome. hahaha

[mzkaye729]

LOL!!! I have to laugh at this.... mzkaye do you bring yours to bed sometimes too for a good read???? hahahhahahah I did this during my first couple weeks of owning it... awesome. hahaha

LOL !!! Being the nerd that I am, I actually took the time to read stuff in the manual hahaha I just keep forgetting to put it back in the car !

[Amanda]

sweet
thanks alot

and nope, they didn't include a manual


They are in the manual. Lucky I have mine right here in my room.

Press CLOCK button until a beep sounds and 12Hr and 24Hr will be displayed. Press SET button to switch between the two. To select the desired time format, press the CLOCK button again while the preferred setting is flashing.

[mazdabetty]

and nope, they didn't include a manual

What???!!!! You're kidding right? OH MY GOD GET ON THESE PEOPLE AND GET YOUR MANUAL!!!! It's part of the car!!!!! It's like they just sold you a 3 without it's headlight, the manual is pretty essential!!!! You're gonna have a blast trying to figure out this car when you have an issue with something... seriously I'm pretty sure they can order one for you or grab it from another one...

[Bean]

Figures. Good luck with the car and I hope all goes and stays well with it.

In regards to maintenance, where will you take it? Not there I hope.

[lightingwhite32008.5]

best wishes with the new ride:)

[Amanda]

my boyfriend finally changed it
it was
1.- hold down clock
2.- hold down info
3.- hold down clock


sweet
thanks alot

and nope, they didn't include a manual

[Amanda]

meh
ill just post all my problems here =P


What???!!!! You're kidding right? OH MY GOD GET ON THESE PEOPLE AND GET YOUR MANUAL!!!! It's part of the car!!!!! It's like they just sold you a 3 without it's headlight, the manual is pretty essential!!!! You're gonna have a blast trying to figure out this car when you have an issue with something... seriously I'm pretty sure they can order one for you or grab it from another one...

[Bean]

Sure, why not :)

[lightingwhite32008.5]

It's oooooKKKKKKKK!!!:pop

[Amanda]

I uploaded some pictures if anyones interested =)

[mzkaye729]

I uploaded some pictures if anyones interested =)

Just saw them on your profile ! Beautiful pictures and of course, beautiful car :chuckle

The only thing I don't like is the plate holder hahaha please change it. Get the TM3 plate holders that Ami is selling for $20 a set ! Looks much cooler hehehe

[Thrizzl3]

Just saw them on your profile ! Beautiful pictures and of course, beautiful car :chuckle

The only thing I don't like is the plate holder hahaha please change it. Get the TM3 plate holders that Ami is selling for $20 a set ! Looks much cooler hehehe

4 sets left..reserve one now lol:chuckle

jk take your time

[Amanda]

oh im DEFINATELY changing them
why should i advertise for them lol
i really want swarovski ones

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/500-SWAROVSKI-CRYSTAL-RHINESTONE-LICENSE-PLATE-FRAME_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZQ7c301Q3a1Q7c293 Q3a1Q7c294Q3a30QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em14Q2el1262Q QhashZitem359e868278QQitemZ230292882040QQptZMotors Q5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ShippingPayme nt

haha they're so cute- maybe a bit to girly tho haha


Just saw them on your profile ! Beautiful pictures and of course, beautiful car :chuckle

The only thing I don't like is the plate holder hahaha please change it. Get the TM3 plate holders that Ami is selling for $20 a set ! Looks much cooler hehehe

[mzkaye729]

oh im DEFINATELY changing them
why should i advertise for them lol
i really want swarovski ones

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/500-SWAROVSKI-CRYSTAL-RHINESTONE-LICENSE-PLATE-FRAME_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZQ7c301Q3a1Q7c293 Q3a1Q7c294Q3a30QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em14Q2el1262Q QhashZitem359e868278QQitemZ230292882040QQptZMotors Q5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ShippingPayme nt

haha they're so cute- maybe a bit to girly tho haha

Exactly the same way I felt about the dealership I bought mine from... didn't wanna advertise their stupid ass.

Anyway, those plate holders arent bad ! I'd buy the Rose Red one myself if my dad didn't use my car on occasion LOL. He'll probably take it off and break it off into tiny little pieces hahaha

[Amanda]

Yeah thats exactly what i was thinking
i want the clear one
haha my dad wouldnt mind but my bf would be embarased
haha :)


Exactly the same way I felt about the dealership I bought mine from... didn't wanna advertise their stupid ass.

Anyway, those plate holders arent bad ! I'd buy the Rose Red one myself if my dad didn't use my car on occasion LOL. He'll probably take it off and break it off into tiny little pieces hahaha

[Bean]

Your car is a GS Model by the way. :)

[mzkaye729]

my boyfriend finally changed it
it was
1.- hold down clock
2.- hold down info
3.- hold down clock

Is the method different for changing the time on your 2007 ?? I got the instructions directly from the manual, but mine's a 2005 and I'm pretty sure that's not the way I changed my clock...

[Bean]

Its like that for my 07 as well

[mzkaye729]

Its like that for my 07 as well

Ah... must be different then... Sorry, Amanda... I thought the method for changing the clock would have been the same for both of our cars.

[lucian3]

Hey Amanda! What method did your Dad use to get them to waive the $350. These guys are very tight with their charges..Do tell!

[mzkaye729]

Hey Amanda! What method did your Dad use to get them to waive the $350. These guys are very tight with their charges..Do tell!

When I was gonna buy a car from them, my dad just straight up said, "Is there any way you can lower the price ?" and the salesman offered to take out the $350 lol just ask politely hahaha

[Amanda]

my dad was eyeing this car
and it was 11000 +
and he told the guy he wanted to stay under 9500
then hes like since this car has been sitting here for more than 2 weeks i can see if i can take a charge off
then he said he was going to make a phone call
and took the phone- made a fake phone call
came back and said he could do it haha



Hey Amanda! What method did your Dad use to get them to waive the $350. These guys are very tight with their charges..Do tell!

[Bean]

Do you have any warranty at all on the car?

[Amanda]

i think theres a 30 day warenty that you can return it or something


i dont know lol


Do you have any warranty at all on the car?

[Bean]

Thats not good :(

[Thrizzl3]

i think theres a 30 day warenty that you can return it or something


i dont know lol

it's like you bought the car from walmart

[Bean]

Yes, not trying to upset you or anything, but thats not good.

I hope, for your sake, there is still some Factory Warranty.

[Bean]

Please look into this

[mazdabetty]

it's like you bought the car from walmart

hahahhahahha, no returns without a receipt....


You should have factory warranty, unless it wasn't properly maintained.... like if regular oil changes haven't been done, certain areas of the warranty might be void.

[lightingwhite32008.5]

that really sucks, for sure look in to that... to be less worried just in case anything happens *cough,cough* but it should be fine :)

[thanu31]

stop scaring her lol

[Cardinal Fang]

Yes, not trying to upset you or anything, but thats not good.

I hope, for your sake, there is still some Factory Warranty.

Standard factory warranty is 3 yrs or 60,000 Kms. Assuming that all work on the car has been performed as per the recommended service by the previous owner she should still have just over 1 year of factory warranty. I have no clue what the mileage is on Amanada's car so I'm making more assumptions here. This doesn't assume that the previous owner purchased the extended warranty. If they did then she has far more protection.

Amanada, you should check with a Mazda Dealership with respect to how much of the factory warranty is left on the car.

[Amanda]

hahahahahah


it's like you bought the car from walmart

[Bean]

I thought it was 3 yr/80 K for Mazdas warranty?

[Cardinal Fang]

I think you're correct Bean.

[Bean]

:)

[Cardinal Fang]

At my age Bean I'm happy that I remember to change my underwear. :blush

[Bean]

You are probably younger than me. Tomorrow is my 20th Wedding Anniversary

[Cardinal Fang]

I can't remember my 20th.

Happy Anniversary.

[Bean]

I am 44. Sometimes I feel like 84 and sometimes, thanks to my daughter, I feel like I am 14

[lightingwhite32008.5]

lolz:chuckle Good to be 14 remember those pepsi commericals lolz:pop

[lightingwhite32008.5]

oppsss i'm not 14 thought personally i look like i'm 15 from cardinal fang lolz :bana

[rick10]

Yes, not trying to upset you or anything, but thats not good.

I hope, for your sake, there is still some Factory Warranty.

i can tell you never bought a car at a dealer other than mazda...

No USED dealer is going to give a warranty like the one mazda gives you and thats the botton line. There are some warrantys they may throw in but they are useless ( although mazda warranties are not that good )

Regardless your car should be ok , i bought my car there and i had not major problems at all. Just did the emission and the car passed with flawless numbers.

BTW i paid like 3000 less than what the dealer was selling it....

Some people in this forum are way too paranoid ... You should see ALL THE PROBLEMS people in this forum are having with car bought at the MAZDA DEALERS..

If you dont believe just take a look at the mazda delaerhsip experience section and see the horrible things a lot of members have to say about the service and warranty of some mazda dealers. Of course a lot of members dont mention that in this thread....

And yea enjoy your car , and dont let this people worry you too much , because it may bring you bad luck

[Bean]

The Mazda was my first new car ever. :) All my previous cars were used ones. :)

[lightingwhite32008.5]

same here my new car was the mazda everything else before was used and sold!!! or something unhappy happened *cough*ah yes....

[Sergiomax11]

The worst part about downsview is that they over price and I thought the condition of those mazas were not as good due to this fact bought a nice new mazda:)

they overprice? there are mazda 3's in there for 8grand lol i bought my 04 with 70k kms standard for 8grand and it has No rust no accedent and iv had no problems and i drove 10k kms allready

[mzkaye729]

they overprice? there are mazda 3's in there for 8grand lol i bought my 04 with 70k kms standard for 8grand and it has No rust no accedent and iv had no problems and i drove 10k kms allready

Dear lordddd, this makes my Mazda3 severely overpriced !!!! :bang:bang:bang:bang:bang:bang:bang

[Bean]

What did you pay?

[mzkaye729]

What did you pay?

LOL Bean, I'm not even gonna disclose that information hahahaha oh well, what's done is done... lesson learned. Now I know where NOT to go when in the market for a used car.

[Bean]

Did you get it at Downsview?

[mzkaye729]

Did you get it at Downsview?

No, my dad and I couldnt stomach the fact they had a no test-drive clause until deposit has been made.

[Bean]

Wise choice.

Is yours Auto?

[mzkaye729]

Wise choice.

Is yours Auto?

LOL, not necessarily a wise choice. For the price my dad and I paid, maybe we should've gone with Downsview and purchased from them lol

And yes, it's auto.

[Bean]

:( Im sorry.

But perhaps your car will end up lasting longer.

[mzkaye729]

:( Im sorry.

But perhaps your car will end up lasting longer.

LOL Bean... I hope so too. But I was already riddled with problems on the car within two weeks of ownership. All is fixed now though, and of course, with proper bitchin and whinin at the dealership I bought it from.

[Bean]

I sent you a PM

[mzkaye729]

I sent you a PM

Yup. Replied.

[rick10]

LOL Bean... I hope so too. But I was already riddled with problems on the car within two weeks of ownership. All is fixed now though, and of course, with proper bitchin and whinin at the dealership I bought it from.

and people here praise dealers so much ... You just have to take a look at the dealers review section to see the many many problems people are having with dealers.

And yes mazda dealers do overprice there cars like crazy .... When I bought my 04 mazda 3 gt at downsview with 38 000 km for 12 000 and that was like 2 years ago.

Mazda Dealer wanted 15000 for the same car with a little bit more kms

A used car is a used car and trust me mazda dealers are not TOO picky when they want to sell an used car.Or do you actually think they dont sell their off lease cars ....

And i know this because a co worker got ripped off at erin mills mazda , bough a used car and it has been nothing but problems and mazda used warranty sucks .. Plus she paid TOO much for that car when she could of got it for 3 -4 less easily

[Bean]

This is scary. Where is a good safe place to buy a used car then?

[rick10]

This is scary. Where is a good safe place to buy a used car then?

There is not good place to buy used cars. There are safer places like the dealer yes but you are paying a lot more for an used car and that does not guareented you are going to have a USED CAR in PERFECT conditions.

Buying an used car is always going to be a risk , you can do things to prevent buying a lemon like bringing a mechanic, carfax , etc but there could always be things that you can not check and you have to take the risk.

Even if the dealer sells the car , it does not mean the car was not abuse by the previous owners.

I ll give you an example. My company leases GM cars from GMC official dealers , at work everyone abuses those cars after 2 years company returns the car and leases a new one. The car that was abused by everyone in the company is sold at the USED CAR GMC dealers. The car still works perfectly but it was abuse however the person buying it is never going to know how much abuse their cars has been through

[rick10]

and to be perfectly honest i rather buy a used car privately. At least i can meet the person who used it.

My sister bought her car privately , she met the person who was an older lady very nice , she was straigh forward and told us about the 2 problems the car had , she even came with us to our mechanic to check the car . We saved in taxes and the car turn out to be good.

Dealers only want to sell cars and they will do whatever to sell it to you. Its your job to do the best to make sure you are not buying a lemon

BTW downsview does allow you to have the car inspected at the mazda dealer as long as if they pass the inspection you buy it which is fair i think

[Bean]

I bought my Honda privately and got 300,000 worry free Km from it

[lightingwhite32008.5]

but last year was the last time i went to downsview and it was in the summertime so very little to choose from at that time but congrats to u if u got a good one from them !!!:)

[mzkaye729]

and to be perfectly honest i rather buy a used car privately. At least i can meet the person who used it.

My sister bought her car privately , she met the person who was an older lady very nice , she was straigh forward and told us about the 2 problems the car had , she even came with us to our mechanic to check the car . We saved in taxes and the car turn out to be good.

Dealers only want to sell cars and they will do whatever to sell it to you. Its your job to do the best to make sure you are not buying a lemon

BTW downsview does allow you to have the car inspected at the mazda dealer as long as if they pass the inspection you buy it which is fair i think

I totally agree with statements in bold. I should've taken the time to buy privately but then again, I didn't have enough money to put down right away...:blush Had I been more patient............

And yes, dealers only care about one thing, which is selling cars. I found that out the hard way and the way the dealership treated me after I got the car was just total disrespect... I could not believe it, and I'm not gonna lie... I ended up crying about the experience (my first time dealing with a car purchase) and it's a good thing my father supported me and took care of my problems with the dealership we had bought the car from. It was such an eye-opening experience for me.

In my dad's words, "They don't give a sh*t as long as they end up selling you a car."

[rab33]

Just bought a car from downsview on Friday, picking it up on Tuesday. The car had an accident on it but was in pristine condition and I got a great deal. They added a 3 year powertrain as deal closer because I'm a little paranoid about the car's history. They were very transparent with me and so far so good. Will report back when I get the car.

[JonsMazda]

Goodluck!

[rab33]

I picked up my car yesterday, and here is a review of my experience:

It's a fact, Downsview Auto is not overly concerned with customer service. They sell their vehicles below market value and make money through volume sales. This is the same business model as Wal-Mart. It does not mean they are bad, it just means that you need to be highly informed about the product you are purchasing and know which questions to ask.

I knew I wanted the 05 Mazda 3 GT as soon as I inspected it. No rust, low mileage, great price. The sides of the body had a number of hairline scratches and a small dent, but the hood had zero stone chips. The headlights were quite foggy and dirty however. I checked the paperwork in the glove compartment and the leasing paperwork was in there. I discovered the car in fact was off-lease through Oakville Mazda. Considering their great reputation, that gave me some comfort.

Anyway, I hunted down a salesperson and got into his office, his name was Edi. I had come into Downsview before and have been reading the TM3 forums so I knew their policy; no test drives until a deposit is put down and it is certified. Edi told me flat out that the vehicle had a claim and showed me the car proof. The insurance company I suppose hadn't paid out anything yet, so the carproof showed only an "estimate" for repairs but no insurance payout. I didn't quite understand this, but I proceeded assuming there were $9,500 in accident repairs done to the car. There was no physical evidence of this, and the engine sounded great (though I'm no mechanic). He assured me that if there were any major mechanical repairs, that Mazda would legally have to advise them prior to purchase. I really had no idea if this were true, and I wasn't going to take his word for it. He showed me a thorough inspection report from Yorkdale Mazda which indicated the car was in perfect shape.

He wouldn't budge on the price, but he included a 3 year powertrain from a 3rd party insurance co. $100 deductible, and $1000 coverage per claim (meaning per powertrain item). I figured this would help subsidize any repairs should I have problems in the future. There is a radio button missing in the car, he said they would fix this. Also, he said they would do what they can to fix the scratches on the body.

I picked up the car yesterday and it drove perfectly except for the brakes. They were squeaking. Derek (their service guy) explained that they changed the disks and rotors for me and if the noise is still there in 2 weeks, to bring the car in. They have a radio coming in from Winnipeg, for my button, and I have to come back to get this as well. They didn't do a single touch up on the body of the car, scratches are still there. He said, "you know the color will be off and it may look worse, but we can give you a touch-up pen". I didn't pursue this any further, but I may go back and have them do it, not sure yet. There were splashes of paint on my left headlight and along the fender, he said it was from their shop and a car wash will clear it. It would have been nice if they washed my car before delivery, but again they don't care for customer service. Also, they charged me an extra $81 for new plate registration. I thought this was included, I argued with Edi and Derek for a bit explaining that my car is not on-the-road without plates, so my on-the-road price should include the plates cost. I ended up giving them a piece of my mind about not surprising customers with extra costs, and paid the $81.

To be honest, reading as much as I did about this dealer, I was expecting some hiccups in the process... as sad as that is. However, I must say that I am very happy with my purchase. The car drives wonderfully and is a blast. I'll be taking it into Audio Heaven today to get tints!

Thanks to everyone at TM3, I was a more informed buyer because of this community.

[rab33]

Here are the car specs with price:

2005 Mazda 3 GT Black Auto
73k
$12,600 taxes and all fees included.

[rick10]

I hope you didnt paid for their warranty because is a scam... other than that as long as the car drives fine it should be ok ...

I bought my mazda there too and its been like 2 years with not major problems... Only had to change the muffler and do an aligment to the wheels....

Engine running strong which was my main concerned ....

[rab33]

Got the warranty free - I figured it was sketchy.

[poke65]

bought my car there too. Even test drove it (told them no drive no sale)
saved $3000 over cheapest dealer price. Had them fix the rust issue (rear wheel wells). Put over 12000K on it no problems.

[Darkfrosty7]

bought my car there too. Even test drove it (told them no drive no sale)
saved $3000 over cheapest dealer price. Had them fix the rust issue (rear wheel wells). Put over 12000K on it no problems.

1+ no drive no sale... they're weird about their test driving cars

[poke65]

1+ no drive no sale... they're weird about their test driving cars

Ya they seem to refuse for younger ppl test drives. Being middle aged has its advantages I guess

[NiTrO]

my frined bought a car from downsview just to find out afterwards that it was an accident repair brought inn from quebec.
be carefull and ask for full disclosure.
and always remember YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!

[NiTrO]

there is no used car factory.
how are they going to make money on volume?
volume money is cash put out from mazda canada.
being a used car dealer, he can't take advantage of that cash.

[rick10]

my frined bought a car from downsview just to find out afterwards that it was an accident repair brought inn from quebec.
be carefull and ask for full disclosure.
and always remember YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!


nothing wrong about being an accident repair .. As long as the car does not have a salvage title or something like that.. If it was just a small repair then i really dont see the problem ...

[klym]

I went to downsview to look at their 3's last fall... and I personally would never buy a car from that dealership. Horrible service, I went with a buddy who is 6 foot 9 and 300lb and it was as if they didnt notice us. Most if not all of the cars were in poor shape, then when we had tracked down one of the sales reps he denied us a test drive. I would never buy a vehicle from them, especially with a test drive.

That was my experience, I can see there are a few satisfied Downsview customers.

[DjEclipse]

Hi all,

We just picked up our mazda 3 from Downsview auto last night, I will share my experience with them. Long post warning

Pre shopping homework
We found downsview in the autotrader as their prices for mazda 3's are great. My Gf found this thread after doing a google search on downsviewauto. (it is 2nd or 3rd top search result). After reading about Downsview we almost didn't make the drive from Niagara Falls, but I am the type of person that likes to find out for myself. Armed with the info I read here about the dealership I went in a little cautious ready to ask a lot of questions.

At the lot
One of the complaints here was their "poor customer service". I found that not to be the case. I called before coming and the receptionist was polite answered my questions etc. Once there we looked around the lot for 15-20min, looking inside the show room and out, most of the doors were open so we were able to inspect the vehicles inside and out.

I personally don't like pushy sales people pretending to care about you and your lives, following you around etc. I liked that we were able to roam the lot on our own, look at cars and talk between ourselves about the car without being hassled.

When we found the car we were interested in we went in and talked to the receptionist. She gave us the key and said we could start it up and hear ti run etc. We did this for a few cars we were interested in, got in, started it up, ran the AC, played with buttons, looked under the hood etc.

We decided on a specific car we wanted and that is when we approached a salesman (who happened to be the manager), and asked a few questions about the car. He explained no test dives and my GF asked if we could just drive it in the parking lot, he said yes. That showed me he wasn't trying to hide serious issues and I was happy with being able to drive it in the parking lot.

The purchase
We got back found the manager and sat down to talk. He was very upfront about the car, where it came from, it's history. He didn't try and hide anything, he was very upfront about their fees, told us they get their cars off lease and do a lot of volume, that is why their prices are so low. He said that the mazda dealership inspects the cars before they sell them to Downsview and can not sell a car to them that has frame damage or does not meet the mazda dealerships inspection.

He said they guarantee everything on the car for 30 days from the day you pick up the car. After you leave a deposit they take the car in to a mechanic, replace anything that needs replacing, fix any scratches, dents etc on the car. The car we bought had 4 little dents around the fuel cap and one on the door. he was upfront and said he wasn't sure if the dent guy can get to the 4 dents around the fuel cap but they will try their best. The chips in the windshield will be filled/ fixed. Again, very upfront about everything, didn't make any false promises.

The tires on the car did not pass inspection so we were given the option to have them put used tires on it, or they would split the cost of 4 new tires. We choose to go with the new tires so we got 4 new falcon 912 tires for $280.

The pick up
We were a little worried that they weren't able to get the dents out or the touch up's weren't going to look good at all. But were pleasantly surprised to see that they did get all the little dents out and were able to touch up the rest of the car as well. It looked really good.

Then we noticed the windshield, the chips weren't repaired and there were a lot more of them then we remembered. Derek was very good about it, he knew we drove up from Niagara Falls, it was almost 5:00pm now. He was able to have a new windshield put on while we went to dinner. I was very impressed with that, some, if not most dealers would tell you to come back another day, and maybe repair them. A new window replacement was really nice and I would call that good customer service.

Over all so far I am happy with the car, happy with their customer service, my over all experience with them and I would recommend and buy again from downsview auto again. (unless the motor falls out or something in the next few days, lol).

When buying a used car from a dealer, or private you always take a risk, I felt downsview was open and honest about the purchase, and did a good job on the touch up's etc. Derek was great upon picking up the car and getting the windshield replaced quickly.

[Bean]

Very good to hear that. What model did you get? Sedan? Wagon? :)

[DjEclipse]

Very good to hear that. What model did you get? Sedan? Wagon? :)


I got a 05 hatch it is fully loaded, sun roof etc. minus the leather as our dog would scratch the leather when he is in the vehicle.

I am not sure what the specific model it is, the ownership says "S" on it but people here keep talking about GS or GT models.

It has the side skirts under the door and the little spoiler on the hatch. I am trying to find out what options came standard on that model.

I posted pics in my other thread here.

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=480226#post480226

[Bean]

It is a GT. Is it Auto or Standard?

[DjEclipse]

It is a GT. Is it Auto or Standard?

So it is a GT? How do you know?

I think it has ABS, do you know if the a-pillar air bags come standard on the GT or is that an extra option as well?

Thanks.

[DjEclipse]

Oh and it is auto, I would like standard, but my GF doesn't know how to drive 5 speed so we went with auto.

Still can't edit my posts...

[rick10]

So it is a GT? How do you know?

I think it has ABS, do you know if the a-pillar air bags come standard on the GT or is that an extra option as well?

Thanks.

it is a gt.. A lot better than a gs. You get more hp and torque ( although worst gas mileage) , you also get more options than the gs ...

So far in this thread no complaints about downsview after people buy there cars there... only complaints are from people that did not buy a car there... strange...

Its still a risk ( so are more used cars) but their prices are pretty damn good ...

[DjEclipse]

it is a gt.. A lot better than a gs. You get more hp and torque ( although worst gas mileage) , you also get more options than the gs ...

So far in this thread no complaints about downsview after people buy there cars there... only complaints are from people that did not buy a car there... strange...

Its still a risk ( so are more used cars) but their prices are pretty damn good ...

How csn you tell it's a GT? Just by the pics? I thought the HP for the 2.3L was 160HP for all models? The GT has more?

Is there somewhere where I can get all the specs of the GT model on the board? I am still trying to find out if the a pillar air bags were standard or an option.

[rick10]

How csn you tell it's a GT? Just by the pics? I thought the HP for the 2.3L was 160HP for all models? The GT has more?

Is there somewhere where I can get all the specs of the GT model on the board? I am still trying to find out if the a pillar air bags were standard or an option.


The easiest way to tell is a gt is the tail lights... You have clear tail lights ( if thats what they call) while most gs models only come with nornal tail lights...

Also you have fog lights which is a feature of the gt models. All gt models come with 2.3 l and 155 HP ... There other features of the gt look it up on wikipedia (blue ligh interior , leather steering wheel )

Mazda 3 has two engines a 2 liter engine (148 HP and 135 torque) for the gs and a 2.3 (156 hp and 150 torque) liter engine for the gt ....

[MajesticBlueNTO]

The easiest way to tell is a gt is the tail lights... You have clear tail lights ( if thats what they call) while most gs models only come with nornal tail lights...

Also you have fog lights which is a feature of the gt models. All gt models come with 2.3 l and 155 HP ... There other features of the gt look it up on wikipedia (blue ligh interior , leather steering wheel )

Mazda 3 has two engines a 2 liter engine (148 HP and 135 torque) for the gs and a 2.3 (156 hp and 150 torque) liter engine for the gt ....

back in 04 and 05, the Mazda 3 Sport (hatch) came with the 2.3L regardless of trim designation. only the sedan had the 2.0L for the GX and GS while the 2.3L came on the GT and GT+GFX.

as well, side air bags were not standard or an option in 04-05.

in addition to the smoked/clear tail light lenses, the GT hatch had the hatch spoiler and 17" rims which the GS hatch did not.

[DumpInfo]

back in 04 and 05, the Mazda 3 Sport (hatch) came with the 2.3L regardless of trim designation. only the sedan had the 2.0L for the GX and GS while the 2.3L came on the GT and GT+GFX.

as well, side air bags were not standard or an option in 04-05.

in addition to the smoked/clear tail light lenses, the GT hatch had the hatch spoiler and 17" rims which the GS hatch did not.

Couldn't have said it any better.

[DjEclipse]

back in 04 and 05, the Mazda 3 Sport (hatch) came with the 2.3L regardless of trim designation. only the sedan had the 2.0L for the GX and GS while the 2.3L came on the GT and GT+GFX.

as well, side air bags were not standard or an option in 04-05.

in addition to the smoked/clear tail light lenses, the GT hatch had the hatch spoiler and 17" rims which the GS hatch did not.



Ok, thanks for the clarification guys. It does have the blue light on the speedo, fogs 17" rims etc. I guess we got lucky, bought a GT model without even knowing it, lol I've read some reviews of the 05 Gt hatch and they all seem pretty good, it is a lot of fun to drive.

Thanks for the heads up on the a-pillar air bags, I thought I saw a few with them at downsview, they must have been newer models.

I'm off to wikipedia :)

[rick10]

Ok, thanks for the clarification guys. It does have the blue light on the speedo, fogs 17" rims etc. I guess we got lucky, bought a GT model without even knowing it, lol I've read some reviews of the 05 Gt hatch and they all seem pretty good, it is a lot of fun to drive.

Thanks for the heads up on the a-pillar air bags, I thought I saw a few with them at downsview, they must have been newer models.

I'm off to wikipedia :)


yea the gt is a lot better , it also keeps its value somewhat better than the 2 liter gs model... A lot more fun to drive ( if you have the automatic version)....overall a better looking and performance car .. congrats man !!

[DjEclipse]

yea the gt is a lot better , it also keeps its value somewhat better than the 2 liter gs model... A lot more fun to drive ( if you have the automatic version)....overall a better looking and performance car .. congrats man !!

Thanks

It is a lot of fun to drive, not a whole lot of power but the handling makes up for it. Personally I prefer 5 speed but my GF cant drive 5 speed so we went with auto.

Thanks again everyne for the help finding out what trim model I have.

:)

[rick10]

Thanks

It is a lot of fun to drive, not a whole lot of power but the handling makes up for it. Personally I prefer 5 speed but my GF cant drive 5 speed so we went with auto.

Thanks again everyne for the help finding out what trim model I have.

:)

let me tell you that the mazda 3 gt is a lot more powerfull than the civic , corolla , and most cars in its class ... But it cant compare to standard i know..

I had the same issue my wife can only drive automatic so i got may 3 gt automatic , wish i had standard but i still have a 5 speed civic ( hopefully next year i can put a gsr or type r engine )

[DjEclipse]

let me tell you that the mazda 3 gt is a lot more powerfull than the civic , corolla , and most cars in its class ... But it cant compare to standard i know..


Ya, if we're talking cars in it's class it goes pretty good. We test drove the corolla and it was gutless, the civis is comparable, not sure which would win in a 1/4mile.

I am just used to my old AWD talon I had when I was younger, 300Hp, 300ftlbs of torque, that car had power :)


I had the same issue my wife can only drive automatic so i got may 3 gt automatic , wish i had standard but i still have a 5 speed civic ( hopefully next year i can put a gsr or type r engine )

The things we do for women eh? lol

[NiTrO]

nothing wrong about being an accident repair .. As long as the car does not have a salvage title or something like that.. If it was just a small repair then i really dont see the problem ...

lol I guess you work for them eh?
that's fine, your right no problem untill a year after you bought it the cheese starts falling off the rear quarter panel like my buddies car...
cheers

[rick10]

lol I guess you work for them eh?
that's fine, your right no problem untill a year after you bought it the cheese starts falling off the rear quarter panel like my buddies car...
cheers

i have the car for two years not problem.. your buddy is a dumbas s for not checking the car properly ..LOL

[beHONEST81]

I had a mechanic friend with me. They don't allow test drive but they did give us the key to start the engine and allowed us checking around.But my friend can't tell everything without a test drive.

Well, last Saturday, this dealer had sold about 16 mazdas, I googled around and didn't really find anything particular about this dealership.

:loco

I did purchase my car from there unfortunately .... I was not smart and did not research! The car ended up being in 3 accidents!!!! they did NOT disclose this to me !! The service was terrible and it is very difficult to get anyone to call you back.
I did learn that if you were to persue it in court they would have to buy the car back from you because the neglected to disclose these things.

[gtloaded]

just picked upmy mazda 3 gt from downsview auto. car ru ns great and the service was good.justmake sure youcheck the car over beforeyoutake it.

[GiZmO1]

I just bought a Mazda 6 GT i4 from these guys. I had no problems with service. Actually I went into the office and told them what I was looking for and they told me where on the lot to find it and handed me the keys. They did ask me not to drive it as it was not safety or certified as yet. Once I was sure I wanted that car they asked for a small deposit and told me that they would have it checked out and certified before pickup. They also told me that if I was unhappy at pickup with the way the car drove they would take it back to get fixed. I was also happy with their extra warranty as even though it covered only 36 days and had a limit of $1000 it also covered other things like removal of dents and repairing of a couple of rust spots and repainting of a couple of areas that need repainting. I feel that once you have decided what you want they go out of there way to give you the most bang for your buck. I will update you all on Friday when I go to pick it up.

[Riffamortis]

I posted a new thread about my experience with Downsview Auto. (http://torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=38315) It's a long read but will hopefully help people with their decision about whether or not to buy a car there.

[momoGenki]

just picked upmy mazda 3 gt from downsview auto. car ru ns great and the service was good.justmake sure youcheck the car over beforeyoutake it.


I'd wait a few months to make that conclusion about the condition of your ride. Given all the negative feedback this dealership gets. But if yours is one of the lucky ones, good on you.

[mrsasso]

I agree with "krasyal " 100%. I had the expectations of a used car dealership when I came to the place. These guys were upfront with me when I inquired why their prices were so low. Basically you are buying a car that will be certified and although it may have a few scratches, it is not a lemon. atleast in my experience. in fact, how i found this forum was i was looking for the address of downviewauto to send my brother there for his first car. I bought mine this past summer and besides an oil change and winter tires, not so much as maintenance has been needed on my 05 Mazda3. even with the tires i saved. i paid 12k for a 15 - 17k car on autotrader.

[DualSoul]

My vote's for fake, since this user joined both TM3 and RFD (http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/downsview-auto-anyone-purchased-there-689130/#post10023966) just to post a positive spin on Downsview... I could be wrong however, but first posts like these are highly suspect.

[samsvoc]

Man, I can't tell who the fake posters (employees and friends of Downsview Auto) are anymore. :chuckle

Why are all the "good" reviews coming from guys:loco who only have a post or two? Smell like sheet, stay away and go to a reputable dealer. You get what you pay for.

[wikdslo]

I bought mine this past summer and besides an oil change and winter tires, not so much as maintenance has been needed on my 05 Mazda3. even with the tires i saved. i paid 12k for a 15 - 17k car on autotrader.

Ummm... you paid $12,000 for an 05 Mazda 3 with scratches and bald tires that you think sells for $15,000 ~ $17,000 on Autotrader?

Yup, you got a great deal!

[mazdaskit]

still funny when you google it all the TM3 threads come up lol

[BDUTW]

Hello everyone I am a new member and a new owner of a 2004 mazda 3 hatch gt......
Long story short I've looked a long time to find a great deal on a 04 to 05
mazda 3's hatchbacks including Downsview Auto, their prices got to be honest very competative, however out of my budget still cause i didnt want to get in to a basic 5sp 2005 with about 100 - 110k for 6990, i wanted a nice hatch with sunroof....I know like everyone want more for less but i am just being honest. No test drive kind of scared me and their cars are not in a best shape, customer service is prety good NO FEES is great but every dealer does it now i guess no more rip offs...anyway i end up looking around and found a small dealer not to far from them Alfa Auto Deal they have 10 to 15 cars in stock including a few mazdas mostly 04 average km or 06 high km...I went in saw a 04 mazda 3 hatch with 129000 5sp gt with sunroof that they didnt even advertised yet for "not gonna belive this" $6900.00 no fees they gave me a 1 year warranty for free, winter tires and on top of everything they delivered to my house in barry but for $60 "worth it".... Anyway check them out apperently if what they say is true they sell most of their cars without advertising .

Love Mazda!!!

[cwp_sedan]

Hello everyone I am a new member and a new owner of a 2004 mazda 3 hatch gt......
Long story short I've looked a long time to find a great deal on a 04 to 05
mazda 3's hatchbacks including Downsview Auto, their prices got to be honest very competative, however out of my budget still cause i didnt want to get in to a basic 5sp 2005 with about 100 - 110k for 6990, i wanted a nice hatch with sunroof....I know like everyone want more for less but i am just being honest. No test drive kind of scared me and their cars are not in a best shape, customer service is prety good NO FEES is great but every dealer does it now i guess no more rip offs...anyway i end up looking around and found a small dealer not to far from them Alfa Auto Deal they have 10 to 15 cars in stock including a few mazdas mostly 04 average km or 06 high km...I went in saw a 04 mazda 3 hatch with 129000 5sp gt with sunroof that they didnt even advertised yet for "not gonna belive this" $6900.00 no fees they gave me a 1 year warranty for free, winter tires and on top of everything they delivered to my house in barry but for $60 "worth it".... Anyway check them out apperently if what they say is true they sell most of their cars without advertising .

Love Mazda!!!

You don't even know how to spell Barrie and you live there?

BTW...Do you sell cars? :)

[Stoked]

thats fully an ad by that dealership. hence noob with 1 post so far. wow you would just join tm3 and post about your purchase right away. why not just advertise? cause thats just kinda sad.

[Axelarate]

You don't even know how to spell Barrie and you live there?

BTW...Do you sell cars? :)

Good eye! LOL

[mazdabetty]

LMAO!!!! Barry....... I'm insulted. :chuckle

[Ogata]

Mods how many 1 posters do we have on the forum? I smell troll.

[mazdaskit]

There still trying to cover up all the crap they put some of our members that bought from them lol and try and make up stuff to say other when we all know its them:loco

[dhiren]

i recently bought nissan altima 06 from downsview for 13.5(tax included) which had like 88K Km on it. So far its going well. car is good..no accidents.
i happened to read this thread few days before i had to pick up my car and i was really worried after reading all these negative reviews about downsview.

but despite my worries i went ahead with car from them. i think i got a good deal and did not face any issues which i cud mention.
so just in case if someone else happens to read this, dont be so worried that people at downview will cheat you on something. ofcourse do things for ur satisfaction like get car verified from mechanic..etc..before u finalize deal.
dhiren.

[Cardinal Fang]

but despite my worries i went ahead with car from them. i think i got a good deal and did not face any issues which i cud mention.
so just in case if someone else happens to read this, dont be so worried that people at downview will cheat you on something. ofcourse do things for ur satisfaction like get car verified from mechanic..etc..before u finalize deal.
dhiren.

Seriously?

Our edumacation system sucks if this is the quality of posts we get.

[shu5892001]

wow...

[MPS]

if they keep posting there BS here dose that give us the rite to have a massive meet on there lot ?
facking tired of reading there BS
thanks god for the new bylaw where ppl have 30 days for refunds from *******s like them

[Iceman_F1]

Seriously?

Our edumacation system sucks if this is the quality of posts we get.

"Me fail English? That's unpossible!"

[Cardinal Fang]

if they keep posting there BS here dose that give us the rite to have a massive meet on there lot ?

I wouldn't recommend it. They may try to sell our cars to pad their bottom line.



facking tired of reading there BS

Agreed. But the great thing is that you can see right through their games. New people show up post one review and never return. And the more and more they put up these bullshit reviews the more and more people see them for what they are.


thanks god for the new bylaw where ppl have 30 days for refunds from *******s like them

Where was this law when I was in university. Would have saved me a tone of cash from those lap dances.


*Turns around*

What?

[mazdabetty]

Someone needs to go in there undercover and find out how they're actually managing to get these people to post here... cash incentive??

I agree let's have a meet on their lot. Or spam them the way they spam us... hahhaha, find all their email addresses on their website and sign them up for porn or something hahahah

[stevenma188]

Doo it! Downsview meet. We can go there and solicitate their customers and turn them away.

[malfunktion]

I am so happy I am part of this board and read downsviews' reviews before picking up a 2008 fully loaded GT 3 with 87KM for 11,500 last week..
Unreal how this place is getting away with this crap.

[Neo]

Out of curiosity, what did you find out about that particular car?

At the time, I wasn't aware of Downsview reputation. It did strike me as kinda odd that a used car lot had so many 3's and 6's available and had no affiliation with Mazda.
It didn't help that you couldn't test drive the cars in the showroom. At the time, they only had 1 show room and I guess they fit their "best" examples in there.
I say this because I'm a person who bought an 04 Mazda6 V6 GT from them. We looked around very briefly in the lot and then in the show room. By far, the examples in the showroom were in much better condition than all the cars out front. What didn't help is the way they had all of them packed in so tight, you can barely get in to see the car.
I did a quick once over on it, and the car did appear sound. Meaning, nothing looked like it got hit or was replaced in a major accident.
Keep in mind, it was Nov, cold outside, and we were in desperate need of a car before the winter weather started to fly.

We did the deal really quickly. There was no negotiations on the price since you really couldn't find a fully loaded mazda6 V6 GT for the price they were selling it. They did give us $550 for the 96 Grand Am we traded in. When I tell you we needed a car desperately, I wasn't kidding. After we officially done all the paperwork and it was time to pick up the car, they allowed us to take it for a small drive just in case we had second thoughts. They assured me that everything was checked out by their mechanics. Now, I've seen been through alot of the used car sales BS, so I know the car isn't what they make it out to be.
At the time we drove it, nothing appeared to be wrong with it. It drove just fine. Nothing wrong with the tranny or no considerable wobbles to make things really unbearable. So we continued to take delivery of the car.

Shortly there after, we discovered a few things wrong with ity. I knew there was going to be stuff I'll have to replace or get fixed, it is after all a used car. The tires that came with it were not the factory spec rubber. And 1 of them couldn't hold air to save its life. The front suspension has the common (now that I've researched) clunking sound of the bushings, arms, or steering rack connections that have been TSB'ed. The car did come off lease from 1 owner. Which was a good sign it wasn't a rental. The interior was flawless considering it's year. And it was pulling a bit to the right.
I quickly got some winter tires mounted onto the stock 17's for the car and got the alignment done. The car tracks nice and straight now. I had to replace the battery terminal connectors since they were corroded very badly and 1 day the negative terminal just snapped. Couldn't hold onto the terminal to get the car turned over. So I had both of the connectors replaced with the newer 07+ terminals (those suckers are thick!). At the same time I had the battery replaced since it finally gave up the ghost and couldn't hold a charge. Also, the lights that only worked were the immediate driving lights and high beam lights. 1 of the fog lights was blown and none of the small parking lights worked. I quickly got HID's for both the low beam and fog lights installed there after (thanks to Macgyver for the hand) and I got a couple of 921 LED's for the small parking lights.
Those were the immediate things.

1yr and 3 months later, the car has served us very well. It is rather thirsty, but it is common for this type of engine. The suspension has finally gotten to me. I can't take all the clunking and popping anymore so I'm getting it looked at this coming weekend when it goes in for its 120k service. Another thing I've noticed are the brakes. In the beginning they were squeaky, but they had good bite. Now the pedal is getting long and it no longer squeaks the way it use to. When it goes in for service this weekend, I'm sure they'll be getting a very careful look at. The 120k service covers all fluid changes, all filters changed, spark plugs changed, as well inspection of the brakes and if need be (which I know they will) replaced or upgraded. After this, the car should be good to go for another 100k easy.

So, in all, we managed to pick up a fully loaded 6 for a very decent price. Yes, we did have to replace and get things looked at shortlly after delivery, but I was expecting that since it is a used car.

Would I buy another vehicle from Downsview. I sincerely doubt it. I lucked out hard with this purchase. I wouldn't want to push my luck returning to them.

I did manage to swing by a few weeks ago to show a friend who was considering getting a vehicle from them. 1 quick look around and he knew this place wasn't what it proclaimed to be. I was just there to point out all the flaws alot of their cars had. They have more beat up cars now then when I took delivery of my 6.

[-ToM-]

i bought my mazda 3 from downsview, idk about u guys, i think i got a pretty good deal, and had it for a month now, and it runs fine. Sucks that some of u guys got ripped off, guess im just one of the lucky ones

[project_axela]

I looked at Downsview and it just seemed kinda sketchy...like you know "shady" lol, so I decided to avoid it.

[bluecraze07]

Oh man, all these terrible reviews about Downsview Auto. Then the one posters that say they have good service. I was looking in this weed's Auto Trader and wanted to take a look at the dealer tommorow. Well after reading this whole thread, I think I'd rather not go there at all. I'm leaning towards buying from a Mazda dealer but still not too sure.

[MPS]

if you get a car with warranty make sure you got all the oil change bills
if not ur SOL on the warranty part
some member here got denied warranty due to lack of invoices

[Mattias]

Thanks everyone for the heads up!
Looks like I'm going to avoid this place...I was just going to head over tomorrow and look at some cars!
After some thought I would rather pay the extra money and get a car from a mazda dealership and get treated properly, and not get screwed with a lemon!!:bang

[Mattias]

I decided to head down anyway, at least have a comparison to what not to get suckered into.
Honestly, their cars looked to be in pretty good shape. A lot of them had some small visible rust spots, so I just decided to avoid those fully. I narrowed it down to 4 that seemed like they were alright. First one, $4g claim. Nope. Next, from montreal with hail damage, Nope (must have been huge hail pieces to cause some of those dents :P). Next, accident. But the last one is from ontario, no reported accidents. It's tempting! $2000 cheaper than another one I looked at from somewhere else, (but 2005 compared with 2006, and heated seats in the 06). Not sure if I should go to it, I told myself I would avoid this place at all costs, so far it seems like a decent place, but I don't want to drop $10k and have that change!
As soon as I got on the lot I was greeted, told where all the cars were, was told that they don't allow test drives because theyre not certified yet, and they don't want someone to hurt themselves in a car they dont know is legit...They say they put brand new brakes on the car before you buy it, cant remember if they said tires too or not. $200 and they'll touch up any exterior work, $500 and they'll certify it, bring it to safety standards. Seems alright, however it did feel like something was being covered up, and I wasnt told where the cars were from unless I asked, so I'm not sure what questions I'm missing. Don't know if I should stay away or not anymore...
I overheard some other people asking themselves "whats the catch", maybe it does look too good to be true!

[stevenma188]

Do you really want to buy a car before knowing how it drives first? Ask yourself that.

[Mattias]

Thats true, I guess its best to ask yourself the simplest questions to find out if its right.
I didn't even like the idea of supporting them after hearing so many bad things, I think i'm going to go back to my first thought about the place and just avoid it as much as I can.
Hard to do when you see a beautiful 3 staring back at you though!

[hit26k]

I've only been there once prior to joining the forum and I turned away right after a guy told me I couldn't test drive it. They do however have thier own guy who only works on mazda's which apparently isn't too far away from the dealership. But still, just the thought of purchasing a car whitout actually driving it is a mood killer. I wouldn't suggest buying from them.

[boost123]

Downsview is shit, I use to work there for like 3months then just quit. Got sick and tired of theirr managment. they didnt treated me well.
all i can tell you is that when they do their so call "touch" body work. they dont send it out. They have this guy doing body work and their not even licensed for body work! Someone should report them!

[TokyoKiller]

Downsview is shit, I use to work there for like 3months then just quit. Got sick and tired of theirr managment. they didnt treated me well.
all i can tell you is that when they do their so call "touch" body work. they dont send it out. They have this guy doing body work and their not even licensed for body work! Someone should report them!

WTH?? Lol. Venting lol

Umm, if you can't test drive the car then there is no logical reason as to why you should buy it...

[sarujo]

Last night I saw an older Mazda 6 with Downsview Auto plate covers and had a good chuckle. The guy's middle name must have been sucker. :chuckle

If you are not allowed to test drive a car, yet still stick around and buy it, you deserve to get screwed. :loco

It's sad thou that such a disgrace of an operation exists.


Downsview is shit, I use to work there for like 3months then just quit. Got sick and tired of theirr managment. they didnt treated me well.
all i can tell you is that when they do their so call "touch" body work. they dont send it out. They have this guy doing body work and their not even licensed for body work! Someone should report them!

[cereal83]

People are cheap and near sighted and if you can buy a car here for several thousand cheaper, thats good enough for them to go buy one and feel proud about it til something serious happens to the car and then they wished they would ave went somewhere reputable

[samsvoc]

Like the famous quote, "there's one born every minute."

[still2ill]

I didnt really have any issues with Downsview auto, they let me test drive before I bought my 3 from there. It is a bit sketchy but I didnt have any issues with my car yet.

[machx]

I just bought one from there... seems fine so far. Body was good besides some cosmetic stone chips and what not. Had it checked by a mechanic in Toronto, and checking once again now that i'm back in Windsor this week from my buddy.

Car drives fine, new brakes, rotors, oil change etc with the saftey. I searched around from Autotrader and Kijiji and found that most cars for sale in Canada with the same specs were going on on average $1,000 - $4,000 more before taxes than I paid for it all in with taxes.

Got that free in dash GPS which is not the best (until I figure it all out), but it was free and better than the stock normal audio controls.

Checked the Car Proof, one owener, no claims, 80,000km...

I was leary about the testdrive policy and desposit policy myself, but when you think about it and thier reasoning...it makes sense in a way.

I'm leary, it appears sketchy at times, i've had great and no so great service from the people there over the couple visits I had there. But the price is right... but you gotta be prepared and educated in what could happen.

IMO, if I save $3,000 and gotta pay $1,000 later to fix something, still saving $2,000. But we'll see, anything is possible.

I've had horrible trouble with brand new cars too, i'm a sucker for bad luck and lemons regardless how informed I was and what ressearch and checking on the vehicle going into the sale since I was 16 and first hit the road.

Only problem i've had so far is that when they replaced the in dash GPS/DVD, I think they forgot the plug in the wire which powers the illumination lights for the center console so your climate control is lit up.

It may not be a Mazda dealership, but I feel safer with this purchase over a private sale or auction which was my other alternatives considering my budget.

[Warhawker1]

I bought my car from here and the price was great and I don't want to bm them too much since I like my mz3 but I will admit they did promise a few things prior to purchase that they said would fix after, but when I brought it up after they said they couldn't do anything about it. I'm usually an easy going guy when it comes to buying things so I still have a few cosmetic things that were suppose to be fixed but I let them reneg on. All in all they price is a lot cheaper and since I was renting cars for the past year I saved a ton of money.

My advice: get anything they promise in writing and take anything they say with a grain of salt. Blowing smoke up your ass is not beyond them, but I'm sure you'll get that vibe once you meet the sales people. ;)

[BigO]

I didn't buy my car from them but saw some one who did and from what I could tell it didn't look too pretty... I was getting some car audio stuff installed in my car and started chatting with the guy. It was an '05 with 56 000 km and a clean record (please I have an 09 with 46 000). I noticed that the bumpers and fenders were not original (paint had air bubbles) and the piece that attaches the fenders in under the hood was not painted. The OE deck was removed and in place was the after market gps and there was a sticker over the temp/mileage screen. One more thing... the front plate was screwed directly onto the bumper without the spacer...

If that doesn't sound fishy I don't know what does... All I know is that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is...

[zoomzoom!]

I had a great expierience with them. They aren't pushy. they deal in volume. the cars sell themselves and they know that. I saved a ton of money too. A+++

[zoomzoom!]

I had a great expierience with them. They aren't pushy. they deal in volume. the cars sell themselves and they know that. I saved a ton of money too. A+++

Oh and the HOTTEST Russian receptionist you ever laid eyes on ;)

[Dreamliner]

I didn't buy my car from them but saw some one who did and from what I could tell it didn't look too pretty... I was getting some car audio stuff installed in my car and started chatting with the guy. It was an '05 with 56 000 km and a clean record (please I have an 09 with 46 000). I noticed that the bumpers and fenders were not original (paint had air bubbles) and the piece that attaches the fenders in under the hood was not painted. The OE deck was removed and in place was the after market gps and there was a sticker over the temp/mileage screen. One more thing... the front plate was screwed directly onto the bumper without the spacer...

If that doesn't sound fishy I don't know what does... All I know is that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is...

I've seen this on a few cars with D.A. plates. These are 100% Quebec cars. Perhaps one of our dealer sponsors can comment on how so many M3s get to this Downsview place.

[rl777]

i bought my car from here. and i completely agree with the fact that the cars sell themsleves. they dont have to push any sales,and the prices are pretty firm because...well they are already good prices. and as far as the test drive goes, i put the 500$ deposit down, how ever i made it clear that the whole deal would stll be based on the test drive-once they had "their mechanic" do all the nessacary work. so in the end i had my test drive and i also had my mechanic look it over before purchase.

in the end i had a great experience and would recommend these guys to anyone...the receptionist aint bad lookin either.

[prime]

Can someone enlighten me on the idea of why people tend to avoid vehicles shipped from Quebec?

[froggy]

Cars from quebec don't go through the same accident recording procedures as cars from the rest of the country. Ie accidents won't show up on a report. So you could be buying a rebuilt car that was written off, and put back onto the road. Also there are a lot of cars that come from quebec that have been exposed to a salt water spray, which with our cars reputation for rusting doesn't help things

[prime]

^thanks froggy!

[froggy]

no problem made the quebec car mistake once with my old vw

[xXFarinhaXx]

I just bought my car from DVA and ive had no problems with my car and i absolutely love it! it came from quebec though which got me nervous. they showed me a car proof report before i bought it which explained when and where it had a accident. the accident was self inflicted at 830 km in!!! in 2007. 500000 km later he gave up the car off lease with no issues. Comming off lease the car had to be in good condition to return to the dealer so i went ahead and bought it. especially if the car was good for 50000 km after the accident i figured wow what a deal at this price. Also the accident just called for the bumper to be replaced. no frame work or anything and he got it fixed at a mazda dealer. i was able to put my deposit, then DVA would certify it. from there i took it to my own mechanic and he had nothing but good things to say. paid for it.. viola no complaints best car ive ever driven hands down!!! just be smart and no what to look for! :D

[sol_searchin]

I hope your keeping that car till it rot's or dies, because resale is horrible on quebec car's and to add to it it's been in an accident

[-ToM-]

so ive have my dva mazda 3 for a year now, and ive honestly had no problems with my car, im pretty satisfied with it, so idk wouldnt say avoid them but make sure u give it a good check or bring someone that knows car with you

[Daquronic]

These guys are a frigging joke!!!! I was browsing Kijiji today and noticed that downsveiw auto has changed their theme...and name...Looks a lot similar to a sponsor on the site ineedamazda.ca... Downsveiw auto is now apparently ihaveamazda.ca lol.... And even uses the same font as ineedamazda.ca.. With the white and red writing..I don't kno:s check it out for yourselves guys and tell me what u think???I still would
Never buy a car from downsveiw but my brother recently bought one from ineedamazda and they're great guys that work there and also very honest as well.. But I will post that on the gta fine cars thread

[Thrizzl3]

These guys are a frigging joke!!!! I was browsing Kijiji today and noticed that downsveiw auto has changed their theme...and name...Looks a lot similar to a sponsor on the site ineedamazda.ca... Downsveiw auto is now apparently ihaveamazda.ca lol.... And even uses the same font as ineedamazda.ca.. With the white and red writing..I don't kno:s check it out for yourselves guys and tell me what u think???I still would
Never buy a car from downsveiw but my brother recently bought one from ineedamazda and they're great guys that work there and also very honest as well.. But I will post that on the gta fine cars thread

ihaveamazda.ca is only their blog site. its where customers ask questions about downsview auto. They aren't actually selling cars on that site lol.

[PearlM3]

Haha, I posted a question on their blog.

[Thrizzl3]

what did you ask Chris? it doesn't show up until they approve it

[PearlM3]

oh lol, I asked what percentage of vehicles have been in accidents or have been bought in Quebec.

[RTEnthusiast]

They're definitely not going to approve that.

I love this new part:

" However, due to an overwhelming demand, Downsview Auto will have 2 demos (a GT and a sedan) prepared and certified for a test drive so customers can get a feel for a Mazda 3 which will be taking place in the near future."

A GT and a sedan, you say? A company that supposedly "specializes" in the Mazda3 referring to the hatchback as the GT?

[JonfromOttawa]

Gotta agree with those complaining about their "body work"... I paid the extra $300 to have the scratches and dents touched up... They missed 4 dents, didn't even touch them, and the body work/paint job was brutal. There were creases in the patchwork and to top it all off, the paint looked like it came from a can rather than a sprayer. I've since had to go to a body shop in Ottawa to have them fix Downsview's work.
Aside from that, if you're going with DVA, you can still get a good deal, just be cautious and check it out, because they won't tell you ANYTHING that's wrong with the car, and I suspec tin most cases they themselves don't even know what's wrong with their vehicles. They are snakes... but you can still trick a snake. Tread lightly.

[n00bMeiSter]

These guys are a frigging joke!!!! I was browsing Kijiji today and noticed that downsveiw auto has changed their theme...and name...Looks a lot similar to a sponsor on the site ineedamazda.ca... Downsveiw auto is now apparently ihaveamazda.ca lol.... And even uses the same font as ineedamazda.ca.. With the white and red writing..I don't kno:s check it out for yourselves guys and tell me what u think???I still would
Never buy a car from downsveiw but my brother recently bought one from ineedamazda and they're great guys that work there and also very honest as well.. But I will post that on the gta fine cars thread

they are both rip-off's of Avante Mazda's "iwantamazda" marketing campaign.

[S.F.W.]

they are both rip-off's of Avante Mazda's "iwantamazda" marketing campaign.

agreed

[flagman]

Hi all:
New to the forum (first post), and thought i would tell you about my recent experience with Downsview Auto.
Currently shopping for a Mazda 3 hatch for my 18 yr old son. He's been scouring auto Trader, Kijiji, etc. for Mazda 3's in the 2004-2006 range. Our budget is around $8-9k. Obviously, we'd like to get the best car we can for that money, but realize we're buying a used car, so we don't expect perfection.

Needless to say, the prices at DA attracted our attention so we dropped by last Saturday. Saw a couple of cars that seemed to fit our needs and price range, but of course, the car my son simply fell in love with was a loaded black GT with only 80,000 km for $11,995 (I think it was an "07 but can't recall exactly). Even though it was over our budget, we decided to talk to a sales guy to get more info.

Now the turn-offs:

1. No test drive. I almost walked away right then. They gave us the scripted reason - they sell so many cars they don't need to or have time to offer everyone test drives. but if we want to we can drive it once we sign the deal and they have it certified and "needed repairs done". Excuse me? I can only drive the car once I've bought it? I can only take it to a mechanic once I've bought it? What a joke!

2. They don't negotiate - more BS - a) they sell so many cars they price them low and depend on volume (OK, maybe that one is true)and b) some ridiculous story that they can't offer discounts because they would get in trouble from the gov't if they are audited by the tax dept. What??? And besides "they throw in an in-dash GPS/stereo unit and a 42" plasma TV" (Wow, I think this is how they get potential buyers to overlook all the negatives).

3. The car looked pretty good cosmetically, everything under the hood looked OK except for rusted plates on top of the strut towers and a few rusted bolts, it had brand new tires, and no rusting around the fenders. Interior was cleanGave us the impression it was in decent shape. We asked about accidents and they verbally told us the car was clean and they gave us argument that Mazda Canada only sells them their best lease-return cars and Mazda would never sell them accident cars in order to maintain their reputation. We asked about CarProof and they said no problem just write down the stock number and come into the office we''ll show you the CarProof. So we did (we called their bluff)a. Well, surprise, surprise - the car was from Quebec, and had been in 3 accidents - one with a $6600 claim, one for $3000 and one for a whopping $13,000 (probably 1/2 the value of the car)!!!!

Let's just say, we couldn't get out of there fast enough at that point.

Downsview is a very sketchy dealer, and I can't believe these people are allowed to stay in business. What they deserve is W5 or Marketplace or some other consumer watchdog to come knocking on their door to expose their shady practices.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

PS>Oh, I noted in one earlier post someone was complaining about the poor paint work done on their car they bought at DA and describing it as full of specks, and looking like it came from a spray can. It appears the painting is done on site - they have a makeshift body painting garage (no spray booth that I could see) located thru an overhead door just between the showroom and a restaurant - while we were there some guy was wheeling out a sedan with a freshly painted rear bumper - and parking it outside to DRY! The paint was clearly wet and smelled like it had just been sprayed, and areas of the body were still masked.

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Hi all:
New to the forum (first post), and thought i would tell you about my recent experience with Downsview Auto.
Currently shopping for a Mazda 3 hatch for my 18 yr old son. He's been scouring auto Trader, Kijiji, etc. for Mazda 3's in the 2004-2006 range. Our budget is around $8-9k. Obviously, we'd like to get the best car we can for that money, but realize we're buying a used car, so we don't expect perfection.

Needless to say, the prices at DA attracted our attention so we dropped by last Saturday. Saw a couple of cars that seemed to fit our needs and price range, but of course, the car my son simply fell in love with was a loaded black GT with only 80,000 km for $11,995 (I think it was an "07 but can't recall exactly). Even though it was over our budget, we decided to talk to a sales guy to get more info.

Now the turn-offs:

1. No test drive. I almost walked away right then. They gave us the scripted reason - they sell so many cars they don't need to or have time to offer everyone test drives. but if we want to we can drive it once we sign the deal and they have it certified and "needed repairs done". Excuse me? I can only drive the car once I've bought it? I can only take it to a mechanic once I've bought it? What a joke!

2. They don't negotiate - more BS - a) they sell so many cars they price them low and depend on volume (OK, maybe that one is true)and b) some ridiculous story that they can't offer discounts because they would get in trouble from the gov't if they are audited by the tax dept. What??? And besides "they throw in an in-dash GPS/stereo unit and a 42" plasma TV" (Wow, I think this is how they get potential buyers to overlook all the negatives).

3. The car looked pretty good cosmetically, everything under the hood looked OK except for rusted plates on top of the strut towers and a few rusted bolts, it had brand new tires, and no rusting around the fenders. Interior was cleanGave us the impression it was in decent shape. We asked about accidents and they verbally told us the car was clean and they gave us argument that Mazda Canada only sells them their best lease-return cars and Mazda would never sell them accident cars in order to maintain their reputation. We asked about CarProof and they said no problem just write down the stock number and come into the office we''ll show you the CarProof. So we did (we called their bluff)a. Well, surprise, surprise - the car was from Quebec, and had been in 3 accidents - one with a $6600 claim, one for $3000 and one for a whopping $13,000 (probably 1/2 the value of the car)!!!!

Let's just say, we couldn't get out of there fast enough at that point.

Downsview is a very sketchy dealer, and I can't believe these people are allowed to stay in business. What they deserve is W5 or Marketplace or some other consumer watchdog to come knocking on their door to expose their shady practices.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

PS>Oh, I noted in one earlier post someone was complaining about the poor paint work done on their car they bought at DA and describing it as full of specks, and looking like it came from a spray can. It appears the painting is done on site - they have a makeshift body painting garage (no spray booth that I could see) located thru an overhead door just between the showroom and a restaurant - while we were there some guy was wheeling out a sedan with a freshly painted rear bumper - and parking it outside to DRY! The paint was clearly wet and smelled like it had just been sprayed, and areas of the body were still masked.

This sums up Downsview rather perfectly. All members and people viewing this forum should steer clear away from this snakepit.

[Bean]

Surprised that they are still in business. Sigh...

Still looking for a car.....

[koorick]

Their salesmanship could make a good story on the Toronto Star

[allen@simplytire.com]

Hi all:
New to the forum (first post), and thought i would tell you about my recent experience with Downsview Auto.
Currently shopping for a Mazda 3 hatch for my 18 yr old son. He's been scouring auto Trader, Kijiji, etc. for Mazda 3's in the 2004-2006 range. Our budget is around $8-9k. Obviously, we'd like to get the best car we can for that money, but realize we're buying a used car, so we don't expect perfection.

Needless to say, the prices at DA attracted our attention so we dropped by last Saturday. Saw a couple of cars that seemed to fit our needs and price range, but of course, the car my son simply fell in love with was a loaded black GT with only 80,000 km for $11,995 (I think it was an "07 but can't recall exactly). Even though it was over our budget, we decided to talk to a sales guy to get more info.

Now the turn-offs:

1. No test drive. I almost walked away right then. They gave us the scripted reason - they sell so many cars they don't need to or have time to offer everyone test drives. but if we want to we can drive it once we sign the deal and they have it certified and "needed repairs done". Excuse me? I can only drive the car once I've bought it? I can only take it to a mechanic once I've bought it? What a joke!

2. They don't negotiate - more BS - a) they sell so many cars they price them low and depend on volume (OK, maybe that one is true)and b) some ridiculous story that they can't offer discounts because they would get in trouble from the gov't if they are audited by the tax dept. What??? And besides "they throw in an in-dash GPS/stereo unit and a 42" plasma TV" (Wow, I think this is how they get potential buyers to overlook all the negatives).

3. The car looked pretty good cosmetically, everything under the hood looked OK except for rusted plates on top of the strut towers and a few rusted bolts, it had brand new tires, and no rusting around the fenders. Interior was cleanGave us the impression it was in decent shape. We asked about accidents and they verbally told us the car was clean and they gave us argument that Mazda Canada only sells them their best lease-return cars and Mazda would never sell them accident cars in order to maintain their reputation. We asked about CarProof and they said no problem just write down the stock number and come into the office we''ll show you the CarProof. So we did (we called their bluff)a. Well, surprise, surprise - the car was from Quebec, and had been in 3 accidents - one with a $6600 claim, one for $3000 and one for a whopping $13,000 (probably 1/2 the value of the car)!!!!

Let's just say, we couldn't get out of there fast enough at that point.

Downsview is a very sketchy dealer, and I can't believe these people are allowed to stay in business. What they deserve is W5 or Marketplace or some other consumer watchdog to come knocking on their door to expose their shady practices.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

PS>Oh, I noted in one earlier post someone was complaining about the poor paint work done on their car they bought at DA and describing it as full of specks, and looking like it came from a spray can. It appears the painting is done on site - they have a makeshift body painting garage (no spray booth that I could see) located thru an overhead door just between the showroom and a restaurant - while we were there some guy was wheeling out a sedan with a freshly painted rear bumper - and parking it outside to DRY! The paint was clearly wet and smelled like it had just been sprayed, and areas of the body were still masked.

I never even knew that this was even going. This was brought to my attention by one of my current customers that bought 2 cars from them.

Listen, I may have no place writing my opinion or point of view, but I will anyway. I've been on these forums long enough and have history with you guys... I've built my business around honesty and integrity, and in turn, surrounded myself with honest businesses. Just reading through all these posts and the various stories written about Downsview Auto, none of it makes sense to me... We do the tires on EVERY single one of their cars, and end up meeting 90% of the customers that buy these cars, and these customers now come to us for tires. I've heard nothing but amazing things about the way they were treated, and how their sale was handled...

All the stories about accident cars, and bodywork outside also doesnt make sense. Do they not provide carfax/carproof on all their cars? I know the two body guys they use also, Larry and Ismail that do all their dent and scratch repairs, and Larry refuses to work outdoors, and Ismail has his own shop on chesswood, minutes away from DV. DV always make Larry and Ismail work inside, they have even come here to work on the cars while we've had them apart for tires...

Regarding the post that I've quoted, Eron from DV has brought it up to my attention that he does not recall a situation like this and has asked me to contact Mods to verify that it was in fact a customer writing this or if this could be a malicious post.

I'm just throwing in my 2 cents as I would hate it if somebody was maliciously ruining my name for no reason, if you guys think I'm wrong, please let me know.

Allen

[mazdabetty]

Allen, most of the reviews here, that aren't malicious, came from people who were actually on the hunt for a car and were surprised that the cars could not be test driven, had terrible body work, and rude customer service, among various other bad practices. No one is intentionally out to hurt their business, people came here to give their opinion and write about their experience. Downsview tends to do things backwards, and if it works for them, then that's fine. This threads purpose is supposed to serve as a warning to potential customers, rather than act as a 'hate' thread.

What made them lose even more credibility was asking their customers, and possibly their family members/employees, to create temporary accounts here and contradict many of the previous reviews given here. This attempt was quite obvious, considering if you look back at most of the "positive" reviews, these members all signed up around the same time, and each only have one or two posts, calling us out.

If you ask me, they're being hypocrites by running to you and saying that we're the malicious ones, when they were the ones who intentionally tried to make us and our reviews look stupid and untrue.

[RTEnthusiast]

*busts out some popcorn*