It's official. Stay away from Dixie Mazda (or whatever they're called now)

[Neo]

Hey guys,
First off, I want to let everyone know I have nothing against the sales department. The few times I was in there trying to get quotes, they were very accommodating. Hell, I even managed to pick up my 08 Miata from there.

This being said, the service department is a complete disaster.

I have been getting service done at this dealer for awhile now. Mainly to service an 04 Mazda6. And the few times I had to take it to them was because they were the closest dealer around without trekking all the way out to Avante or Dave Wood (my preferred dealers if I ever have to get things done)

I’ve been accommodating and patient with them in the past, but now I’ve had enough. So I wanted to share my experience with all of you.

We have recently leased a 2011 mazda3 GT. It needed its first oil change done today. I called up their service department and got ahold of Fatima. I’ve dealt with her many times in the past, and she knows what to expect when I ask for something specific to be done. The only reason I had to use Dixie again was because the service was overdue on the vehicle and the next available dates for my preferred dealerships would have been 2 and 3 weeks from last weekend.

So I tell her I only need an oil change done. She brings up my account on the computer, realizes the car is new and she needs my ownership. She asks again what I need, and I tell her again just the oil change. I don’t need a “service” done (those meaningless checks for a variety of things, etc etc). Just the oil change. We agree on 1pm service.

Now, I’ve made the appointment, they know what time the car is arriving. I’m thinking 25min’s tops to do an oil change. So I tell my girl to go on her lunch and get the service done. She’ll be back with time to spare. Or so I thought.

At 1:30pm I get a message from my girl that they can’t do the service right away and it’ll be about an hour before they look at the car. So they drove my girl back to work and they tell her they’ll call her when the car is done.

I’m on my way home when I get a call from my girl at 5:15pm. She’s livid on how that dealership does work. She tells me they called her up at 4pm to say the car is done. She got a ride over there by a colleague. She goes to pay the bill only to find out the total is $92 out the door. The service lady (not Fatima) says the car got an oil change and a tire rotation. My girl tells her when she dropped the car off she was specific regarding the oil change. At no point in time did we want a tire rotation because I’m going to be swapping the tires out this weekend for snows.

I suppose the service lady apologized and readjusted the price accordingly. Total came out to $62 for an oil change. I’m sorry, but $62 for an oil change?!?! My girl barely had enough cash to pay her so she can get the car back. To top it off, the onboard computer is still telling her she’s in need of a tire rotation.

I tell her I’ve had enough of that dealership. We’ve been more than accommodating and they still treat people like dirt. So I give the dealer a call when I got home. Hoping I might find the manager on duty. First time I call, reception hangs up on me by mistake (hard to find good help nowadays. Stupid teenage brats) I try calling again and the phone rings 6 times before she picks up. I ask to speak with the manager and of course she tells me he’s away in a meeting. It’s 6:10pm, what meeting is he going to be in?? Trained well to avoid harassment. So I ask her to pass me to the guy in charge for the nite. She passes me onto Ali. Supposedly the Sales Manager on duty.

I tell him everything I just described here, and he tells me he’ll make sure he’ll pass the word in tomorrows meeting. And during the conversation the phone line drops. During the discussion I left him my phone #. I attempted to call back to the dealership, but of course no one wants to pick up the phone. So I wonder if he’ll give me a shout. Not a peep.

So for all of you who attempt to get any service done at Dixie Mazda, please stay away!!! I’ve given them more than a few chances and the service department is in desperate need of a revamp.
Rant over.

[boyracer]

It is a shame about the dealerships & the way some treat their customers. With today's age of technology (the information highway) news travels fast. You'd think they would try to improve the service. I've gone to that dealership in the past as well for service, had good ones & bad ones. Now I'll be trying other ones.

[zzz3]

bought my car there and never looked back lol. try qew mazda if you're in the west end, well worth the drive.

[boyracer]

bought my car there and never looked back lol. try qew mazda if you're in the west end, well worth the drive.

Exactly what I was thinking, I've been there a few times to purchase parts and have been treated like gold. So for my next service I will be giving them a try

[Kevin@nextmod]

LOL... that service department is a joke. Especially the service manager. Shes never there and does nothing but sit there and watch youtube. Or takes a day off to spend the day with the kids. OR even bring the kids to work and mess around. I left that dealership because i don't see myself going anywhere with these people. Be careful of that Fatima, because she'll put services in that work order and you might not know. Make sure you read the bill before you sign it and or pay for it.

[Neo]

Yep, we saw that. Even though I talked to her and specified what I wanted

I see this being a huge trend nowadays. Regardless of vehicle manufacturing

Either you work on your car yourself, or get raped by the dealer. :(

[mazda72]

The oil change for my Mazda3 was the same at $62. You got synthetic oil thats why you paid so much. Synthetic is the recommended oil for the 3 and is better for your car, especially in cold winters.

[Neo]

Where did you get that oil change done?

Dave Wood Mazda oil change, $43 out the window. Regardless of it being synthetic or not. Got hosed. :(

[mazda72]

Your price was for regular oil, synthetic is more. Davewood Mazda is one of the best dealership out there, unfortunately most of us live too far away to go there.

[cwp_sedan]

Where did you get that oil change done?

Dave Wood Mazda oil change, $43 out the window. Regardless of it being synthetic or not. Got hosed. :(

I'm just curious, did you not know what the price was before you signed for the oil change? If you were concerned I would have asked, especially if it's the first oil change of a new generation vehicle.

Another thing, you, along with everyone else knows that the price for service at a dealership is significantly higher than at an independent shop, so I'm not sure why you are so shocked. I do agree that the turn around time was bad but I have just gotten used to leaving my car at the dealership for the whole day rather than hope they are going to get it done in a timely fashion.

If you want a quick service, go to Mr. Lube (please don't go there). If you want something cheaper, find a mechanic you trust and go there. If you want somewhat peace of mind regarding warranty, go to a dealer and just accept the pricing.

[Booostin]

Mr. Lube is a bunch of wankers too... always trying to pressure you to change things from air filters to transmission fluid. Best thing you can ever do is learn how to change your own oil.

[terapr0]

Lol its funny you mention this – I had my first experience with 401-dixie mazda this past Friday, and was resoundingly disappointed. My usual dealership (simply because its close) is erin mills mazda, but they wanted me to wait over a week to come in for my 16k oil change. I had the day off and wanted to get it done so I called around and sure enough Dixie said that I could come in right away and they’d take care of me. I scheduled the appointment for noon and hustled up there, not wanting to be late. I arrive at like 12:05 and go inside to drop off my keys. I declined the tire rotation and any extra service – I had somewhere to be downtown at 4pm and didnt want to give them any reason to delay, as there was also a bunch of stuff I needed to do at home before leaving. I figured that with a scheduled appointment I’d be in and out in 30-40minutes MAX.

Long story short, it was 3:30 by the time I walked out of there. Despite scheduling me to come in at 12, they didn’t even look at my car until 3pm, only after I wandered back to the service desk and started asking questions. The people in service were pleasant enough, but I fail to see the point of making an appointment if they have no intention of honoring their commitment to look after you in a reasonable timeframe. If I weren’t in a hurry I’d show up in the morning with no appointment, drop my car off and leave. The fact I scheduled a specific time and waited around should give some clue to the fact I’m in a bit of a hurry.

What I found equally unimpressive was the negative attitude of some employees there. I didnt catch her name, but theres a younger brown girl (not racist, couldn’t tell where shes from exactly) with an office directly across from the waiting area who kept storming in and out of her office. She was shouting at some of the sales people and actually got into SEVERAL verbal arguments with different employees, all with her door open. I heard her yelling about how crappy a day she was having and how she didnt have time to deal with this bullshit. Its one thing to be having a bad day, its another to argue with co-workers in front of customers. You have your own office, it has a door – close it! Im already pissed off about having to wait for 3hrs to get my oil changed, I don’t need to hear you venting about how crappy your job / life is.

In addition, I wanted to take a look at a mazdaspeed3 (thinking of upgrading soon) and it took me at least 1/2hr of wandering the floor to get someone to help me. Eventually I had to ask the receptionist to page someone from sales to come talk to me. Its not like the place was busy either, I was one of only a couple people in there. We were outnumbered by salespeople, but none of them felt like helping out. Dont get me wrong, when I did get a hold of someone he was friendly and helpful, but shit, I shouldn’t have to beg to talk to someone. You’d think it would be easier for me to try and give someone tens of thousands of dollars.
God I hate dealing with dealerships. Not that I haven’t had my problems with Erin Mills, but they’ve never made me wait that long, and were at least apologetic about the times they’ve ****ed up.

End of rant.

[Thrizzl3]

sounds like that lady never got laid for while..

[Neo]

cwp_sedan,

This is why I posted a seperate thread in the Mazda3 discussion section regarding dealerships.

The price of oil changes should be the same across the board. It shouldn't differ significantly depending on location.

Also, did I ask for synthetic oil? No. I asked for an oil change. Which means regular oil. I'm still skeptic regarding synthetic oil on engines that burn a little bit of oil. Yes, that's right, Mazda engines burn a little bit of oil regardless of model. It's not a huge amount, and most people won't notice it from oil change to oil change, but for people who do alot of work themselves, I've noticed I have to top off on oil after about 4-5k. It's usually the top 1/4 of the oil dipstick. I still top it off and go on my way.

And I usually change my oil 1-2k before the max amount of time. Only reason why I didn't know the 3 needed an oil change was because the driver who drives it just drives it. Doesn't really pay attention to the odometer. Luckily I asked before she drove more. I guess this is why there are all sorts of computers on the cars telling us what to do regarding maintenance. Even then, there are people who just ignore it.

No worries... from this day forth I'm making sure I ask what the odometer is more frequently, and I'll make sure I do the work myself.

[cwp_sedan]

cwp_sedan,

This is why I posted a seperate thread in the Mazda3 discussion section regarding dealerships.

The price of oil changes should be the same across the board. It shouldn't differ significantly depending on location.

Also, did I ask for synthetic oil? No. I asked for an oil change. Which means regular oil. I'm still skeptic regarding synthetic oil on engines that burn a little bit of oil. Yes, that's right, Mazda engines burn a little bit of oil regardless of model. It's not a huge amount, and most people won't notice it from oil change to oil change, but for people who do alot of work themselves, I've noticed I have to top off on oil after about 4-5k. It's usually the top 1/4 of the oil dipstick. I still top it off and go on my way.

And I usually change my oil 1-2k before the max amount of time. Only reason why I didn't know the 3 needed an oil change was because the driver who drives it just drives it. Doesn't really pay attention to the odometer. Luckily I asked before she drove more. I guess this is why there are all sorts of computers on the cars telling us what to do regarding maintenance. Even then, there are people who just ignore it.

No worries... from this day forth I'm making sure I ask what the odometer is more frequently, and I'll make sure I do the work myself.

I do agree with you there. I am used to paying a certain amount for an oil change so if all of a sudden I was charged more I would be pissed also.

I know that the newer engines are recommended to use the 0w20 or whatever it is now but they should have mentioned that to you if it costs more, etc. What does it say on your invoice as to what oil they used?

http://www.mazda.ca/root.asp?path=eng-parts-service-oil---

[mazda72]

Erin Mills is pretty bad too, one of their techs didnt tighten my oil cap properly and it almost fell off , luckily i spotted it in time and prevented a disaster ,and I always had to wait for over an hour for a simple oil changes. Im done with that dealership, they are just concerned with selling cars and not with quality service. When I was looking to buy a car the sales man wouldnt give me the price of the car but kept asking me how much I was willing to pay a month lol

Choose your dealership carefully

[Neo]

You're correct... 0w20 is the "new" oil recommendations for the 3's. Must be all the wonderful emissions guide lines manufacturers have to deal with. Anything to give the engine more MPG.

I love my rotary. That sucker I have to keep topped off every 4th time I drive it. Regardless of km's covered. :) good old 10w30.
Even my Miata PRHT burns about 1/2 a litre after 5-6k Km's. That sucker is 5w20.
Both of them non synthetic. :)

[ST3ALTH]

I had to go to Mr lube the other day for a quick oil change and all i say is don't ask me for anything else. Just a synthetic oil change that's it.

I then had the tool of a sales guy come up and tell me that if i get the better synthetic oil it will add 10 horsepower to my car! i laughed right at him and told him to just do what i asked in the first place.

I don't mind Mr lube but you just have to try and deal with the sales people lol

And i go to Mr lube once and a while still if i don't want to have to book an appointment and stuff with the dealer. As long as u keep your receipt your warranty will be fine.

I use to go to Dixie Mazda until they tried to pull some stupid shit with my car and they lost my business quickly.

[SKYMP3]

Read my little line at my signture?

[gonzo25]

Your 2011 Mazda 3 takes a 0w20 full synthetic and the pricing is 51.95 + taxes reccomended from Mazda. A synthetic oil change that cheap seems like a good deal too me.

[Dreamliner]

There is Airport Mazda which is a 10 minute drive from Dixie/401 (23 and Rexdale Blvd). 20 minutes away is Brampton Mazda and Erin Mills Mazda. The Mississauga area has enough Mazda dealerships to not require you to go to Newmarket or Richmond Hill.

[SKYMP3]

There is Airport Mazda which is a 10 minute drive from Dixie/401 (23 and Rexdale Blvd). 20 minutes away is Brampton Mazda and Erin Mills Mazda. The Mississauga area has enough Mazda dealerships to not require you to go to Newmarket or Richmond Hill.


Or do you really have to go to a dealership for an oil change?
I never bring my MS3 to dealership for oil change even the car is still within warranty. Any mechanic or shops can do it for you. Go to Part source, CT or WM, pick up the jug of oil you want to use and hang them to the mechanic and they will take care of it. If they charge u over $25 for it (go to another one)

[Neo]

I go to Richmond Hill and newmarket because I live in Aurora. These have been my dealerships for as long as I've lived there.
As I mentioned, if I require work to be done (stuff I can't do on my own with the limited resources I have) I take it to either one.
Since I also spend alot of time in Brampton, and my girl lives there, the only dealership she is close too from work is Dixie Mazda. All the other dealers are a trek to get too and are far from my girls position either from work or home.

Regardless, I'll make sure this doesn't happen again. I'll just keep more up to date with the odometer reading on her 3.

[TEDSTER]

I just wanted to introduce myself as the new SERVICE MANAGER here at 401 DIXIE MAZDA ( FORMERLY ONTARIO MAZDA )

I have been reading issues with my department, and it is my mission to change the impression some of you have. The way the dealership functions starts and finishes with the manager. My tenure in the automotive industry is long and impressive, and my
customer service is outstanding. I look forward in answering any concerns you might have and look forward in fixing our reputation.

Call me if you ever need help 905-238-9889

Hoping to see you all soon
Ted S

[Nino]

Bumping this. Ops story sounds the same as mine in the beginning parts. Im Happy I did not let them touch my vehicle.

I too was asked for my ownership.