I found some more damage from idiots at the dealer. I've been hearing an occasional rattle and click from the drivers front area. I don't have a rack to life the car so I paid for an inspection. They pointed out several maintenance items that are due, (already done) and they also found the rattle. The lower ball joint has some play in it. Fine, no big deal. I can replace either the joint itself or the lower control arm. Looking at the difference in price, I'll just replace the lower arm. More expensive in parts expense, but less time required. With the current summer (90+ everyday and the river bowl hold humidity worse than most of the Midwest) I'll spend as little time as possible.

A question for the collective. When I do the final torque on the bolts at the frame, do I need the weight of the car on the wheel before final tightening? I'm not about to ask the dealer. They have no credibility with me.

 

Poorly thought-out choice of a new thread name!!

Not sure how you relate your damage in your first post to the dealership doing damage???

You don't need to place weight on the vehicle although there is a better method using the weight applied but if you are a DIY and no frame lift like a "QUICK JACK" then you are better to install the lower control arm and torque it hanging.

You "WILL" need to get alignment at least checked after you install the new lower control arm assembly.

 

No, actually it is a WELL thought out title. Since I bought the car years ago, only the dealer has worked on the car besides myself. While I do have and do use slip joint pliers, I do NOT use them on machined parts. I replaced the tensioner for instance at about 80,000 miles because it was failing. I used a Mazda part and belt. 3 months later the dealer told me it was leaking. I told them it was new. When it chewed the belt up, I found it had damage from pliers. The same on my left drive axle. Now I find the damage to the ball joint and dents on the lower control arm where somebody was beating on it. It was not like that when I bought it and I don't beat on parts like that.

Had I used the title that first came to mind, it would probably have been a long line of asterisks.

 

Well its all one-sided information so I guess if you say so in your world it must be so.

 

Most large corporations listen to these forums. They give a heads up for things to look at to protect their reputation. As I've said, I'm quite happy with my CX-5. I had a ZG1000 motorcycle that I took to the dealer for warranty work. They did such poor work I mentioned it on a ZG1000 forum. The company followed up and the NEW dealer does excellent service work.

 

auh NO THEY DON'T. Wherever did you get that idea? Not even close to accurate! lol I have a marketer for my products that get sold worldwide and there are so few businesses that come to automotive forums (except authorized vendors) that it is not even worth mentioning. And authorized vendors as a rule don't get into "Beeching" threads even when it is about their own products. People sure just like you posting what think goes on in the real world. LOL
You are comparing a Motorcycle to a vehicle car? Truck forum? lol as for what you claimed about the Kawi...I am sure if researched it really was an employee of the cycle center. I get that even on Mazda Forums (not this one) regarding one predominate Mazda aftermarket company that an employee of their very own thinks I work for the company or did and at one time wanted to know who I was. LOL

Maybe you should go back to your first post in your thread and post what you claimed with no information other than your personal feeling happened?

We can as in any member go back and review many of your responses and there is a bit of another story going on with the service quality of work on your Mazda.

 

Got my lower control arm put in. The car now drives like the one I bought years ago. Considering some of the roads I have to go down, a car pushing 100K and is this quiet and planted is doing pretty good.

 

I'm glad to read your car is riding well following the ball joint/lower control replacement.

When I read the title of this discussion then read the posts I have to admit I was confused and thought I missed a page or something. Yet, I didn't. I have no idea how you drew a link between dealer service and a bad ball joint at almost 100,000 miles. Is it because the dealer did maintenance all parts should last forever? Or because the dealer did maintenance any part that breaks is their fault? How does the road get off the hook? 100,000 miles is a lot of time on the road.

 

I have 60 years experience in auto repair. Although I closed my shop in '84 due to high costs. I've stayed with it ever since though. When I bought my CX-5 as a CPO, I made the decision to let the dealer service it. For several years, there were no issues. Then the trouble began. At an oil change, they mentioned my belt tensioner was leaking oil and needed replacement. 80+ thousand miles, I can see the tensioner failing. I replaced it along with the belts with Mazda parts. 3000 miles later, I was told my tensioner was leaking oil and needed replacement. I told the service writer it was fairly new. When I got home from a 1500 mile trip, my a.c quit working and my battery light came on. The belt was chewed up and when I removed the tensioner, the pulley was chipped from being grabbed by a pair of pliers. (It was NOT leaking like the first one.)

Other issues were a tire rotation and 150 miles later the front wheels nearly fell off. When I pulled the bad axle, I found tooth marks from a large slip joint plier set. Th ball joint had chisel marks where someone had hammered on it. I even had to replace a rounded off oil drain plug, although to be fair, I can't be sure that wasn't like that when I got the car.

I'm retired and decided to let others work on my car. I've gone back to doing my own work.

 

I have never read so many unrelated service problems on totally different at one dealership. I would love to see a redacted(personal information blacked out) of all the actual servivce orders and final service order that was either paid for the service or warranty on all those issues.


I can understand maybe one mishap but all those damaged areas at different times wow.

Honestly showing this thread to my lawyer he said if half was true and documents and another shop inspection concurring with the OP there is a law suit that should be done in small claim court .

my guess is nothing will be posted but more info on the one side of the story,