The power steering pump malfunctioned in a hot weather (known problem with some Mazdas) . My Mazda 5 is just 1 year old with the full warranty. It took 2 weeks to get it from Japan! I was given a rental car (basic Mazda 3!). As it happened in my home town, 2 weeks was not a big problem. Now I am planning to go south, and this or other problem could reoccur with a back order part that would require 2 weeks to get from Japan. Sure I would get a rental car, but I would not be able to wait nowhere for 2 weeks (obligations, a loss of income, etc.) I called Mazda and asked: "What would Mazda do for me in such a situation?" The answer was like a recording: "It depends on the situation", though my question is very specific: "2 week week waiting time that I would not be able to tolerate"l

Does anybody have such an experience? Or does anybody know the rights of a Mazda customer in such a situation?

 

Does sound weird that that part would not be stocked better.

It's a current car... I can see not having a part for a 1st Gen Protege... But a 5 should have tons of support from the warehouse.

 

If I were out of town and my car died, I would expect it to be fixed and shipped back to my home town dealership at Mazda's expense, along with them paying for a rental, or giving a courtesy car.

That said, in my case, if my car breaks down I have insurance that will cover all that stuff anyways (except the fix), so personally it wouldnt be a huge deal - but regardless...