Today, the dealer installed the MP3 player in my one-week-old RX8. When I picked up the car, they said almost as an afterthought, "Oh by the way, the mechanic scratched the radio face a little bit. You may not even notice, but we'll order a replacement anyway."

So I go out to the car and there is a scratch on the radio:


No worries... that'll be easy to replace. However, there are also several scratches on the left and right-side moldings. The left-side scratches are minor, but the right-side ones are severe:


The service department agreed to replace all of the scratched parts, however, the upper-right-side molding runs all the way to the windshield and behind the glove compartment:


They're gonna have to take apart the entire dashboard to replace that piece... anyone have experience doing something like that? I'm concerned that if they're that sloppy with a radio-install, the last thing I want is for them to end up breaking some of the plastic clips holding the dash together (I could end up developing rattles down the road).

Alternatively, if replacing that part is a time-consuming procedure, they might try to buff out the scratches on the big part rather than replace it. I have no problem with that *if* they can make the scratch unnoticeable. However, if it's still visible enough to bother me and they insist it should be good enough, will I be SOL? Would it be premature to contact a lawyer to find out what kind of protection I have in case it comes to that? I don't want to deal with a lawyer (especially over something so trivial), but I don't want to get screwed either.

For now, I got it in writing that they scratched up four prieces during the install and will order replacement parts. They're gonna call me next week.

 

On a side note, because the same thing happened with my WRX, a little voice told me to ask the Mazda dealer to print out the installation instructions and give me the MP3 player so I could install it myself. But I figured I'd let them deal with it. Big mistake.

 

ouch. This kind of stuff is exactly why I think I'm going to order my RX8 and have everything installed when I take delivery, if possible, or DIY it.

You have my sympathy. I'd be physically ill.

 

I understand the face plate. By the way, they have to remove the head unit AGAIN to replace it! The trim pieces seem strange. I pull mine straight out with a towel over the shifter. The wire cables make it tight, but i don't know how I would swing over that far on the side???

Hoep the fix goes well.

 

If it's under warranty, have them replace it.
and if it's not then make some sort of threat.

 

That's exactly why I get everything I need when I purchase the car. No going back for me. You run the risk of squeaks/rattles and this kind of thing.

 

What a **** poor installation, sorry about that. Should have gave the installer the instructions we have on this board.

 

ask to watch them install that ****! Don't put up with that crap. That is just ridiculous. What was the technician thinking??? At least they fessed up to it, though.

 

My moldings have some scratches onthem too but Ive had the car for 8months now. Themoldings are very prone to scratches so dontlet anyone rest oneof their shoes or uncut nails or sharpobjects in thefront seats b/c thats where all myscratches have come from. Ivegot 3 or 4tiny scratches on the molding right abovethe glove compartment whichI am pretty sure are from an ex girlfriend who Id allow to rest one of her heels up there. They are from 6months ago and they are still very noticeableso be careful. Chances arepretty high that the passenger side moldings willget scratched up at somepoint but for the meantime dont let anyone mistreat your car. Oh andI doubtthe moldings are covered by warranty.

 

JeRKY 8, you bring up a good point. I don't expect my car to remain in immaculate condition forever. Even when I picked it up originally, I noticed a few imperfections. There were minor discolorations on my dash (from where someone rubbed up against it), a couple minor scuffs in the paint (nothing you'd notice from more than a few inches away), and some dried syrup in the cup holder area from spilled soda (though that was easily cleaned).

Anyway, I'm hoping they can buff out most of the scratches on the upper molding so they don't have to replace it. I'm gonna call them back tomorrow morning for an update.

At least the MP3 player works well

 

I took my car in for its first service ever after 6 months of keeping it in 100% perfect, scratchless condition (except for small highway rock chips, of course).

Sure enough, the first time I ever let *anyone* else have the keys, they returned it to me 5 hours later with a giant scratch on the top of front wheel fender!

Service people are careless bastards (well, some of them, anyways).

 

Probably never worked on an RX-8 before and is trying to do a rush job. First time installing the audio unit can be...er...difficult.

 

if i could afford it, i'd 3M the entire car.....take it all off in 2 years,
and 3M it again.

service writers need to have a code OCD on the order (Obsessive
Car Dissorder) for "scratch sensitive" folks like us. This code would designate only OCD trained technicians touch the car (dressed in clean cotton jumpsuits with special cotton gloves).

I take my car in for the first service tomorrow (the M flash). They need to put cameras in the service bays where customers can watch the work being done from the waiting area!!!

 

not the answer to poor installation but for minor scuffs and scratches try Mother's Back to Black.

 

flatso <~~~he's right. Mother's is a good product. I use it every weekend during my wash/wax ritual. I know about the propensity to scratch the surrounding surfaces while removing the CD/radio unit....I've done it myself. The back of the unit has super sharp edges...one little contact and OUCH!

Make sure they replace all that...something else you may want tro try, is let them KNOW you've posted pictures of their shoddy work on the internet.

Good luck.

 

The molding can be fixed by a professional. A heat gun is used and then the pattern of the molding surface can be re-stamp. Afterwards, a dye can be applied to match original molding color. This could be done fairly quick and cheap. My dealer had to do that for me. It took all of 20 minutes.

The piano black panel is another story. They have to remove the entire radio from the center console. The black panel can then be removed. Also, the panel is very expensive.

Good luck.

 

Probably a good idea to tape the opening off before working on it. Of course no service tech will go through that trouble.

 

Damn Dealers!!!!

 

What did the use? It seem they never done one before.

 

I encountered the same thing. Dealer scratched the face, dash, vents during install. Additionally, for the appearance package installation they applied what could best be described as 'shitloads' of compound all over the chin spoiler and body - all of which washed away leaving a gap after the first wash. Contacted the dealer and they intend to rectify everything but it really changes my perspective on what I'd originally viewed as a reputable service shop. The real upset is that they wouldn't dream of fixing it before it left the shop.

 

My dealer scratched the door panel on the passenger side removing it to fix rattles. later an audio shop showed me the damage they did behind the door when they took them off. I haven't seen so much scratched paint.

 

It took a while for the parts to come in, but Mazda fixed my car. They were courteous, apologetic, and responsive throughout the process, saying that they didn’t want to start a relationship with me on a bad foot. The interior looks great now and everything feels tight. They also gave me coupons for four oil changes (which was a pleasant surprise… I hadn’t asked for or expected anything for my trouble).

Their professionalism (since the initial blundered-install, anyway) contrasts sharply with my experiences with my local Subaru service department, who didn’t call back when they said they would, forgot appointments, and outright lied to me.

So kudos to Mazda!

 

As long as they admitted they did the damage and then fixed it to YOUR satisfaction it was just a bump in the road. I can't stand when tech writers pull the "what scratch" routine until your about to strangle the life out of them.

 

The service invoice lists five parts, but I don't know which one is that trim piece:

• S0709XRX Instrument Panel Frame R&R 4768WAR93 3.30
• 1 F151-64-231B-02 Wall (R), Side
• 1 F151-64-241A-02 Wall (L), Side
• 1 F151-66-BC0 Panel, Escutcheon
• 1 FE01-60-400-02 Frame, Panel

Hope that helps... good luck!