On Thursday, August 31st, I embarked on a journey to Capitol Mazda with the intention of purchasing a vehicle. After some deliberation, we decided on a used 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, which was priced at $10,888. This car was intended for my girlfriend's son, a practical choice for his transportation needs. Little did I know that this seemingly straightforward purchase would soon lead to a series of unexpected and distressing events. Almost immediately after leaving the dealership, a parking brake warning light illuminated on the Prius's dashboard, abruptly halting the car's movement. I found myself stranded at the intersection of East Capitol Expressway and Pearl Avenue, an anxious ten minutes passing while I contemplated the safety of my predicament. In my moment of need, I reached out to the salesman, Mr. Steve Valentone, who had assisted us in the purchase. Mr. Valentone promised to come to my aid, but before he could reach the scene, two Toyota employees intervened, pushing the incapacitated Prius to the side of the road. Remarkably, about an hour later, the parking brake warning inexplicably vanished, allowing me to continue my journey to Oakland. Nevertheless, my relief was short-lived, as the warning resurfaced before I could even depart from San Jose. This parking brake issue has persisted since the day of purchase, manifesting oddly in response to seemingly unrelated activities, such as plugging in a USB adapter, turning on the headlights, or using the high beams. Frustrated and concerned for our safety, we returned the car to Capitol Mazda, where they claimed to have replaced the battery as the source of the problem. On September 18th, the used car manager took the Prius for a test drive and, in a message relayed by Mr. Valentone, reported that "the warning light has returned." On September 25th, I was informed that Toyota had replaced the "sensors" in an attempt to resolve the issue. However, these repairs failed to rectify the recurring problem. On Monday, October 16th, before heading back to Paso Robles, I encountered yet another issue. The car's battery had inexplicably drained completely, necessitating a charge before departure. To my dismay, as soon as I started the car and turned on the headlights, the parking brake warning returned, momentarily rendering the car immobile. Once again, the warning disappeared without explanation. Determined to reach my destination, I embarked on the drive from Paso Robles to Oakland on Tuesday, October 17th, setting out at 2:00 AM. However, the parking brake warning reappeared only two minutes into my 200-mile journey, exacerbating my frustration. In a text exchange with Mr. Valentone on October 10th, he suggested that I contact General Manager Rusty Bumstead via email to initiate the process of returning the car. I followed his advice and requested a refund for the Prius, along with the payment of the outstanding loan through the bank, enabling us to begin the search for a more reliable vehicle. On Thursday, October 19th, I returned the Prius to the dealership and endured nearly two hours of discussion, only to be told that a refund was not an option. The dealership encouraged us to explore their inventory, but unfortunately, none of the cars available on Capitol Expressway met our specific requirements for a used vehicle, leaving us in a predicament. We did not wish to be pressured into accepting a vehicle that did not align with our needs. The Prius had consistently experienced the same problem since our purchase, spending a total of 38 days at the dealership, surpassing the 19 days it had been in our possession. We firmly believed that the responsibility to resolve this issue lay with the dealership, and we persisted in our request for a refund. After a series of discussions and searches for alternative vehicles, we received a call on October 26 from Mr. Valentone, informing us that they would pay off the loan. Consequently, I drove back to San Jose, signed the necessary paperwork, and received a refund for our initial $550 deposit on the vehicle. Throughout this challenging ordeal, Capitol Mazda's motto, "Provide 100% Customer Satisfaction to 100% of our Customers - 100% of the Time," held true. While we did not make another purchase from them, Mr. Valentone's dedication and professionalism were exceptional, and we were satisfied with our sales experience. Our unfortunate experience with the Prius did not diminish our respect for the dealership, and I assured Mr. Valentone that we would return if we found a vehicle that met our needs on their lot. read more

I AM NOT THE TYPE OF PERSON TO FEEL ENTITLED AND COMPLAIN ON HERE, BUT THIS WAS THE ABSOLUTELY WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. I wrote a review for my dealer originally, and stand by it, Steve was and still is amazing. BUT the finance department is absolutely unbelieveable. I bought my car about 2 1/2 months ago--I can't tell you how much of a hassle that was in the first place, but after MUCH work, I finally came out with my car at a good price. 2 weeks later I decided to call in because I had not received any information on how to make my payment and when it was due specifically. I called literally 12 different times with NO CALLS BACK. Finally once my payment was "past due" I receive a call about how I need to bring "their" car back in because my social security number was in "question". I then had to go to the Social Security office on work time the next day in order to not have my car repossessed after a hefty down payment and so much time invested in to this deal. I then PROVED my social security number was in fact CORRECT THE WHOLE TME and was told I was finally all set. About 2 weeks later I still haven't received any info in the mail as I was told I would for payments. I CALL AGAIN. Still, no replies for days after countless calls. My girlfriend finally goes in for me in person (because I work often and do not live close) and we're told we need to provide my insurance company's address and verify my address by bringing in a utility bill. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Still not completed. AND I have to provide USAA's address? They seriously couldn't look that up themselves? But apparently I "said I have Geico" so that's where the "confusion" came in. I NEVER SAID GEICO. And further, they took my address down wrong too! SO now I "have to come in again" or risk my car being repossessed. After EVERYTHING, I'm still "at fault" and have to come in and re do everything. A big fact to know, I have a co signer helping me with this, and she lives in New Jersey so all the paperwork has to be shipped, and then notarized in order to make this work--which I understand. But after the first time, (they did not mark a few places to sign and then had the audacity to blame her) this is so beyond ridiculous. 3rd time being shipped out there. 2 1/2 months in to being done (or so I thought) and I am still being told to come in and "fix it"or I could lose it. I should also mention since I have a tricky situation (in waiting for the documents to ship) I was originally SET on a car there. Because I had to wait though, the manager sold it underneath me fully aware I was intent on buying but the money was instantly in front so he took it. FYI, I had been to the dealership literally for a week straight to make it all work so everyone there knew me and how serious I was about the car. Didn't matter. If you're planning on buying here, get a loan from your own bank or credit union. Theirs is absolutely a joke. read more

This is my first review so I'll be as thorough as I can be. On March 14, my fiance and I drove into Capital Mazda to check out the 2013 Mazdaspeed 3 but we were instantly attracted into the new 2013 Mazda CX5. It was an instant hit between us within 5 minutes of sitting in the crossover vehicle. No one bothered us until we asked a few questions, which I personally like in a dealership. I asked if I could get the key to the CX5 to hear the engine noise ( I wanted to hear if the vehicle had a manly sound or a wimpy one) and the salesman had no issue with it. After hearing out the car, we knew that we were going to purchase the vehicle but as it was late, we decided to come the following week as it was already 9pm. On March 19th, we spoke with the internet sales manager, Kathi Greene , who was extremely nice. Supposedly she is the best of the best, which seemed apparent when her desk was littered with massive quantities of awards/trophies from the past decade. She was extremely nice and thoughtful. Humble and down to earth was what attracted us. She wanted us to have the best experience so she went out of her way to make it that way. The dealer didn't have the make and model that we wanted so she made a couple of calls and found one at a different location. She said go on ahead and have dinner and by the time we get back, the vehicle will be ready. That is what we did and it happened as she said. We were the new owners of our 2013 Mazda CX5 Touring model with the Bose system and moon roof package. Of course with me being in the military, I received my military discount with it as well so we got an excellent deal. After 3 days of owning the vehicle, we received a call back from Kathi Greene saying that there was an issue with some paperwork. Apparently the VIN numbers were wrong on them. I knew that was a big issue and they said we were required to be at the dealership immediately. I was on my way to the gym in Castro Valley so this was extremely out of my way. I was almost disappointed that this happened because everything went so extremely well. The fiance and I drove all the way to San Jose to get this all fixed. It did not take too long; about 15 minutes. Kathi knew it was extremely out of our way so she threw in a free cargo all weather mat!! We knew she was going to give us a free gift as she told us so but I thought it would be something along the side of maintenance or some sort but it actually worked out better for us as this vehicle would be our vacation car across the United States. We were extremely ecstatic about it! I want to say that my fiance and I had such an amazing experience. We could not ask for anything more. Thank you Kathi Greene and Capital Mazda. Very Respectfully, Nam and Linda read more

We had a very unpleasant experience buying a certified preowed car from this location. The car we put the deposit on came in and they called us to come and pick it up. When we arrived no one came to greet us for 15-20 min. The Mazda manager Kevin didn't treat us as a valued customer and we were pretty shocked by his attitude. After we checked the car, we noticed, it's not washed and detailed and there is a small dent on it. I brought it up with Kevin (the store manager) and not only he did not apologize, he said if we don't like the car we can cancel and get our deposit back. Finally, after arguing with him and the Mazda general manager for 30 min for wasting our time, they offered a $300 for the dent and scratches on the car's fender (cost at least $800 to repair). During the transaction the sales person added a $6000 extended warranty to the car's price without telling us and asked to sign the contract. Took us another 20-30 min arguing to remove it. when we finished the transaction and asked for the second key, they said this certified preowned car doesn't have the second key and we need to come back another time to get the key and get the car washed and detailed. driving the car back home we noticed vibration from the brake system (warped brake disks). Called next day to talk to someone, Michael answered the phone and treated me very badly when I brought up the issues and disappointments. he hung up the phone on me ( I was shocked again) when I asked for a manager who can help. I called again the following day to arrange returning the car (CPO cars can be retuned up to 3 days /250 miles) another gentleman Isaac picked the phone and treated me very nicely and promised to resolve the issues. Mazda sales managers Steven and Sean also treated us very nicely and worked with us to resolve the issues. If it wasn't because if their attitude we would have returned the car and left a zero star feedback for this location. This Mazda dealership and DGDG location needs some serious training and management change. The store manager Kevin and upper management don't know how to treat the customers and they are not qualified to manage this Mazda dealership. I hope the Mazda corporate reads our feedbacks, watch the security cameras and take some diciplinary actions to fix the low class experience these folks made for us. We bought another car from Concord Mazda back in 2021 and we had an exceptional experience with the whole process. We currently own 3 Mazdas and I don't think we will ever go back to this location until the low class folks are out of here. read more

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent! This was our families 5th Mazda purchase (2012 CX-9, 2014 CX-5, 2016 CX-9, 2019 CX3 all purchased at Capitol Mazda). This time we purchased a 2020 CX-9. Our journey began in 2012 when the salesperson Gitea Perkins helped us get into our 2012 Mazda CX-9, when NO dealership in Silicon Valley would sell us a new car...every where we went they said "it cant be done with that score credit score". But Gitea worked his finance people like rabid dog, he literally wore them down into approving the deal.... Which goes to show only a few sales people will do whatever it takes to help the customer. Most sales people will not even talk to you if your credit score is not 800-900, less work involved in selling a car. Because Mr. Gitea Perkins went all out to help us get that 1st car, we have bought all other vehicles from him and Capitol Mazda since 2012. I knew Gitea was a special salesperson of the highest order, because of all the awards and trophies on his desk...no room to write. This time we needed an upgrade from the 2019 CX3 (we just bought in July 2019) to a 2020 CX-9. This was going to be the most difficult car deal of all time, because we had just bought a new home and our credit was really stretched, and we suffered a "repo" during the home buying process. Even Gitea felt that he may not have any more miracles. Then a light bulb went off on his head and he said "I hate to do it, but I got to go to the man at the top (upstairs on the second floor)....the Director of Finance (a former military man who didn't suffer fools) Stephen Fields, Finance Director Capitol Mazda. Gitea went upstairs and downstairs over the course of 4.5 hours, not taking no, after no, after no, then finally the impossible happened... we were approved for a 5th time at Capitol Mazda, with very low credit scores and a repo on our credit report. We were given a special meeting with Mr. Fields and although he was throwing sales people from the second floor window, he was very kind and professional with me and my family. He even had a "Hello Kitty" toy waiting at the signing for my daughter. Mr. Gitea Perkins and his Finance Director are the best duos in Silcon Valley when it comes to "taking care of the customer". A car is more than just a car, we our families in them and want the latest safety features for their protection.... We are very grateful for Capitol Mazda having excellent sales people life Gitea Perkins. read more

This review is for the purchase of a new car. Thumbs up for Jefferson Howery. Old car died unexpectedly and I had a day to buy a new one. 2012 Mazda 3 hatch w/Skyactiv was on my short list; so, stopped by the dealership to see it in-person, test drive, and possibly purchase. Jeff met my wife and I out on the lot shortly after we arrived as we were checking out a 3 that was unlocked. He had a friendly low-key approach, a good blend of knowledge of the car and its features, and was quick to offer a test drive. He directed us on a loop that was a good mix of city streets, expressway, and freeway. During the course of the test drive, he pointed out specific handling and performance features that you wouldn't specifically read about online or in a brochure; but, are part of why a 3 gets the positive automotive press reviews as a fun-to-drive car. Back at the dealership, he worked to accommodate the color/trim level choice that I wanted rather than pushing me to buy something that they had or trying to upsell me. After a look around the dealership, we found the right color/trim combination. Then comes the part that most new car buyers dread . . . . haggling and final price. I am the kind of new car buyer that usually goes the internet quote route; however, had not had time to do that given the unexpectedly quick timeline that I was on. Before heading to the dealership, I had quickly looked at a few sites that show "typical selling price (Edmunds TMV, etc)" so had a bit of info at hand. Jeff put together a final price that beat those market-based numbers and was fairly close to invoice. Seemed reasonable to me and I GREATLY appreciated that my time was not being wasted through multiple rounds of back and forth. Thumbs up too for the finance person - - the paperwork sign-off process was quick and efficient - - and when she got to the extras, a simple "no" was all it took from me to move forward to wrap things up. This is the 2nd vehicle that I have purchased from Capitol Mazda - - the 1st was in 2009 via the Costco purchase program. Both experiences were very positive and while I am not a brand-loyal kind of buyer, those good purchase experiences keep that dealership high on my list for any future new car purchases. read more

On July 16 Capital Mazda in San Jose sold me a car with bad brakes. This was obvious the first day it was driven in rush hour traffic. I called Capital Mazda and took it back immediately. Capital Mazda assured me they would fix the problem. Capital Mazda called me a week later saying they had installed new front pads and rotors. To be clear it took Capital Mazda a week to install new pads and rotors on a car they claimed had passed a safety inspection! I get the car back for a few days and notice issues with the rear brakes. I go for a test ride with a Capital Mazda mechanic. He agrees the brakes have an issue and says "we are just going to tell you that's what you get for buying a used car." He also says the control arms are damaged but not unsafe. An independent mechanic says says the Co trol rear pads and now the rotors need replacing. Sure. I was lead to believe thar I buying a safe used car. Compounding matters, the sales rep knew that I was working away from home and needed a replacement car due to an accident. I knew the vehicle I wanted and Google said Capital Mazda had it. I test drove it and we discussed price, registration and fees and and sales tax. No sales tax in my home state and it was factored into my buying process. I was assured the plates and registration would arrive in Oregon. This was not true. Capital Mazda can not register a car without a California address. After many calls I reached the person who files Capital Mazda's dmv paperwork. She said the sales reps knew better. She said sent my title to Oregon. She did this just days after I called the sales rep and was assured that the plates and registration would arrive in Oregon. I trusted that sales rep. I waited on those plates for three more weeks. Finally, I called the dmv. They had no records. I trusted Capital Mazda and now my only option is driving to oregon with no plates. But first I will need to repair the rear breaks. There are other options. They easiest of then would require some quick action and a willingness to assist the customer from Capitol Mazda and the Del Grande Dealer Group. Sincerely, Unhappy Customer Joel Leahy read more

Last year, my wife and I replaced the old cars that we and our kids had been driving and ended up buying four new cars from Capitol Mazda, two Mazda6's, a CX-5 and a CX-9. As a result, we've had a considerable amount of interaction with Eric V. and Kathi G. in the new car sales dept. as well as "JD" in Service, Mike and Ralph in the Parts Dept. and David in Finance. Our experience with all of these folks, including the receptionists and cashiers has been excellent across the board. My first new car was a VW Beetle that I bought in 1966 and, against the background of all the different brands of cars and dealerships that I've worked with since then, the experiences I've had at Capitol Mazda have been the best. I read a bunch of the reviews already posted for Capitol Mazda and I was surprised by the wide range of opinions. Anybody can have a bad day, and that is probably just as true for the customer as it is for the employees at the dealership. I would also guess that the motivational drive to write a negative review is stronger than it is for a positive one. In our case for example, we bought four new cars from Capitol Mazda since April 2016 and we have cycled through the Sales, Parts, Service and Finance departments a lot, with the total number of our visits to Capitol Mazda more than two dozen by now. And yet, despite the uniformly excellent treatment that we received during all of those visits, this is the first that I've taken the time to write about it -- although there were plenty of occasions that I thanked them directly, in person. Thinking about all of our experiences at Capitol Mazda over the past year, against the background of all the other car buying and service experiences that I've had over the past 50 years, I'd say that Capitol Mazda stands out as the best of them all. read more

Once again, Capitol Mazda San Jose gave me an excellent buying experience. In 2008, I purchased a new 2008 Mazda RX-8 via Kathi Greene and Gitea Perkins, and have been going there for service on this car ever since. Yesterday I added another Mazda to my "fleet" - a 2013 Mazda 6S GT with automatic transmission for my work commute/daily driver (I purchased a car with automatic on the recommendation of my foot specialist because my other cars have clutches/manual transmissions). I had originally wanted to purchase a new RX-8 with automatic, but that proved impossible to find as they are no longer being imported. Kathi and Gitea and Nick Corini, the owner/manager, worked hard to locate one for me nevertheless. Plan B was the car I ended up buying. I received an excellent price on the car I bought, and although they didn't have the exact car on their lot, they located one at a sister dealership and had it there within minutes. I am really surprised to read all the negative reviews about this dealership because I've had nothing but wonderful buying and service experiences. My salespeople Kathi and Gitea and Nick Corini the owner/general manager started my first buying experience in 2008 off on the right path. They and many others (Jamie in finance, Ralph, Rob and Ken in parts, Jeff, Art, Mike, Thu and more in service) have made it one of my favorite places to go, whether I need service or am just stopping by to chat. They have made me feel like family! And to Yelp: I hope this review won't be filtered, like my previous ones were. I am not a shill for this dealership, just a customer whose slogan "give credit where credit is due" is a mantra for everything I post on Yelp. Thank you for making it easier for people to read your reviews and make up their own minds. read more

My most recent experience at Capitol Mazda Service was possibly the worst customer service I have ever had, and certainly the worst experience at Mazda. It made me want to sell my Mazda and get my old Volvo back so that I could have good customer service again. First, I needed a rental car because they don't provide any loaner vehicles while your car is being services, which is highly inconvenient. The service staff said there was a rental available if I came in by noon. I rearranged my day so I could get there in time. When I arrived there was no rental vehicle available - they told me I could wait while someone drove one down from the airport. So I left with my malfunctioning car because I couldn't stay and wait. I came back later that afternoon, dropped my car for service, waited almost an hour for a ride to the car rental place which I could have walked in 5 minutes (but no one told me that.). Then waited again at the rental place and finally got the car. When I returned the rental car it was another series of waits - a long wait just to drop off the rental , and another long wait to pay and pick up my car at Mazda. Then they couldn't find my keys anywhere. So I waited again for about 15 minutes while people scurried around looking for my missing key. When they finally got my car, the express detail that I had ordered WAS NOT DONE. And my car was returned to me a total mess. The only think I was looking forward to after this horrendous and time sucking ordeal was to have a clean functioning car, and I didn't even get that. And now, the fan that they supposedly fixed is making noise.But I will NEVER bring my car back to that dealership for service again. read more

My recent car purchase experience at this dealership was incredibly frustrating and fell far short of expectations. While I must praise Kennedy and Melissa in the service department for their outstanding professionalism and help, the rest of my experience was deeply problematic. The issues began when salesman Chris Hampton strongly discouraged me from purchasing a specific car model and color from the Stevens Creek location, guilt-tripping me into buying it through him at the Capitol location to ensure he received credit. Despite my concerns about visible scratches and chipped paint on the vehicle upon delivery, Chris and his manager Steve Valentone refused to offer any discount, only promising a free repair for the chipped handle and a detail that would supposedly remove the scratches (which it didn't). After the purchase in April. My attempts to contact Chris and Steve via phone, email, and text about the unresolved issues were completely ignored for over two months. I even sent a detailed email on the night of purchase for documentation, but received no response. When I finally went in person in early June, I spoke with Oscar Torres, who also failed to follow up. It was only after I proactively contacted the service desk on June 11th that I was able to schedule an appointment and get the door handle ordered in 10 minutes. Even then, there were significant delays (a week and a half to two weeks) due to an incorrectly ordered part. The lack of communication, accountability, and customer service from the sales and management team was unacceptable. This experience was incredibly disappointing and has significantly impacted my view of this dealership. read more

I absolutely hate car shopping because of the "pushy" sales people. I had been to many dealerships and had bad experiences at all of them. I spent 5 hours at one dealer before walking away because the AMAZING deal they offered was the sticker price and absolutely outrageous. Another dealership I went to had 2 sales people at my driver window before I even had my car in park. I first walked into Capitol Mazda dealership and was greeted by two people who smiled and waved from across the room, no one rushed me or smothered me. One asked if I needed assistance and I declined. I was told to ask if I needed help or had a question. Wow what a welcomed change! I walked around for a while and was approached by Devlyn who asked me if I needed assistance. I explained what I was looking for and she was very helpful and understanding. She suggested a Mazda 3, which I fell in love with immediately! We went for a test drive and I was sold! I was apprehensive about the financing process because my credit is not the greatest and my trade in was old and falling apart, but both her and the Manager (Jim) were GREAT! I was at ease and it was hassle free! They got me a great deal and worked out a great financing option for me that included GAP insurance and a maintenance plan. (About $100 a month cheaper than the other dealer quoted.) I feel that Devlyn was down to earth and understanding, which came across throughout the whole deal. I have purchased many cars in my lifetime, but this was hands down the best experience ever!!!!! I am definitely a Capitol Mazda buyer for life. THANK YOU DEVLYN AND THE ENTIRE CAPITOL MAZDA TEAM!!!!! read more

I came to Capitol Mazda, after waiting for about 3 hours just to be disappointed by Premier Nissan. I'm looking a SUV for me and my kids and much needed cargo space for traveling to visit family in other states. Nissan wanted to sell me a car or van, I said No. I have a car and I don't want a Van. Finally got my papers back and went next door to Capitol Mazda where I walk up to the only person i could find and ask him where could I go for help. Gene Johnson was the persons name and he was a sales person, didn't really dress like the other in a sute and tie. Gene listened to what I was looking for and why I needed it. About 30 mins later give or take minute or 2. We were in the lot looking at some SUVs. Gene wanted to show me the 2007 Ford Edge but it had been taken to the back lot but not sure why but Gene asked to bring back up front as he wanted to show it to me. My grandson Tino was with me and he fell in Love with it before we even test drove it. Tino fell in love with the color of the Ford Edge, yup it was Black and I liked the inside color Tan plus it drove reall nice too. We got back to the dealership and Boom I was signing my contract and went home in my new 2007 Ford Edge! I was so Happy. Amazingly there was no haggling, just striaht up deal that was in my budget. So I say a BIG THANKS TO GENE JOHNSON AND HIS FINANCE MANAGER for helping out a single mom who works really hard for her money. THANKS AGAIN. Guess where I will go when I need another vehicle? Yup, back to Capitol Mazda.... read more

Me and the whole family were doing our car shopping last month. We have an extended family so I was with my wife, nephews, in laws etc etc so we were quite a bunch. We were actually looking for a family vehicle that we can use on long trips. Our first choice was a Hyundai. But the salesman over at Hyundai did not treat us very well and thought that we were going to waste his time...When one of his "APPOINTMENTS" showed up, he lost interest with us! We walked over to the next lot to look at our 3rd choice, the Mazda 5. ( It was our 3rd choice because it could only seat 6 people. ) We were greeted warmly by Frederic. He smiled all the time and explained every detail of the car that we were looking at. As I've said, we were a bunch so questions were coming from everywhere. He calmly answered all our questions and after finding out the reason why we were buying a car, he showed us a CX9 and we fell in love with it. He was so friendly that it never felt that he was trying to sell us car, he made us fall in love with the car that we never knew that we would be taking home a couple of hours later. He connected with all of us and treated all of us as if we were all buying the car. (We were a group of 7.) And we couldn't believe it when he told that he has just been working as a car salesman for a MONTH!!! Our experience with this dealership and their salesman Frederic was so great that I will recommend them to everyone who will be buying a car soon. More power Capitol Mazda! read more