UNVERIFIABLE CPO RECORDS, GROSS NEGLIGENCE AND COMPLETE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY…read more
If you value your safety, your privacy, or your hard-earned money, do yourself a favor and stay far away from this dealership. Buying a "Certified Pre-Owned" 2023 CX-5 here has turned into a nightmare of hidden defects, brushed-off safety concerns, and zero accountability from both the dealer and Mazda corporate.
To start, I was never given the CPO inspection checklist with my paperwork, and I had to repeatedly hound them just to get a copy. When they finally produced it, it became obvious why it wasn't volunteered: the report doesn't include an inspection date or a listed source. Without a date, there is no real proof showing that this safety inspection actually happened before the car was handed over to me. Despite these omissions, they also casually checked off "Passed" on items that were actively failing or physically impossible to test:
Brakes: Marked as having "no unusual noise," yet they ground and squealed from the day after I got the car home and continue to do so today. When I brought this up at a subsequent visit, I was completely brushed off and told to just "wait it out."
Navigation: SD card marked as present and tested and Navigation marked as tested, which is impossible because the vehicle didn't even have an SD card installed. How can a SD card pass as present and tested if it isn't in the vehicle? You also cannot pass a system that is missing the core component required to make it work. There were n/a checkboxes present that could have been checked off on the inspection, but they were not.
Electrical & Tech: They missed spotty electrical issues; the safety sensors only work sometimes, and Apple CarPlay only connects via the cord on occasion. They also missed a visible slice in the door seal, a missing rear mud flap, a missing tire valve cap and a crackling speaker that sometimes is so loud it vibrates the door panel.
The lack of care didn't stop there. The car was delivered dirty instead of detailed as promised, and inside, I found a pile of sensitive paperwork and actual copies of driver's IDs from previous test-drivers.
In a separate instance and failure by Whaling city, I realized they undercharged the down payment on my card during the sale. I personally drove all the way back to the dealership to fix their billing mistake and hand-deliver those sensitive documents so they would finally be secured. During this time I brought up my concerns of the vehicle (most importantly the brakes), I was told to just wait it out, they will get better. Like that even makes sense.
Afterward, I sent multiple emails trying to get management to address the vehicle's issues, and they completely ignored me. The manager only bothered to call me back after I explicitly threatened to escalate the whole mess to corporate. I did not speak to them.
At this point, I don't want to deal with Whaling City Mazda anymore because they are the ones who signed off saying the car was already okay in the first place. Why would I bring it back there just for them to tell me nothing is wrong, or worse, destroy the vehicle further?
The biggest disappointment is that Mazda Corporate has been just as useless. I am currently stuck going back and forth with them, as they are trying to suggest I go right back to the very dealership that ignored me. I am currently waiting on a callback from corporate that I placed a week ago, despite being informed they would respond within 24 to 48 hours. I have requested that Mazda allow another dealership to perform a proper certification and fix the issues with this vehicle, and bill the selling dealer since they are at fault. Alternatively, they can buy my car back outright, as my trust in the dealership and now the entire brand is completely unraveling.
If Mazda Corporate won't stand behind their own CPO warranty, then the "Certified" label is a total scam. Whaling City Mazda cares a lot more about pressuring you for a 5-star review than they do about consumer safety, transparency, or basic business ethics.
