EasyCare Warranty mazda extended protection plan Ripped off on rims and tires. norcross, Georgia
I brought my mazda 6 in for 3 tires that were leaking air. I have the Total care package that coveres road hazard protection. When the service manager checked my tires with the depth guage to determine it was 3/32 or greater he told me it was. Upon an inspection of the vehicle they told me that my two front rims were bent and three tires had nails in them. After they called to get approval for warranty work is where the fun began.
The warranty company told me that an inspector needed to come out to check the vehicle and I could not leave with my car for 24 hours. The car was left overnight at the dealership and when the car was inspected the adjuster said that one of my tires did not have the required amont of tread left on it. The service manager measured it in front of me and said that it was at 4/32 in one spot and 3/32 in another and it would be covered. Also the two front rims are not going to be covered because they are not leaking air at the damaged portion of the rim. This is rediculous Now i have to roll down the road with two out of round wheels.
I was told that putting new tires on a bent rim can cause blowouts and uneven tread wear. I paid them 1300 dollars for the warranty and they don't want to pay because the dealership wants 1600 for the rims and tires and that equals no profit for them. I paid my money for a service that you provide. Time to pay the piper easycare. If you don't want to pay don't offer the service.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
WarrantyAdmin
United States of AmericaWarranty Consideration
#2General Comment
Tue, December 01, 2009
Hello,
I am a warranty administrator for Mazda, so perhaps I can offer a little insight as to why your claim has been denied by the outside Administrator.
Outside warranty companies (like Total Care) are not controlled by the dealership, only sold by them, if you so choose to purchase the contract. A minimum of 4/32 tread depth is required for all tires to be considered for warranty adjustment, as the legal limit for tread depth is 3/32. Tires can wear at different depths so having 2 different tread depths in one tire is not uncommon. Since the tire had 3/32 in one spot, the warranty company would not consider that for adjustment, as the tire is legally bald.
These companies frequently use inspectors to verify what needs to be done to the vehicle. After all, the warranty company is going to foot the bill for the repair, so they have a "right to inspect" clause in the contract. These inspectors they send out are local and have a contract with the warranty company to inspect the claims and to make a unbiased determination of failure. When they come to my shop, I walk with them, provide them with a copy of the repair order, as well as assist them in anything they require. 9 times out of 10, the claim is approved because we do everything they ask of us. A 24 hour waiting period for a inspection is not uncommon, sometimes we are required to wait up to 3 days.
Out of round rims are caused by several different things. One major contributer is something I call "curb damage". This happens while trying to parallel park and the rim is scrapped against the curb. Another injury is from potholes. In order for a rim to be covered, it must not have any type of curb damage, as this is called "damaged from a outside influence". The warranty company cannot be held accountable for bad driving. As far as potholes go, if the rim can hold a tire and not leak air from the damaged portion, the rim is deemed safe and will not be repaired. Not to mention, not too many companies fix rims these days, too much liability. You are correct about blowouts and uneven tread wear.
My question is did you purchase the vehicle as new or as used? If the vehicle is purchased used and the rims were bent before purchase, the company will state "the bent rims are a pre-existing condition" and will not cover them. If the vehicle is purchased as new and the contract not in effect when the rims became bent, the same answer will be given.
Hope this helps,
WarrantyAdmin