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Dealer Says Scratch On Dashboard Will Screw Up The Whole Car

7K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  Ryan329 
#1 ·
Hey everyone! I just purchased my Mazda 3 HB (TiGray) about a week ago. I love the car and will hopefully be lurking around here a lot. But already I think I need some expert advice from y'all.

Here's the deal.

I did the walk around inspection right after I signed all the paperwork, but unfortunately it was at night because when I finally got around to washing/waxing this past weekend, to my horror there is a fairly substantial scratch on the dashboard (the part closest to the windshield) that I didn't notice, mostly because the steering wheel blocks view of that part of the dashboard when sitting in the driver's seat.

It's about 4 inches long and whitish-grey against the dark color of the dashboard piece. Not the end of the world by any stretch and not terribly noticeable from the driver's perspective, but annoying to have on a car with 200 miles on it. So I go to the dealer to see if they can fix it.

To my surprise the sales manager, without looking at it, said they'd fix it and gave me a "We Owe" purchase order to fix the scratch. Just like the should!! Great! Well, then he comes out, takes a look at it, feels it and goes "oooooohhh" (not in a good way). I asked him if they could fix it or if they could replace the front dashboard plastic part. He says concretely "That'll screw up the whole car to fix that." *my eyes getting big* He goes on to say that they would have to remove the whole entire dash to get to it and "it will never be the same again."

We agreed to have the uphostery fixer people to attempt to touchup paint, buff, whatever.

So... is this true about messing up the whole car to replace that front dashboard piece? WTF? Has anyone had experience fixing whitish surface scratches on that part of the dash board?

If it won't rub out or cannot be replaced, so be it since I don't care all that much, but I am flabergasted that it would "screw up the whole car" to fix it. I don't want a car full of rattles, but this sounds a bit far fetched.

Any thoughts?

By the way, on an unrelated note....I asked the dealer about the rear rotor wear (you can already see a little grooving on my car and I poitned it out on some other cars in the lot) and he also stated that a) "I haven't had anyone bring it to my attention." b) "It won't be covered by your warranty" and c) "No one has complained about anything related to the 3 yet." This last statement promting just a tad bit of sketicism...

Thanks so much!!!
 
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#2 ·
your problem was you were talking to a sales manager from the dealership. That guy probably wasn't even aware of what car you guys were looking at. Take it to service and have them replace the dash, if the dash needs to be replaced then so be it. If they have a decent service department it won't be a problem at all.
 
#3 ·
well, if it's fixable without replacing the dash, then all they need to do is pull off the windshield to give them more room. And go from there. Ruining the whole car by taking out the dash, not sure about that statement. Although, it could end up giving you more rattles in the end. Which, IMO, suck major arse.
 
#4 ·
Personally I would leave it alone if it's not noticeable just touch it up or something and don't let the service department jack with tearing up your dash or removing your windshield. Experience of replacing a windshield and having a dash worked on from previous vehicles is that the situation becomes worse than what you took it in for. Good luck on whatever you decide.

If you can post a picture of this scratch so we can see how bad it is.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the help. I'll try to post a pic tonight when I get home.

I went to the sales manager guy b/c I wanted to make sure that the service guys didn't charge me. Now that I have the paper saying it's free, I'll stick with them.
 
#6 ·
I had a similar thing happen. Got my car late at night, didn't see the 2 LONG scratches in the center of the dashboard, nor the tiny scratch in the front.

When I brought it back the service guy "shined it up" with the stuff Mazda says not to grease the dash up with :? like Armorall and although it made the scratches appear lighter, they were still there. And once the shine went away, the scratches were back to normal. It occasionally irks me when I see them, but thankfully they are not as noticeable unless the sun is hitting the dash at certain angles. And the scratches are not grooved in, just surface scratches. It sucks when you get crap like that from Day One, but I can live with the scratches.
 
#10 ·
Now if this thing was cavernous and it's cracked and wire are coming out... but really it doesn't look like something I'd bust open the dash or worse remove the windshield just to mend. It's not worth it, IMHO. Enjoy the ride and fahgettaboutit. :)
 
#11 ·
Yeah I'd say it's not worth replacing the dash. No matter how good of a job they do it won't be as good as what was done at the factory.

Try to get some free stuff out if it, like Mazda accessories.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions. Yeah, it isn't a horrible scratch, but annoying on a brand new car.

You think I could get some accessories out of the deal, eh? :shock: That'd make it all better...any recommendations on something in the $100 range? Step guards? Premium floor mats?
 
#13 ·
Well honestly I don't know how doable it is to get the free stuff. If the dealer fixes it by replacing the dash they will get paid by Mazda for the work. If they give you stuff Mazda won't pay them back.
 
#14 ·
Have you tried to just rub it out with a cloth? That's what I use on my doors when careless passengers get out and kick the inside of the door. Seems that this scratch looks about the same as the ones that show up on the inside of the door. Just a suggestion.
 
#16 ·
dja0323 said:
Have you tried to just rub it out with a cloth? That's what I use on my doors when careless passengers get out and kick the inside of the door. Seems that this scratch looks about the same as the ones that show up on the inside of the door. Just a suggestion.
I can wipe off kick marks and door marks, but the scratches on My dash can't be taken out - the dealer tried, I've tried, they are permanent. Oh well. I gave up.
 
#17 ·
Re: Dealer Says Scratch On Dashboard Will Screw Up The Whole

booradley5 said:
By the way, on an unrelated note....I asked the dealer about the rear rotor wear (you can already see a little grooving on my car and I poitned it out on some other cars in the lot) and he also stated that a) "I haven't had anyone bring it to my attention." b) "It won't be covered by your warranty" and c) "No one has complained about anything related to the 3 yet." This last statement promting just a tad bit of sketicism...
I've presented the same information to the nitwits at the dealership my car came from only to be met with similar replies.

Also, I have a little white spot of something on the ashtray door...looks very similar to whatever the white is that scratched your dash. It's a tiny spec, and no amount of rubbing has been able to remove it, so I've just accepted it as a "birthmark" unique to my car. ha ha

JT
 
#18 ·
John_Keats said:
And let this be a lesson to you: never buy a car at night or on a dark day!!!
I hear that. Never, never, never, buy a car in the dark and if someone pressures you to do so they are probably trying to rip you off some how.
 
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