Had to change the low-beam bulb on my Mazda today; I've owned 11 or 12 vehicles in my life, and worked on a few others, and NEVER have I seen such a poor design.
Basically, they gave no thought to the average car owner - you need to be fairly 'handy' and be prepared for an hours work just to change a bulb. I've never spent more than 5 minutes changing a bulb on any other vehicle I've owned (check out a few of the youtube videos for some insight into the process).
I guess the intention is to get additional money from owners by forcing them to return to a dealership and have this done; they get to pay for an hours labor ($80-$100) plus pay the mark-up on the part (I paid $18 for a bulb, it was $39 at the dealership).
Too bad - it's the first Mazda I've ever owned, and quite liked it - but I'll never buy another, any company that puts so little consideration into the replacement of regular wear parts isn't worth supporting, in my view.
Had to change the low-beam bulb on my Mazda today; I've owned 11 or 12 vehicles in my life, and worked on a few others, and NEVER have I seen such a poor design.
Basically, they gave no thought to the average car owner - you need to be fairly 'handy' and be prepared for an hours work just to change a bulb. I've never spent more than 5 minutes changing a bulb on any other vehicle I've owned (check out a few of the youtube videos for some insight into the process).
I guess the intention is to get additional money from owners by forcing them to return to a dealership and have this done; they get to pay for an hours labor ($80-$100) plus pay the mark-up on the part (I paid $18 for a bulb, it was $39 at the dealership).
Too bad - it's the first Mazda I've ever owned, and quite liked it - but I'll never buy another, any company that puts so little consideration into the replacement of regular wear parts isn't worth supporting, in my view.
- milesalberta, EDMONTON, Alberta, canada