Hi Folks,
Just thought I'd reply here to share my experience of this issue and say thanks! The information held on this site with regards to this issue has been really helpful.
I Bought a 59 plate 2.2d Sport (185) from a non-Mazda dealership in April with 76k on the clock, it had previously been a lease car and had a Full Mazda main dealer service history at the correct intervals. The DPF light started flashing the other week so I booked it into Mazda but then it stopped so I cancelled the appointment. It came back on again after a short while, I checked the oil and it was at the X so assumed it was probably indicating the dilution of the oil from incomplete regens. Got it into Mazda and it was in fact the cam chain having stretched beyond the advised level. Having read posts on here I knew Mazda have made percentage contributions in the past so told Newport Mazda, they said they would ask the question of Mazda UK and I asked if they would forward the below email in support of my claim.
"To whom it may concern,
I am writing to lodge a complaint and contest the bill of approximately £900 quoted to replace the timing chain on my Mazda 6 2.2D Sport (185) R2 engine variant. Whilst I recognise that this is an accurate reflection of the cost to complete the work to Mazda’s rightly high standards, I contest that the responsibility of the payment should lie with me the customer in this instance.
It is widely known that timing chains are preferable to timing belts as they are expected to last the reasonable lifetime of the car. This is evidenced by the fact that they are more difficult to change as they should not need to be accessed as often, if at all (hence the increased cost associated with their changing). The main evidence point here is in the owner’s manual for the car in question (Form No. 8Z14-EE-08J) which does not state the timing chain as a serviceable item in the recommended service schedule (Page 8-4). The manual makes reference to the timing belt on the RF engine and gives a recommended replacement interval of 75,000 miles as expected for a belt. It does not however give a recommended replacement interval for the timing chain of the R2 engine, in fact it doesn’t mention it at all, not even for a recommended inspection frequency. I would assert then that it was not envisaged that the timing chain would stretch and need replacement at all and that this known issue is a manufacturing error and as such is the fault of Mazda. This manufacturing error is further evidenced by the fact that Mazda issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) involving a software update for the car in question, which allowed for the cam-chain stretch issue to be indicated via the flashing of the DPF light.
When speaking to Alex at Newport Mazda he asked whether or not I was the first owner of the vehicle and I’m afraid I can’t see how this is relevant. Whether I am the first owner or the 10th, a timing chain should not need replacing on a car that is less than five years old and has only done 10,000 more miles than the suggested replacement interval for a timing belt. In fact two of the primary reasons for purchase of this vehicle were its exemplary service history, all of which has been performed at Mazda dealerships to a high standard by Mazda specialist repairers and the fact that there would be no timing belts to change every 75,000 miles.
I look forward to your response."
Well I had a call from Newport Mazda this morning and apparently based on their matrix for goodwill payments with this issue the max they should offer someone in my situation is 45%
1.5 years outside warranty (4.5 year old car)
25k miles outside warranty (85k miles)
2nd Owner
Full Mazda service history
However they said because they wanted to "take care of me" they are willing to offer 80% and that's 80% of what the labour costs would be if Mazda were footing the bill so 80% of quite a bit less than the £900 quote. They will be calling me back in a bit with an updated figure but I consider this a really great result and one that I owe in no small part to those who put the information up here for me to find.
So again THANKS.
DuNk