Ed Howard Mazda

Held off writing this review until my used car warranty expired.
I went looking for a new car six months ago. Stopped by Ed Howard Mazda to look at a Mazda3 and was greeted by Steve Wilkinson. This was my first stop and I wasn’t ready to buy just yet. Steve was helpful and informative, but not pushy. He followed up with brief phone calls when promised.
Decided I should treat myself to a convertible if only because Florida weather allows that. Went back a bunch more times. Took test drives with new and used Miatas. When a Merc SLK280 showed up on the used lot, I took that one out.
All the time, Steve showed great humor with the slow pace of my vehicle selection. Finally decided on the SLK. Negotiation was par for a new car dealer. The usual back and forth, but I was able to do most of it on the phone. After we agreed on the price, no «extras» or surprised — always a nice sign.
I did have the car inspected prior to closing. Steve had to accompany me to the inspection for a few hours (Ed Howard policy) but easily accommodated my schedule. The inspection revealed an oil leak. Seems the dealer didn’t put the cap on properly when changing the oil. The dealer replaced the cap, cleaned the engine and agreed to fully cover any other leaks that might show up during the warranty period (3 months /​3000 mi). After the closing, I found some additional oil leakage which turned out to be worn engine mounts. Rather than fix it themselves, the dealer sent me to a Mercedes specialist & took care of the bill.
All in all, a pretty easy experience. Took one star off because the dealer should have caught the leaks when they processed the trade-​in.
A full five stars for Steve Wilkinson.

I went there for the 15 000 mile, one year, check up.
They charged $ 40 just as an installation fee (the part was another $ 20) for a cabin air filter on a one year old CX5. The filter is located right behind the glove box. It takes about 3 minutes to change it.
They wanted to charge me even more to change the engine filter (also easily accessible) until I insisted they show me the dirty filter before they change it. They then admitted that it did not need to be changed. I let them convince me that I needed new windshield wipers, although the old ones seemed okay, and they installed cheap wipers that squeak. I probably didn’t need these either.
There were other costly services that this dealer recommends automatically be included in a 15 000 mile one year check up, but the the manual does not recommend them, and the Mazda owners with experience say are not needed. Fortunately I had the good sense to refuse them.
Lastly, I asked them to set the tire pressure at 38 psi in the tires after they were rotated, slightly higher than the recommended level. When I got home, I found (using two pressure guages) that all four tires were at 42 – 43 psi.

I am a 60-​something single professional woman who appreciates driving safe, affordable and stylish autos. I used to be a Hyundai gal until I spotted a Mazda3 on the road and fell in love. I found Ed Howard Mazda nearby and walked in. The salesman (Steve Wilkinson) was a delight to work with, and he didn’t pressure or badger me the way other car salesman have done in the past. I did my research about cars online, reading reviews in top auto-​related sites and found Mazda had the highest rating for safety. Perfect for this grandma of two! Plus I like the sleek design and sporty feel of this car, which brings out the «youth» in me (having a moonroof helps this feeling!). Thank you for a great experience and solidifying a very fair deal.

I brought my car in to fix the alarm that randomly keeps going off. They told me it was the battery. So, I got that replaced. I get home and find that the one tap window function & the auto unlock door sensors don’t work now. So I bring my car back to have that fixed. I get home AGAIN and and my alarm randomly goes off! This is why I brought it to Mazda! I go back to Mazda and they run test to find out it some sensor in my door. Why wasn’t this done the first time??? Now I’m back at Mazda for the 4^th time. I don’t live in town & I’ve had to take 3 days off work. I won’t be bringing my car here in the future.

I purchased a new to me 2005 Toyota Prius from them and lets just say they are the best dealership I have ever seen! First, without me even complaining, they offered to put brand new tires on the car! The safety manager just came up to me and said that the tires were okay for at least another 30k miles, but they would order new ones and I can come back in a week and they would put them on and get them aligned, of course I said SURE! Then after about an hour they had found them at another dealership across the street and would put them on that day. I was surprised but that doesn’t end this deal!
After a few hours of trying to get a hold of my bank, they felt so sorry for me and filled up my tank. So on my way back to drop the sales person, I noticed the air getting warm. The salesman, Stephen Fountaine, assured me there was no problem, hybrids sometimes run warmer than most cars. Well that weekend it just got hotter and hotter. So I took it in and the service team immediately took a look at it through the request of the managers. Well since Mazda doesn’t have any hybrids the mechanic thought it could be the a/​c compressor, an at least $ 1500 fix. The sales manager, Adam Jordan, pulled me aside and told me even though it was an As-​Is sale they would get it taken care of. I was amazed! They contacted my local Toyota and two days and a $ 800 condenser later, it was fixed! They even followed up with me to make sure that everything was okay!
So when you go there be sure to talk to Stephen Fountaine. He may not know much about hybrids, lol, but he is a real straight shooter and will treat you like a person, not an atm machine. These people know the meaning of customer service and they have me as a customer for life! Thank you Adam and Stephen!

The service advisor, Curtis Brinkley greeted me warmly and worked quickly to get me checked-​in and the vehicle ready for service. He was thorough in writing down all the details needed for today’s service. He called me promptly after the brake inspection to inform me that the MPV needed new front brake rotors and pads. He quoted me a really reasonable price for upgraded non-​OEM items.