Pearson Mazda

by Charlotte on 02/12/2024

Buying a new car should be a joyful experience- but if that’s what you’re looking for then try your luck elsewhere. I had an immediate need to purchase a car on 1/28/24 (a Sunday) & of all the places that were open I picked Pearson Mazda because they had 3 vehicles on the lot I was interested in & I have previously been a Pearson Hyundai customer… thinking I could trust the Pearson name & reputation. Came out to the lot and tried out my 1st two choices: a Subaru Forester and a Honda CRV. Although posted online for sale neither vehicle was purchase ready as the Forester had “just come from auction” & had a terrible burning smell & the CRV was so far out of alignment it drifted across the whole lane in seconds on test drive. I was advised neither had been through the service dept yet. The salesperson, Isaac, advised me the 3rd vehicle, the Nissan Rogue, “has been through service & is good to go”. Test drove it for about 20 minutes & with the day swiftly coming to a close I put my faith in Pearson and made the purchase. Well my friends, there is no interpretation in the English language of “good to go” that describes what happened next. Monday 1/29 on the way home from work, less than 24 hours after I bought the car, check engine light & AWD warning both came on. Ok, these things happen, right? I’m a single mom with 4 jobs so in trying to minimize the amount of work I had to miss to troubleshoot my *brand new car* I got the first evening service appointment at Hart Nissan for Thursday 1/31 so I could get the outstanding recall serviced at the same time. Hart efficiently serviced my car & then pulled me over to talk w/ the technician because they were so upset & concerned. The check engine light… fuel pump/sensor past code… light was reset and I was told it was okay to drive unless it came back on - if that happened it meant replacement of sensor array/fuel pump was necessary… for about a grand. Then the tech said that “this vehicle is an AWD & never should have left their lot w/ tires this low & they know that”. So the car is recommended for immediate replacement of all tires… once you add in mount/balance/alignment… another grand. They recommended I contact Pearson Mazda & I drove straight there from my service appointment. I asked to speak to the sales manager & was directed to wait until Freddie was available. I explained that I understand what an As Is vehicle purchase is but that in no way does that include an expectation of 2000 in estimated service immediately after purchase just to keep the vehicle safely drivable. Freddie told me that the car passed their inspection & they just want to sell you tires & that was that, the only other things he could say in his dismissive indifference were he had no authority to help me & would “pass this along” & to tell me to stop yelling at him about 5 times which was almost comical as I was fighting back tears & a panic attack I never once yelled at him. The check engine light came back again on 2/6 just 10 days after purchase. Still no word from Pearson. Looked at reviews here & saw GM Mike Smith making comments to reviewers they should have reached out to the dealership first so I left him a voicemail on 2/8. Today is 2/12 & not 1 response from either of my attempts at contact. My whole purpose of financing a nicer car from a dealership was to get a safe & reliable vehicle that wouldn’t need a bunch of work at least for a few months. I leveraged most of my available finances to make this purchase in good faith & I definitely don’t have resources for major repairs & replacements 2 weeks in. Well this “good to go” car from Pearson Mazda has failed me on all accounts… I can’t even deliver on my promise to the student driver in the family that she can take her DMV test in it because of the check engine light, nor would I want a novice driver in a car with bald tires & potential of major mechanical failure at any moment Instead of being excited about this car. Pearson Mazda has left me with nothing but the feeling I may have made 1 of the worst decisions of my life trusting them

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by frmorris on 04/05/2018

I just purchased a brand new 2018 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring. I love the fact that they did not play games when I walked into the dealership. I walked in and told them exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a 2017, but they didn't have one, but I knew that before I walked it. I had been doing my research for over 8 months and knew exactly what I should pay for the vehicle. Their first offer was very fair and was not marked up by thousands like many others dealers do. The price that I was given was very close to what many tried to sell me the 2017 for. My salesman PAUL THRASHER was absolutely outstanding. This man is so knowledgeable and knows his Mazdas. Customer service is superb! I cannot give him and James enough kudos. Big thanks to James for all his help. He put the icing on the cake to get the deal done. This was the fastest and easiest car purchase I have ever made. After I picked up my car, Paul took the time to setup and go through every single feature that my vehicle offered. And let me tell you, this vehicle does a lot. I received followed calls and emails after my purchase. I am a very happy and satisfied customer.

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by jdavidcox on 06/14/2017

I'm a new customer to Pearson Mazda, but after finding my new Mazda 3, I'll definitely be back. I met with Paul, who made my shopping experience as painless as possible. Every other member of the staff in the showroom and finance department were super down to earth, and not pushy at all. They had exactly what I was looking for in terms of color and trim level.

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by MSCurry on 06/12/2017

I went to Pearson Mazda already knowing what make/model vehicle I wanted. Paul worked with me to ensure that I received an amazing vehicle. He and Mike (finance department) provided accurate information regarding financing/warranty etc. I was able to finance a loaded car that was the exact make/model that I wanted!

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by claytonberkey on 05/05/2017

My wife and I bought a new 2017 Mazda from Pearson Mazda and came away really impressed with how great the people at this dealership really are. Paul Thrasher (sales) and Mike Ezell (finance) both are terrific people. They're humble, honest, decent guys who genuinely care about making sure the customer is happy. Both of them went out of their way to ensure that we were satisfied. It's rare to find a good dealership, but Pearson Mazda is just terrific! We could not be happier with Paul and Mike and we highly recommend shopping at Pearson Mazda!

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by AdrienneD on 04/21/2017

My engine stopped working on my 2008 Mazda 3. It was well maintained and only had 73,000mi. The mechanic said beyond the engine it was in great shape. I needed another car fast. When I arrived with car in tow, Judy Lindgren in the service department, did everything she could to take care of my needs, and was very comforting. Phil Zblewski was the Sales Representative, and I'd recommend him to anyone! He assisted me in finding great options that suited my needs from style, to performance and financially. I negotiate in my profession daily, and I left the parking lot knowing that I had received a fair deal across the board. I am brand loyal if they fit my parameters, Phil Zblewski, Judy Lindgren, Sara Castleman and Freddy Strowbridge did just that for the Mazda brand.

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by RVABUCKEYE on 04/13/2017

Paul Thrasher and the rest of the team were fantastic. Was in a pretty bad situation with my previous car and Paul was available early.day to late night to get a deal done and put me in a new 2016 CX-5!

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by Paula2017 on 03/17/2017

In all the years of my car buying, my experience with Salesman Paul Thrasher was by far the best. Paul is educated, knowledgeable and extremely professional. And when it came to showing me the features on my new car, he was very thorough. Not to mention, he gave me the best price.

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by MrsKeator on 02/27/2017

I went to the dealership to trade in my old car for a new car. The Internet Consultant Robert was very helpful in giving me an option on the payments plus a high value on my old car. The guy from the Finance Mike helped me and explain to me every details of the pros and cons, and options on owning my new car, and the plus thing is that i get what monthly payment option i had on my finances .Thank you gentlemen for the help , if in the future il get a new car i would still get it from this dealership.

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by Alicia123 on 03/12/2016

Three years ago I bought a car for my daughter for Christmas from Pearson Mazda. That was a great experience. So my daughter wanted to look at trading for another vehicle so naturally I went back to Pearson. However, this experience was nothing like the first one. Extreme disappointment. I spent 5 hours on Sunday until the store was closing to tell my daughter the salesman made a mistake and had mixed up the vehicles. We were literally about to sign papers. I feel this dealership was dis honest and something else was wrong and they used a vehicle mix up to end the deal. We went to another Mazda dealer out of the area and had a great experience and bought a vehicle. However I will never do business with Pearson Mazda in Richmond.

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by Davisam on 02/07/2015

Stay far, far away from this sleazy car dealership. We went to purchase a used vehicle from them and after the vehicle wouldn't start (twice) and our bank (with whom we had pre approved financing) refused to finance that particular vehicle due to the sale price far exceeding it's appraised value and the vehicle's poor condition, we decided against the purchase of the vehicle. The dealership tried every pushy sales tactic to force the sale. When we still refused, they wouldn't release our trade-in and left us stranded with two young children and no vehicle. After this experience, I question the integrity and ethics of their business practices and I caution anyone in conducting business with this company.

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by 4integrity1 on 03/11/2014

My wife and I visited this dealer several times to research the new Mazda3 and drive it. When we came in to buy it, the salesman told us they had priced the car way too low, and would only accept the full sticker price. He was rude and dismissive - take it or leave it - and we left. We are seeing a lot of in-your-face gouging from dealers these days, ranging from maneuvers like this one to the huge $500+ “processing fees” that are tacked on to every sale. Another dealer stamped “No haggle price” on his offer, and my wife said, “He can just go “no haggle” someone else. There are still good dealers out there who will treat you right, but this isn’t one of them.

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by mickyo3 on 11/29/2013

I went to Pearson Mazda to look at a Ford Focus Used car on Wednesday, Nov. 27th. The car was listed as a Certified Used Car and the salesman told me that the car had passed their stringent inspection process. He stated that they would not have put the car on their lot if it were not up to their high standards. He indicated that the car came with a valuable warranty. I was given a copy of the Carfax report that showed two prior owners and no issues. He also gave me a copy of the Kelly Blue Book report showing the car to be in excellent condition. The pricing he was using reflected a full KBB retail excellent condition offer. I took the car for a test drive and returned to the dealership. I told the salesman that I wanted to have my mechanic look at the car. He told me that that wasn't really necessary since his mechanics had inspected the car and it was a certified used car. But, I wanted to have my mechanic look at the car anyway. We later agreed on a price for me to purchase the car. My husband took the car to our mechanic later that day. It took him less than five minutes to determine that the car had likely been in an accident. The hood and part of the front end had been replaced. My husband went back to the dealership and the GM told him that they knew there was some minor damage to the car. However, this had not been disclosed to me. He told my husband that he could buy the car or not. He would only reduce the price of the car by a few hundred dollars in light of the accident. My guess is the next person might not take the car to a mechanic and not know about the accident until it became a problem later.

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by skips58 on 12/06/2012

Over the last month, my wife and I test drove two different 2012 Mazda3s - the i Touring and the i Grand Touring. I then got quotes from several dealers. Justin R. (at Pearson Mazda) first quote wasn't the best but was still good. He ended up exceeding and then beating the best deal I had received from another dealer. We really wanted to give him our business since that's where we test drove the cars and because the dealership was just two miles from my house. After my financing was approved, we came in and left 2.5 hours later with a new 2012 Mazda 3 i Grand Touring. 12 of the 15 miles on the car my wife and I put on it a week earlier test driving it. We would have been in and out quicker, but we let the Business Manager see if he could beat our financing rate and he did. I even met the Service Manager and was impressed with his operation. It's my first new car since 1976. I traded in an 18-year old Saturn in the deal and got what I wanted for it. I think it helped to have done my homework ahead of time in this whole sales process. Everyone was great. The General Manager emailed me within days to make sure I was happy with the car, the sales process, and his staff. I was. I love the car. Thank you Pearson Mazda!

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by stolencar on 06/01/2010

I dropped my car off for service at Mazda and went there when it was ready to be picked up. AFTER I paid $600 for the service and waited 20 minutes, I was informed that they could not locate my keys. After another 30 minutes, I was told they could not find my car either. Mazda said it was test driven that morning and they don't know what happened to it. They said sorry, I will have to file a police report and there is nothing they could do. My keys were obviously left in the car unattended, or in a place easily accessible to a thief. This dealership is careless and irresponsible! I returned the following morning to request a rental car at the very least and was denied. I demanded a refund on the services I paid for the previous day and I was denied. I'm told I need to handle this all myself through my own insurance company and that Mazda will take no responsibility for this. 6 days later, I am finally getting a rental car. I'm told I will receive a refund but have yet to see it. And what about MY CAR? Nothing. No car. No I'm so sorry we screwed up. No compensation, no apology, no nothing. I now have to reach into my own pocket and pay for an attorney. Thanks Mazda. You have lost me as a customer forever.

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