Mazda *******.

<p>I drive a 2006 Mazda Drifter 2.5TD, and for as long as I have had it, bought brand new, I have encountered very few problems. In fact it is a very reliable, easy to drive vehicle. The battery was, up until a week ago, the original one. Again - wonderful. After purchasing a new battery and replacing it in the engine is when I picked up problems. The radio needs a code to re-activate it. Having contacted Casseys Auto in Springs (where I bought the Mazda) I was informed that they are no longer a Mazda agent, only Ford, and I need to phone Basil Green in Edenvale, which I did. I spoke to a person called Wesley and he informed me that they could give me the code of my radio for a fee of R500. Really. I paid several hundred thousand for the bakkie, and now I have to pay R500 to get the code for MY radio in MY bakkie. Then I was told that as the vehicle is no longer under warrantee I could take it to any car radio installer and they could take the radio out and the code would be printed on the side. So I spent R80 to have the radio taken out only to find there is no code printed anywhere. While I was there I phoned Basil Green again asking for Wesley or Jean, and, as they were both busy I left a message for one or the other to please phone me back urgently. Well it is now almost 5 hours later and also after working hours, so when are they going to phone me back - or are they even. I think this is an absolute *******. So Ford and Mazda owners be aware that you need to pay for any code for your vehicle even though some of these bakkies are half a million rand plus.</p>