Art’s Automotive services some Mazda models, but not all. The Mazda cars we repair are:

If your Mazda isn’t on the list, please give us a call and we’ll let you know if we will service your Mazda. If not, we can offer you a referral to a good Mazda mechanic near you.

Mazda Services we offer

Mazda oil change and tire rotation (5K)
Routine maintenance (15K/30K/60K/75K/etc.)
Mazda check engine light diagnosis
Electrical diagnosis and repair
Brake pads / brake job
Tire repair and replacement
Wheel alignment
Power window repair
Struts and suspension repair
ABS and VSC light diagnosis and repair

Service we don’t offer

Unlike the other makes we repair we don’t offer complete service for Mazda. Currently, we don’t do computer reprogramming, key replacement, immobilizer diagnosis, or ADAS calibration for Mazda. We weren’t seeing enough demand to justify continuing our scanner and information subscriptions with Mazda.

We do have an Autel scanner which has pretty good OE level coverage, and that’s what we’re using for Mazda diagnosis currently. Unfortunately, there is no Mazda service center in Berkeley and currently we don’t have a good referral for the services we don’t offer.

If you find a Mazda repair shop that has these capabilities and have a good experience, please let me know and I’ll pass it along.

Mazda Maintenance

Mazda does things a little differently when it comes to routine maintenance. Most manufacturers follow a more or less standard pattern.

A small service every 5,000 miles. A medium service every 15K. And a large service every 30K.

In an attempt to avoid a costly 30K service, Mazda opted to include bits of the 30K services scattered throughout the small 5K services. I guess this might be good for budgeting, but it’s not a great idea for a couple of reasons in our opinion.

First, the pattern results in doing some maintenance items too early and others too late. There’s a reason most manufacturers recommend replacing the air filter every 30K miles – that’s when air filters are typically dirty enough to be worth replacing.

On some models (like the 2010 Mazda5) the air filter and cabin filter are replaced at 25K (5K too early in our opinion, at least for most drivers), and then, the engine air filter is replaced again at 35K without the cabin filter. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense.

For the sake of argument, let’s say 25K is how long the air filter is likely to last. Why then would it need replacing again just 10,000 miles later? And if both air filter and cabin filter were replaced together the first time, why would only the air filter be needed at the next interval?

The second reason the Mazda maintenance schedule is goofy is that it’s so different than every other manufacturer, it’s very likely that some service items will be missed at the 5K intervals. Mazda spark plugs are often overlooked at the 75K service because it’s such an odd interval. No other car gets its plugs replaced at 75K.

Our take on the Mazda service schedule

For these reasons we pretty much ignore the official schedule. We recommend the same service intervals for Mazda as for the other makes we repair. I’m hoping that now that Toyota has purchased some of Mazda and they are cooperating on projects, that standardizing the maintenance schedule will be something they improve.

Here’s what we recommend:

Every 5K – oil and filter, tire rotation, brake inspection
Every 15K – everything in the 5K service plus a full vehicle inspection
Every 30K – everything in the 15K plus engine air filter and cabin air filters
At 30K we also recommend flushing the brake fluid and possibly replacing the transmission fluid as well
Every 60K – everything in the 30K
At 60K we recommend flushing the brake fluid and now we strongly urge you to replace the transmission fluid
Every 75K – everything in the 15K + spark plugs
Every 90K – everything in the 30K + coolant (Mazda recommends the first coolant at 120K, and then every 60K/2 years)

Are Mazdas expensive to repair?

Are Mazdas expensive to maintain? Not really. In general, most Mazda vehicles aren’t very expensive to service or repair. Mazda brake pads are more expensive when purchased from a Mazda dealer. Other Mazda parts are relatively inexpensive.

Unfortunately, there’s no Mazda dealership in Berkeley, so we purchase our Mazda parts from San Leandro Mazda or Dublin Mazda, and they have a small fee for delivery. We previously used Marin Mazda, but after a management change, the started charging “super list”.

Since we are a Mazda specialist, we’re familiar the who makes the parts for various Mazda models. For instance, some Mazda cars use ATE brake pads, and often we can purchase the same brand for less than the Mazda dealer sells them for.

Being a Mazda repair shop in Berkeley isn’t very difficult. People in the Bay Area are relatively well off due to high wages and Mazda repair costs and service pricing are relatively low, so Mazda owners are typically a pretty happy bunch.

Good quality parts are available on the same day in most cases and Mazda auto repairs are usually pretty straightforward. So, if you’re looking for a Mazda mechanic near you for a Mazda repair, we’d be happy to help you.

Certified technicians

We’re ASE certified, so if you’re looking for a shop Mazda repair near you, and live in the East Bay Area, give us a call. We’d love to be your Mazda specialist. Most of our clients live in Berkeley, but we also have people come from Emeryville, Oakland, El Cerrito, Albany and Richmond. We’re exactly one mile from Ashby BART.

Mazda mechanic – Service, Maintenance, and Repair in Berkeley