At the suggestion of my regular mechanic I brought...

At the suggestion of my regular mechanic I brought in my 2008 Mazda3 (that I bought for my daughter a few months ago) because of some check engine light transmission codes. I was looking for some Mazda-specific advice and insight. They charge $130 for code reading and assessment. The car is actually running great so the code errors might be something related to a computer issue or some other issue. I did not get the expertise I was looking for. I was told I could replace the transmission or maybe a $300 transmission fluid service might do something. I don t think they even looked at the transmission fluid because if they had the would have seen it was clear red. It was changed a few months ago. They wanted to replace the spark plugs. I told them that the cylinder 4 error code was addressed with a new spark plug so that should not be an issue. They also mentioned wipers and a headlight so I said OK to do that. But I did not know that the headlight would end up being $100. Just for this they had the car for 2+ days. I picked it up first thing in the morning, signed and quickly left as my daughter needed the car for a doctor appointment and I was late for work.
When I looked at the bill later I was surprised to find $310 labor for reading the codes. I was also surprised to find that they replaced the plugs and did a cleaning of the fuel system. The plugs and fuel system were not an issue. They should not have been touched. The next day, via email I asked about the $310 labor charge and was told it was a combination of codes and other labor. Mazda didn t detail the labor charges. Mazda did work for which they did not have a written authorization from me.
I will give the devil his due on occasion as when I take my Honda to the Honda dealer. I know the dealer charges can be expensive, but as long as I am getting added value and insight that is OK. I didn t think I got any added value at Mazda. I learned more about my transmission issues on Google. I felt like just another ticket and they did work not necessary.