Don2000g

A very good friend of mine told me that his younger sister is having some serious problems with her local dealership with regards to replacing an engine that needs to be replaced because of serious water damage. The car is brand new and has been owned for only 6 weeks or so. I don't know the exact ins and outs of the damage, but I do know that the dealership said that the engine is not repairable. They would need to get a brand new one and replace the existing one. So this is where the problem begins. The dealership cotends that the current warranty does not cover this repair or replacement. The young lady who owns the car drove her car into a deep puddle of water as it was raining heavily and the car just died on her. It's never started again.

So as a good friend I told him to give Nissan a call at 1800 Nissan-1 to see if they can advise him and her. But even more so, I told him that I would check with my good friends on the Maxima forum as they would be a great source of information. So kindly give me a few tips or ideas as what they can do next. And obviously, clarify the warranty on a new Max for me. Any possible way to bring up a lemon law contention or is this not possible as she did drive her car into a deep puddle of water as it was raining. Thanks for any and all info guys.

Don

Wegaman

I don't see why a factory warranty would cover driver error. Would they cover damages if you ran your car off a cliff?

swallac2

I hate to say it, but if she drove into a puddle it's not really Nissan's fault. I don't quite understand how a puddle can blow a motor though, unless she took a ton of water into the intake and it made it down into the motor. I would think computer or something electronic first. I say try a different dealer and if that doesn't work she ought to be able to file an insurance claim. 250 bucks for a deductable vs. several grand would be easier for me to handle.

Lonz

The manufacturer's warranty specifically excludes damage due to environmental conditions like the situation you described. It sounds like the engine took in some water and hydro-locked doing some nasty things internally.

She should contact her car insurance agent to discuss the repair. I used to live in Savannah GA and we had a particularly nasty storm a few years back which caused many a car to ingest water going through "puddles" aka flooded roads. The insurance companies were stepping up and processing them as damage claims.

Hope this helps and best of luck to her!

Regards,
Lonz

Green_2

Your friend needs to contact the insurance company

MaxSE2k

More than likely as previously mentioned - it would be an insurance claim, and she'd get a new car.

Don2000g

I must admit that you all seem to be right on the ball. One thing is clear though, she will think twice next time before she drives into any deep puddles or minor flooded areas.

I know this sounds very deceitful, but what if she were to simply pull a very known female trait of pretending ignorance. What if she goes to a different dealer and simply says, "Hey I'm a girl and I really don't know what could have happened to the car to make it stop running." Just curious.

JULIAN

iTrader: (3)

if she was the one driving the car into the puddle then it is not covered uner warranty, now she might be luck and that her car insurance may cover it. I had a friend of mine a few years back drive in a puddle when it was raining heavy here and his engine sucked water, bending the connecting rods = ruined engine. Somehow he got his insurance to cover the damage. Some insurance though WILL NOT cover it. I guess it depends on how you word it to them. I had another friend get his engine covered after his engine sucked water , he worded it something like this: All the roads were flooded but still passable, I was driving along when across the other side of the road a big truck was driving and pushing a huge wall of water in front of him, the wall of water hit my car, I tried to shut the engine befire it hit me, but it was too late. The engine just conked out. Now if this story he gave was true or not, I do not know, but I do know that I have witnessed it myself, when it happened to me, there were several large monster trucks(actually trucks that were lifted about 4 inches and had either 33" wheels) that were driving around really fast creating and pushing large walls of water in front of them, probably on purpose, causing lots of people to stall out, luckily I was able to turn off the main road, just in the nick of time. So basically it could happen. Good luck and God Bless.

bert

Well, I have to stay on the bandwagon. Doesn't sound like a defect to me.... unless....

Unless, someone can show that there is an opening somewhere under there that should not be open. Like that resonator that everyone wonders what is doing there below the air filer.

I have done my fair share of nice puddle stomps and have never had a problem.

2k2kev

this is gonna be expensive, and any mechanic that can't recognize water in the engine wouldn't be employed long. She's better off trying to hit on her insurance agent, maybe let him think he'll get lucky... then throw the broken car at him with a promise "fix it and you might get some."

silverkorn

iTrader: (3)

if she had all stock intake and so forth on it then it should be covered. unles she was driving in water more then 6" deep. still with stock equipment on the car she should be covered as the car is designed to drive through water, just not deep (more then 6") and not driving through the puddles doing like 60. personally i would see if you can try a different dealership and also try calling the insurance company. all in all it still sucks