Bensmax00

hi, i have been reading and repplying to some of your guys posts-but it is amazing to see that you all do not like to go to the dealer(as I work for a Nissan dealer). As an employee of Nissan, I try to do my best to do what ever I can to make the customer happy(and all the techs at our dealer--can not speak for other dealers). we are trying to make a living to though granted I will not sell something that does not need to be done. although it amazes me to see how much money people drop on their cars.
I always thought that if you had a problem you go to the dealer because they know your car because that is all that we work on--there are used car techs for those non Nissan vehicles-and really a car is the worst investment that you can have--think about it-as soon as you leave the lot the resale value goes down unless you have a nice classic--a houses resale value usually goes up. I mean as a tech we only get paid less than half of what the dealer charges you so there really is no incentive for us to rip the customer off(but the service advisors are another story--ill leave you wil two words sales men--so watch them)
thanks

2k2kev

-dealers are in the game to make money so of course they're going to try to...well, make money

-in a lot of place the service dept is an adversary of the sales dept...I've been to plenty of places I'd never buy a car specifically because of the service dept

-most people go to the dealer because they think they have to. Many people go because they think the dealer will "know the car better." Both kinds of people are wrong

-"I will not sell something that does not need to be done" ....... I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say "maybe *you* but not all dealer employees" but I'll also ask this... how many times has someone come in with a problem and rather than take the time to diagnose it you say "change the __x___" and throw a new one in and charge them? Then a few days later when they come back because __x__ didn't fix the problem you say "oh, then we have to change __y__". When you do that, do you refund the money they already spent?

-salesmen is one word

Having said all that, the service dept at the place near me is pretty good. I go in and tell them the problem and that's what they fix. They don't try to upsell me on other stuff, but then again I usually go in and tell them specifically what's wrong so that might be why they don't try to rip me off. My wife brought my car once for the hood TSB and they tried to convince her it was also time for a tranny flush (at 12k miles ).

There's a reason car dealers rank right above telemarketers in "jobs people hate"

jrod1014

iTrader: (2)

Your dealer must be one in a million.
At my local dealer, my rep admitted to me that the techs specifically HATE doing warranty work becuase they aren't paid as much for it. He also said they have no incentive to really fix your car becuase it isn't theirs. After telling me that I want to sell back the warranty I purchased and just bite the bullet if something goes wrong. The way I keep my car maintained should keep me away from the dealer for major, costly work.
Fact is, most people don't trust mechanics in general be it at a dealer or Tires Plus, Firestone, etc. Thankfully I have a mechanic I can trust who did nothing but pure majic to my family's 1993 SE.

2002 Maxima SE

iTrader: (3)

When I brought my car in for service my tech didn't even look at me when I spoke to him. I asked him questions about the service and he ignored me. Finally I told him to make a comment to check the fan hook up before closing the hood (as I had discovered it was unhooked after my last visit). He laughed and then walked away (I had to guess that that was his cue for me to go to the waiting room).

4 hours later they still had not completed the service. Better yet, the car was still outside waiting to go in. I had made an appointment two weeks in advance and brought the car in at opening (I was the first in line).

I asked my tech what the problem was and he ignored me...so I stood out in the bay until I got an answer. Finally someone took over for him, pulled my car in and was done in 15 minutes. He had the gall to ask if I would give the dealership an excellent rating on the form. I asked what he could offer me for that, he said "Nothing".

Southern States Nissan of Raleigh has lost my business.

mzmtg

iTrader: (11)

I've never had a dealer service experience that went totally smoothly. Plus, the rates charged are simply outrageous (since I can fix most of my problems myself, it's very hard for me to pay someone else $80 to do the same thing)

I consider myself lucky whenever I even get the proper part that I ordered in the time quoted.

ihavea5spd

my 3 dealer experiences:

1. had a screw loose around the mudflap, and the screw wouldn't go back in tight. they fixed it in the parking lot and didn't charge me a dime.

2. went in because my sunroof didn't work properly. they tried to sell me
a $300 motor for the sunroof. i said....no. i disconnected the battery, and let
it sit for a while. connectd the battery and it worked like new.

3. needed a tranny fluid change. went to the dealer and when they were doing that, they pointed out that i needed new brakes. (which i knew i did). had them change the brakes too. they got me in right away. i also told them about the sunroof fix. they actually wrote it down in the book. apparently, they really did not know.

my dealer seems to have treated me a lot better than most i read about on this board.

jkayca

I was thinking of buying G35 this summer but thanks to my dealer's lack luster performance I'll probably won't buy another Nissan product.

You'll have to include me the 2nd half. The techs at my dealer are idiots.

Been down this road too. I still have a rattle despite my dealer telling my they fixed it by tightening the cat heat shield.

AcerX

Exactly, my mother's dealer gives her the run-around everytime she goes to get her car "checked" or "fixed"!!! That is why my Dad and I fix all the cars now.

Bensmax00

well thats cool--but If I can not figure out whats wrong with the car I ask our shop foreman--we have 2. The problem with tecnicians today is flat rate--if you are flat rate you try to make as many hours as possible--so in turn they might not take the time to try and figure it out--but a couple of techs here are hourly so that if we diagnose something and they give us an hour then I will use the time wisely to try to figure it out---sometimes there are times that are mere coincidents like say your maxima has a p1320 ignition signal primary(coils) and we replace them(that job only takes 10 min-so you only get charged how long it takes) then the ses light comes on again most people will think that we did not fix the problem and take it some where else just to find a different code--or say you come back to us saying the light is back on, we usually pull the code for free-and now you have the 420 code so we reprogram the ecm usually covered under 8/80,000 and you did not have to pay anything for the 2nd time. thats how it is suppose to be--our whole goal is the customer--but I have seen that we treat problem customers better than some of our regular customers and that is what gets me mad.

mzmtg

iTrader: (11)

That is by FAR the exception and not the rule with dealers. The vast majority of dealers charge a minimum of one hour (up to $85 ) just to check codes.

AcerX

Just take it to AutoZone!

Ammi

iTrader: (26)

his dealer must be the only one pulling codes for free

CCS2k1Max

iTrader: (2)

He means free to their employees...
Around here is $105 for the "diagnostic".

Love_00_Max

My 2K max has not been to a dealership after 36K miles. Now it has 72K on it and I have done all my servicing -- you know why, not becoz I don't want to spend the extra 100 bucks to get the professional to fix the problem, but becoz the stealerships don't give the right answer to the problem, they force things down ones pocket when the problem is somewhere else. I scared off my mind to take my car to a dealer becoz I don't know if the stealership would introduce a problem while fixing the other for need of recurring business..... Sad that a country that has more vehicles than people and so called professional rip off customers, if one did a honest job think about the busineesssssss one could have and also by not ripping off the customer the person can go home and sleep well..... My 2 cents on honesty and doing the right thing -- if it was not for this forum, I can garuentee that I would have spent more than many thousands of dollars on sevicing, and still not happy!!!!

Barc

iTrader: (2)

I could give you the tale of how Southern States VW in Durham tried to screw me on a GTI by out and out LYING to me for a week over the phone, me driving there (200+ miles one way) and then finding out that EVERY WORD the salesman had said was a lie... other than his name... maybe. I later found out that there were several others (and a few who had bought from them) who had had similar things happen on both the sales side and service side. If that is any indication of their business practices, then I'll keep my money in my pocket and go down the street.

My current dealer (Nissan) is pretty good (Not going to give any names as I don't want to advertise for him without someone actually knowing me... don't want to seem like a salesman myself! lol). The used sales side is ok but there is room for improvement. The new side is great since they will actually work hard for you.

Service is good there, as well, as they will work with you when you get your oil changed (as in try to fit it into YOUR schedule) and will actually look at minor things when its there for just a lube.

The mechanics are quite knowledgable as that was the first place I'd heard of solving the mystery bump in the front suspension and some have been working on Datsuns / Nissans for years. Even if the garage portion is a bit small, it can do all the work I need. They are building a new facility that will be done sometime soon, however, so this will be a lot less of an issue.

And they are friendly (the people who work there), also a big plus if something does take longer than expected in front of you and you get bored and want to shoot the breeze with the people behind the desk or the salesmen. Heck, the owner of the dealership (and at least one other) is even great as I've bought 2 cars from him directly now and he's very down to earth.

Also, its great to have someone ask you when you're there for standard maintenance if "everything is doing ok" and really seem to mean it. And then tell you that if anything does happen, call them directly. A bit of a "wow" factor for me.

I know I've read some horror stories as well and I have been IN a few of those stories myself. But when I find a good dealer I tend to stick with them and recommend them to my friends. I think that many more dealers of all types of cars are learning that if you do someone right they will tell a few people; if you screw them over, they'll tell everyone they know!

2k2kev

infiniti is not a nissan product.... their cars and service continue to rate in the top 3 for overall satisaction.... do not let nissan spoil your desire for an infiniti.

Barc

iTrader: (2)

Infiniti is a Nissan product. I think you meant to say that Infiniti does things differently at the dealership than Nissan does... and you'd be correct.

But the problem I see is that once you're burned, you're burned. A lot of people consider the company as a whole, not the individual dealerships as being independant of one another, especially with the reputation that most dealerships carry.

But you are correct, none-the-less. Generally, luxury car dealers are a different breed than most. But there are exceptions to every rule.

jkayca

My local Nissan and Infiniti dealership are one in the same. Same craptastic service department. Same sales staff. One showroom but with Nissans on one side and Infinitis on the other.

Barc

iTrader: (2)

I guess that's where my "generally..." comes into play. I'd hate that considering that you're basically buying what is a rebadged Nissan (and is still a Nissan in most other countries).

beer20

hey ben,i see youre in santa rosa,i am too.do you work at freeman nissan,or northbay?

ihavea5spd

there is a big difference between autozone pulling the codes and a good dealer pulling the codes.

CCS2k1Max

iTrader: (2)

Huge. When AZ pulls them, the org gets a ton of new P0XXX threads...

2k2kev

tom-A-toe, tom-AH-toe ...

Also saying nissan = infiniti is like saying scion = lexus. There's a bit of a difference.

The infiniti dealer nearest me is paired with a porsche dealer... it all depends on where you are.

mzmtg

iTrader: (11)

What's the difference?

Barc

iTrader: (2)

I was just saying that you were correct in what you were saying but had just messed up / not been as clear as you wanted when typing it (at least according to what some people would read it as saying). Just trying to help out another orger who obviously thinks faster than he can type! Its an all too common problem for those whose motor functions are not as quick as their big brains... I think I read somewhere that we are also better lovers and live longer and have whiter teeth and fresher breath! LOL J/K But I was just making others aware of what you were saying.

And I fully agree with you. It depends almost exclusively as to where you buy and not the brand being sold. I've been to BMW dealerships that treat you like you're just like them and I've been to BMW dealerships that take one look at you and ASSUME that you can't afford the M you're looking at.

Anyway, just because one is bad doesn't mean the rest are bad. Right 2k2kev? Had I thought my first and second experience with a Nissan dealership was representative of the rest, I'd have never bought the 2 I own now.

But, a bad "chain..." That's another story entirely.

Silver03SE

I think Nissan service absolutely sucks!!

I've had my 2003 in 7 times for the same GD problem. Warped rotors every few K mi, abnormal front brakepad wear, and an intermittent squeaking coming from the front right along with a slight wobble in the steering wheel at highway speeds.

It doesn't take an F'ing rocket scientist to figure out that the right front wheel/rotor assembly isn't rotating symmetrically, duh! Now, it's just trying to figure out WTF is causing everything to rotate abnormally....bent driveshaft anyone??

You would also think that after this many trips to the service department that Nissan customer service would step in when I called them. No such luck, those lazy-*** bastards kept telling me to take it back again.

Oh yeah, these experiences occurred at 3 different dealerships so don't tell me that it's just one in particular.

tothemax319

The dealer always has me at their mercy in the winter since I don't like to stick it out in the cold under the car. Or im at their mercy for other practices like alignments that the Ex-Con potheads at local Tire shops just can't get right. The dealer seems to be the only place with somewhat of a sense of professionalism these days. Which is why I do all work myself as long as weather permits. But hey, even though I just paid $182 at the dealer for an oil change, rotation, balance, and alignment, I can count on them for being extra nice in rescheduling me back in a week from now to fix my car which was supposed to be fixed yet still pulls to the left.

Barc

iTrader: (2)

I feel your pain, man. I've been dealt with like that at dealerships as well. Here's what I did.

1) Document everything you can (with dates and what was done).
Since you have been to all those dealerships, you should have the ticket that was done at each one along with what was done and the dates.
2) Call each dealership, or go by if they are close enough, and tell them you'd like to speak with a "Regional Factory Rep." Tell them why you want to speak with them and how many times you've been by (and all the other dealerships you've been to just to rub some salt into the wound). Tell each dealership your plan to go to the next dealership on your list, as well. If number one says they will get the rep in, you're ok. If not, go onto the next one but make sure you tell them that you're going to call Nissan NA and let them know how you were treated and the fact they refused service to you for no good reason.
3) After visiting one (or all) of the dealerships, call Nissan NA and get a record started with them along with the number. If any of the dealerships refused to allow a factory rep to come see your car, report them. After all, its broke and if they can't fix it, they should be moving up the line. Nissan won't put up with that very long before they send out a few dozen trucks and pick up all the cars along with signs, tents, etc. that happen to also have "Nissan" on them... Heard about that happening and even read about it in a news article.

Chances are, they will want to try to repair your car AGAIN before getting a Rep out. Don't refuse because that's basically saying "I don't want you to fix my car." However, you can tell them that you would like a Factory Rep to either call you or to come by anyway because this is a reoccuring problem. Stay on them about the Rep coming. They don't like to admit they can't fix things.

If all goes well but they don't fix it, you can have the Factory Rep come and test drive your car. INSIST YOU be in the car with him or that YOU drive. Don't back down. Don't let them BS you about "we don't have insurance on you" and such. Its your car and you have all rights to know what's happening with him behind the wheel.

He should be able to diagnose what the problem is. If not, you will at least be covered under warranty for the life of your car if something fails since it will be documented at Nissan, not some dealership. Plus, for all the hassle, you'll probably be given an extended warranty along with some better treatment at the dealership.

What happened to me was I went and just mentioned the "Factory Rep" part and they freaked. I got it fixed right away then but for some odd reason it couldn't have been either diagnosed, heard, or repaired before. Strange, right...

But, the method above was used by a friend with another make of car. I'm sure Nissan is pretty much the same. He got a full warranty on the transmission for 100K miles AFTER the tranny was replaced plus a free extended warranty for 100K total miles. But, like you, he'd put up with a LOT of headaches over it.

Hope that helps out. And I feel your pain. Good luck!!!!

mikelly

I'm glad I'm not in the same boat as you guys. The nissan dealership I've been
dealing with is outstanding. Even though I do most of my own servicing, if I had
to take it to my dealership they only do the work I ask and their prices are reasonable.
If I don't go to the dealership for a while they'll send me coupons with discount prices
just to get me in. Another thing if they find something else wrong they'll let me know
so I can either fix it myself or not. Once in a while I'll test the dealership about a
problem that I know and see if they can correctly diagnose it and fix it. (If I'm being
lazy and don't want to do the work myself)

I have no complaint about my dealership. They've taken care my 87 Maxima for
many, many years and I don't see them changing their quality of service. My .02

Mike