ghostrider17

iTrader: (6)

YOu go Soonerfan!!

I'm getting to the point now where I can't deny my oil loss anymor either. I may HAVE to make an apt. with the local Nissan Dealership soon to begin this assenine process.

Keep us posted Sooner....the fall of the mighty Nissan Empire rests upon your shoulders!!

gr

platinum03SE

do the dealers have a problem with mods on the car when ude bring it in for warranty work?

JohnWEngle

No disrespect, but this is _WAY_ better than any TV drama!

Give 'em hell! Don't give up! The org is rooting for you all the way!

platinum03SE

im bringing my car next week to the local nissan dealer. the guy there said that they have seen this before and have taken care of it. hopefully ill get me a new motor.

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

according to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the dealership would have to prove that the aftermarket part CAUSED the problem.
that being said, i take my intake off when I go to the dealership so i dont have to argue with them.

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

good luck.
if its easy for you...i will beat you

eng92

iTrader: (3)

FWIW here are a couple of pics I took of a VQ35 that I bought from a wrecker (~30K on it) to do a swap with. I tore it down to the block after it failed a leakdown test miserably. Most of the leakage was through the intake and exhaust. The rings on all cylinders were gummed up with a thick black oily residue.

The cylinder walls were in great shape (no scoring whatsoever) so I cleaned it all up, replaced the rings and lapped the valves. I have been running it now for close to a year with no measureable oil loss.

AnDyMaN

iTrader: (19)

wow, did you write that yourself? that sounds very good. maybe we can sticky that post and make it a guideline for all future oil consumption problems!

good luck, hope nna doesn't screw you over

LA02MAX

iTrader: (3)

engrish crasses FTW!

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

i have a good friend that works in public relations...she may have "helped me" with the letter.
she said if it works, anyone one here can hire her to work the situation for them

ghostrider17

iTrader: (6)

Well - I had a long quid-pro-quo conversation about my oil loss issue with my father today over a few beers, and have decided that it's time to head to the stealer and start the process on a diagnosis & warranty claim.
I'm @ 52,000miles, and have just experienced a significantly heavier oil loss since my last oil change - roughly DOUBLE my usual of 1 qt every 5k miles. I've been monitoring my oil consumption VERY carefully for the past year - and I just can't ignore this issue any longer - particularly while I've still got 8k left on my powertrain warranty.

Whatever the outcome, I STILL want to keep my car. I figure the worst case scenario is that if Nissan were to deny a warranty claim to either fix or replace my engine, I would have to shoulder the cost of rebuliding the top-end, which I figure would run me anywhere from $1000-$2000 - just a guess.

I really like this car, and I'd like to keep it for a while longer. Honestly, I can't think of many other cars that I TRULY want to buy right now, especially for the $$$ involved. I am really hoping that Nissan does me right on this one, but only time will tell - and it's dependent on how the local service mgr treats me too.
I will keep you all posted as to what happens.

gr

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

well its on!
i got blown off in a form letter that gave me the same line that the dealership already gave me. it didnt even address ANY of the points that I made to dispute their reason.

LA02MAX

iTrader: (3)

That kind of **** really pisses me off. Hopefully you'll be able to get a new engine through legal action. Good luck for the bumpy road ahead.

everyone post bad **** about Valanna Lyons all over the web

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

it pisses me off cause they are blowing me off. i guess they assume that I will give up but I havent done that yet.

my next step according to my letter -

Should Nissan North America continue to deny service for the identified oil consumption problem under the existing powertrain warranty, I will seek arbitration through an arbitration program that complies with the Federal Trade Commission’s arbitration regulations as laid out in the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

PandaXpress

iTrader: (80)

Time to sue...............

Rydicule

I absolutely love my 2002 Maxima. When it's time has past, that letter right there has completely convinced me that my next car will not be a Nissan. Man that crap burns me up inside. Talk about egging your customers in the face.

Nissan North America, Inc. FTMFL!

Rydicule

I love my 02 Maxima. I really do. That letter right there has made my decision. When it comes time to retire the 02 Max, I will not buy another Nissan. That crap burns me up inside. Talk about throwing egg right in the face of your customers.

Nissan North America, Inc. FTMFL.

paul5:14

According to that letter you couldn't provide them proof of regular service. If that is true thats your fault and they have every right to refuse your claim. If you can't produce records of service how do they know if you've ever done an oil change at all. As they say in the letter you have to see their point of view.

LA02MAX

iTrader: (3)

read the whole thread...

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

have you not read this whole thread?
did you read the letter i sent them?
please dont jump in at the end of the thread and make statements that i have already addressed (in the thread and my letter to nissan)
i did my first 3 oil changes myself so, no I dont have receipts. is Nissan saying people arent allowed to change their own oil.
also, they already spent hundreds of dollars and hours working on the engine UNDER WARRANTY with no questions asked. they arent refusing service based on "lack of records". they are denying it because now its going to be expensive.
i have people that witnessed me change my own oil. in my letter i said that they would provide affidavits if needed.
like i said, im not upset that they are still denying me...i assumed they would do that they first time. im upset because they blew me off and didnt address any of the points i made to dispute their reasons for denying service.

'02_EMILBUS

iTrader: (3)

I have definitely noticed oil loss and the noise in my 2002 SE. I think it may just be burning the oil (rings) like mentioned in a previous post.

ghostrider17

iTrader: (6)

I feel for you Sooner....I can't help but be negative about the outcome of my own engine given my relative distrust for Nissan's Customer Service protocols.

The thing is, this ENTIRE process would be completely negated by a very simple engine loading/compression test on the engine. It would tell Nissan EXACTLY what is wrong with the engine, and where it's coming from.

Trouble is - they KNOW THIS. They make us jump thru hoops to document our oil loss issues, and then at the end of the process it simply boils down to a subjective factor: they decide whether or not to honor their warranty.
And we ALL know why they do it this way: limitation of liability. Who is in a position (legal) to sue us (Nissan). That's ALL it is these days.
There's no such thing as brand loyalty, or owner satisfaction. You want that....you gotta buy a Lexus or Benz.

I hate the ideology that having service done by anyone BUT a Nissan dealer invalidates the warranty....because THAT is exactly the premise under which they are operating. This is nothing more than legalized extortion for those of us who service our cars ourselves. Why don't they just come right out and STATE that in the warranty booklet???

I wish I didn't LIKE my car, and also that I'm an honest person - because I would sell this thing SO fast otherwise.....I swear I'll never buy another Nissan if they don't honor the warranty for this engine, after i PROVE it's burning oil. ***!

end rant.
gr

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

the dealership performed a compression test and a leak down test...under warranty.
the engine failed both.
thats when nissan determined that there was a real problem.
thats also when they realized they had an excuse to stop working on it.

'02_EMILBUS

iTrader: (3)

I have definitely noticed oil loss and the noise in my 2002 SE. I think it may just be burning the oil (rings) like mentioned in a previous post.

ghostrider17

iTrader: (6)

For my own edification:
Did they do the tests AFTER they verified the measured oil loss over time?

At what point did they replace the PCV, Valve Cover Gaskets, etc.??

I had a LONG somewhat argumentative discussion with the svc mgr at the dealer I went to last week, and he simply REFUSED to accept that 1) the valve covers/gaskets were covered under the powertrain warranty 2) that a leak-down test would be performed to determine the cause of oil loss.

Of course, I'm not even to my first check interval yet - so, I'm really getting ahead of myself.
I just can't believe they would take you THAT far, and then dump you?!
I'd say you are correct to assume that you are being hosed. How obvious can it be?? And why does NISSAN get to decide whether or not they honor their warranty and when?? Such BULL!
gr

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

its all covered in this thread...and the letter to nissan i posted

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Drop a ve in it..

J/K

Sorry to hear about your problems with nissan na sooner,just goes to show what direction nissan is really heading...

PAREDLINE

Who the hell names their kid Valanna Lyons. Sounds like a f'in **** star.

My next car is definitely NOT going to be a nissan/infiniti. Shift_Garbage.

Here's what I would do. Go to two or three reputable engine rebuild shops. Get estimates on what it would cost.

Submit these estimates to Nissan North America. Write to them once again that you have submitted maintenance records and that you will include another copy with affidavits. You have to give them affidavits of people or else they'll think you're just lying.

Then if they blow you off again, depending on what the estimates are, take them to small claims court.

Every jurisdiction has limits on what small claims courts will hear. I think in NYC its $5000.

What small claims court does is provide a forum for fast processing. Most, if not all cases are decided on the same day. Nissan will have to hire an attorney and get them to go to the hearing- at the very least. That's going to cost them about $2000 right there. So they might just give you the engine because it'll cost them the same either way.

You can represent yourself. Bring your witnesses. Show pictures of how you maintain your car, your oil change equipment, where you work in your garage/driveway/street, and that you are a member of this forum. All of this contributes to your credibility.

In all likelihood, you will win. If not, the judge may ask Nissan for evidence that makes them believe you have NOT changed your oil. In which case they may have to tear down your engine at their expense and prove that the damage was caused by not changing oil. If they feel they can prove this, you will provide an expert witness that will state that the damage caused to the engine can be caused by mechanical/engineering failure as a manufacturer defect as well as not changing oil therefore they cannot conclude that you have not changed your oil leading to this malfunction. My guess is they will point to gummed up pistons and say it's dirty etc etc. However I'm pretty sure your valvetrain will be clean and without gum residue. This will be in your favor because one part of the engine cannot be dirty while the other is clean if all the oil was dirty.

Does that make sense?

Nissan is a bunch of knuckleheads. Just be persistent.

Cavez

Ok...I think there should be a poll put up on how many people are having this problem with the VQ35 and their driving styles. I'm going to be handing my 00 over to my sister and possibly buying a 2002...it would be nice to know how frequent this is before I go drop 15K on a car that runs no better than a Pontiac. BTW...my dad's 3.5 has not consumed oil yet...but it sounds like his may be one of the few.

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

IMO...driving style has NOTHING to do with this problem. the first dealership i went to said that i caused the problem by driving it hard and letting the RPMs get to high.
there is a rev limiter...if the engine cant handle high revs...they need to baby it and lower the limiter.

dont make a car with 255 HP and a 6-speed if you want me to baby the car and drive it like a grandma. they market the car as a high performance sedan. they cant turn around and blame an owner for driving it the way it was made (and advertised)

platinum03SE

i duno im going to the dealer before 60k. im at 52k now. ive noticed my oil consumption usually is bad when im driving the car hard. i try to not do that to much. i still dont understand where the oil goes thou. wouldn't it be smoking alot if it were rings?

platinum03SE

also, wouldnt the oil say at like 3000 miles would be trashed? my oil still looks pretty good when i take it out at 3000. i use mobile clean 5000.

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

the oil consumption is CAUSED by bad rings...the problem is EXPOSED by driving the car hard (like it was made to do).
mine is burning...when i floor it, i can see smoke coming out the back

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

after 1K miles, my oil is 1 qt low. whats left is very dark because its working harder.

Cavez

ya know...I do agree. These cars were advertised with the tach sitting at 6500 RPM's. They were sold as cars that were able to handle it, and by every indication, they've always lived up to the challenge. However...NO car should be burning a quart every 1000 miles if it has less than 120K. Even that's bad consumption. We've owned Maxima's for some time and never had oil consumption issues but then again we only have one vq35 and the others have been vq30's. I've heard that the vq35 in general took a huge quality beating during the changeover and i think this would completely validate that point. That's why I'm wondering...how many people have had this same problem. If it's more than %30, the problem should be addressed maybe by more than just one person. Hell, if more than 10% are having this problem, something's wrong. It's funny actually, after reading this thread today, I went to google and did a vq35 oil burning search and a site came up for the fundamentals that the new vq35HR were based on...one of them was "smooth agile high revolution engine." I'm also starting to wonder how many of these JD Power surveys have been fixed...caus the Maxima at least circa 00-03 was considered to be the number one out the 3 major foreign midsize sedans. The I35 has been rated the number one in reliability also for the past 5 years. Sooo....what's the tally on other people with the problem? Should we start a new thread?

JollyR

Long story short I wound up with 2 cars with this problem. What are the ods of that?

2000SS camaro LS1 drinks about a quart every 1500 (40K miles currently)
2003SE that the wife drives that drinks about the same amount (90Kcurrently.

Both cars had terrible detonation prior to adding the catch can. Now consuption is just an annoyance. Neither of these companies get my business any longer as both came back with, "Duh..don't you know that's normal." Whatever? I have a choice and I'll walk to another brand. Funny that my 98 Altima is going strong at 150K with just the usual things.

Cavez

That's bull about normal consumption being that high...they're just saving their asses. I just changed the oil on our VQ30 2K past due...perfectly full, not one drop missing. That's the way a motor is supposed to run...not consuming a qt every 1500 miles. That's BS.

boondoxmax

iTrader: (1)

03 6 speed w/ 64000 miles now on it with absolutely no oil burning whatever. Because of all the 6 speeds buring oil on the org, I check my oil level every morning before I leave my garage to go to work. So far so good.

MacGarnicle

iTrader: (1)

I've been keeping up with the goings-on here and I was quite surprised to see the letter they wrote back to you..well maybe not 'surprised', but angered none-the-less. Typical big-company talking to small customer, type answer.

Can't hurt to write another letter, referencing the letter they sent you and asking them for answers addressing your letter. If they send you the same bs, at least you have evidence of them acting in poor faith.

Looks like court might be your only recourse.. hope the tricky wording in their warranty doesn't sway some judge.

Keep it up!

maxdis1

Same ,here. I am now @ 72,000 miles (2000 miles since last oil change ,1 and 1/2 quart of oil added). I am driving 500 miles per week @ 80mph . This is one garbage 6mt . Do I drive it hard? Yes! Why, because I drove my last 5speed harder and it did not burn a drop of oil. I am out of warranty . I am about to order pcv valve, valve cover gaskets and spark plugs to see if any thing changes. I am angry and cannot tell the wife that this car which I have for less than 1 year is burning oil like a kuwait oil field.