Hey folks, new here. I picked up a 2017 Maxima Platinum back in December. Shortly after taking the car home I noticed the Left audio channel was cutting in an out, and would at times not work for over 10+ minutes, especially in the cold. I've taken the car to the dealer for repairs 3 times now, and i'm losing faith that they can/will fix it.

1st attempt - Dealer orders and replaces the front left speakers, one in the door, and one on the dash under the windshield. I have no idea how they expected this to fix the rear speakers, and I was very clear that the issue was with all of the left speakers. I picked up the car after the repairs, and noticed the issue was still occurring before I left the parking lot. The car was also covered in water spots after they washed the car, but did not dry it. The inside of the windshield was covered in smudges and finger prints from the tech that replaced the speakers.

2nd attempt - I return the following day and left the car for more troubleshooting. Dealer says they checked all the connectors, and found no issue. Nissan recommended they replace the head unit, and the dealer promptly ordered one. After a few days the head unit arrives and I drop the car off again for repairs. Dealer informs me that the new head unit is defective, and they've had to order yet another unit overnight. After the new unit arrives, its installed and the dealer returns the car saying everything is working. I drove the car the rest of the day without any issues. The following day, in the cold morning, the left channel is out again. I also notice that the left and right trim pieces for the radio bezel are missing. Also the hinge of the phone cubby has something lodged in it, and no longer operates smoothly.

3rd attempt - I return the car to the dealer, and ask if the rear amp needs to be replaced. At this time the dealer informs me that they replaced the amp back in the summer when they received the car and noticed the issue. So at this point, all of the electronics have been replaced and the issue persists. I left the car at the dealer, and they scheduled a Nissan Engineer to come to the dealership and work on the car. I was quite impressed by this move, however the Engineer came down with the flu or something, and did not show up. Car has been at the shop for a week now, and likely wont be repaired until early next week.

This is my first new car, and i'm sad to report the experience has been ruined by these issues. Having the interior disassembled multiple times to work on the problem has left it in less than "new" shape. At what point should I expect the dealer to do more than just attempt repairs. Should I be talking Lemon Laws with them?

 

It might be stretch to call the car a lemon because of an audio system issue, the real lemon here sounds like your dealership and mechanic. Sounds like they are randomly trying stuff till they get to the bottom of the issue. Id say run, don't walk to another service department. The fact that they left your car all dirty is just further proof that they do sloppy work

 

Lemon Laws vary by state.

Read/know the law in your state.

If you're issues and efforts meet the criteria and you feel strongly about it, make a claim.

I'm not sure any vehicle quality legislation addresses the incompetence of a service and repair facility, which is more likely what you're experiencing.

 

I tend to agree that an Audio Issue is somewhat of a stretch for Lemon Laws. Honestly if they called me and said "we found x issue, and have repaired it" I'd be happy and forget about it. But this pattern of tearing apart the interior while they guess at it not giving me much hope. Especially if we are talking wiring harness issues, and if they end up replacing a full harness, there's no telling what kind of creaks and rattles this thing will develop after having so much of the car disassembled....

Car is in Texas, where the lemon law (as I read it) says the dealer has 4 attempt to repair before I can request a full refund. But i'm not sure the audio system would be covered by it, as it says "a defect or condition that substantially impairs the motor vehicle’s use, market value or safety" I could argue that its a safety issue, as the hands free phone features are unusable when the left channel is out.

 

I had somewhat similar issue to my infotainment device, which I was not able to adjust the volume in 2014 Altima SL. I called Nissan Customer Care, they did not know what was wrong. Then I open BBB to look over, send them all the service tickets on the dates it was worked on. Within few weeks, I guess, Nissan called me. They will take the car as a LEMON and asked if I want to get a similar car or go for depreciated Value I had 28K miles. So, I picked a new car.

 

Have a friend with a 2016 Jeep with the same issue. After many visits to the dealership it turns out the factory put a staple through a wire in a wiring harness.

 

Thats exactly what I expect them to find.....eventually