Those of us in the Chicago area and surrounding burbs (Yeah, we count Kenosha/Milwaukee and most of Northwestern Indiana as suburbs ) need to know which dealers to go to for service and which ones to avoid like the plague. That is the purpose of me creating this thread. All of us who have had good, bad, and UGLY experiences, chime in here.

In my case, I have had the best luck with Kelly Nissan (Oak Lawn). They seem to work the hardest at satisfying the customer in terms of service and their quality of work done is above board IMHO.

Just got a 2K2 Maxima SE from Gerald Nissan in Naperville, and it went pretty smoothly. Had a cracked sunroof wind-deflector and I had to talk to two people to convince them that it was covered under warranty and this was after the day I bought it.

But they were really courteous when I showed up and it took them only 20mins to replace it with a new one.

So far so good. I refuse to go to Glendale Nissan (IL), coz all my parents was BS from them whenever they took their Nissan in. Anybody have any comments about Woodfield Nissan's service dept? They are much closer to me than Gerald.

As before I have to defend Glendale Nissan. I've gotten good service overall from them for 3 years now (20+ visits). Best example was when I blew a strut mount under warranty. I had Koni's and Eibachs installed and they still replaced w/o question.

Heck, with the bright blue UPD installed they replaced my crankshaft oil seal. Andi pulls me to the side and says "something doesn't look quite stock in there - did you know that was there We can't do it twice though.

20% coupons on parts & services on their website (yeah they're still high)

Woodfield has better hours and same owner but I don't go there much.

THE BEST Dealership in the Chicagoland area and N.W. Indiana is
Fergus Nissan in Skokie. Sales and Service are great. I just bought
my new 2003 Maxima SE Titanium Edition from Fergus. I received great service and a great deal. Dave is the Sales Manager
and Ed Wells was my salesman. This dealership has my buiness!

Dealerships that suck:

Southlake Nissan, ~ used to be good, about ten years ago! Bad experiences with my Mom & Dad's Nissans.

Woodfield Nissan is a joke, so is Mid City.

Hawkinson: Service Dept is still new and they are revamping. If anyone has memories of Dave Miller Nissan, they should apply here since Hawkinson bought them out.

Arlington: I have heard a plethora of horror stories about that place (including the saga that Y2K MaxLuv went through with them dropping his Max)

Northlake: I have heard several stories from co-workers to stay away from them like the plague. I have heard about cars being messed up after work was done there.

I talked to a service manager who has been around to different dealerships and he gave me a rundown of who to go to for service

Continental: I was told that their service department was pretty decent.

Nissan of Orland Park (I went to them once for a shifter problem on my '94 and they fixed it for me free of charge).

I'm in the process of getting a lawsuit with Arlington Nissan going. I have my photos and paperwork in front of me right now. My Lawyer said I could get up to $5000 from them.

Bought my 2002 Maxima there. Two recalls, two visits...

First visit, I was not impressed. They returned my car with grease marks all over my driver side interior. No scratches or dents.

Second visit (just wanted to gave them the benefit of the doubt) was much better. Got my car returned on time (I was a waiter), washed, no scratches, no dents, clean interior.

No problems with either of the services performed (knock on wood).

It's not quite close to where I live but Matt, their internet representative, is just a click of the mouse away. I have arranged my service appointments with him via email.

Washed? Maybe I need to pull off my Woodfield emblem.

Maybe you should...

I bought from Gerald Nissan in Naperville this weekend. So far so good. I live less than 1 mile away so hopefully they pan out...

STAY AWAY FROM SCHAUMBURG NISSAN!!! They suck...just flat out suck. I went in there to trade in my corvette for a 1996 GLE, but no one ever helped me. After turning around and purchasing a '96 GXE, I found out that there was a recall on the EVAP system and the O2 sensors. I called Schaumburg Nissan, and they told me their computers were down, and that they couldn't look up the VIN number. I called Buffalo Grove Nissan, and they helped me out immediately (everything was fixed...0 charge!!). They even told me that Schaumburg Nissan is full of it, cause if their computers were down, they wouldn't be able to do ANYTHING. Buffalo Grove is a great place for serive...Schaumburg can kiss it.

I bought my 2k2 max from Gerald in Naperville and had one of the smoothest sales transactions. But when I took my car in for service for an accelerator problem they kept the car for the whole day. Then they give me a call around 6 pm and tell me to come pick it up. Now I live in Streamwood so its about a 40 minute drive for me. So I get there and the service department is closed. So I went to the cashier who handed me my keys. I asked her if they fixed the problem and she responded "how the hell should I know".

So then I went to get my car but I could'nt find it. So I got the help of the salesman and we finally found it sitting alongside the new 2k2's in the back lot. The worst part was that they hadn't fixed the accelerator problem. I was so ****ed I called Nissan and totally ripped them apart. The next day I took my car to Woodfield and one of the service managers whose name is Kevin Tonk totally helped me out and fixed the problem that day and ordered a replacement part. The only downside to Woodfield is that they are extremely slow but get the job done right. But there sales department is an absolute joke. Sorry for the long post but I hope this helps

Another dealership I have heard good reports about is Fergus in Skokie.

Another dealership I have heard crappy reports about is Star in Niles.

Anyone know anything about Highland Park on Rte 41?

A salesman from Fergus Nissan (in Skokie) and I talked over the phone about a 2K2 Max and he said he could beat Gerald's price by 500 bucks. So I rented a car and drove 45 mins in heavy traffic to get there before they closed. When I showed up the salesman was busy with another customer and another salesman took down all my details. He came back in 10 mins. and told me that they couldn't do the price To make it worse they tried to convince me that Gerald could never sell it to me for the price they quoted. Fergus doesn't even have any cars on their lot, they have to "locate" one for you from another dealership!

M'Lady Nissan in Crystal Lake is the biggest joke I've seen or heard about for a dealership...they promised me they had two new Sterling Mist 2K2s on their lot...when I got there (1hr15mins lataa) they had a POS demo that looked like the driver never had the windows up...there was bird **** on the black leather seats, what looked like lawnmower waste all over the floormats, and so much dust and crap on the dash that I couldn't read the Bose sign on the audio system...they had the gall to tell me to put up what they thought was "reasonable" or leave...I don't think I've ever been so ticked off in my life, also have never used the f-word in public so many times...but oh well they deserved it.

Don't know about any of their service depts. Gerald has a rep for being the worst service dept. and Woodfield (so far so good for me though) ain't any better, so pick your poison. Sorry for the long post, had to vent a lil

You never mentioned where you finally bought your 2002 from.
Fergus is a great dealership, I bought my 2003 Maxima from them and would not hesitate buying another vehicle from them. We worked out a great deal that no other dealership could touch.

2002s are not as plentiful now that the 2003s are out. When I was at Fergus buying an oil filter lastweek I believe they only had two left on the lot, but they had about ten 2003s. Coaxing you to come out to the dealership is shady, you should talk to the sales manager Dave about what happened.

M'Lady sounds like Evanston Nissan, Evanston Nissan is pretty bad. Rude salesman, high pressure tactics and weary looking lot. I'll never go back there.

Anyway Congrats on your purchase!





[

Yea I guess I got so involved in the venting that I forgot to mention that I went to Gerald the next day and picked up my 2K2 Max...got a great deal on a demo and the salesman (Joseph Kross) was an absolute pleasure to work w/ so I didn't hesitate. I bought my Max the first week of June and I'm still receiving inquiries from various dealerships I called to see if I'm still interested in buying a 2K2.

Thanks and congrats on your purchase too Nissangevin! Can't wait to post my pics (and update my sig) after I'm done w/ this year's mods

when i was there while i was shopping around they were total ****s and wouldn't even go down from MSRP. their parts department is pretty good, though. I bought my car from Arlington Nissan on sept 2nd of last year. Beige GXE with 8-way power driver's seat, C&C package, ABS (which they didn't know about) oh, and it's an auto. All told it was $9900, down from their original $14500 figure. so far i've been pretty happy. I knew the back bumper was repainted, but i didn't know how poorly. About three months later it started peeling and scarcely a year later almost all of the re-spray paint is gone, but the original paint underneath seems to be holding up.

two dealers I would NEVER do business with:

Prestige Leasing - I looked at a starfire blue max and a white SE. I called twice and both times was told that the blue one was available. later that day I stopped by and it had been sold for nearly a week. the white SE is what got me, though. '96 with a fairly clean looking exterior. I suspected the rear bumper was repainted, but when I looked inside the trunk it was obvious that this car was in a major accident. of course the sales man didn't mention jack about it even when I mentioned it and was in fact very defensive and insulting. I called a friend and had him run the car through my carfax account. it was a rental and the title wasn't even released from the rental agency. when I asked the salesman about this he also denied it and became increasingly irritated. i figured i'd tell him what it's worth to me and leave if he gives me ****. i gave him $6500 and he refused to go below $10000. what sheer BS

Pro Auto - every car I have ever seen on their lot or bought from there is one that has been wrecked or has a salvage title. their prices are moderately lower, but be warned when dealing with them. their new cars seem to be okay.

my family has bought 5 nissans from glendale over the years and had nothing but positive experiences. last year when my 3rd gen blew up, we went there to look for the AE MAx. our usual sales rep had been tranferred, so we talked with this other guy. he was trying to sell one for $34,000 and we got him down to $30K. My mom wanted a better deal, so we said screw him and she got a mercedes instead. i wish that car salesman werent such d!x.

Anyone do Loeber, Mid City or South Chicago?

I bought my max from Hawkinson Nissan in the Mattson Automall in Mattson, IL. They have got to be one of the best dealers I have ever worked with. I highly recommend them, finally a dealer with salespeople that know whats going on. Other dealers that I've dealt with in the past few years in the area that I would recommend. Southlake Nissan, Harbor Nissan, Orland Park Nissan, and Towne & Countree Nissan (soon to be Napleton Nissan). I'm friends with all of the business managers at these places, well except Orland Park.

Chris

What did you pay? I just moved to Naperville and am looking for a Max.

gl

look in dg or glendale

<<<tempted to guinea pig Orland

Hey Guys,

I'm not trying to brag, but when I bought my 5th Gen Max in June, I went to 3 to 5 dealerships. Schaumburg Nissan sucks, in terms or sales, but I don't know about service. Mid-City Nissan sucks in sales but no experience with service. I bought my Nissan at the Nissan / Elgin location. Not only did I get a great deal, my sales rep gave me the car protection seal for free( You know that crap they try to sell you to protect my paint) and he also gave me a Gold Member preffered card. (This was the best part) This card is given to clients who bought 4 or more cars from thier dealership. This card entitles you to $9.99 OIL CHANGES FOR THE YOUR CARS LIFE. This price includes the labor and parts. The total amount with tax is $11.01. I must admit, my friend recommended him to me, but if you guys know anyone who want's a nissan, let me know. I can reffer you to this sales representative. Sorry, I can't say his name because I don't want him to get in any trouble.

Glendale does flyers & regular coupon books for $10 oil changes too. Fram & Penzoil filters not genuine OEM ones.

well then get me some

Ok. (We'll the $9.95 comes and goes - click on service coupons)
$12.95 Glendale Nissan oil changes

Not too bad.

I bought 2 vehicles from Highland Park Nissan, a 1991 and a 1997 Maxima. I have been pleased with their service until recently. Over the past several years there has been non stop turnover in the service department. They seem to replace mechanics every other month. I have repeatedly had them try to sell me unecessary service and parts. They ignore my questions and do not address reported problems or issues with my vehicle. They also over charge for parts and labor. I am currently in search of an ethical, reliable Nissan dealer in or around the area. Highland Park Nissan is a waste of time and money.

I had bad experiences (sales)
-Star
-Midcity
(They Have the same owner)

-Evanston (Bait and Switch)

Bought the car from Fergus, nice experience.

Service:

Stay away from Fair Oaks (Waukegan). Very Shady

Libertyville seems to be very nice. They too wash the car every visit.

The salespeople at Hawkinson are cool. Who'd you deal with? Martin was the one who sold me my '02.

Kelly has undergone a slight revamp in the service department as has Hawkinson.

Kelly: They have a new Service Manager and he is pretty much the same as the first one I dealt with (Cool as hell). Quality of service has not changed one iota.

Hawkinson: I can say they are getting better in terms of service.
Things have gotten more professional as well as efficient over there.
The parts department is


Outside of that: Anyone do the following dealers:

Fletcher Jones (Formerly Loeber)
South Chicago
JK
Liberty (Gurnee)
Thomas (South Holland)
Bill Kay (Hopefully, this is not like his Chevy Dealership )

On a side note, I took a short perusal of the Nissan site and two dealerships in Chicago won the "Owner First" Award.

Star Nissan - Niles, IL
Continental Nissan - Countryside, IL

Actually

Liberty Nissan is in Libertyville IL- 847-680-8000

and Fair Oak (or as me and my wife call it Fair Joke) 847-244-8000

I am about to buy a 2003 Maxima from Continental Nissan for a great price and every other dealer that I have approached this price with tell me that they can't come near it. Does anyone have any insight with this dealer, or any comments in general? I am planning on buying this very soon (within a week). Thanks.

oz

we bought my moms max from continental back in 97 the sales peeps were such ****s back then and my dad was tired of me dragging him around to all the dealers so we decided just to get it done we got a 97gxe for $19 but it was like end of the year (Sept) and they gave us 4000 for our trade so really paid about 23? but my friend went their 2 weeks later and got a 98 se out the door for 23500 i was ticked but oh well? the service dept i hear is good an whenever i go they are always kissing *** but the dealers from my exp sucked.

Well, after closing the deal and during the entire process of negotiations, Continental Nissan (or at least my salesperson) was the greatest. No problems at all. Whenever I had a question (and there were plenty), he answered them all. They were very patient with me and got me the best price in Chicagoland. I went through the back and forth bidding process trying to see which dealer could get me the best deal and they did it with a smile and just great patience.

I would recommend them in a heartbeat. If you want the name of my salesperson, please email me. I don't want to broadcast it without getting the proper recognition.

If you have any questions, just ask.

oz

Schaumburg Nissan is the worst dealer I have ever visited. Pushy cocky jerk sales and service that is just as bad. Thankful I live in LA now.

That's your opinion. I've dealt with both of Mark's dealerships for 5 years now and have nothing but good experiences.

I bought a 00 Max SE in Sept. The car had 15k miles on it and it is loaded with every option and black. They wanted 20,999 for it and I got them down to 18,300. The sales process was smooth and I can tell you that one of the sales managers, Tim is an extremely nice guy and sincere. Also, there was a few little nicks on the bumper and they made an appointment to have it painted. Last week I had two TSB's done for warped rotors and auto transmission slippage. No questions whatsoever. They gave me a loaner car as well. With all of the negative posts about Nissan service, I have to say I have nothing but positive things to say about Continental Nissan in Countryside, IL.