[DarkMeth]

Ok, there is something definitely wrong with the A/C Condenser on the Murano. My A/C stopped working and when I took it to the dealer, they pointed out that the Condenser had "road damage." I realize now that I'm not the only one with this problem according to the posts that I've read so far. Granted condenser units are not made to withstand impacts from rocks but when you place it in the front of the vehicle along with several large unprotected openings, what would one expect to happen?

This has never, ever happened to me with any another vehicle. Yes, this could happen with any vehicle but the chances of this happening to a Murano owner seem to be increased by design.

Knowing this I decided to take a closer look at the so called "road damaged" condenser. When I took it to the car wash to clean the area, I noticed that the metal cooling fins easily bent exposing the coils with only a mild spray of water. This leads me to think like others have mentioned that the metal used for the condenser unit is of inferior quality. Coupled with the location of the unit and the large unprotected cooling vents, it places Murano owners at high risk for damage to the unit.

Like others have done, I'm going to plead my case to Nissan in the hopes that they realize how much of a problem this could be for Murano owners.

 

[DarkMeth]

Cost..

I forgot to mention, the dealer wants around $800 to fix it.

 

[njjoe]

DarkMeth-

The metal cooling fins are not the problem. It is fine for them to be soft. It's the metal tubing that is the problem. If it were a heavier gauge it would better handle the impacts from road debris. But then it would be heavier, cost more, etc.

Get a second quote from a reputable AC shop in your area. I am sure it will be cheaper than the dealer.

-njjoe

 

[ram383838]

Well there are strengths in numbers. My information to date:
- I have opened a case with Nissan Consumer affairs - it has been over a week now and I have gotten a response from a Victor Lancaster (and yes I will put these guys names all over this site), saying he is "investigating" the problem.
Meanwhile I'm still out the $886. (another case logged as I had an estimate from an Ohio dealer for $560.)
I'll keep you posted - I also have this issue posted on the Edmunds site. I'm located in NC, by the way.

 

[Eric L.]

If you have no luck with nissan, you might be able to file a claim under the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance. Its the same type of incident as having a pebble kicked up by a truck and cracking your windshield.

That said, I don't think its terribly unusual for road debris or a kicked up rock to cause damage to your AC condensor - happens to many cars. I know you cannot hear a rock hitting the condensor, but if one cracks your windshield and you have a good idea that it was kicked up a commercial truck, sometimes you can contact that company (if you get a plate number) and they have insurance that covers those incidents (which I find rather generous considering all vehicles kick up rocks).

 

[ram383838]

Yes, my insurance company will be my last resort. The real issue here is that the car is < 1 year old, and in my 30 yrs of driving I have never heard of this happening before. The analogy towards windshields (glass, size and location) just doesn't apply in my opinion. This condensor unit can be of higher quality material based on Nissan's decision to locate it (and expose it).
Also, what about protection? I have put the screen meshinging in place per the previous posts. It took me about 40 minutes and cost less then $10. (including clips and special tie wraps). This versus a $900. repair, with no assurance it wouldn't of happened again?
I mean this is an SUV - I just expected a little higher degree of "durability".
Just as important, to date, very disappointed with Nissan's customer service.

 

[njjoe]

I mean this is an SUV - I just expected a little higher degree of "durability".
Just as important, to date, very disappointed with Nissan's customer service.

ram383838-

By no means can the MO be considered an SUV, at least not in the true sense of the word. It has no skid plates, no dual-range transfer case, limited ground clearance, no heavy-duty driveline components, driveline vents are not protected from water intrusion, etc. The MO is actually a crossover. It has the looks of an SUV without the components required to make it a true Sports Utility Vehicle. The condenser, like the rest of the MO's components, are not designed for off-road use. There is nothing "rugged" on the MO.

Disappointed with Nissan Customer Service? Join the club. The line starts waaaay back there.

-njjoe

 

[Enforcer]

Yes, my insurance company will be my last resort. The real issue here is that the car is < 1 year old, and in my 30 yrs of driving I have never heard of this happening before. The analogy towards windshields (glass, size and location) just doesn't apply in my opinion. This condensor unit can be of higher quality material based on Nissan's decision to locate it (and expose it).
Also, what about protection? I have put the screen meshinging in place per the previous posts. It took me about 40 minutes and cost less then $10. (including clips and special tie wraps). This versus a $900. repair, with no assurance it wouldn't of happened again?
I mean this is an SUV - I just expected a little higher degree of "durability".
Just as important, to date, very disappointed with Nissan's customer service.

I hear ya but I learned my lesson on that 83 dodge ram truck and a friend showed me the hardware cloth trick. He was like yeah happens all the time, most people roll the dice and take their chances. At the time I remember wondering what the odds were. But given the expense of it happening again I decided to do it. Been using it ever since and narry a problem. And I've shown this trick to lots of people over the years who also learned the hard way. Also I don't see other vehicles with similar open front grills and vertical mounted heat exchangers/radiators coming stock with hardware cloth or something suitable. Maybe they all should, but I haven't seen it. I just walked out in the parking lot here and saw a couple dodges a suzuki and a ford with lower open grills exposing the evaporator core just like the MO and most were actually closer to the opening than the MO. Any good sized rock like the one that took out the windshield in my old cherokee would take these out too.

I just don't see it being Nissan or MO peculiar. I would agree its an industry wide issue that has been going on for quite a while though.

 

[ram383838]

Just an update - Nissan Consumer Affairs has rejected my claim to have the repair covered under warranty. The "investigation" was a farce. They couldn't even tell me where the "hole" was located. They didn't have the name of the service manager or the Dealer's General Manager. Needless to say they wouldn't provide me with a copy of their "investigation". Next step - BBB.
They did not even offer me any "goodwill" - they pay for the part - I do the labor. Future step - Sell Nissan Murano and never go near a Nissan. The worst "Customer Service" I have ever been around. Sad thing is they are located in Nashville.

 

[Enforcer]

Nissan Customer service is below average. Yes there is actually worse but that isn't saying much. Their investigations are usually a trip to the database or maybe a call to the dealer and thats about it. In any event, I don't see that damage caused by road debris would be covered by any vehicle warranty. Good luck with the BBB, let us know what they say.

 

[TexInFla]

There have been a few times that I've been so dissatisfied that I've complained to the BBB (not against Nissan, but other big corporations). In my nonscientific experience, the larger the corporation, the less they are intimidated by the BBB alone. So, in addition to filing a complaint with the BBB, I also file a complaint with the Attorney General's office in the state where their corporate offices are located, and I make sure I let the corporation know I've done so. In the two cases where I've done that (Stamps.com and Delta Air Lines), I've received what I wanted in a relatively quick amount of time. YMMV, but it's worth a shot!

 

[njjoe]

ram383838-

I am a proponent of writing letters to businesses/organizations when I have been burned, to express my dissatisfaction with their products and/or support. And like TexInFla I have seen results. I believe that if I present a clear case and the letter gets in the right hands I may get a fair shot.

Nissan is severely lacking in their level of customer support. I am not saying they should have ruled in your favor and payed for the repair, but they should at least have had demonstrated to you that they did perform some sort of an inquiry. My guess is that they ruled against you right out of the starting blocks without picking up the phone.

Nissan Customer Service - an oxymoron if there ever was one.

-njjoe