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Why don't dealers care about us?

9.5K views 43 replies 23 participants last post by  KSmurano  
#1 ·
#2 ·
Is there another Nissan dealership in your area? Or maybe an Infinity dealer (if they'll talk to you)?

Call up a different dealer, tell them that your frustrated with the service that you're getting at XXXX dealer, and ask them if they can get your radio in any faster. They might jump on the opportunity to steal your business away from the other dealer.

Has anyone had any luck talking to Infinity dealerships? Will they give you the time of day if you're just a lowly Nissan owner? I know that I've had luck talking to Acura dealerships as opposed to Honda, but only for certain issues.
 
#3 ·
I have to agree with you about some Nissan dealers. Even though I've only had my MO for two weeks now, so far, my MO has been the best vehicle I've ever owned. Unfortunately, the dealership I used has been the WORST dealership that I've ever dealt with and they just don't seem to care. When I need service, I'll be bringing my MO to another dealership and hoping to be treated better.
 
#4 ·
The dealer I bought my MO from, has been a Nissan dealer since it was Datsun. The salesguy, has worked there since the first day they opened the door. I walked in with an internet lease "deal", that he couldn't get out of, and I bought the car. I've been told NOT to take my vehicle back there, for service, and I have no reason to go back. Why did I buy there? www.nissanusa.com told me the exact MO I wanted, was there...so I went and bought it. Dealers are a necessary evil...but evil, none-the-less.

Oh, yeah, dealer vehicle service? I wouldn't go to a Nissan, or any other dealer's servicing, if they didn't have the manufacturer "gold star" designation, minimum. On my Lesabre, I had to replace the brake rotors at 16k miles...simply because they told me at the dealership that they couldn't turn them. I had no recorse, and, I even tried to complain to Buick...to no avail.

Regards,

Big
 
#5 ·
Even at the same dealer you can work with different people that will give you a totally different experience. The dealer is only as good as who happens to be in that day, combined with the general management of the place.

They're there to make money. Some do it the immediate way, others invest in the relationship to make you want to come back. I'll pay more for good service. Not everyone does.
 
#6 ·
Jaak - you are certainly on to something with people paying extra for customer service.

I think overall customer service is lacking. It isn't just in Nissan dealerships. It is most places.

There are times I get GREAT service that I am astonished. This shouldn't be the case. That should be the norm. It is your JOB.

I should be surprised when I get poor service.

It's the little things too - like if you say you're going to call me - call me. Easy.

When I was working with HP we had to go to a customer service class. It was fun actually. There were some people in my class that had looks of amazement at some of the topics - which just seemed like common sense to me.
 
#7 ·
I find part of this hard to believe, yet believable...if that makes sense. My girlfriends brother is the service manager for Nissan and says that they are by far the worst in the industry when it comes to parts and warranty work. He says they are like 10 years behind GM in this regard, so I can understand the lack of parts. He was saying how at one time they were offering the front nudge bar as part of the sales, but Nissan couldn't keep up with the demand. I have been furtunate to know him because he has treated me really good. Why I find this hard to believe is that dealships will practically sell their mothers for them to get a good customer rating. If they do not receive excellent on their customer survey they risk be closed (I'm actually not sure what happens). All I know is boy do they make sure I fill that out and make sure I put excellent. With this knowledge I wonder how this Nissan dealship is staying in business by treating you this way??
 
#8 ·
Nissan dealers are indeed horrible.

When I had my alternator replaced, I asked them to fix my breakes because they squeak in when I'm backing up.

They wanted to charge me $50 and said nothing was wrong with them. I showed them the TSB and they still couldn't fix them because their "vehicle assist" program was down. They said they would call back once the system was up and running again. They never called back.

Five weeks later, I got a call asking me to fill out the service questionnaire as excellent. I told them I still needed to get my brakes fixed.

Took the Mo in monday and told them not to wash the car.

They ended up spraying my polished wheels with some acidic crap that turned them into a murky mess. It's still at the shop as we speak. They said they paid $600 bucks for a local shop to repolish them. When I looked at them it looked more like $60. We'll see how they look when I get it back tomorrow.

I definitely know what kind of service rating to give them! A bunch of idiots I tell you.
 
#9 ·
Yeah - they always 'warn' us - if we can't give them an excellent rating should we get a survey to let them know. You already knew my concerns.

Nah - I'd rather let Nissan NA know that you are screwing us. We've given our dealership a few opportunities to make it right and they still continue to treat us poorly and not fix the problems.

We did however find a good dealership a bit further away. At least the first time we went they were good. We'll see what happens next time.
 
#10 ·
My experience with Boardwalk Nissan and Serramonte Nissan is pretty good. They did whatever I request for warranty job. They can't fix the window rattle based on the TSB but at least they did it.

Daland Nissan and Stanford Nissan (out of business) sucks though. They keep saying no problem.

However, maintenance price is crazy.
 
#11 ·
I've had the runaround from the dealer regarding fixes and parts they said they were going to order as well. When my alternator failed last year I had them also look at my rocking chair drivers seat and the tickity tack windows. They said they ordered a seat rail and "special grease" for the window guides. Of course, they never arrived. I've since been too busy to bring my car in (its been almost a year) and Nissan never sent me a satisfaction survey for that warranty incident.
 
#12 ·
Eric L. said:
I've had the runaround from the dealer regarding fixes and parts they said they were going to order as well. When my alternator failed last year I had them also look at my rocking chair drivers seat and the tickity tack windows. They said they ordered a seat rail and "special grease" for the window guides. Of course, they never arrived. I've since been too busy to bring my car in (its been almost a year) and Nissan never sent me a satisfaction survey for that warranty incident.
You and I must have visited the same exact dealership for the same exact issues. My seat rail and grease have not arrived either after more than three weeks....

A bit off topic but do Nissan people get paid less than other dealerships? I bet not so why are most (not all) so inferior? Whey don't they try to take good care of their customers?

My wife's BENZ cost less than the Murano out the door but they treat me like a king when I contact them. They so want my business that they have asked me to drop off my car there once a week for a free hand wash...just to make sure I don't forget them and their service.
 
#13 ·
zebelkhan said:

You and I must have visited the same exact dealership for the same exact issues. My seat rail and grease have not arrived either after more than three weeks....

A bit off topic but do Nissan people get paid less than other dealerships? I bet not so why are most (not all) so inferior? Whey don't they try to take good care of their customers?

My wife's BENZ cost less than the Murano out the door but they treat me like a king when I contact them. They so want my business that they have asked me to drop off my car there once a week for a free hand wash...just to make sure I don't forget them and their service.
Probably different places, but I am not surprised. All Nissan $tealerships are clueless when it comes to customer service.

Fortunately my car has been fairly reliable so no need to visit the dealership often.
 
#14 ·
Pretty simple really:

They don't care about their work.

From the guys in white shirts that hang out in front of dealerships like sharks circling a dying whale waiting to nab the next customer, to the guy ordering parts behind the counter, to the guy turning the wrench in the repair bay... none of them give a rat's ass about you, your car, or the quality of their work. In fact, in talking to a few people in the business, I am amazed at how little they care about cars IN GENERAL. I mean, I'm not asking that every mechanic be Paul Jr. or Jesse James, but it seems to me that if you are fixing cars for 8 hours a day (well, OK maybe 4 with 4 hours of breaks :D) you might actually be somewhat into cars... but no.

So, I guess it doesn't surprise me that their customer service is ****. I guess if I had to spend my workday doing something I didn't really care about, I'd probably forget to return calls and check up on people's orders too.
 
#16 ·
Chances are high my next vehicle will not be a Nissan (maybe Infiniti). Not because I don't like the line up (I think they make great cars) but the service really is ****ty. I've been thinking about this over the last few days and from the first oil change (they wanted us to leave the vehicle for an oil change) things have not been what I'd expect.

I wonder, are you better off getting the top of the line car from a non-luxury manufacturer or getting the bottom car from a better brand?

Eh...where's my Yugo.
 
#17 ·
That's an easy one.
The service personnel are trained to a certain level.
That level will be, by human nature, somewhat consistent.
Therefore the Infiniti shop will treat you much better.

Hell, Chrysler makes these guys look like punk amatuers.

Japanese cars are better?
Couldn't prove it by me.

I like the design of the Murano.
But loose steering (Of all things to be loose..), Rattles like a maraca, Bad CD players, and complete horse manure from the service personnel have sealed the fate of Nissan, the junk car company, with me.
And now when is it that the alternator will bite me?

Homer


EDIT: I SHOULD HAVE USED THE PHRASE "CRAP" CAR COMPANY.
I WAS ATTEMPTING TO CRITIQUE THE CAR COMPANY, NOT THE CAR.
I HAVE HAD MY SHARE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR THO.
AND THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIPS HAVE ALL BEEN BETTER THAN THE NISSAN DEALERSHIPS.
 
#18 ·
Every vehicle has it's issues, which is why the warranty claim process is so well documented and streamlined.

I get in other vehicles, rentals that are brand new or a year old and every single time, I'm delighted to get back in the Murano.

It hooked me, because it felt like my Maxima, which hooked me because it handled the way I wanted. And I drove a lot of different manufacturers vehicles, looking for the style of handling I like.

It's very likely, I'll get another one, when it's time for this one to go.... And it's the first production run of the vehicle, being built in Oct. 2002.

Now I understand leaving a brand due to lousy service. That's one of the reasons I gave up on GM after being a loyal customer for years. And it's a reason I still do like Ford, even though I don't like a lot of their products.

But I've yet to try the anti-Chrysler and I still like those Magnums I keep seeing leaving here on car carriers. So if anything was to pull me away from a Murano, it might be one of those. With a Hemi, of course...
 
#19 ·
In another thread, Homer, you said:

"The Murano. ... It's one of three or four of my most favorite cars of all time.
And that's out of something like 45 cars that I have owned over a time span of 50 years."

So, how can you hate your most favorite car? Doesn't make sense to me.

The last "American" car I owned was a Dodge...one of your beloved Chrysler products. I had nothing but trouble with it, and the dealer couldn't have cared less. The front windows leaked something terrible. It was bad enough when the car was taken through a car wash, but the windows leaked even during a rainstorm. When I complained to the dealership, they turned on a hose and literally dribbled water on the windows. When the dribbling water didn't leak inside the car, they said that everything matched specs and wouldn't authorize a repair. That's just one example of the shoddy service I got from a domestic car company.

I've owned nothing but Japanese cars since. The number of times I've had to take all of my Japanese cars to the dealership for warranty repairs is still less than the number of times I had to take my one Dodge to the dealership for warranty repairs. Now, that could just be my experience only....but I seriously doubt it.

Tex
 
#20 ·
HI,

I would call the big guys at Nissan headquarters and let them know how bad you've been treated. See if they can get something rolling or in your case, something blaring out your cd player.

I got mine the same place that I got the Quest and after all the trouble I had with them, I went back and tried again and they treated me much better this time.

I don't know the number right off hand but you could probably get it at www.nissanusa.com

GOOD LUCK

Let us know.
 
#21 ·
The relationship with my Murano is a love/hate relationship.
But I think you misunderstood my post.
I never said I hated my Murano.
The people who have been around here for awhile or have read alll of my posts know this.

The car has been great for the last year.
For the first six months it had 6 failures.
That, my friend is a POS by anybodys standards.
And as you said, I "seriously doubt" that I am the only one who had that experience.
In fact, in this case, the record is clear.
Many people have had many problems with their 2003 Muranos.
Some, much worse than me.
Some have had almost that many radios and CDs replaced.
I've only had one CD replaced.
Many have had the steering rack tightened. Many.
Many have had the brake pads replaced. As I have.
Etc, etc.
But that was the first 6 months.
And now that I have given up on some of the rattles and Ticks, and learned to live with them.
Now that I have learned to live with a sun roof that only lets in some of the sun, the car is a blast to drive. I really like it.

The real problem is Nissan.
Nissan, the car company.
You know, the subject of this thread?
They are a pathetic car company.
You can talk about your Dodge.
It won't change the fact that I, and most of the people in this thread, have a very low opinion of Nissan and their dealer network. You cannot separate them BTW.
And Nissan is connsidered a typical, or average, Japanese car Company I would think.
I would rate them ABOVE Mitsu, Mazda, Suzuki, Subaru.....and below Toyota and Honda.

And that's what I said (albeit not too clearly) when I said they are a junk car COMPANY.

Its not just me that thinks that Nissan and their dealer network sucks.

Yes, the Murano is cool. Now that the dealer (with prodding) finished what the factory started (as best he could, I suppose)
I like the car every day.
I hate Nissan when I have to interract with them.

Now I go on an extended trip.
I'm leaving monday morn.
FL-LA-TX-OK-MO-TE-GA-FL
Be on the road for 30 days.
Will my Alternator make it?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
If it fails, will it fail in a town that has a Nissan dealership?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
If I have to have it towed on a Sat afternoon, will Nissan pay for the Tow?
Maybe.
Will the dealer have the Alternator?
Maybe.
Will they pay for my motel and meals until the alternator is replaced?
Maybe.

and maybe not.


I've gone through this denial with Mazda.
The real fun happens when the crappy alternators start going bad OUT of warranty and the dealer wants $750 installed.
Then listen to the screams.

Nissan needs to step up to the plate and recall the alternators.
Or.
They need to extend the warranty.

Mazda wouldn't do it.
Mitsubishi wouldn't do it.
Will Nissan do it?
Maybe.
And maybe not.

Homer
 
#22 ·
I agree with Homers statement ‘a love/hate relationship’ with the Murano. I love the room it offers, its styling, performance, tech features, and handling.

But the squeaks and rattles are simply too much. I haven’t heard so many squeaks, rattles, and creak since my old Caravan with all the seats in, and I think the Murano is worse!

A few dealers have tried working on these issues, and none are fixed and now I have a scratch on the door, a ding in the aluminum trim, and wear marks on the ‘B’ pillars from being removed so much.

They want to keep trying but always want to see the car during the week too hard for me, I work, and I did not pay 30K+ to keep going back to the dealership.

Infinity? Perhaps next but boy would I be pissed if I spend an additional 10K and have the same issues!

My 2-cents
 
#23 ·
Cryogenix said:
Conclusion: next time, bring vehicle to nearest Jiffy Lube for repairs, since they might actually offer better service than Nissan!
Ouch. That says more than all the other statements you mentioned combined.
 
#24 ·
HEADS SHOULD ROLL!!!:21: :behead:

Cryogenix,

I'm so sorry you had to go through that. That was terrible.

This is one of the main reasons, people go elsewhere to buy a car. Customer Service sucks!!! Excuse my french.

Have you told Nissan Headquarters? I would write them a letter with names, dates, etc. The poor baby left out in the rain for anyone to steal with the keys in it!!! How stupid is that???

I hope you don't take it back there anymore. Did the CD finally start working right? Gotta have the CD, never any good music on the radio when you want it.

Did they charge you for doing things you didn't want? I used to always write down my mileage before taking in my firebird cause I knew some kid would be out joyriding in it. It did have about 25 miles more one time on it but they said, THEY WERE TESTING THE TRANSMISSION and BRAKES, Thats what it was in there for.


I hope you get some satisfaction out of this, they should give you something for your aggravation.
 
#25 ·
Cryogenix,

It is terrible the way your dealer treats you, and I hope you write a letter to Nissan Corporate about it (and remember to name names!) However, I would not have just driven off in the car like that, esp before signing the papers. By signing the papers you are basically saying you approve of the work the dealer and the car is released back to you. So if suddenly driving today and something goes wrong, the dealership can say you did not allow them enough time to complete it (even if they weren't even working on it) and it was your fault since you drove the car off their lot before they released it to you. Just a thought thats all.

I do hope you find a good dealer to work with though, it makes a huge difference.
 
#26 ·
Cryogenix said:
It was unsettling knowing that anyone could just walk into the back of the technician's lot, hop in a car and drive away (through a gated entrance with guards) that easily... Incidentally, nobody ever called me to ask if I had my vehicle. I never even signed off on the repairs or anything. It could've been stolen!!
You let the dealer off easy. I would have gone back and cliamed my MO from the dealer.....:2: