Like about 689 other people here, my transmission started grinding shifting (up to 5th gear for me).

So I took it into Garden Grove Nissan (it's much closer than the *far superior* Corona dealership where I bought the car), and they took about a week to change the transmission. But the guy who worked in service (Gibson) implied several times in person and on the phone that it was my fault, or my brother's fault (I never told him I had any brothers), and that they wouldn't have replaced the transmission if they could "prove anything."

This is a little after 17,000 miles, I've had the car for over 2 years (a pre-order), and nobdy else has driven it for over 14 months. Even when they did, I was in the passenger seat. And I'm pretty damn careful with the car considering I paid 30k for it.

Plus, it's freaking 5th gear. What kind of 5th gear hi-jinks could I have even attempted? It doesn't even make sense.

 

Nissan, through their dealers actions, will decide their future.

If they choose to intimidate innocent consumers like you, God help them.

 

Sheehy in Annapolis replaced my tranny at 19K miles becuase 2nd and 3rd were griding.

No questions asked.

I droped the car off monday at 5:30pm and picked it up the next day Tuesday 5:30pm

They also supplied a free rental car.
=)

If I had any issues with my dealership like a lot of you have been having I would have sold my car a long time ago.

 

Oh yeah, I asked about a loaner. They said:

No.

 

It's not like they have to pay the labor/parts out of their own pocket. those type of dealers will never become successful. "dealership = sales = customer satisfaction".

 

If I were you, I would never go to that dealership again. You'll get better service from the other dealership, and you won't be giving bad dealerships any business.

 

They are required to give you a car when under warranty service!!!!!!

Whether that be renting you one or giving you something off the lot. It's not like they are paying for it out of their pockets.

You should get a dealer survey in the mail and I would be sure to let them know it.

Just as BMT42 said, Never go back there again.

 

Bottom line is that Nissan is selling a ""Sports Car"" and thats how they advertise it. They should make a transmission that can handle aggressive driving.

Then again I guess if they did make a bullet proof transmissions, you would get the whinners saying " the clutch is to hard, the shifting is not smooth, etc.. etc.. etc...""

cracks me up that people buy sports cars and then complain they don't drive like mercedes big lux. sedans..

guess you can't win

 

>> Bottom line is that Nissan is selling a ""Sports Car"" and thats how they advertise it. They should make a transmission that can handle aggressive driving.

I agree, but I don't think aggressive driving was the problem. I get up to 120 sometimes, but I go pretty easy on the transmission, and understand the mechanics and physics behind it pretty well. This must be a faulty design or faulty part.


>> If I were you, I would never go to that dealership again. You'll get better service from the other dealership, and you won't be giving bad dealerships any business.

I think you're right. But I don't know the biz. What do they get out of it?

I was thinking of going back to get the minor problems solved, like tires and window streaking. I didn't want to bring that up until AFTER the trans was taken care of

 

Just becuase you have powerful clutch doesnt mean it has to be hard.

also the 350Z has by far the most choppy shifter I've ever felt in a car.

 

>> Just becuase you have powerful clutch doesnt mean it has to be hard.

Yeah huh. It's in the bible (Clutch 5:21).


>> also the 350Z has by far the most choppy shifter I've ever felt in a car.

How do you mean?

 

Just shift the car into any gear and you will feel/hear the CLUNK.

I've read many different reviews that have talked about the choppy shifter.

The gear shifter also wont go into any gears with out putting some force behind the shift. and when it does go it still makes a noise like "clunk"

 

Hmm, I think I know what you mean, and less force would be better, but I wouldn't call it clunky. I think of looser shifters as clunky, as in "you have to clunk them around to shift gears," especially with FWD cable shifters. I've most frequently heard the Z's described as "bolt-action" in reviews, which I think is a good description.

 

jeffie7,

Couldn't agree with you enough about the clunk sound. I drove my brother around and every time i shift, he asked me why is it sounding that way.

Btw, i have an '04 with a build date (feb. '04). I have a grinding 3rd gear problem. When i shift to from 2nd to 3rd with out a pause, i sometimes get a "teeth" grinding grind.

But when i shift and pause a split second in netural, its okay. I have driven manual for 14 years and this is my 4th manual cars.

I took it to the dealer when my car has 3k miles and perf. nissan told me i have to have my transmissioin break in (wtf). Now i have 12k mile.

On standard warranty, is it 3 years/36k miles on the transmission? I hope my will break before that (hehe).

Tony

 

I bought the 100K bumper to bumper warrenty and with out it I would not own this car.

 

I just had my 3rd one go 4th to 5th gear grind. The car has weak syncros...anyway Nissan has always offered to replaced mine but I am now getting a lawyer involved and attempting a lemon suit which I am very confident I will win.

 

Ok, after driving it a couple days, I think it's not as good as it used to be. It is kinda clunky now, in that there are annoying points of resistance while shifting, not unlike a cable shifter. My old xmit'n didn't have that, at least not to any noticeable degree.

 

yeah, but it's 1+ mechanic working on his tranny that could be raping someone who's out of warranty... so of course they're gonna be jerks about it.


but glad you got it replaced with minimal hassle. could have been worse... they could have had it investigated before repairing, costing you weeks without a car.

 

I agree with the clunking...I can't shift 1st to 2nd without the clunk. I have just gotten use to it, but when people are with me, they ask me about it.

 

are you stock im just wondering??