Hello, I just purchased my 350Z last Monday and up until this point I had been very pleased with it. When I first started talking to the Nissan dealership last month I was initially looking for an automatic transmission car since I had never driven a manual. I test drove a 2008 Touring model and I was very impressed. While I was talking to the salesman he also quoted me a price on a manual transmission Touring model that was considerably less than the car I was looking at (it was still new, but a 2007). Since the deal was so good I got a lesson from a buddy on driving stick and decided that I could really enjoy driving a manual transmission car. I still wasn't sure if it was worth the hassle even with the deal, but it was something I was seriously considering.

About a week later I returned to the dealership, still not completely decided but I was leaning towards the automatic. I get there and find out that the automatic model had been sold 2 days sooner, and all they had on the lot were manuals. I wasn't too happy, but I had them look around for any other automatics available in the area. There weren't any that had the same options as the one I was looking at, but they did find one that was equipped about the same as the manual transmission model they had on the lot. When I got a quote on the automatic they gave me a pretty low offer on my trade in and they weren't really willing to negotiate on it.

At this point I was thinking that I wouldn't be buying a car that day but then we went back to the manual. Since it was their car they said they were more willing to make me a deal on it and significantly increased the offer on my trade in. After much thought I decided that I was willing to go for it and bought the car.

I've spent the last few days learning how to drive my car, and while there have been some growing pains I have been getting the hang of it. I haven't regretted not getting an automatic and have actually been a little excited at the prospect of knowing how to drive a manual transmission sports car.

So now that I've been getting more comfortable with the stick I've begun to actually play around with the interior of the car. Since I had a touring I checked out the CD changer to actually load some CD's into the car. It turns out I could only load one CD. Since the seat had been comfortable for me I had never messed with moving it around and I went to check the adjustments there and saw that I did not have power seats either. In the rear storage bin I found the sheet that listed the specs on the car (with the VIN number on it) and saw it listed at $27,900 MSRP - the same MSRP as the Base model.

So now I don't really know what to do. I checked the contract I signed with them and while it does list the VIN number of the car I bought, it also clearly lists that I am purchasing a 2007 MT Touring model. There's a $3,000 difference in price between the two models and this was a significant factor in my deciding to get this car instead of a 2008 model. I know this is my fault for not making sure before I bought the car, but the salesman verified to me multiple times that it was a Touring model, and I had no reason to doubt what he was saying. Am I screwed or is there anything I can do about this?

 

Base and enthusiast has cloth seats IIRC, and if it's still that way with newer models.

 

Since I had been researching the 2008 model I wasn't sure if having leather seats as standard were new for the 2008 Touring. Like I said, the salesman assured me that it was a Touring when I was talking to him about the car so I never bothered to double check. Stupid on my part.

 

whoah...
you have every right to take it back and pissed off...
I have an 07 touring...comes with full leather heater and powered seats...

if yours has leather then all they fricken did was take a base or enthusiast and put leather seats in...

they offered to do this for me when they couldn't find me the car i wanted.

^ bad english

Anyways. They basically lied to you without them knowing it either. It their job to follow up on the car and actually make sure it's the right car and the VIN's match up before selling it to you. Your salesman was probably like mine and didn't know anything about the 350Z but I respected him because he told me right away. If you don't have a 6 disc Bose system, heated power seats and Bluetooth, your either driving a Base or Enthusiast.

 

It doesn't have leather, they are cloth seats. Do I have a leg to stand on here or can they just tell me to screw off and be happy with what I've bought?

 

No you have plenty to stand on. It's their mistake and it's their duty to inform the customer with accurate information on the vehicle.

What they did was falsely advertise a vehicle for you.

I'm sure you have every right to bring it back and argue it.

Be strong and threaten to report it to Nissan and threaten to sue.

And I'd like to apologize on their behalf for being such idiots.

 

Lemon Law?

 

Thanks, this does make me feel a little bit better. I was so concerned with my decision between getting an automatic vs. a manual I just didn't pay any attention to the other details - I really feel stupid about that. It just goes to show that if a deal seems too good to be true it probably is.

The sales office is closed tomorrow so I will have to deal with this Monday. This sucks because I really do like the car.

 

The manual is the ticket. I went through close to 10 dealerships, and I still haven't gotten my GPS DVD after 8 months. Just check the blue book against what you bought it for. I almost bought an 03 because of the good deal they gave me ($1 off of KBB, honestly, one american dollar). If the KBB isn't very much off, you might just have to enjoy your car. We all can't get the greatest deal, but this is one of the greatest cars.

Just be happy anyways. I had around 6 places that never gave me a call when I told them I wanted a black Z with leather. I learned to drive a stick just to drive my car, and now I'm rambling.

 

dude i would be pissed also and i'm sure you have every right to go and get the mistake THEY made fixed. false advertising. sorry for the inconvenience they are giving you, but be firm and dont get off there asses untill you get something done, thats what i would do. good luck!

 

Yes u very much have the leg room. your contract says u bought a Touring.
Tell them u want what u paid for & get them to find u a Touring your happy with!

 

No reason to feel stupid just because your a trusting person!
Stand strong & get what u paid for!

 

Go back to the dealer and start raising hell.

It's somewhat of false advertising or false information, or something else along those lines.

 

MANUAL IS A LOT MORE FUN THAN AUTOMATIC...

The only positive that will probably come out of this is you end up getting another Z (Make sure it's manual) and learn to drive a manual transmission on the Z you have now ...

 

Touring model has VDC button on the side, right below the steering wheel. Also the steering wheel has cruise controls along with controls for your audio system. There is also a sub woofer behind the drivers seat. It also comes with a BOSE deck. It has am/fm/XM/6 cd changer. I believe the touring models also come with an XM antenna on its roof top. Do you have any of these? If not - then yours is a base with leather seats. Take that back to the dealership and tell them you don't have these things and it certainly is NOT a touring model. Touring model also has TCS and VLSD.

 

no. that is for defective cars, not for some dealership false advertising. more like the BBB instead.

 

a. The contract has the correct VIN.
b. The window spec sheet has the correct VIN and lists the correct amenities.
c. You drove off the lot in the correct vehicle (with cloth seats I assume).

I don't see where you got “ripped off.”

 

Actually the window spec sheet listed that it was a Touring model. What I found in the back storage unit was a different spec sheet that looked like it came from a dealership in Chicago. The VIN number did match, but the first time I saw this sheet was after I took delivery of the car.

 

Please scan and post. Thanks.

 

I'd still go back to the dealership. Try to work it out since it's not the model you wanted and/or told it was supposed to be.