Duh..Of course thats what happened...Bottom line is Nissan service SUCKS and once they find the amp they will definitely blame the current owner and assume ZERO responsability for the damage.They will swear up and down they checked the car and that amp was not in there to begin with..You are basically "screwed" no pun intended..
I had a Nissan dealr try to not warrant my window motor that THEY fixed four times cause they said something was broken on the motor..Well DUH, thats why you guys fixed it 4 times, of course somethings broken and YOU guys broke it since you were the ONLY ones to have my door panels off 4 times..
I just dont know why Nissan dealers just refuse to warranty their cars?Are all car manufacturers this way??

 

I called Bob (who is apparently just a Service Advisor) at 7:10AM and told him the situation. He passed me to Chip, the Service Manager, who kept asking me things like, "you bought it used, right?", "how many miles did it have when you bought it?" and making statements like, "its obviously not something we installed here and we wouldn't have been looking for that during our inspection", "when we have cars come in with aftermarket alarms or cruise control, we remove them because we don't know much about that stuff. We probably wouldn't remove an aftermarket amp because then you wouldn't have any sound at all."
This guy sounds like either a total sleaze or someone worried about accepting liability personally. Being 120 miles from this dealer, he advised me to take it to the local Nissan dealership so that they could diagnose the problem and make contact with him. He said I would probably have to authorize a $70-$80 diagnostic fee to get things going. I told him that I expect them to take care of this. I bought a nice, expensive car from them just weeks ago with 15000 miles. I bought it from a Nissan dealership, not private party or from some pot lot. It had been through the Nissan Certified PreOwned process and I have that documentation. I bought it in good faith with a realistic expectation that the car was in excellent condition. He was quite a motormouth and it was difficult to get a word in edgewise with him. Essentially, I told him that I need some kind of reassurance before I take my car to a dealership for repair. He said he did not have that authority and that I would need to talk to Jay, the Used Car manager about that. Jay was to arrive at 9AM. I asked him if I should wait for Jay before taking the car in. He told me that Jay would tell me the same thing. No authorization until diagnosis. I understand this, but I would feel better if I got a "if, then" or a "when, then" commitment regarding their intentions. I decided to wait for Jay. I called at 8:45 and left a message for him. I called back at 9:15 and was told he was occupied for another hour. I spoke to him at 10:40 and finally reached Jay. He expressed to me that they would have caught that during their inspection process (I hope he meant, SHOULD have caught that during the inspection process). He agreed that it was a big deal and seemed in favor of having them tow the car to the dealership. He restated that they need to SEE the car. He said that since I purchased the car in this condition, they would make the repairs. He took my name and phone number and told me that Bob (remember Bob?) would contact me within 45 minutes. He assures me that Bob is a great guy and follows through on things very well. It is now 11:35 and no phone call yet. I know service departments can get busy, but....
Sorry for such long, detailed posts, but this is helping me to keep a timeline of what has happened.

 

I agree with this 100%. Being serious is the key. If they think they can take advantage of you they will. And if the conversion starts to go down hill at any moment...bring up the burning to death senerio followed up with a sueing angry family.

 

And any dealership sucks....warrenty are worthless.....screw the dealer.....fight the man....



Ahhh that feels better.

 

I hope I’m wrong, but this sounds like it is not going to be a good experience for you.

My .02; contact an attorney now, because it sounds like you are going to need one later. The dealer will avoid any liability at any cost. You can see it coming by stuff like; This situation could turn ugly quick. The sooner you have an attorney, the better.

Like I said, I hope I’m wrong. Good luck!

 

Classic dealer BS!!! "um, we don't know about this stuff, sorry". They might as well give you the finger and tell you to go sit in the corner. Ignorance is their excuse; if they claim to not know about it; ask why they sold something they didn't know about. If that doesn't work, insist they GET someone that does; question their integrity and depth as a shop; how can they service properly if they don't know about cruise control? Go on the offensive or they will trap you into accepting no for an answer.

 

Be forth-right; facts as they are is always the way to go.

Glad someone will be towing it. Under no circumstance should you/anyone drive the car.

Get it out of the garage overnight.

I'd leave the garage well ventilated (like leave the door open) overnight.

 

Here's the latest. I finally get a call back from the dealership where I bought the car. It's Chip. Bob had passed the buck, again, to Chip (Jay and Silent Bob :lol: ) who proceeded to express his confusion as to why I had talked to Jay. He felt like too many people were getting involved in this. He wanted to know if I'd taken the car to the local dealer. Of course the answer is no because I was waiting to talk to the decision maker Jay. He tells me that he had called the Service Manager at the local dealership to let him know what would be happening. I had already called, of course, and the local Service Manager shared that he had already been informed and was expecting the car. Chip then continued to express his concern that too many people had been involved and that even though they had not caused the problem, they were going to take care it by having me get the car by the local dealership "because they will know what they're doing and we trust them to do a thorough diagnosis." Blah blah blah and so I drive the car (at the unofficial recommendation of Chip) to the local dealer 10 miles away. I check in and recap the situation and about thirty minutes later the car is up on a lift being checked out. They determine that, in fact, the screw(s) had punctured the gas tank and had evidently only started leaking fuel when it was unscrewed from the tank. The only right way to correct the problem, they deduced, was to replace the tank. They had already started checking availability as they made the phone call to the selling dealership. The tank was not in the local depot, but at the main supplier and would take until at least Monday to arrive. The discussion with the Service Manager seemed to end with an agreement on a labor rate to have the local dealer do the work. The only remaining step was to get approval from the "powers that be", namely Jay, the Used Car Manager. I left the car at the local dealer and was given a ride home in the courtesy van. Hopefully the emails and few phone calls I made today from my laptop and cell phone from the dealership suffice to keep my employer content (what a waste of a day!). A while later I get a call from Chip, who informs me that at this point he needs my permission to have the car towed to the dealership. I ask him why and the shortened version of his rambling response is that the local dealer was going to charge him $1000 to remove the tank and replace it with a new one. He and Jay had decided that was too much and he wants to have the car there so he car pay his mechanic straight hourly ($15 - $20/hr) to remove the tank. Then, he says he has arranged with a local radiator repair shop to drain, rinse and repair the tank. Let me pause here to enunciate my shock and disbelief at this recommendation. I have "Monster Garage" episodes running through my head where Jesse James tells someone how big of an idiot he is for even suggesting welding on a fuel tank, no matter how empty it is. I am no expert, so I will share what the local Service Advisor relayed to me when I shared this information with him. He said his half-wit brother thought he would try to repair a fuel tank by welding it. Being the genius he was, he rinsed the tank out and filled it with water. Unfortunately it wasn't completely full and the water had forced the gas fumes to the top of the tank where he was welding.
BOOM! He was sent to the hospital with 2nd degree burns and shrapnel damage when the tank exploded. And we return to the story. Then the Service Manager would have his mechanic replace the tank. The whole cost, he tallies as:
$100 to tow car to dealership
$100 to remove tank
$100 to repair tank (I want to know who's crazy enough to attempt this for that amount of money. It might be fun to see what you could get him to do for $200 )
$100 to replace tank
$100 to tow car back to me (he probably hasn't thought of this)
$100 for diagnostic fee of local shop (he thinks he can negotiate this rate. The local Service Manager told me he's an idiot)
This totals $600. They're going to do this crazy thing and warranty it (I'll insist) for a $400 savings. And that's conservative. As I begin to question the many doubts I have about this plan Chip interrupts me (as he does quite often, the little motor mouth) to reinforce that they wouldn't have caught this in their inspection report but they want to do the right thing. After all, I bought the car As Is and they're going to do me this favor by saving their own asses from a lawsuit when something explodes. I suggest that I should probably talk to Jay at this point, figuring I can reason with him. Rather than page Jay, Chip tells me to call him back. In between, I call the local Service Manager, who's been awesome through this whole thing, and share the situation as it exists. He agrees that it is certainly not the route he would take. He shares with me the story of his half-wit brother. He brings up another point about how the fuel pressure is tightly regulated in the Z to the point it throws up CEL if it is off even by a little. He doesn't see how its worth the liability to repair the tank or to warranty that repair against constantly causing CEL codes to flash. He does say, however that if they want to repair the tank instead of replace it, then whomever is crazy enought to perform the repair, if he is successful, will likely have cured the problem. In other words, at least the repair will last. I ask him if he will talk to Jay if Jay is willing and he happily accepts. So then I call Jay and the fun begins anew. Jay is a very loud man. His accent sounds middle eastern and perhaps I am exaggerating, but it sounds as though he is yelling at me the entire time we're talking. Also, his habit of interrupting me and not letting me speak a complete sentence is similar to Chip's, though more angry sounding. He seems unsure why I am calling him. He keeps referring to everything Chip and I talked about as heresay and dismisses it. He says that I need to bring the car there. In fact, he insists on it. He says that while he believes me 100%, he needs his mechanics to see it themselves. I ask him repetedly why I had been asked to take the car to the local dealer and why I had taken a full day to do this. He dismisses this as though he has no idea why I had done this. He told me this very morning that that is what I must do. I ask him if he even knows what had happened. He denies that he does. Later, he expresses to me that he will not authorize the local dealer to make the repair at $1000. Weird, now he knows how much it will cost to fix. I ask him what he plans to do once he has the car. He wants to compare his inspection reports to the car and see that they are the same. I tell him what Chip told me earlier about this not being inspected as part of their inspection process. He lets me know that I am incorrect. I ask him if he knows what Chip would like to do to correct the problem. Again, he says this is heresay and will not discuss it. After arguing around and around, I realize that this is what needs to be done. I ask him when the tow truck will be there? He tells me that Chip will arrange the tow truck. It is too late tonight, but first thing in the morning. I ask him if that means before 12PM, 10AM, 8AM. He replies that he will have Chip double expedite it. I ask him if he will ensure it is a flatbed. He assures me of this. I tell him I assume I will be provided a rental car during this process. He tells me their insurance doesn't allow for that. I ask him then, instead, if he will reimburse me for my rental expense in renting a car. He tells me that at this point, "no", but that he may change his mind depending on the length of the repair process. At this point, we end our conversation and I am reeling in agony. I don't like this.
Compare the inspection report with the car? What will this prove? Repair the tank? OMG! I am just dreading them denying that the amp was installed when I bought the car. The good news is that I can prove that it was there. While I only noticed the screws in the sheet metal the other day, the amp was actually first uncovered the day after I bought the car. I had gone to a car stereo place the day after my purchase to assess the car's potential. In that process, the installer pulled the false panel off and revealed the amp. I called that car stereo place just a short while ago and spoke to Scottie, who remembered the visit and the amp. It sounds like he will be willing to coroborate its existence that day. I guess that's my ace in the hole. Good grief. What a headache. I am really not looking forward to tomorrow. This is KILLING my work productivity.

 

I didn't read all of that, but DO NOT accept a "repaired" gas tank. If they do a half-a5s job, which it sounds like they want to do, it will leak again.

 

Wow!

If it was me, I'd insist on the local dealer doing it. Then, if the shop you bought from refuses....in the final analysis...to pay more than $600 pop for the difference. Then go back at the shop in small claims for the $400 delta.

The important thing here is getting the problem properly solved.
The 400 bucks is a distant second as an issue.

 

I'm fairly certain that if I take $600 from the selling dealership (which is probably not an option) that will be considered payment in full in the eyes a court. I don't think, in that case, that I would have a chance at recouperation. One option, I suppose, is to just pay for the proper repair at the local dealer and then sue the selling dealer for the bill. I don't see that as the best option. Even if I win, all I've done really is prove a point and at a major time/resources expense. If I lose, I get nothing and then some.

 

Best of Luck. most gas tanks are now plastic and welding plastic requires no open flames.

 

My advice would be to leave everything alone, including the amp. Call the dealership tomorrow, talk to the salesman and anyone else that was involved in the sales transaction. I'm not sure what the lemon law covers as far as time of ownership but you bought the car in this condition. Also tell them you're afraid of driving the vehicle and that you want it towed to the dealership.
OOOPS nevermind, guess I should of read it through...

 

bro, it sounds like theyre jerking you off (or trying to). IMO, you should get a lawyer, Then contact those mother****ers (Chip, Jay whoever lol) and inform them of their TWO options. Im sure you know what they are.

 

This morning at 7:30am I called Chip in Beaverton to make sure the tow truck was en route. He had no idea what I was talking about. He said that the last thing he knew was that I was going to talk to Jay. I was somehow not surprised. I said, "you're kidding. Jay didn't contact you like he said he would". He explained that it was the end of the day yesterday (his shift, I guess). He said he would call Jay when he got in at 8:00 - 8:30. I asked him, "so I'll hear from you by 9:00 then". "Noon," he corrects me. I repeat that this is costing me money not being able to have the car and taking this time away from work. He replies by telling me that the car probably won't arrive until the end of the day and it likely won't get looked at until tomorrow. I tell him I need the car for work. He replies that perhaps Jay will set up a rental for me. I question whether they could just use a tow company with trucks here locally. He insists that they get a better rate using some company up there and that tow variances can range up to $300. I tell him that since I have nothing to do now this morning w/o a car, I will call some tow companies locally and see if they can do it. I have $100 to work with. He agrees. I decide, at this point, that I'd better get off the phone so I don't waste any more time. Five minutes later I get another phone call from Chip saying that he had just gotten off the phone with Jay and that Jay had arranged a tow truck already. It was ready to go and the only thing left to do was get in touch with the Service Manager at the local dealership to arrange the pickup and provide a PO for the diagnostic services yesterday. He made that sound challenging. He said that he wanted to call me because he knew I would be calling tow companies and wanted to make sure we didn't set two appointments for the same job. He asked if I wanted to continue looking locally. I told him no, please start your truck on its way. Our conversation ended. Fifteen minutes later I called Ken, the local Service Manager and asked if he'd yet been contacted. He said he had and that Chip had provided him a PO. He charged him the full $89. Chip tried to negotiate and Ken told him that he had 9/10 hour into the diagnosis and since he was losing the job, he was going to charge that. Ken told me that Chip had told him about the radiator shop repair. I could virtually SEE Ken's eyes rolling at this point. Funny that my conversation with Jay yesterday made things sound so undecided, yet here was his Service Manager again telling someone about his wild intentions of tank repair at a radiator shop. I ask Ken to please call me when the truck arrives. I'd like to meet it #1 to get some things out of it and #2 because I almost feel like I need to ride up with the car to be there for the diagnosis and to pressure them for a rental car.

 

This seems to be the path that many dealerships which lack good customer service and aparently don't care about positive word of mouth are taking.

Regardless if it's BEAVERTON NISSAN or LEXUS OF PORTLAND who distroyed a body kit on my new Lexus GS right after I paid $1400 to have it painted and installed. Of course at first they apauligies and claim they will take care of everything. Next they begin to question my body shop and call me up asking me the same questions over and over and over. Lastely they come out and call me a liar to my face and that I am trying to "pull one over on them". They even preasure my body shop to admit that I was the one who caused the damage. This kind of behavier is simple rediculous and is the reason that every one I meet in person or on www.clublexus.com I make sure they know about LEXUS OF PORTLANDS service and what to exspect there after spending 50K on one of there cars.

My best suggestion again is that if your not satisfied with the level of service you are recieving or you feel any way intimidated by these loud mouth disrespectful salesmen (who of course kissed your butt when you were there making the purchase), go over there heads and demand to speak with a district manager, corporate or go straight to Nissan of America. You should not have to feel at any point disrespected, worried or stay up late thinking about this after purchasing Nissan's flagship 30K car.

And about the "repair" idea, pure BS. An example I had out of the millions of dealings with situations like this: I was rear ended and Progressive, which is the WORST for paying out claims, gives me a check for $200 to repaint the rear bumper. I tell them this is rediculous and I want a new bumper put on the car. It was a brand new car and I want it returned to brand new condition. I was told too bad, and that I would never see one more dollar and the agent walked off. So I kept the check(did NOT cash it) and begain calling the agent, day in and day out. When she didn't want to hear it any more I spoke to her manager, again he said too bad....so I called him and called him, over and over. I refused ANY offer he had. Finally I told him that I will NOT let this go and will continue to press this issue until he pays me what I am owed and that if he wants this issue droped and for me to NOT goto the hospital to check my spine/neck and for me to sign them off of all liability and to basicly "get rid of me" to pay up! He sent the origanl agent to hand deliver me a check the next day....she was sooooo mad!

 

Sorry for my poor spelling.

They NEED to provide you with a rental car. You do not need to have this affect your work. Also I would MAKE sure that if they do tow the car, that this repair will be taken care of to your satisfation. Again this is a liability repair...they will still be responsible if something goes wrong with the repair. Hell, even VOLKSWAGON has to put all new suspension bolts in everytime they take them out because of any stress which may be put on the bolts durring removal.....but they want to weld a hole in a gas tank?

This is me:


Beaverton Nissan

 

Make sure this gets posted in the regional forum section too....I wouldn't want any other Z owner to goto NISSAN OF BEAVERTON either.

I hope they read this post.....because my dad is also a big Nissan guy who they make alot of money off of....guess what dealership he WONT be going to, to make his next big purchase and future purchases?????

 

I called NNA 1800NISSAN1 to document the issue with this dealership. Obviously this is not a Nissan issue, but a dealership issue. Still, I have to think they appreciate knowing when one of their dealers is behaving unconscionably and in bad faith. They said that the regional representative would be notified of the complaint and would discuss this with the dealer. Its not as though this will shut down their business, but at least they will get verbally reprimanded. More importantly, this hopefully escalates things. I talked to Thomas at extension 8403 and was given reference# 4654984.

 

Nissan sells cars through dealerships.....if it's a dealership problem/it's a Nissan problem.