I'm waiting for the dealer to call and tell me the new top is in so I can get it installed - hopefully end this week / early next.

I'll try to take some better "before and after" pics and post them with narratives to document this whole thing from end to end. Hopefully, this will provide some documentation to help you guys make your cases with dealers and/or Nissan. Since mine is one of the earliest production roadsters (now over 3 years since purchase), it should make it hard for them to refuse you.

More to follow . . .

 

Hi All,

I have an '05 and just had my top replaced also. But the top does not close the way it did before...

Now, the dealer said I have to stop mid-way through the close operation and then open the latch. Then, while holding the handle, finish closing the top easing it into the slot. If I do not do this, the top closes very hard, and it is impossible to open-then-close the latch after the mechanism is through closing the top.

Did your dealers tell you something similar? Is this due to the re-design of the soft-top?

This is really lame.

-F

 

Ive had my top replaced......twice. It opens and closes just as it did from the factory.

 

maxpowers -

I agree - all replacement actions by the dealer better result in the top functioning to original stock spec performance. If they tell me I have to do any additional manual "gymnastics" to make it open or close correctly, then that means they didn't do it right, and I'm going to throw the "B.S. Flag" and make then finish it correctly.

Good input, thanks.

 

That's what I would do. I've spoken to my dealer a fair bit and the (now gone) service desk guy was pretty open to me. He basically told me that they get X hours of reimbursement for a job on warranty (which is true), and that the hours allocated to soft top replacement is usually too low (in other words the dealer ends up absorbing some of the cost).

In your case the dealer will have to absorb more cost to fix their mistake so they will probably try to talk you out of any work.

This is why I don't blaim the dealer for everything. Nissan Canada (or US) puts a lot of restrictions on the dealer which would create customer satisfaction. But it sure makes for some impressive financial figures in their annual report...

 

My PPW '05 is doing the same thing...the back seam is splitting almost identically to the Zr in the pics, But my dealer said that it might not be covered under warrenty and that I have to take it to a top specialist?

 

im gonna wait till mine get a little worse before i take it in...hek it better be replaced under warranty

 

Dealer took a look at the top and informed me a new top would be needed. Parts department ordered and received the new top within 2-days. Installed on the third day.

Hope this will be the last top needed.

 

You're ahead of me - after waiting two weeks, I took it in yesterday only to get a call today that the top shop can't do it for another week because they are "backed up". Not happy that's it being subcontracted out, less happy to be jerked around.

More to follow in two weeks. . .

 

how long did it take them to do the actual install on the top? Id hate to have to drop my car off overnight

 

I thought that the dealer had to first notify Nissan to OK (authorized) the new top.
They have to submit top photos, mileage & complete pic of the entire car & can't do anything until approval!!!!!!!

 

Exactly what I had to go thru. Mine is going in tomorrow for replacement. I try to wait as long as I can for them to get some experience with others. Will keep you posted.

 

Mine is falling apart already...

 

It took 2-days to order/receive the top and 1-day for the install.

I had to go out of town on business so I left my car there for 5-days.

This is the second time I've had to replace the top. First time was for the pinhole issue while this time was for the stitching.

Each time the dealership inspected and ordered the top in the same day. I always take my car to Power Nissan in Torrance for service and warranty repairs. Brett Lang is awesome.

The first time I had the top replaced they had to have a special tech come from Nissan to oversee the installation. Power Nissan hooked me up with a rental from Enterprise until my car was done.

 

AAARGHH!!!

After a two week delay due to business travel, I finally took it in for top replacement. Went to pick it up today and the fitment on the right windshield corner was abysmal - it actually had rubber trim hanging down and the canvas bulging out at the tuck ! Not only that, they replaced it with the exact same defective top design - not the newer double stitched one.

After a "florid" discussion with the service manager, they're going to order both trim pieces for that corner, express ship them, and fix the problem ASAP. I also asked him if reinstalling the same defective design sounded like an intelligent, permanent fix to him, and (typical) he just shrugged and said that's all Nissan would authorize. A new, but stupid, fix is still a stupid fix.

More to follow, but boy am I pi$$ed. . .

 

+1 for me.

EDIT: I would also like to add, that both times Nissan had to take pictures and get authorization. The first time they actually outsourced the procedure to a specialty shop since I was a pioneer with this problem, the second time they did it themselves.

 

AAARGHH!!! +1
Got my car back with the new top. They replaced it with a same top, same design. Guess it'll be going back again in a couple years. I even asked them to check the part number before ordering to get a newer part number. Fools.

The top opens and closes like normal. But the latch is much harder to lock when closing, and one side of the cover is not level with the trunk when the top is up. Took 3 days to get my car back. Will take it back to get it fix again.

 

What year is your ZR?

 

04.5, why?

 

Mine is also a '04.5. I called my dealer again earlier today and he said that he will have an answer for me on Monday in regards to Nissan Ok'ing the new top. If they replace the top...what happen's after the warranty expires. My 3 years is up in May of '07. What do you plan on doing?