theSmoothDome

It just dumbfounds me that there are dealers in this country who don't know how to make the customer happy. The car's less than a year old. The top has holes. Obviously there's a problem. Why would a dealer not help? Don't they get paid by Nissan to do the warranty work?

nis350z

So the later models ZR do not have hole problems??? What exactly did they do to fix it?

KingofScion

I am not defending dealers, but warranty work is signifigantly less profit than customer pay.

So help me understand. are their any issues other than tire feathering I should worry about? My Z will be built Late april early May.

Omer.

Intrepid175

That's absolutely true. It's because the manufacturer knows first hand how much time it takes a competent machanic to do a job and they also, obviously, know how much the parts cost. So..... they don't let the dealer rape them over the coals the way they can us ordinary customers.

Dealers may not make as much money on warranty jobs as they would like but they are "not" loosing money on them either.

Drive Safe,
Steve R.

KingofScion

It's not the dealership as much as it is the tech/mechanic.

Good technitions are rear these days and only good experienced techz work on Engines, Transmissions etc. most tech just to maintenence, wheel, brake, and suspension work.

Warranty Labour rate is 45-50 dollar an hour. Dealership abour rate is 75-110 an hour.

sujo16

I've got a hole, now.
I don't think it's related to the pinholes, though.

The webbing around the bow (right behind the hole)has a sharp point where the nylon was melted to keep the edge from fraying. I think that point wore down and eventually tore through the top. I checked the passenger side and the webbing there is smooth.

I brought the car in yesterday and the service manager immediately ordered a new top for me.

z0ner

Chalk up another victim to the July '03 production line. I've had the small eraser holes for as long as I can remember, but now I have two tiny slits right above the seam on the passenger side. They go all the way through, and after 60MPH it gets really noisy in the cabin. I can see some fabric wear in the same location on the driver's side too.

I took it into the dealer, and of course it's the first they've heard of it. Thankfully I've been following this thread and they had to deal with an informed customer. Assistant manager had to come out, and didn't seem to take me seriously until I mentioned "TSB". Five minutes later I was signing a service order with the words "need to order top" scrawled on it. I asked my writer what the number of the TSB was, and he said, "It's pretty obvious that those tears warrant a new top". Sounds like they don't want to make it public.

They said they'd call in two days to let me know the status. I'll keep you all posted.

elyliu

what is TSB?

jminor

Technical Service Bulletin. It tells dealers there is a problem and tells them how to go about fixing it.

z0ner

Here's my (yawn) update:

I called the dealer since they weren't calling me (surprise!), and they had me bring in the car to take pictures. I asked them why, since we've already qualified the new top - he said standard protocol from NNA. I happened to review the order on his desk, and it was roughly $4400 for the assembly.

I've currently got about 7400 miles on her.

He said he'd call (like he did the last time - NOT!) so he'll get a call from me every two days until it comes in. The saga continues...

mrice

Just got verification that a new top will be ordered, I had one of the original design, had the round wear holes like that pictured here earlier.

Zcollector

I just took mine in for a looksie, and I have a pinhole in the roof on the passenger side, but not in the "common" location. The hole that I have developed, is under the rear cross brace, above the rear window... in the seam. Apparently, when they heat sealed the seams, there was a bead of vinyl that started to pull every time I open and closed the top. It eventually ripped the hole.

The dealer took me to an independant upholstry shop and had them look it over, and there is no way to repair it. While there, they also pointed out that the seams on the passenger side were coming apart. The heat seal process did not take for most of the seam (except where the hole developed). The seams are separating from the rear to the front of the passenger side, and along the backbone above the window.

... Long story short, the dealer submitted my claim and has a new top on order from Japan. Nissan told the dealer to ship my top to them after the swap so they can figure out what went wrong with it.

My build date is 6/03, and #2,499 off the assy line. Currently I have the old version of the top.

z0ner

With all the horror stories I've heard here, the dealer is actually outperforming for a change.

I got a call Thursday afternoon saying that they had 6 of the roofs in their storage facility in LA (about 50 miles away), and that the part would be there by tomorrow (Tuesday).

Since they actually have the part and didn't have to get it from the assembly line, I'm suspecting there's a TSB. If anyone can get their hands on this number, please share with the rest of the group - it'll make their and future cases go much more smoothly.

EddieJr

Dang, my ZR was built 7/03 and #2759. I see the holes from the inside but they don't thru the canvas. I'm wondering if I should take it in to get checked.

mrice

Mine is 2370 with new top ordered also...mine was just showing the eraser sized spots on both sides.

mrice

NTB03-071a

maxpowers

iTrader: (3)

I'm not sure if we're still keeping track of new cases, but I just took mine in for pinholes (rear-passenger side).

I have an early production #265.

I live in Toronto and the dealer mentioned he's heard of this. They are going to send a picture to their national office and decide if the top should be replaced (I won't take no for an answer though).

z0ner

I couldn't be more satisfied with my dealer. When I brought it in for the new top yesterday, I was told that the installation would be outsourced, and I was highly skeptical. After getting a detailed explanation the service manager knew I was apprehensive, so he made sure to personally take care of it from then on.

When I picked up my car later that day, I went over everything with a fine-tooth comb, and the installation was impeccable. I was hoping for the new double-stitched top, but I got the same style, although the corners look reinforced from the inside.

I took it out on the freeway and got her up to some nice speeds - no wind noise whatsoever - I'm very happy.

However, they did have to break the roll-bar covers - and since my dealership didn't know to order new ones my repair order isn't closed. I can't even tell they're busted, but the dealer will assemble new ones on in a few days.

When you go in for this make sure the dealer knows about covers so they can take care of it in the same day.

Now I need to weatherproof the top fairly soon. I was using 303 but it seemed to make the top a little lighter. What do you guys use?

mrice

mine is in for the new top now, it was outsourced to an auto upholstry shop, their first Z, but they have done other ragtops...keeping my fingers crossed.

z0ner

In summary:

There's a good chance that if bought a Roadster in the first 6 months of production, that you may develop pinholes, rips, or tears in the top. It's easiest to view these from within the car on a sunny day. If you spot one, you should do the following:

1) Take your car to your dealer, and reference TSB: NTB03-071a. If you've taken photos, give copy(s) to the dealer.

2) They may take pictures to send to Nissan Corp., so try to get both steps done in the first visit. Make sure you tell them the installation involves breaking the plastic coverings to the rollbar so they order them at the same time.

3) Nissan Corp will authorize the repair, and your dealer will order the part. In my case the part came from a warehouse in L.A., (two days). They shouldn't need to pull it from the assembly line at this point, since there's a TSB and many tops have already been replaced.

4) The dealer will more than likely outsource the work to an upholstery shop, and in most cases this shop hasn't done this specific job before. To my surprise, no documentation came with the assembly, so they may need to work on it up to two days (my car was only gone for six hours).

5) Check for wind noise, alignment errors, gaps in the weatherstripping, etc. BEFORE you leave the dealership.
6) Enjoy your new top!