The Canadian Guitar Forum banner

F#@king Nissan...... resolved-ish

2K views 52 replies 16 participants last post by  laristotle 
#1 ·
So I took my car in for an MVI yesterday. I brought it to my mechanic, he's close by and not a slimey grease ball like a lot of them. He got most of the required work done but for held up when it came to replacing coil springs that had broken because he couldn't get the parts. Nissan refused to sell them to him, saying that there was a recall on the part and they were legally obligated to fix it based on transport Canada laws. I thought it sounded off so I and my wife (who is a lawyer by the way) both read the motor vehicle safety act and found nothing. Then I called transport Canada to verify what I knew. No such rule/law exists. So WTF right? So I called the dealership and spoke to the manager asking why he wouldn't sell my mechanic the parts, again he told me that he couldn't legally sell them to me, so I called him out for lying to me. Instead of just saying its company policy or I'm sorry I was wrong he dug his heels in got defensive and very rude. By the end of the conversation he was refusing to sell me the parts or do the work on the car. He said and I quote "we don't need to deal with you kind here!" WTF does that even mean? Anyone else ever had an issue like this getting a part for a car?
 
#5 ·
Because it would have meant 3 days without my car instead of 1. An extra day at Nissan because they couldn't/wouldn't do it yesterday and another day back to my mechanic to verify the work and complete the MVI I paid for. There are some situations where saving time is more important than saving money.

Call another dealership after contacting Nissan HQ suggesting that you'll call a TV station/newspaper?
I contacted Nissan Corporate office and they gave me the same speech. In the end I talked to the dealership owner who is supposedly taking action.
 
#8 ·
What vehicle is it? My wife has a fairly new Nissan so I'm curious about this thread's outcome.
It's a 2011 versa.

Interesting (for us) and extremely frustrating (for you) thread.

Do you know what action the dealership intends to try and take?
It was an interesting conversation, he offered free services such as an oil change or to detail the car, but was very confused when I declined and told him I just wanted his employees to stop lying to customers. To be honest I'm not sure if anything will happen based on his reaction, there is supposed to be a follow up this week and I'll update.
 
  • Like
Reactions: greco
#9 ·
Hope it all works out for you. I broke the right spring on my 2007 Versa a year ago. At that time the recall was not in place. When the spring broke it damaged the right strut mount and gouged the sidewall of the tire. I had to replace the springs, struts and both front tires. I used my local mechanic to get the work done.

A few months ago I went to Nissan to get a quote on a muffler change. The dealership advised me of the recall. I told them that I had already replaced the springs a year ago. They reinstalled new springs and refunded me the full cost of the work that I had done by my mechanic including the cost of the new tires.
 
#10 ·
It is likely not Nissan but the company that supplied the parts. That's the way most cars are built these days.
 
#12 ·
I understand the frustration, but if it is replaced under recall at no expense to you, then why not make due with the car being gone for another day or two? Sometimes it is time to fight, sometimes it is not time to fight. Me, I love a good showdown, but only on things that are warranted.

And all auto dealers are dicks. ALL of them.
 
#15 ·
I understand the frustration, but if it is replaced under recall at no expense to you, then why not make due with the car being gone for another day or two? Sometimes it is time to fight, sometimes it is not time to fight. Me, I love a good showdown, but only on things that are warranted.

And all auto dealers are dicks. ALL of them.
I can't get the time off and my wife is self employed, lost wages carting my ass to work and picking up/dropping off the vehicle are double the repair cost. Free isn't free for everyone.
 
#16 ·
Any autoparts dealer should be able to source some aftermarket springs. Napa, Lord, Canadian Tire. You have lots of choices besides Nissan. Some battles are just not worth the time.
Tried, no after market parts available due to the recall.
 
#18 · (Edited)
#19 ·
Since your wife is a lawyer you should threaten to sue them, or file the paperwork to do so, and I'll bet you will get your parts quickly.

Or for less hassle just use aftermarket parts. I notice you said there are none but there have to be.

ETA: I just checked with a quick Google search and there are replacements available.

Nissan Versa Coil Spring - Best Front/Rear Lowering Springs & Coil Springs for Nissan Versa - 2006 - 2016
I thought about that too, but there's really nothing we can sue for....and even if their was the lost wages comes in to play. It's not really worth it.....The whole purpose of the thread was more to vent and inform people about shitty business practices, not so much to look for suggestions on how fix the problem. I appreciate all the help, but I have that part covered.
 
#22 ·
Another option is to find the parts online. My Ford truck is a base model and I wanted a set of up-fitter switches for the dash. Local dealer gave me the run around, refused to even look up the parts. When I gave her the part number she said they could get the switches and my price would be about $$250. I found them on eBay NIB OEM from a parts supplier in the US for $40. F@ck the dealers. Same with the cargo light. $200 for OEM with crappy plastic that fades and incandescent bulbs. Found an aftermarket upgrade for $100 with LED's and it didn't leak like the OEM. Canada has weird distributorship rules based largely on the fact that "Canadians will pay more". I haven't looked for a part yet I couldn't get for pennies on the dollar out of the US. F@ck the middleman. Google is your friend. Rant over...
 
#26 ·
This is interesting to hear, as I'm just in the initial phases of buying a new car.

Nissan isn't really on my list though, because it looks like everything they make uses that CVT. That's a show-stopper for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scotty
#29 ·
This is interesting to hear, as I'm just in the initial phases of buying a new car.

Nissan isn't really on my list though, because it looks like everything they make uses that CVT. That's a show-stopper for me.
You nailed it. I won't touch CVT anything . If a vehicle has next to no towing capacity, that means it can barely move itself
 
#27 ·
I think the "legality" angle was probably made up by the dealership but I can understand how they may be subjected to distribution of the specific part because they're in the middle of implementing a recall. I have seen factory controls like this before as part of the recall process. Can you not get aftermarket springs?
 
#31 ·
Crappy situation.

We have a Nissan Juke (which I understand has much in common with the Versa). We've tried both local dealers for regular servicing but was not impressed with either one and couldn't wait for the warranty to run out and hit "My Mechanic" instead. The few recalls we went through it was explained that they only get so many of the parts and need to completely document each "fix" in order to get paid by the factory.

If there's no aftermarket stuff available it looks like you may have to visit another Nissan dealer - although I expect that if you try your local guy after you've both "cooled down" they'll be happy to do the recall. It is money after all.
 
#45 ·
When the right spring broke on our Versa it was not a pleasant experience at 50 km/hr. I was two blocks from the on-ramp to the highway. I can just imagine what it would have been like if it had happened while travelling at 110 km/hr.
 
#47 ·
Yup GT-R is a killer car. Agreed about CVT...like driving a sewing machine. But that being said, I wonder ho long the 6speed in my Silverado will last. Lots of power and lots of gear changes = worrysome. I chewed the tranny in my previous Silverado. 4speed. went at low 200k which is 100 k early in my books.

I am wondering if CVT would be better or worse longevity wise
That's why I don't touch automatics. I'll never handle a CVT until they reach a point where they make sense for, and can handle, a race car application.
 
#48 ·
UPDATE.....got a call back and as expected not much came of things. They apologized for lying and agreed to sell me the parts. Which is a moot point now, since the opportunity to have all the work done at one place in one day has passed.
 
#50 ·
I'd like to say no, but it's my to/from work beater and we always buy used since that's it's only purpose. It's really a matter of what the best deal available is.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top