Steve2
11-13-2007, 11:08 PM
Here's a copy of a letter I sent to the General Manager at my local Nissan dealership outlining the situation I found myself faced with this spring. I delivered this letter at 5 pm one afternoon and at 10 am the next morning, I received a call telling me to come to the dealership and pick a new replacement Titan off the lot. The dealership then added all the aftermarket upgrades I had on the first Titan and delivered the new one to me within a week. UNBELEIVABLE SERVICE !! Since then, they've treated me like gold and I tell everyone who cares to listen. I know where I'm going for my next Titan.
Dear Mr. (General Manager name):
On April 3, 2007, I took delivery of a new 2007 Nissan Titan Crew Cab 4x4 LE from Sherwood Nissan. I must say that my experience with your staff was remarkable. All those I dealt with were most helpful, quite professional and very accommodating…a real change from my previous vehicle purchasing experiences. I have lauded this experience with Sherwood Nissan to many friends since then and have encouraged them to consider your dealership for any future vehicle purchase.
I now find myself in a situation with my new Nissan that is causing me some serious concern and hope to reach a mutually agreeable resolution by virtue of this correspondence and subsequent discussion. My Titan is now about three weeks old and has approximately 2500 kms on the odometer.
The situation is this…in deciding on a vehicle type to purchase, I visited three local Nissan dealerships and at a competitive dealership, took a Titan Crew Cab 4x4 LE for a test drive. I was quite impressed with the vehicle and made a decision to purchase. On March 28, I was able to come to a mutually agreeable pricing arrangement with (salesman name) and signed an offer to purchase (i.e., non-binding bill of sale). At that point, because I had already test driven the model I was purchasing, I did not feel the need to actually view my new Titan on the Sherwood Nissan lot, nor was I invited to do so. Aftermarket add-ons and the application of DiamondKote paint protection were agreed to and were to be completed prior to delivery. The first time I saw my new Titan was the morning of the delivery (April 3).
Due to inclement local weather that kept the vehicle unwashed and my extensive business travel, it was about a week after the delivery that I noted some irregularities with the quality of the paint on the vehicle. Specifically, extensive scratches across most of the driver’s side as well as touch-up paint on the driver’s door were identified. It appeared that the entire vehicle did not have DiamondKote applied as agreed to and the area that did (driver’s side), exhibited extensive scratching. Upon expressing my concern to (service consultant name) and (salesman name) on April 11, they agreed that this should be addressed and a “blocking” and re-application of DiamondKote to the entire vehicle was scheduled as was, coincidentally, the installation of painted color-matched fender flares. I delivered the vehicle as scheduled on April 16 in anticipation of this work.
Upon return of the vehicle to me on April 20, after the “blocking” and re-application of DiamondKote and installation of the fender flares, I noted that the condition remained and, in fact, was now extended to most the passenger’s side of the vehicle as well. To ensure accurate assessment of the situation, I closely examined the entire vehicle’s paint quality. As previously noted, extensive scratching to both sides of the vehicle (all four fenders, all four doors) persisted and the touch up paint on the driver’s door still remained clearly visible. Closer inspection identified wide spread orange-peel effect throughout and debris both in the factory paint application and in the newly installed fender flares.
I brought this to the attention of (service consultant name) on April 23 at which time he referred me to (sevice manager name). (Service manager name) and I examined the vehicle and it was agreed that a Nissan Canada representative should be consulted to assess the situation and identify possible resolutions. I will be delivering my Titan to Sherwood Nissan on May 3, a day before a scheduled visit by a Nissan Canada representative. I hope that between Nissan Canada and Sherwood Nissan, an acceptable resolution and course of action can be identified.
(General Manager name), in summary, I took delivery of a new Titan from Sherwood Nissan that does not appear to meet the quality standards that one would reasonably expect from a quality new vehicle manufacturer. Specifically, the vehicle is extensively scratched, has extensive orange-peel effect throughout, has debris from the factory paint application and was delivered with touch-up paint applied. Although I have not read the warranty documentation, I suspect that any component of the new vehicle, including paint would be warranted against manufacturer’s defect. This would appear to be applicable in this instance. I have viewed other Nissan vehicles on your lot and these conditions do not appear to be present on those I viewed. The presence of touch-up paint on the driver’s door is of particular concern as it indicates that Sherwood Nissan felt it appropriate to deliver a new vehicle with a known defect. I was not notified by any of your staff that this was the case prior to or following the delivery of the vehicle. In addition, the aftermarket fender flares exhibit debris in the paint application as well as post DiamondKote application scratching.
My preference in terms of an appropriate course of resolution is the delivery of a new vehicle to replace the sub-optimal quality unit delivered. While I don’t anticipate much enthusiasm for this option from either Nissan Canada or Sherwood Nissan, it remains my preference. I paid over $XX,000 for this new vehicle and one would not reasonably expect it to be delivered in such condition. Had I the opportunity to examine the vehicle prior to its purchase and delivery, I would not have proceeded with its purchase.
Other options in terms of potential resolution may include 1) replacement of all affected body panels with new factory defect-free panels, 2) professional re-painting of the entire vehicle to factory standards of quality and color consistency and 3) a cash settlement that would provide adequate resources to have the vehicle re-painted elsewhere (I understand that Sherwood Nissan does not have its own body shop). My expectation at the end of this matter is the delivery of a vehicle intact with a factory quality paint & clear coat application, something I hope that you, as an automotive professional, would agree is reasonable to expect when purchasing a quality new vehicle from a reputable vehicle manufacturer such as Nissan.
I look forward to your thoughts in this matter at your earliest convenience. I can be reached at 780-xxx-xxxx. Alternatively, you can communicate with me via email or in writing at the address noted on this letterhead.
Best Regards,
Dear Mr. (General Manager name):
On April 3, 2007, I took delivery of a new 2007 Nissan Titan Crew Cab 4x4 LE from Sherwood Nissan. I must say that my experience with your staff was remarkable. All those I dealt with were most helpful, quite professional and very accommodating…a real change from my previous vehicle purchasing experiences. I have lauded this experience with Sherwood Nissan to many friends since then and have encouraged them to consider your dealership for any future vehicle purchase.
I now find myself in a situation with my new Nissan that is causing me some serious concern and hope to reach a mutually agreeable resolution by virtue of this correspondence and subsequent discussion. My Titan is now about three weeks old and has approximately 2500 kms on the odometer.
The situation is this…in deciding on a vehicle type to purchase, I visited three local Nissan dealerships and at a competitive dealership, took a Titan Crew Cab 4x4 LE for a test drive. I was quite impressed with the vehicle and made a decision to purchase. On March 28, I was able to come to a mutually agreeable pricing arrangement with (salesman name) and signed an offer to purchase (i.e., non-binding bill of sale). At that point, because I had already test driven the model I was purchasing, I did not feel the need to actually view my new Titan on the Sherwood Nissan lot, nor was I invited to do so. Aftermarket add-ons and the application of DiamondKote paint protection were agreed to and were to be completed prior to delivery. The first time I saw my new Titan was the morning of the delivery (April 3).
Due to inclement local weather that kept the vehicle unwashed and my extensive business travel, it was about a week after the delivery that I noted some irregularities with the quality of the paint on the vehicle. Specifically, extensive scratches across most of the driver’s side as well as touch-up paint on the driver’s door were identified. It appeared that the entire vehicle did not have DiamondKote applied as agreed to and the area that did (driver’s side), exhibited extensive scratching. Upon expressing my concern to (service consultant name) and (salesman name) on April 11, they agreed that this should be addressed and a “blocking” and re-application of DiamondKote to the entire vehicle was scheduled as was, coincidentally, the installation of painted color-matched fender flares. I delivered the vehicle as scheduled on April 16 in anticipation of this work.
Upon return of the vehicle to me on April 20, after the “blocking” and re-application of DiamondKote and installation of the fender flares, I noted that the condition remained and, in fact, was now extended to most the passenger’s side of the vehicle as well. To ensure accurate assessment of the situation, I closely examined the entire vehicle’s paint quality. As previously noted, extensive scratching to both sides of the vehicle (all four fenders, all four doors) persisted and the touch up paint on the driver’s door still remained clearly visible. Closer inspection identified wide spread orange-peel effect throughout and debris both in the factory paint application and in the newly installed fender flares.
I brought this to the attention of (service consultant name) on April 23 at which time he referred me to (sevice manager name). (Service manager name) and I examined the vehicle and it was agreed that a Nissan Canada representative should be consulted to assess the situation and identify possible resolutions. I will be delivering my Titan to Sherwood Nissan on May 3, a day before a scheduled visit by a Nissan Canada representative. I hope that between Nissan Canada and Sherwood Nissan, an acceptable resolution and course of action can be identified.
(General Manager name), in summary, I took delivery of a new Titan from Sherwood Nissan that does not appear to meet the quality standards that one would reasonably expect from a quality new vehicle manufacturer. Specifically, the vehicle is extensively scratched, has extensive orange-peel effect throughout, has debris from the factory paint application and was delivered with touch-up paint applied. Although I have not read the warranty documentation, I suspect that any component of the new vehicle, including paint would be warranted against manufacturer’s defect. This would appear to be applicable in this instance. I have viewed other Nissan vehicles on your lot and these conditions do not appear to be present on those I viewed. The presence of touch-up paint on the driver’s door is of particular concern as it indicates that Sherwood Nissan felt it appropriate to deliver a new vehicle with a known defect. I was not notified by any of your staff that this was the case prior to or following the delivery of the vehicle. In addition, the aftermarket fender flares exhibit debris in the paint application as well as post DiamondKote application scratching.
My preference in terms of an appropriate course of resolution is the delivery of a new vehicle to replace the sub-optimal quality unit delivered. While I don’t anticipate much enthusiasm for this option from either Nissan Canada or Sherwood Nissan, it remains my preference. I paid over $XX,000 for this new vehicle and one would not reasonably expect it to be delivered in such condition. Had I the opportunity to examine the vehicle prior to its purchase and delivery, I would not have proceeded with its purchase.
Other options in terms of potential resolution may include 1) replacement of all affected body panels with new factory defect-free panels, 2) professional re-painting of the entire vehicle to factory standards of quality and color consistency and 3) a cash settlement that would provide adequate resources to have the vehicle re-painted elsewhere (I understand that Sherwood Nissan does not have its own body shop). My expectation at the end of this matter is the delivery of a vehicle intact with a factory quality paint & clear coat application, something I hope that you, as an automotive professional, would agree is reasonable to expect when purchasing a quality new vehicle from a reputable vehicle manufacturer such as Nissan.
I look forward to your thoughts in this matter at your earliest convenience. I can be reached at 780-xxx-xxxx. Alternatively, you can communicate with me via email or in writing at the address noted on this letterhead.
Best Regards,