I own a 1991 UK spec. Nissan 300ZX Auto Twin Turbo. I work away from home during the week and noticed whilst doing an oil change that I had a very bad oil leak from underneath the car.
So I rang the following dealer who is closest to my home address during the week to book my car in for inspection on Saturday 9th at 9am:-
Nissan Dealer
The Brookside Garage
Holyhead Road
Cernaes Bay
Anglesey
LL67 0DA
Tel: 01407 710412
I arrived at the service dept. at 9:30 and told the Service Manager that I had rang during the week about my oil leak. I also told him that to save both our time and effort that all I needed was to show him or a technician where the leak was coming from so that they could then price any labour and parts needed to fix the leak.
He agreed and asked me to show him where the leak was coming from, we both walked out to where my car was parked. I told him that the car would need to be up on a lift as the leak was underneath the engine. He then tells me that he has no lifts available for the whole morning! So I tell him that I can’t show him the leak without the car raised as it’s underneath.
He then walks me into the service area to the end of the workshop where another 300ZX is on a lift having some work done. He starts to raise the car and I tell him that the leak on my car is on the passenger side. So he then drops the car back down telling me that the passenger side turbo has been stripped so there is no point in looking. This is due to me telling him that I thought the leak was coming from a split pipe which I thought was the passenger side turbo oil feed back to the engine.
He then starts showing me various pipes and hoses which have been removed from this customers 300ZX incase I might recognise any of them. I didn’t and continued to describe what I thought was where my leak was coming from.
So at this point no progress has been made, he then walks me back to my car and tells me that there is not much more he can do. I am now starting to feel rather angry, I tell him that I have specifically booked my car in for this morning. He agrees! I tell him that I did explain my situation and that I had an oil leak. He agrees! So I then ask him why there isn’t a lift available all morning for my car to be inspected? He then tells me and I quote “you didn’t tell me that you required the use of a lift!” I could not believe what I’d just heard!!!
So if a customer tells a Service Manager that they have an oil leak is it not fair to assume, being a professional mechanic, that at a rough guess 99.9 percent of oil leaks on a car would emanate from the bottom end of the engine?
At this point I am deeply unimpressed with his attitude and level of customer service, in fact disgusted! So I then ask him if he’s got a trolley jack? He tells me that he has, so I ask him if I can use it to jack the car up and show him the leak. He then walks me back into the service area to the far end, pulls a large trolley jack out and offers me, the customer, the handle!
I then drag the jack through the length of the service bay, out to where my car is. I then jack my own car up and then I crawl under the car with him to show him the leak which he identifies as not being a split hose. It is in fact a cable from my Oil Pressure Sensor which he tells me is defective and needs replacing, hence where the oil is leaking from. Now I am grateful that he has identified this but to be honest cannot believe what is going on.
He then walks off leaving me with my car in the air, my hands are covered in engine oil, my trousers and jacket are soaked and filthy from rolling around on the floor under my own car as it had been raining. He then returns a few minutes later with a sheet of paper which he hands me. It contains the part information and price for the Oil Pressure sensor.
He drops my car off the jack, and walks away from me. I then catch him up and ask him a few more questions about fixing the sensor. He then tells me I can order the part from the parts department and book my car in if I like. Then he asks me to move my car as he needs to get a Rover off a lift and my car is in the way.
So I have to get back in my car with hands absolutely covered in engine oil, I reverse my car out and go home.
I get home and ring the Abergele Nissan Dealer who I’ve visited once before. I speak to the Service Manager and tell him that I have had an oil leak diagnosed on my car, could he tell me how long it would take to change the sensor? He starts on about how every job on a 300 is a major job and they’d have to look at it first! So I tell him that Nissan on Anglesey have diagnosed the problem, surely they have a jobcard for the work? He tells me that they don’t like taking on work diagnosed by other garages(Nissan Main Dealer) and they have to assess the work for themselves.
Right, so I don’t really care at this point! Here comes the cherry on the cake in this whole outrageous episode.
I am a member of an internet 300ZX club and forum where we have a number of more than technically competent guys. So I post my days events and ask how long to change an Oil Pressure sensor? 10 minutes! One member told me they had seen one of the guys do a change in less than 10 minutes on a car and he joked that it takes longer to jack the car up than change the Oil Pressure sensor!!!
I am disgusted to be honest! Firstly I should not have to jack my own car up on Nissan property and crawl underneath my car to show a SERVICE MANAGER where an oil leak is. Where would Nissan stand after a customer and a Service Manager are crushed by a car falling off a trolley jack? He was contravening Health and Safety at work for starters but I could not honestly believe that he was more than happy to allow a customer to jack up their own car!
His attitude towards me was unforgivable to be perfectly honest! Members of our forum have a very, very low opinion of Nissan Main dealers who charge an outrageous labour rate for doing sub standard work on our cars. I understand that the 300ZX is fairly exclusive and not a Micra or Primera etc. However, I would also like to point out that the new 350Z is being launched soon. I would be more than interested to see how the Nissan Main dealer network copes with looking after them.
Secondly, Abergele(like most Main dealers) try to fob the customer off completely about work on these cars. Surely they have job cards for simple work like changing an Oil Pressure sensor?
It seems to most of us that when a dealer sees you arrive in a 300 they basically see dollar signs thinking that we have money to burn!!!
I am seriously considering writing to Top Gear magazine and other motoring press about this incident!
I look forward to hearing from you about this incident.
Yours faithfully
Mr. Tim Schofield
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Would appreciate feedback from you lot!
------------------
[This message has been edited by Timmy_Turbo (edited 10-03-2002).]
Nissan Motor(GB) Ltd
The Rivers Office Park
Denharn Way
Maple Cross
Rickmansworth
WD3 9YS
10th March 2002
Re: Complaint against two Main Nissan Dealers!
Dear Sir or Madam:
I own a 1991 UK spec. Nissan 300ZX Auto Twin Turbo. I work away from home during the week and noticed whilst doing an oil change that I had a very bad oil leak from underneath the car.
So I rang the following dealer who is closest to my home address during the week to book my car in for inspection on Saturday 9th at 9am:-
Nissan Dealer
The Brookside Garage
Holyhead Road
Cernaes Bay
Anglesey
LL67 0DA
Tel: 01407 710412
I arrived at the service dept. at 9:30 and told the Service Manager that I had rang during the week about my oil leak. I also told him that to save both our time and effort that all I needed was to show him or a technician where the leak was coming from so that they could then price any labour and parts needed to fix the leak.
He agreed and asked me to show him where the leak was coming from, we both walked out to where my car was parked. I told him that the car would need to be up on a lift as the leak was underneath the engine. He then tells me that he has no lifts available for the whole morning! So I tell him that I can’t show him the leak without the car raised as it’s underneath.
He then walks me into the service area to the end of the workshop where another 300ZX is on a lift having some work done. He starts to raise the car and I tell him that the leak on my car is on the passenger side. So he then drops the car back down telling me that the passenger side turbo has been stripped so there is no point in looking. This is due to me telling him that I thought the leak was coming from a split pipe which I thought was the passenger side turbo oil feed back to the engine.
He then starts showing me various pipes and hoses which have been removed from this customers 300ZX incase I might recognise any of them. I didn’t and continued to describe what I thought was where my leak was coming from.
So at this point no progress has been made, he then walks me back to my car and tells me that there is not much more he can do. I am now starting to feel rather angry, I tell him that I have specifically booked my car in for this morning. He agrees! I tell him that I did explain my situation and that I had an oil leak. He agrees! So I then ask him why there isn’t a lift available all morning for my car to be inspected? He then tells me and I quote “you didn’t tell me that you required the use of a lift!” I could not believe what I’d just heard!!!
So if a customer tells a Service Manager that they have an oil leak is it not fair to assume, being a professional mechanic, that at a rough guess 99.9 percent of oil leaks on a car would emanate from the bottom end of the engine?
At this point I am deeply unimpressed with his attitude and level of customer service, in fact disgusted! So I then ask him if he’s got a trolley jack? He tells me that he has, so I ask him if I can use it to jack the car up and show him the leak. He then walks me back into the service area to the far end, pulls a large trolley jack out and offers me, the customer, the handle!
I then drag the jack through the length of the service bay, out to where my car is. I then jack my own car up and then I crawl under the car with him to show him the leak which he identifies as not being a split hose. It is in fact a cable from my Oil Pressure Sensor which he tells me is defective and needs replacing, hence where the oil is leaking from. Now I am grateful that he has identified this but to be honest cannot believe what is going on.
He then walks off leaving me with my car in the air, my hands are covered in engine oil, my trousers and jacket are soaked and filthy from rolling around on the floor under my own car as it had been raining. He then returns a few minutes later with a sheet of paper which he hands me. It contains the part information and price for the Oil Pressure sensor.
He drops my car off the jack, and walks away from me. I then catch him up and ask him a few more questions about fixing the sensor. He then tells me I can order the part from the parts department and book my car in if I like. Then he asks me to move my car as he needs to get a Rover off a lift and my car is in the way.
So I have to get back in my car with hands absolutely covered in engine oil, I reverse my car out and go home.
I get home and ring the Abergele Nissan Dealer who I’ve visited once before. I speak to the Service Manager and tell him that I have had an oil leak diagnosed on my car, could he tell me how long it would take to change the sensor? He starts on about how every job on a 300 is a major job and they’d have to look at it first! So I tell him that Nissan on Anglesey have diagnosed the problem, surely they have a jobcard for the work? He tells me that they don’t like taking on work diagnosed by other garages(Nissan Main Dealer) and they have to assess the work for themselves.
Right, so I don’t really care at this point! Here comes the cherry on the cake in this whole outrageous episode.
I am a member of an internet 300ZX club and forum where we have a number of more than technically competent guys. So I post my days events and ask how long to change an Oil Pressure sensor? 10 minutes! One member told me they had seen one of the guys do a change in less than 10 minutes on a car and he joked that it takes longer to jack the car up than change the Oil Pressure sensor!!!
I am disgusted to be honest! Firstly I should not have to jack my own car up on Nissan property and crawl underneath my car to show a SERVICE MANAGER where an oil leak is. Where would Nissan stand after a customer and a Service Manager are crushed by a car falling off a trolley jack? He was contravening Health and Safety at work for starters but I could not honestly believe that he was more than happy to allow a customer to jack up their own car!
His attitude towards me was unforgivable to be perfectly honest! Members of our forum have a very, very low opinion of Nissan Main dealers who charge an outrageous labour rate for doing sub standard work on our cars. I understand that the 300ZX is fairly exclusive and not a Micra or Primera etc. However, I would also like to point out that the new 350Z is being launched soon. I would be more than interested to see how the Nissan Main dealer network copes with looking after them.
Secondly, Abergele(like most Main dealers) try to fob the customer off completely about work on these cars. Surely they have job cards for simple work like changing an Oil Pressure sensor?
It seems to most of us that when a dealer sees you arrive in a 300 they basically see dollar signs thinking that we have money to burn!!!
I am seriously considering writing to Top Gear magazine and other motoring press about this incident!
I look forward to hearing from you about this incident.
Yours faithfully
Mr. Tim Schofield
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Would appreciate feedback from you lot!
------------------
[This message has been edited by Timmy_Turbo (edited 10-03-2002).]