Why does Nissan of North America ignore customer satisfaction? To them a warranty is a set of legal loop holes to avoid providing service. Here was my expereince with the 2007 Infiniti M35:
My M35 Bluetooth would not synch with AT&T 8525. First Nissan refused to fix it though it froze my entire console. They said it wasn’t on their list of phones. Bluetooth is a trademark a company can ONLY use if its devices are interoperable with others. Failure to comply is a violation of the trademark. Then Nissan relented and after 4 tries finally fixed the problem. Recently the A/C Condenser was struck by a stone. The car was under warranty but they refused to cover it. Damage by stone chips is an exclusion. Understandable for paint damage but if they design a grill only for air flow, not to protect the condenser that is a design defect. And their voice recognition, for telephone numbers may be the worst in the world. So, on the face of it, the M35 may look like a nice car and be fun to drive but God forbid you have to deal with Nissan for warranty repairs. Of the Japanese car manufacturers they are, no doubt, the worst to deal with. Buy at your own risk!
P.S. I know this car is recommended by car talk and was by Consumer Reports. I hope that now that they see how Nissan treats real life customers this will change.
You are incorrect. Many cars do not sync with all Bluetooth cell phones. Various Toyotas syc with different phones, it changes model to model. Had you confirmed the 8525 synced with the M before you bought it?
And I hadn’t read the stone damage part. No manufacturer covers that, and you can see AC condensors when you look into the front of most every car. None have protection for that.
As Bill Clinton used to say, “I feel your pain”.
However, damage of any kind from a flying stone is NOT covered by any vehicle manufacturer’s warranty. You may indeed have a valid gripe regarding the Bluetooth problem, but you are WAY off-base with your allegations regarding damage to the A/C condensor from a flying stone.
You might want to be aware that if another flying stone causes damage to your windshield, or your roof, or your hood, that is also not covered by any car manufacturer’s warranty. Warranties cover defects in materials or workmanship, and do not take into account the intervention of other forces such as vehicle collisions, flying stones, bird poop, etc.
Agree with VDC; some time ago my Nissan’s radiator developed a leak while still covered by warranty. When I took it in the first question asked was; “Is the leak on the front or the back?”. It happened to be at the back, and they installed a new radiator, new antifreeze and I was out the door a few hours later at no charge. Great service, but a leak in the front caused by flying debris is categorically not covered!
Nissan happens to own Infiniti, but I understand the reasons behind the policy.
Nobody anywhere ever will cover damage from a stone. Not, at least, until they offer force fields as options.
Since the Bluetooth problem was finally fixed under warranty, I’ll take your word for it that this was a warrantable problem, even though I’m not sure that the license to use the name requires interoperability with everything on the market as you implied.
Yes, other cars also fail to synch with Bluetooth Phones and even have their own lists. That is still a violation of the Bluetooth Trademark and the agreement any company that uses it must sign. The whole idea of Bluetooth is interoperability but the auto industry thumbs its nose at this and violates their signed agreement. No one should have to check if their phone works with the car they plan to buy.
Not true that NO manufacturers cover stone damage, read the Audi warranty. And if you know a little engineering its clear two sets of louvers at right angles would allow air in but not stones. Billet screens work too.
Does everyone take auto company exclusions at face value? Naturally the exterior of the car can’t be protected from stones, but the radiator and the condenser are behind a grill. That grill isn’t just for show. It’s supposed to protect the engine compartment. There are MANY designs that would allow air to flow copiously into the engine compartment but avoid stone damage. If Nissan chooses to use a design that does not it’s not because they don’t know how. I think it’s because they look forward to selling you the $400 part and making a handsome profit.
"No one should have to check if their phone works with the car they plan to buy. "
Sorry, the world doesn’t work that way. As for Audi, I can’t get the text off the Audi site. And yes, I ‘know a little engineering’. ‘Two sets of louvers’ might stop stones, along with interfering with air flow. I’d be interested in a list of all other cars that are so equipped.
I understand your reasoning. Having worked in Northern Canada and Alaska, the first thing drivers do there is to install a fine grill over the headlights and the radiator grill. This serves both to keep the numerous bugs out of the radiator, and protects it and the headlights from flying stones.
I think originally the grill served that purpose, but few drivers would settle for an ugly mesh grill on their high fashion fronts. The original Volvos imported from Sweden in the 50s and early 60s had retractible grills, but they were soon discontinued.
By popular choice, the grill is now strictly ornamental. I’m afraid.
Oh, come on, be realistic. If they designed cars to completely eliminate any damage that could possibly happen to them, including the one-in-two-million chance that a stone would strike the condensor, they’d all look like Obama’s new car…and cost as much.
OK, so suppose you had a Honda Accord. At this site:
http://www.slickcar.com/productdetails.asp?ProductID=4017
You would find BOTH an upper and lower mesh grill you could put on your Honda Accord. Once installed you could forget about pebbles creating a hole in your condenser. You don’t need a force field, just a company that really wants to protect its customers. Remember when the Federal Government mandated 5 mph bumpers. Lobbying ended that, not technology. So now you can damage your car to the tune of $1500 or more at just 5 mph. No, nobody anywhere will get anything until they stop putting up with this,
There is more than one Bluetooth protocol. What does the cell phone use, and what does the car use? They may not be compatible.
So you can get aftermarket mesh grills for an Accord? So what? Start a company that makes grills, if it’s the problem you think it is you’ll make a million.
I’m not trying to be a critic, but there are bigger things to worry about…seems like you’re barking up the wrong tree(s).
Please note the mesh grill referred to by Docnick and in my reply to the same mountainbike is a relatively inexpensive add-on. Costing two to three hundred dollars not the $900 it costs to replace the condenser. It could, also be added to the inside to improve the aesthetics and if done in mass production would add no more than $100 to the cost of a car. Meanwhile, I’m sure you know one-in-two-million is hyperbole. My guess is that one in twenty drivers experiences this problem with the new completely open design of the lower grill.
Your right. There IS more than one protocol but they are not mutually exclusive. Rather they build on each other. The simplest protocol is the one cell phones use and, with hands-free calling being the only type now permitted in many states, cars that claim Bluetooth compatibility are supposed to work with any phone that has passed the required Bluetooth testing. Since manufacturers sign an agreement when they use the trademark, any failure on their part to address a lack of interoperability that is their fault would be in violation of that agreement. This means they could be sued by the Bluetooth group. Of course, the directors of the group are reluctant to go this far but I have spoken to two if them about this issue.
That’s only because it’s not YOUR $900 it’s costing to fix the condenser. If it were I suspect you’d think it was a bigger problem. Anyway, why should I have to get into the car business to get cars made the way they should be? As I see it, if enough consumers vote with their feet I’ve made my point. Then, maybe, the car manufacturers will start listening.
Have you checked the comprehensive coverage of your car insurance? It may well cover the condensor repair.
Good point but, believe it or not, I consider this a last resort. Even if using the Comprehensive coverage doesn’t raise my rates (which it does for some companies) it will contribute to higher rates for everyone. So, it’s a last resort.
This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a stone flying up and puncturing a condensor. If the stat was one in twenty we’d have had countless posts and the problem would be common knowledge.
I accept the challange. Folks, many among you have been professionally repairing cars for decades. Have you seen one in twenty with a rock-damaged condensor? Have you ever seen even one?
Post please. If this is truely a one-in-twenty problem (or even a one-in-100) I owe the man an apology.
I am not an electrical engineer; I meant basically what you said. However, when I bought the Bluetooth headset for my cellie, the literature said that it would not work with all Bluetooth enabled phones. That’s where I’m coming from.