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Terrible Service Today...Sigh...

5K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  AndysLog 
#1 ·
I took my "new to me" 2012 Frontier CC to Clay Cooley Nissan (formerly South Point Nissan) in Austin today to have the transmission inspected for a potential leak.

I requested that the differential be serviced, and the oil changed.

I got the phone call around 2PM, the Service Advisor says the passenger front strut is leaking, and that it sprayed oil on the transmission, making it look like it leaks. I didn't buy that. No way.

If you look at the pics of the transmission, you'll see the seepage. No way the strut did that.

The idiot LOF tech made a huge mess with the oil change, splattered oil ALL OVER the chassis, and the skid plate. The oil drain ramp is still dripping with oil.

The differential has oil oil running down the front, below the plug, and is dripping off the diff. It was bone dry before.

Bastards. I'll NEVER have it serviced there again. Nor will I EVER buy another vehicle from them.

I'm so mad I could spit bullets!!! That's my Baby you're working on, be neat and clean with her!

There is no reason for that strut to leak at 58K. Not in my book.

When I bought the truck, it was missing the radio antenna. They pulled one off a used Xterra. i was also missing the key for the wheel locks, it was like pulling teeth to get those items replaced.

I called Nissan USA, they apologized for the claim denial, and escalated it to a Regional Manager. I told the Service Advisor that I contacted NUSA, he replied, "whatever, good."

Here's the photos of the diff, transmission, and strut...tell me what you think.

Now we wait to have the truck inspected by the Zone Rep.

Dave S.
 

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#2 ·
I've only had my truck there one time and was not impressed at all. Mine was for a bad wheel sensor under warranty. I do all maintenance on my truck and avoid stealerships at all cost due to all the issues you mention. The cost of all the tools required is very cheap and they usually pay for themselves pretty quickly. For the most part you don't even need ramps to work on our trucks. Howdy Honda isn't much better as we have an Odyssey and were told our 2008 with less than 17,000 miles had a shock leaking in the back. I've never seen a single drop show up and they continue to pressure us to have it changed the day we had it in for recall work.

A good stealership is a VERY hard thing to find. I honestly have no clue who to trust here in Austin as far as Nissan stealerships are concerned. :)
 
#3 ·
So, am I missing something here?

Basically a tech spilled some oil while changing the oil and spilled some oil when changing the diff oil and you thought that was worth escalating up the Nissan national ladder?
 
#4 ·
You're missing that Nissan is involved ONLY because the transmission casing is weeping/seeping at the front case gasket. I had the front struts replaced today at a local independent shop, along with a front end alignment.

I'm going to plead my strut case with the zone rep to see if I can get them to cover the cost of the 1 defective strut, and the labor paid to have it installed. I'll eat the cost of the driver's side strut replacement.

The tech that fixed it today said the strut had been leaking for an extended amount of time, and was leaking and spraying a lot of fluid.

The oil on the diff and on the skid plate boils down to a sloppy/incompetent tech. That is just annoying.

I saved the defective parts, all receipts and paper work from both the dealer and the independent shop.

Worst case? I eat all of the front end work, and Nissan fixes the transmission leak. At 60K, I go away, and don't bother Nissan again. Then my extended PW independent warranty kicks in.
 
#6 ·
Just because a strut failed at about 60K does not mean it is defective. A strut is an active part of a working suspension.. Since you're not the original owner you have no idea how the truck was driven before.

I would agree that 60K is probably a shorter lifespan than most struts might get but again I wouldn't assume the strut is defective.

But hey...if you get Nissan to pick up the tab good for you.

It just struck me that what you experienced was certainly annoying but if this stuff really makes you "spitting bullets mad" I suggest you lighten up a bit - you'll live longer. :)
 
#5 ·
I noted the service advisors attitude, which is inappropriate in every sense of the word. Please share his name so that I know never to send any business his way, whatever dealership he goes to.

I had similar dealings with Ancira Nissan sales and service department. Will never use them again.

I'm just going to state a opinions that I personally feel...
If you are going to do a job why not do it the correct way. If you are unwilling or unable to do a good job then either don't work or find a job that you are competent at. That goes for every person in every job including myself.
 
#7 ·
I was upset because I hadn't made my FIRST PAYMENT yet, I cleaned up the dealer's mess yesterday. Pulled the lower valance, and plastic skid plate, cleaned under there, and the frame rails, oil filter ramp, and the rear diff cover. 1.5 cans of brake cleaner later, LOL!
Dropped $700 on 2 new struts and alignment Saturday. The mechanic did a FANTASTIC JOB!!! Kudos to Lamb's Tire and Auto in S. Austin!
 
#8 ·
Glad that things are looking up Van70style. I feel for you and understand your pain. I've had my share of Dealer service idiocy over the years, including the Subaru Dealer who spilled engine oil everywhere and then failed to tighten the drain plug for that extra touch.
 
#10 ·
Well, the regional rep called me this morning. They refuse to cover the leaky strut (I figured they would).

As to the tranny, they called Cooley Nissan. The service manager says he never heard of me, has no record of any visit by me, and the service advisor said the same thing....WHAT!!! I have the papers to prove it???

So, tomorrow I an going up to another dealer, Town North Nissan, to have the truck officially inspected. I will be under the lift with the tech, no matter what, so they can see what I see. BTW, its the tail housing gasket that's weeping, not the front.

Also, I discovered Sunday the rear shocks are leaking also. Whoever makes those OE hydraulic shocks SUCKS, bottom of the barrel quality. Just enough to get you out of the showroom, and down the road, I guess.

I replaced the front struts with gas Monroe OE Spectrums. I wanted the KYB's, but they weren't in stock. I'll replace the rears this fall, maybe sooner. They already make the back of the truck oscillate over speed bumps. I guess the PO worked that truck harder than I thought.

Wonder how the heck he put 60K on the truck in 2 years?
 
#12 ·
As I said earlier, since you're not the original owner of the truck you have no idea as to how it was previously driven.

While many folks may get more than 60K on the original shocks on their vehicle it is not unusual to have to replace them that soon.

Here's a blurb I copied form an auto site that helps explain:

"As kinetic energy wears shocks down, it follows that more suspension movement has a negative effect on shock absorber life expectancy. If your morning commute consists of a smooth, unobstructed drive across level countryside, then your vehicle is probably enduring a minimum of suspension movement. Throw in some curves or a little stop-and-go traffic, and you have a lot more movement (and kinetic energy) slamming through those shocks. From there, gravel, hills and other road conditions only add to the stress on your vehicle's shocks, potentially subtracting from the typical 50,000-mile life expectancy. Even your style of driving and specific wheel and tire modifications can have an impact.

In addition to suspension movement, regional weather conditions and road contaminants can also take a toll on your vehicle's shock absorbers. After all, these are external mechanisms and regular drives through saltwater, sand or rough gravel roads can further wear your shocks down with abrasions or rust."


Sixty thousand miles in two years may be a bit more than normal but I've known tech reps that will routinely put 50K on a vehicle in a year.

Personally, I'm at the other extreme - my 2012 doesn't even have 4,000 miles on it yet. :)

Anyway, glad this has all been straightened out for you and now you know of a good dealer to take your truck to and one dealer to avoid completely!
 
#11 ·
The issue is now resolved. Went to Town North Nissan to have the truck inspected. I was treated with courtesy and kindness by both the Service Adviser and the Technician, Scott, was the most informed and smart as a whip tech that you'd ever want to meet.

Scott put the truck on the lift, and we stepped under. I pointed out where I thought it was leaking. He stated that it wasn't a leak, but was the anaroebic sealer used to seal the extension housing to the rest of the transmission.

He picked some off and said, "See how it's gummy? That's normal, and it tends to collect dirt, but I can see where you'd think it looked like a leak."

He then took me across the aisle, where they had an Xterra in because of the "strawberry milkshake" issue. He had the transmission pulled out already.

You could see the same sealer. He then checked the level of fluid in my trans, then we went for a test drive after he added some Matic S.

He also explained that both the 4.0 and the R5E trans combo were basically bulletproof, as long as you keep up with the maintenance. He said to just drain and fill, every 30K, as Nissan says "no flushes".

So, I felt a bit sheepish after it was all said and done, but I think I did the right thing. I might have overreacted, but I have never spent 23K on a vehicle before. At that cost, I figured it better be darn close to perfection as can be. I'm just a poor workin' stiff, ya know?

I'm in it for the long haul, hope the truck is too.

If anybody cares to know, I am a ham radio operator, KF5UIB. So 73's to everybody, and thanks for all of the kind responses. I'm clear for now:)
 
#13 ·
He also explained that both the 4.0 and the R5E trans combo were basically bulletproof, as long as you keep up with the maintenance. He said to just drain and fill, every 30K, as Nissan says "no flushes".
Myself and my Nissan mechanic would totally disagree with the "no flushes' for the transmissions. We both have had ours flushed more than once and haven't had a single problem. I have almost 106,000 miles on mine and it still shifts like butter. If they are as "bulletproof" as he claimed, a simple fluid exchange done at the proper intervals could not hurt one single bit. Glad you got everything resolved. I think $700 is a bit steep for 2 struts and an alignment.
 
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