factory paint is flawed, and in some places unfinished
I bought a BRAND NEW Nissan Maxima (67 miles) on 12/30/13. As of today, (3/5/14) I haven't driven it anywhere but to my dealership. The factory paint job was ridiculously flawed. Color splotches are visible under the clearcoat on the driver's side. (I included photos in this complaint.) Parts of the car weren't even painted, and primer was still visible. The dealership couldn't fix the problem without body work, which would decrease the value of my car before I've even gotten a chance to enjoy it. And since a new paint job wouldn't be done with factory paint, I could probably count on color differences as my car ages. I don't think it's unrealistic to expect a brand new vehicle, since I paid for one.
I got in touch with a Nissan Consumer Affairs representative, and played phone tag for two weeks before she put Nissan's legal team on the case. Another two weeks later, they informed me that they would not be replacing my car, but would make a car payment for me, and would offer me an extended service warranty. They recommended I work with my dealership, who insists there's nothing they can do. They offered me a loaner while I have the vehicle serviced. I've been driving the loaner for over a month.
I'm so extremely disappointed in Nissan. I've always loved the Maxima, and the company brags about their paint system, and its ability to detect flaws that even the eye can't see. Well the flaws on my car are clearly visible, and no one at Nissan seems to care that they've let me down. It's sad and frustrating that when I bought my car, I got a part time job as part of the deal. I have a full time job, and am in a grad program, so my time is extremely valuable to me and my family. It would be nice if Nissan recognized that.
I'm assuming that Lemon Law is my only course of action at this point. Ridiculous.
Update from Mar 10, 2014: I met with a body shop owner on Saturday, March 8 to discuss what needs to be done to the vehicle, and upon inspecting the paint on the drivers side, we found more spots on the front fender, just like the ones on the doors. In addition, the body shop that last serviced it left my rear black leather seats full of buffing compound, which had been smudged all over the place. (My body guy didn't want to touch anything until we saw how it had been delivered.) My car's a mess. We're waiting to hear whether Nissan is going to pay for a paint job on the entire drivers side, or take the cheap route.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
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factory paint is flawed, and in some places unfinished
I bought a BRAND NEW Nissan Maxima (67 miles) on 12/30/13. As of today, (3/5/14) I haven't driven it anywhere but to my dealership. The factory paint job was ridiculously flawed. Color splotches are visible under the clearcoat on the driver's side. (I included photos in this complaint.) Parts of the car weren't even painted, and primer was still visible. The dealership couldn't fix the problem without body work, which would decrease the value of my car before I've even gotten a chance to enjoy it. And since a new paint job wouldn't be done with factory paint, I could probably count on color differences as my car ages. I don't think it's unrealistic to expect a brand new vehicle, since I paid for one.
I got in touch with a Nissan Consumer Affairs representative, and played phone tag for two weeks before she put Nissan's legal team on the case. Another two weeks later, they informed me that they would not be replacing my car, but would make a car payment for me, and would offer me an extended service warranty. They recommended I work with my dealership, who insists there's nothing they can do. They offered me a loaner while I have the vehicle serviced. I've been driving the loaner for over a month.
I'm so extremely disappointed in Nissan. I've always loved the Maxima, and the company brags about their paint system, and its ability to detect flaws that even the eye can't see. Well the flaws on my car are clearly visible, and no one at Nissan seems to care that they've let me down. It's sad and frustrating that when I bought my car, I got a part time job as part of the deal. I have a full time job, and am in a grad program, so my time is extremely valuable to me and my family. It would be nice if Nissan recognized that.
I'm assuming that Lemon Law is my only course of action at this point. Ridiculous.
Update from Mar 10, 2014: I met with a body shop owner on Saturday, March 8 to discuss what needs to be done to the vehicle, and upon inspecting the paint on the drivers side, we found more spots on the front fender, just like the ones on the doors. In addition, the body shop that last serviced it left my rear black leather seats full of buffing compound, which had been smudged all over the place. (My body guy didn't want to touch anything until we saw how it had been delivered.) My car's a mess. We're waiting to hear whether Nissan is going to pay for a paint job on the entire drivers side, or take the cheap route.
- rknsnr, Manteno, IL, US