This was one of the most disturbing and unacceptable service experiences I have ever had with any dealership, and management needs to pay attention to how this department is operating.
From the beginning, the intake and communication process was a complete failure. I personally explained to them three different times exactly what the car was doing before any work was approved. I was clear and specific every time. Somehow, not one person remembered it correctly, and apparently no one wrote it down in a meaningful way. That alone shows a serious breakdown in basic service procedures.
The dealership recommended the tow company. Steve took all of my information and knew the vehicle was coming. Then after it arrived, he acted like he had no idea where it came from. When I called the following week, I was told they were glad I called because the car had supposedly been dropped off with no information. That should never happen at a professional dealership.
Then the story kept changing. For a full week, we were told it was a vacuum seal issue and that they were on the phone with an official Nissan technician walking them through it. Then Steve went on vacation, and it became obvious there had been no proper handoff because Jayce seemed unaware of basic facts about the car. After more time passed, they changed the diagnosis again and said it was the alternator. We approved the repair and paid around $1,200.
The problem is that after paying and picking the car up, we did not even make it out of the parking lot before it was obvious the car was still not fixed. In fact, it was worse. The vehicle started violently jerking, which had never been an issue before it was brought to them. This is a used vehicle for our child, so returning it in a more dangerous condition is beyond unacceptable.
What made this even more suspicious was that during all of this, the dealership called us twice not to give updates on the repair, but to ask if we wanted to trade the car in for a new one. We declined because we already own two new cars and this is simply a vehicle for a high school kid. While our car sat there unresolved, they seemed more focused on trying to make a sale.
After all of that, they then claimed the problem was actually the transmission and quoted about $6,600. So after weeks of delays, conflicting diagnoses, and charging us for an alternator repair that did not fix anything, they suddenly wanted thousands more.
The most alarming part came afterward. Before the car ever went to Nissan, another major company had run diagnostics and documented specific codes. After this dealership had the car, every single code had been deleted. We hired an actual professional who documented that process as well. That raises very serious concerns about what was done while the vehicle was in their possession. At best, it destroys confidence in their diagnostic process. At worst, it creates the appearance that evidence was removed.
To make matters worse, once I started asking questions about the service cost, the price changed by almost $50. In a situation already full of contradictions, that only added to the lack of trust.
We contacted Nissan and were told this dealership is independently operated and that there was little they could do other than note it on their record. That is disappointing because this absolutely reflects on the Nissan name.
In my opinion, this was not just bad customer service. It was a complete failure in communication, documentation, diagnosis, transparency, and trust. I would not trust this service department with repairs, diagnostics, or even routine maintenance. Management needs to review everything, including intake records, technician notes, billing changes, and who cleared those codes. People deserve to know how this dealership handled our vehicle. read more