Not Good Enough
I have a Nissan Patrol purchased new in 2003. It has been serviced by the dealer every 10,000 kms including all the larger
services. The Standard warranty is for three years or 100,000kms whichever comes first.
Prior to the end of the normal warranty period I had three letters from my dealer offering an extended warranty for a cost of $1295. At this point I must say the dealer has done a very good job in handling the minor issues I have had with the vehicle. I accepted the offer and extended my warranty to finish in April 2009 or 150,000 kms which ever comes first.
Nissan Patrols have a reputation of a strong drive train - gear box, through front and rear differentials to the
wheels but no longer for me.
While driving in a conservation
park in South Australia I heard a noise like a stick dragging underneath. I looked for the stick and then finding nothing proceded. I next heard a noise slightly different and decided when back at the
camp to not drive it further. On checking the magnetic plug found metal pieces on the magnet. The vehicle had travelled less than 100,000 kms and was four years and three months old.
We called Nissan Roadside assist and the vehicle collected after an abortive first attempt
Our vehicle was ultimately collected and taken to the nearest dealer in
Port Augusta two days later.
It took Nissan two days to decide that they look into the differential. Eventually they did so and discovered that gears had stripped in several
places, from the pinion gear that drives the crown wheel and the axles.
A part was on the
water from Japan we were told after some days, then told the news, that Nissan said the vehicle was old and had travelled too far for the extended warranty to work for us and we would have to pay for the repairs.
We arrived home over two weeks later than intended and rather jaded at the further responses to a letter sent claiming further expenses that we also believe should be due to be covered.
The Extended warranty covered getting the vehicle from near
Leigh Creek to
Port Augusta only
Our additional expenses included
- getting ourselves to
Port Augusta by friends
- getting our caravan to
Port Augusta
- hire car or expenses any expenses there
The fact
- that a Nissan differential broke up is unusual as these are commonly used in competition vehicles.
- that Nissan have said to the dealer, that they were not going to assist as they did not consider there was a manufacturing fault
- in talking to Nissan Service department the assistant said that the vehicle is old and had travelled too far for it to be a manufacturing fault.
- in a letter to us, the Customer Relations Manager said "all the information to hand and has been subsequently declined, the circumstances surrounding your request being
well outside our warranty guidelines for any assistance as no manufacturing fault has been found to be evident."
- we have not been reimbursed for any of our documented costs, despite being told that recovery of our caravan and ourselves should be covered.
If it wasn't a manufacturing fault, no one has quoted to me why it could have otherwise failed.
I believe Nissan are failing under my reading of the Extended Warranty Agreement when they spell out age and distance travelled as reasons why they will not honour their agreement and the above quote. They are certainly failing the spirit of the agreement.
What Nissan hadn't known was that we were looking to purchase another vehicle for our business based on our previous experience. Our dealer knew that we were interested as we had discussed that with the people there. Not now. Both the dealer who did the repair and our home dealer are puzzled at the response and denial - or so they said to me.
Obviously anyone purchasing an extended warranty from Nissan will have to evaluate even further what value such a warranty may entail.
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