Nissan Motor Corporation Tensioner snapped off engine block on 2008 Altima.Bolts were known issue on this car. Company refused to pay full cost for repair when this is clearly a manufacturer defect. Franklin TN
The tensioner (pulley attached to engine block that holds serpentine belt) suddenly snapped off my 2008 Altima several weeks ago causing the vehicle to stop running and have no power steering.
Fortunately I was on a side road at my office park. Fifteen minutes earlier I was traveling 60 MPH on a main highway during rush hour. Had this occurred at that time, I would have been struck in the rear probably shoving me into another car or sent careening into several other cars. Probably would not have survived that.
The dealer was able to determine that the bolts from the tensioner broke off the engine block, completely shearing the bolt and part of the engine block itself. The dealer agreed that this was not an issue that could be caused by normal wear on the car. The car only had 66,000 miles on it. In addition back in 2008 there was a ‘known’ issue with the torquing of the bolts of the tensioner and a Technical Service Bulletin was issued to dealers. However, according to Nissan – my VIN number was not included under this bulletin.
The estimated repair was $3,000. I filed a report with the consumer affairs department of Nissan USA. They promised to get back with me in 3 days and gave me the name of my case manager. The case manager apparently did not feel the urgency in our request and did not call at the promised time. My husband had to contact her and she requested another 3 days, which was unacceptable. After almost 2 full weeks of trying to get a resolution, she finally called to say they were happy to give us a generous offer of 50% reimbursement of the cost. She had previously told my husband that she was recommending full replacement. This was unacceptable and I demanded to speak to another level of authority. She, of course, said there was none. Ha.
We wrote a letter to the VP of Customer Quality & Chief Customer Officer, which was forwarded to another Executive Specialist who contacted us stating he was going to review the case. He was the nicest, most considerate person we had spoken to at Nissan and promised to get back with us, which he did. However, he said there was nothing more they could offer us, but that the service manager would be reprimanded on her lack of urgent response. WHO CARES!
I have been a loyal customer of Nissan for over 20 years. I have leased or purchased 5 Altimas, previously drove a Sentra and even owned a DATSUN! I know I have spent over $150,000 with Nissan between purchases and all the service for the vehicles. I only asked for $3,000 to cover a repair that was certainly a flaw in design and nothing I could ever have done on my own unless the car was wrecked.
SHAME ON THEM FOR TREATING A LOYAL CUSTOMER LIKE I DIDN’T EXIST! They rake in billions of dollars and have insurance to cover these types of things. Their GENEROUS offer of $1500 has soured me for the rest of my life. I will NEVER purchase another Nissan vehicle and suggest if you have read this far – you SHOULD NOT either.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Tyg
Pahrump,Nevada,
Should...
#2General Comment
Fri, October 24, 2014
YOU should have taken their offer. SOMETHING is better then NOTHING!! Sorry but YOUR VEHICLE was not under that issue. So no matter what, YOU still have to pay to have YOUR toy fixed. The problem is since YOUR VIN was not under that memo, THEY don't have to offer YOU diddly squat!! This IS YOUR ISSUE!!! YOU keep looking to find ANYONE ELSE to pay for YOUR problem. Life doesn't work that way. Im sure it makes YOU feel better to spew your story all over the web, BUT there is a reality here that YOU are choosing to completely ignore. THIS IS YOUR PROBLEM AND NISSAN IS NOT RESPONSIBLE!!!!! They have told YOU that your VIN is NOT included in the memo issue. Since that is the case, then WHATEVER happens to the vehicle IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!!!!
YOU can stop playing the victim. YOU are as transparent as air. YOU want Nissan to eat the costs BECAUSE YOU THINK THEY SHOULD!!! Well, your thoughts are NOT the Law. And that is what Nissan is going to follow. You go right ahead and continue your ranting online, it wont change REALITY. At some point you are going to have to eat the costs to get it repaired then after about 3 months YOU are going to get bored and tired of hearing other people online SAY THE EXACT THING I HAVE. And YOU will stop your childish ranting and accept that the issue is yours and yours alone. See its called being a GROWN UP!!! Being an ADULT!!! YOU are trying to SCAM them into paying for YOUR PROBLEM. You should hope that they don't ALSO find this post. See since this issue IS your problem, by slandering and defaming them online, you set yourself up for a civil lawsuit.
If you don't believe me contact them and tell THEM that YOU have posted online about them. Lets see how FAST that offer of paying for half of it goes away. They might even ask you to remove it and THEN they will help YOU pay for YOUR problem. BUT youre screwed anyways since this site NEVER removes a post once posted. So you cant even get a remedy there. Lets face it, YOU are just NOT a nice person and YOU have boned yourself at EVERY opportunity. YOU are a SCAMMER and no company in their right mind should EVER do ANY business with a person like yourself. FYI: The reason it took so long is that person went to bat for you and tried to do what they could to help YOU. Yet all you did is whine about how long it took back to get a hold of YOU, when YOU are trying to scam THEM. So YOU cost someone their job BECAUSE you are a scammer. YOU have done all this BECAUSE YOU are too cheap or broke to pay for your toys when YOU break them. YOU should be ashamed of yourself.