Warning - dealer oil change

Originally Posted by ZKindaGuy

Folks:

Just a very important heads up. When taking your 350Z or 370Z into a dealer for an oil change insist on them doing the oil change using the drive-on ramps NOT the side-arm lift.

Back in July I had my first oil change of my 370Z done at the dealer. The next day I noticed the running board right behind the tie into the front fender well was bulging outward and had a soft-curved upward impression from underneath. Also the gap between the fender and the running board lip was increased to 3/4-inch. Not knowing what had caused it when I took it into the dealer they said it looked like someone kicked it from underneath. Having been at a restaraunt after the first oil change I thought that very plausible since there are plenty of red-neck hillbilly azzholes in Ohio where I live.

Needless to say to have it fixed the entire running board had to be replaced, painted and installed to the tune of $879.00. The new running board alone was $679.00.

The other day I took the car into the dealer for its second oil change. I picked the car up after it was finished and drove it home. I noticed when I got out of the car that theere were grease finger prints all over the exact same spot of the previous problem area. I wiped the finger prints away and low and behold the identical same soft-curved upward impression from underneath but no bulge and no gap problem this time.

So I immediately drove it back to the dealer and blew my top about it. I decided not to have it fixed (though they offered) because it is completely under the car and is this time just the soft impression pressed into the running board plastic. You cannot see it at all unless you get down under and look up underneath the running board.

However I did indicate that this is clear proof that the first time it happen that it had to be caused by their first oil change as the soft-curved impression this second time is identical to the first time it happened and I demonstrated to them that it was an exact match to the side-arm lift dimensions as it skirts across underneath the running board when placed onto their side-arm lift.

They conceded the fact that the side-arm lift caused the problem. As a result they are going to work out an oil-change maintenance agreement with me to make up for the $879 I shelled out the first time it happened. Needless to say this dealer immediately issued a local-shop directive that all 350Z and 370Z oil changes must be performed on the drive-on ramp from now on.

Make sure before leaving the dealer when picking up your car that you check this area immediately behind the front wheel well/fender where the running board converges with the fender/well. If you feel or see any noticeable impression then your Z has been the victim of the side-arm lift.

Originally Posted by Zsteve

Why did you pay for it the first time? I would have made them pay or at least have the insurance pay for it. This kinda goes to what I was saying in another thread that had a chart on problems reported with various cars. Some people fix them themselves while others will take it in for something like this.

Originally Posted by ZKindaGuy

I didn't discover it the first time until the day after the oil change. Because the car was away from the service dealer for 24 hours they WOULD claim that the cause was questionable and would deny the claim. This second time they couldn't deny it because it was off the lot 5 minutes only before I discovered it.

As for the insurance my deductable the first time was at $500 with the average coverage. So the net $389 the insurance would pay would have been placed right back on the next renewal which was coming up that following month.

And don't even be foolish enough to think that wouldn't have happen because I have experienced it several times in the past for other cars I have owned no matter what insurance I was with.

Now with my renewal my deductable is now only $250 and my premium was lowered $60 / month and my coverage is maximum. I would hate to have seen what my renewed premium would have been if I hadn't just ate the fix myself like I did.

Originally Posted by Zsteve

Thats one thing I do HATE about Nissan they wiggle out of a fix every chance they get. I would have called the bosses all the way up and made such a big stink that they would take care of it to shut me up. One thing I hate is paying for a $37K car and getting shitty customer service.

Originally Posted by Zsteve

Thats one thing I do HATE about Nissan they wiggle out of a fix every chance they get. I would have called the bosses all the way up and made such a big stink that they would take care of it to shut me up. One thing I hate is paying for a $37K car and getting shitty customer service.

Originally Posted by VCuomo

Hopefully you realize that the OP's problem is a dealership issue - NOT a Nissan issue...