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Good/Bad Dealerships

30K views 123 replies 82 participants last post by  renee350z 
#1 ·
We all have had either good or bad relationships with dealers. Please post up the good and the bad. Please be specific on why the dealer is bad and why they are good. Follow the thread guidelines so we do not get the same dealer listed twice. Thanks

Good Dealerships
Bankston- Dallas, Texas
Ingram Park Nissan- San Antonio, Texas
Thornhill Nissan- Ft. Worth, Texas
Trophy Nissan- Mesquite, Texas
Peoria Nissan- Peoria, AZ
Gunn Nissan-San Antonio, TX
Mossey Nissan-Oceanside, CA
Santa Cruz NIssan/Dodge- Santa Cruz, CA
Marietta GA Nissan- Marietta, GA
Beaverton Nissan- Beaverton, OR
Metro Nissan- Montclair, CA
Mathews Nissan- Clarksville, TN
East Coast Nissan- New Jersey
DCH Freehold Nissan- New Jersey


Bad Dealerships
San Leandro Nissan-San Leandro, CA
Union City Nissan- Union City, GA
Ancira Nissan-San Antonio, TX
Colonial Auto Center-Charlottesville, VA
Capitol Nissan-San Jose, CA
Premier Nissan-Metairie, LA
Norwood Nissan- Rhode Island
Mossey Nissan- El Cajon, CA
Nissan of Garden Grove- Los Angeles (Orange County) CA
Power Nissan- Irvine, CA
Riverside Nissan, Tulsa Oklahoma
Newburgh Nissan- New York
Morris Nissan- Charleston South Carolina
Tom Peacock Nissan- Houston, TX
Nissan of MicKinney- Texas
Nissan Eastside Bellevue- Seattle Washington
Permian Basin Nissan- Midland, Texas
North Texas Nissan- Texas
Tony Nissan- Hawaii
 
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#27 ·
Id let him pick them up, its not worth giving your shop a bad name in the process, and if he got fired, then he would be talking bad, and he is more than likely in the local nissan world and could have an impact on your buisness, better to cut your losses IMO.
 
#28 ·
that sux.

I would return them quietly, get my others and go on my way. Silence makes the guy have a guilty conciouse that he will have to live with and eventually he will get caught by someone that does not care if a bridge is burned. You have too much at stake with the shop and clientele in the area that they might refer.

see you thursday for the plenum swap!
 
#29 ·
HORRIBLE - Mossey Nissan Kearney Mesa (San Diego, CA) My convertible roof needed to be replaced due to a factory defect, they managed to crack my fiberglass frame behind the rear window in the process of replacing the soft top. I brought it back to have it fixed, they "painted" it, but a blind chimp would have done a better job. I brought it back no less than 8 #$%^ times to have it painted correctly and each time they brought it back and forth to the body shop 25 miles away, 50 round trip and guess who's gas they were burning? MINE! I even got them to sign a document saying if I was unsatisfied the final try, they would order a new part for me and paint it. Long story short, they wouldn't honor the signed document and I was told by the service mgr "it's good enough and I would be happy if this were my car." I was almost speechless, they busted up my car and then told me "it's good enough!" So finally I just dropped the issue figuring they would NEVER fix it correctly and it was costing me gas. I filed a claim with Nissan USA which basically does nothing! Oh and to boot, the new soft top was not put on right so my passenger side hinge that grabs onto the roof, is constantly getting chewed up due to wrong allignment of the roof. NEVER, EVER, EVER go to this dealership.
 
#31 ·
I'll second the recommendation for Santa Cruz Nissan. We worked with Jeff Wallace. Price was a bit high (over sticker), but they were selling them as fast as they were coming in, so I don't blame them for upping the price.

They searched far/wide for a LeMans Sunset Touring, no luck, so they traded with one of the South Bay dealers for our DB Touring.

Jeff knows the cars inside out, upside down and backwards. And he knows the Xterras, and the dodge trucks... (they're a Nissan/Dodge/Volks dealer).

Next new car/truck will almost undoubtably be through them (and him), unless it's a different brand.

I've been less impressed with other salesmen there, but Jeff is definitely good.

Also, I've had friends take their cars into the service dept, and had excellent work done under warranty. No idea how they handle modded cars/trucks, though.
 
#32 ·
hello,
I am a new member here. I want to purchase a 350z and was wondering if anybody knows any good dealerships in Austin, Tx. Or maybe around the austin area.

Right now I have 04 gmc sierra. I will be trying to trade in. this is a long shot to get the z. I am going to be upside down big time on my truck. Any help will be helpful.

Thank You

Mhip
:cheers:
 
#33 ·
OK, long horror story but I need to vent.....

Me and the wife are trying to purchase a 2006 Enthusiast (LeMans Sunset) with manual transmission and no extras. We figured a fair price would be $28.5K plus tax, title and license.

We searched the internet inventory listings for local dealers and discovered that North Texas Nissan had one in stock so we called them and after a couple of phone discussions the salesman said we could have it for our asking price plust tax title and licensing fees.

We drove up to Denton from Fort Worth (about 40 or 50 miles) and test drove their car and then sat down to wrap up the deal. At that point they tacked on approximately $700 in "fees" for two items listed as "UniSeal" and "Security Guard".

We asked for an explanation of both items.

The Uniseal was basically a protective finish applied to the upholstery. We didn't ask for that (nor was it mentioned) and we're not paying for it.

The Security Guard consisted of etched VIN numbers on various surfaces in the hopes of deterring theft and the parting out of stolen parts. We didn't ask for that (nor was it mentioned).

We strongly feel that the "Security Guard" option is useless because the whole reason we're buying a new car at all is because my wife's Acura Integra was stolen last weekend. The carcass was found minus the engine, transmission and wheeels. This car had VIN numbers etched all over the place and it did absolutley nothing for us, the police, or our insurance rates. Useless option in our opinion and we would NEVER pay extra money for it.

We couldn't fathom how these two items would be considered "fees" as opposed to options and thus we felt they should have been included in the price we were quoted over the phone. They were not listed on the sticker on the car so nobody would be aware of the items until they saw the paperwork.

We objected and they insisted that these are "standard" fees on all of their cars. We argued that we weren't advised of these "fees" in our phone conversation. His response was that these charges were in the category of "tax, title and licensing fees" that he had mentioned in the phone conversation. We counter-argued that there was no way these could be categorized with tax, title and licensing.

We felt misled, to say the least and told him so. We asked to talk to a sales manager. The sales manager was no better and after about 20 minutes of his bullsh_t, we asked to talk to the general manager. The sales manager went to get the general manager and returned saying that the general manager was "involved in several different deals at the moment" and wouldn't be available for awhile. We told him that we would wait.

We went back and forth for a few more minutes with the sales manager. He said if it would make us feel better that the salesman would not get his comission and would be "parking cars" for the next few days. What a f-ing joke! We finally said we had nothing more to say unless it was to the general manager. At that point it only took a couple of minutes to round him up.

Talking to the general manager we expressed our disappointment at being misled and asked him what he was going to do about it. Amazingly, but not surprisingly, he apologized but said there was nothing he could do but maybe reprimand his salesman.

At that point we left.

Has anybody received similar treatment from a Nissan dealer? We're both so mad right now. We both took off from work early and drove 40-50 miles, all because some screwball salesman and his f-ing management could try to screw us. If we didn't like the 350Z as much as we do, we'd both swear off Nissan cars for good.

I can't trust any car salesman or sales manager at the moment. I have to assume they're all scumbags. I hate to do that but we have no choice. No matter what they offer, we're going to have to ask a bunch of questions to make sure there are no "hidden" charges in their offers. That's just not right.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Heinz
 
#35 ·
BAD GUYS: North Texas Nissan in Corinth, TX

Refer to my thread in this forum titled "Screwed by North Texas Nissan".

Basically they lied to us over the phone to get us to drive (40-50 miles) up there only to have them tack on extra fees.

They're using the old bait-and-switch tactic.
 
#36 ·
I purchased my first Z from there and didnt have those fees tacked on ?

Anyways, those are pure marketing bullshit and offer no benefit whatsoever. They VIN crap is not a deterant, and your car will be long gone before they ever even see a small etching on the window. The seat guard is a joke also and you can buy the stuff the use at autozone for $3
 
#37 ·
Heinz, the only dealership that I would recommend is Nissan of Mckinney, but that is far away from you. Might still be worth it...
 
#38 ·
At this point it seems like Thornhill here in Fort Worth is actaully making a genuine effort to locate and acquire the car we want. We're waiting to see if they come through.

Originally, Thornhill was going to acquire the Z that North Texas Nissan had. Apparently North Texas Nissan was asking a hefty amount for their Z thus the rather high price from Thornhill. That's understandable (on Thorhill's part)in retrospect.

The Z at North Texas Nissan had 20-inch wheels (which they offered to replace with stock ones). I thought it was a bit strange that they'd pop some 20-inch wheels on a new car. They said somebody else wanted the car that way and then their financing fell through. They also said (depending on who you talked to) that the car had been acquired from a dealership in North Carolina and Maine and had some extra transportation costs involved. We told them that any transportation costs above the standard destination fee were unacceptable.

Anyway, it has become apparent that the true story behind this vehicle is somewhat murky. At this point we're actually glad we're not getting it.

Meanwhile Thornhill Nissan has said they're pursuing another vehicle and will let us know if they get it.

Thanks for everybody's feedback. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we'll have a Z in our garage before long.

Heinz
 
#39 ·
I'd say that was "sketchy" beyond belief as these are "options" that anybody who would not know better would be like "**** yeah I'll take that" where as we know these are options that are OPTIONS AND NOT necessary, as josh stated, regardless of some etchings, the car will get stolen if someone really wants to steal it, and ]the upholstery treatment is nothing more than "scothguard" :headshake: good for you if you found a worthy dealership :cheers:
 
#41 ·
Etching in body panels? How in the world is that a deterrant? I had some poor mechanical service at my dealership, but never anything in the sales department. I can't believe they tried to talk you into that so many times. YOU are doing THEM the service by buying the vehicle. You would think the fee would have been waived.

As for my negative experience at the dealer, my Z had a nice dime size rust spot on the front quarter panel right next to the Z logo. Luckily, they acknowledged it and took care of it for free. My next problem occurred on the day I was supposed to pick up my Z after a LoJack Installation ( a must buy, if you ask me). I go to pick it up, and it has a large dent in the door right on the panel crease. I refused to pay anything until this was fixed. Of course, they saw that and took another two days to fix it.

After I went to pick it up two days later, I discovered that there were two 4 inch gashes on my dashboard from God knows what. At this point, I went straight to the manager of the dealership and said I would take my business elsewhere should any more scratches, spots, or dents find there way onto my Z. After this conversation, they promptly ordered a new dash and had it ready 2 days later, free of charge. I haven't had any problems since.
 
#42 ·
At this point it seems like Thornhill here in Fort Worth is actaully making a genuine effort to locate and acquire the car we want. We're waiting to see if they come through.

Originally, Thornhill was going to acquire the Z that North Texas Nissan had. Apparently North Texas Nissan was asking a hefty amount for their Z thus the rather high price from Thornhill. That's understandable (on Thorhill's part)in retrospect.

The Z at North Texas Nissan had 20-inch wheels (which they offered to replace with stock ones). I thought it was a bit strange that they'd pop some 20-inch wheels on a new car. They said somebody else wanted the car that way and then their financing fell through. They also said (depending on who you talked to) that the car had been acquired from a dealership in North Carolina and Maine and had some extra transportation costs involved. We told them that any transportation costs above the standard destination fee were unacceptable.

Anyway, it has become apparent that the true story behind this vehicle is somewhat murky. At this point we're actually glad we're not getting it.

Meanwhile Thornhill Nissan has said they're pursuing another vehicle and will let us know if they get it.

Thanks for everybody's feedback. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we'll have a Z in our garage before long.

Heinz
I bought my "Z" from Thornhill and I got a good deal and their service writers have been excellent on the very few questions I have inquired about........ Even the parts guys have been most attentive and easy to work with......
 
#45 ·
I bought my "Z" from Thornhill and I got a good deal and their service writers have been excellent on the very few questions I have inquired about........ Even the parts guys have been most attentive and easy to work with......
Yeah the service department has worked with me on everything so far.. They noted my "missing" cats, but didnt really hassle me about it.
 
#47 ·
It always pays to do research and visit several dealerships to see how they try to sell you a car. I live in Maryland and there's a huge multi-brand dealership here called Darcars. They will not pressure you to buy a car but will hound you for days afterwards. They will also try to sell you everything under the sun once you decide on a vehicle.

I visited a smaller dealership and literally had to walk away from the sales person as he would not stop trying to sell me the car on the spot. I told him I wasn't there to buy that day and each time I said this, he took it as a haggling tactic and tried to give me a "better" deal. I finally just got in my truck and drove away.

Finally, I went to a dealership about 10 miles north of DC (Herb Gordon Nissan). I had an old Nissan years ago and they were the only place that had a part I needed in stock. I went there and it was like talking to your best friend. No pressure, answers to any question you have, and an honest effort to cut a good price that both parties can live with. They "asked" me if I was interested in the sealant and security guard which I turned down.

I think in some ways it depends on how well the particular dealership succeeds as a business. If they establish trust in the local community then they don't have to resort to undesireable tactics but if they start down that path of playing games with people, it haunts them from then on forcing them to try and be even more creative and shady in the process.

scrapser
 
#49 ·
I work for a company that supplies all the computers and related services to automobile dealerships. These two add-on items are simple upsells and pretty much pure margin. They tack these on so the F&I (finance) manager walks away with an additional $400 for every single car sold at that dealership. Like most of you suspected, this is not a fee but an add on. They didn't misrepresent themselves, they flat out lied.
 
#50 ·
Nissan of the Eastside Bellevue (in the Washington/Seattle area).

When I was looking for my Z, I went to the Nissan dealership first. When I said I didn't want the 2006 Touring Edition for $31,000, they handed me over to another gentleman who tried to sell me a 2004 Automatic Enthusiast with only stock equipment I believe . . . . . . . might have had a sound upgrade, I'm not sure.

Anyways, they tried to charge me $27,000 for it. Of course I declined. When I looked for Z's again online, I saw the EXACT SAME CAR they tried to sell me listed for $24,999.

They tried to sell me for $2000 dollars more, those pigs.
 
#51 ·
Bad Dealership-NEWBURGH NISSAN
talked on phone with salesman on friday. we agreed on a price for 06 350 touring black manual. iwould drive an hour to the dealership on monday after work to have my truck evaluted for trade in. I show up and david si at another dealership 100miles away, conveiniently-nobody knows this deal david worked out, the price of the car is higher and of course the trade in value was much less as was quoted. Oh and they didnt even have the car-they would have to get it from another dealership.AVOID NEWBURGH NISSAN, they even looked like creepy car salesman
 
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