Calling JWC

[Catman]

Was driving my wife's Maxima last night and the front end was knocking.  This happened before and was fixed under a recall (sway bar links).  Now the car has 58K on it and it seems like they're gone again.  Will Nissan fix this if it's out of warranty since it was already recalled once?  Sway bar links should last more than 30,000 miles.  

[BRealistic]

Is your wife hard on vehicles? Just because the vehicle is driven quickly over rough urban and country roads doesn't mean Nissan should have to pay for every wear item. :P


Seriously- if you plan on keeping the car for a while, you might try going with an aftermarket link. Maybe Cattman has some you can use, Catman?

http://www.cattman.com/

[JWC]

Was driving my wife's Maxima last night and the front end was knocking.  This happened before and was fixed under a recall (sway bar links).  Now the car has 58K on it and it seems like they're gone again.  Will Nissan fix this if it's out of warranty since it was already recalled once?  Sway bar links should last more than 30,000 miles.

When I worked for a Nissan dealer, they were pretty hard-assed about items like this. Once the recall was completed (unless there was a subsequent problem with the same design) the warranty was for 12/12, their usual parts warranty.  

And this doesn't just apply to Nissan. It it the same for just about any manufactuer. The exception is on what type of recall this was, safety or policy.  A policy "recall" is one where the manufactuer will replace a part and if it fails again it will be covered for a desginated time or mileage. (Example: 2001 Focus' have a "recall" on the fuel pump module. If the part fails, Ford will replace it. The "recall" doesn't disappear after the first repair. It remains open until the vehicle has 100k miles or 10 years has passed since it's original in-service date.)  A NHTSA safety recall is an agreement reached by the manufacturer and the feds. Once this repair is completed, the manufacturer has fullfilled their obligation.

This is an area where I usually suggest to a customer that they call customer relations and lodge a complaint.  

[BRealistic]

Was driving my wife's Maxima last night and the front end was knocking.  This happened before and was fixed under a recall (sway bar links).  Now the car has 58K on it and it seems like they're gone again.   Will Nissan fix this if it's out of warranty since it was already recalled once?  Sway bar links should last more than 30,000 miles.

When I worked for a Nissan dealer, they were pretty hard-assed about items like this. Once the recall was completed (unless there was a subsequent problem with the same design) the warranty was for 12/12, their usual parts warranty.  

And this doesn't just apply to Nissan. It it the same for just about any manufactuer. The exception is on what type of recall this was, safety or policy.  A policy "recall" is one where the manufactuer will replace a part and if it fails again it will be covered for a desginated time or mileage. (Example: 2001 Focus' have a "recall" on the fuel pump module. If the part fails, Ford will replace it. The "recall" doesn't disappear after the first repair. It remains open until the vehicle has 100k miles or 10 years has passed since it's original in-service date.)  A NHTSA safety recall is an agreement reached by the manufacturer and the feds. Once this repair is completed, the manufacturer has fullfilled their obligation.

This is an area where I usually suggest to a customer that they call customer relations and lodge a complaint.

JWC- but 30,000 miles seems like enough time for any normal wear part to be possibly worn depending on use. I have heard of clutches even going in that amount of miles repeatedly with a good driver, and it not being considered an issue since 30k miles is way past the normal warranty for the item. (shrug)

[JWC]

Was driving my wife's Maxima last night and the front end was knocking.  This happened before and was fixed under a recall (sway bar links).  Now the car has 58K on it and it seems like they're gone again.   Will Nissan fix this if it's out of warranty since it was already recalled once?  Sway bar links should last more than 30,000 miles.

When I worked for a Nissan dealer, they were pretty hard-assed about items like this. Once the recall was completed (unless there was a subsequent problem with the same design) the warranty was for 12/12, their usual parts warranty.  

And this doesn't just apply to Nissan. It it the same for just about any manufactuer. The exception is on what type of recall this was, safety or policy.  A policy "recall" is one where the manufactuer will replace a part and if it fails again it will be covered for a desginated time or mileage. (Example: 2001 Focus' have a "recall" on the fuel pump module. If the part fails, Ford will replace it. The "recall" doesn't disappear after the first repair. It remains open until the vehicle has 100k miles or 10 years has passed since it's original in-service date.)  A NHTSA safety recall is an agreement reached by the manufacturer and the feds. Once this repair is completed, the manufacturer has fullfilled their obligation.

This is an area where I usually suggest to a customer that they call customer relations and lodge a complaint.

JWC- but 30,000 miles seems like enough time for any normal wear part to be possibly worn depending on use. I have heard of clutches even going in that amount of miles repeatedly with a good driver, and it not being considered an issue since 30k miles is way past the normal warranty for the item. (shrug)

I don't consider front end parts normal wear items. They will wear out eventually, but not every thirty thousand miles. I've seen the same vehicle model go through brakes pads anywhere from 25k to 60k and clutches from 50k to 130k. Those are directly dependant on the driver and their type of driving. Front end parts are directly affected by the driving conditions, i.e., poorly maintained roads, continous off road use etc., but overall front end parts should last 100k or better, if properly maintained.  

Living where Catman lives, salt from winter driving could be damaging the components. That wouldn't be a fault of manufacturer though. And, I wouldn't blame Catman. No one, including myself, ever think about squirting slicone conditioner of rubber boots and bushings underneath a vehicle when changing their oil. Growing up in the era that I did, you always had a grease gun under the car with you when you serviced your car. We've gotten away from that as manufacturers did away with zirc fittings on front end components.

Also, I'm not saying that silicone sprays will help keep dryrot from becoming a problem on the rubber parts of a front end. But, most problems I see underneath vehicles nowadays is rubber deterioration. Spraying some kind of rubber conditioner is the only thing I've thought of the ward off such a problem. Whether it actually works are not, I can't say, but I figure it can't hurt.

(I don't keep cars long enough to find out and conditions in NC are not bad enough to fast-track the problem).  

[Catman]

I'm going to have to have the local shop take a look since I need the tires rotated anyway.  My wife is pretty easy on her car though she does brake a little late and hard.  I'll be fishing out that recall service receipt.

As far a lubricating stuff I was pleased to see that my Toyota dealer sprayed everything the last time it was in, including the rubber blocks that the hood drops down on.  

[JWC]

I'm going to have to have the local shop take a look since I need the tires rotated anyway.  My wife is pretty easy on her car though she does brake a little late and hard.  I'll be fishing out that recall service receipt.

As far a lubricating stuff I was pleased to see that my Toyota dealer sprayed everything the last time it was in, including the rubber blocks that the hood drops down on.

Excellent shop to go to. Around here, I can't get anyone to even lube the door hinges. I do it myself when I go out and write up a customer's car.  My guys can't even get my car right. When they did the safety/emissions inspection on the Volvo, I asked them to check the tire pressures. The car just didn't seem to handle the way I felt it should whenever I drove it this week. Today, I checked it out and noticed the tires looked low. They had the at the Ford average of 32psi. Volvo recommends 36frt/41rear for the V70. I thought this a little high, but cranked the compressor up and corrected the pressure to recommendation. Drove the car to pick up a rear view mirror for my bike (see the thread in the law section for reasons) and it road and handled like a dream.

Butthole mechanics.  

[Catman]

Yeah, they did all my door hinges and also greased the drive shaft (propeller shaft slip yoke). They're pretty good for a dealer, actually excellent so far. I use a top notch local shop for non warranty stuff.  They're expensive but they usually get it right the first time.

I feel your pain with incompetent help, it really drives me nuts too.

[JWC]

I don't know what has gotten into these kids lately, the ones wanting to be a "mechanic".  Years ago, I used to give them the speech about treating a customer's car like it was their own, but these guys now don't even treat their own rides with any respect. I avoid that speech now.