Bad Problems with my 2003 G35 Sports Coupe!

[Creigh]

I purchased a 2003 Infiniti G35 sports coupe. Brand Damn new, I bought it before christmas in 2002. On the way home from the dealership I started experiencing a odor and a viberation. It would come and go. After 4 trips to the dealership and they have had my car over 30 days, they have found that the rear brake system will lock down at any giving time. They act like I was damn crazy until I drove it the last time to the dealership with smoke coming out of the rear wheels. As of today 2-24-2003 they still have the car and it is unfixed. Help if you know anything that will help!

[nscalemark]

I had a very similar problem with a Mazda I purchased almost 15 years ago. Given Infiniti's high end image and brand, I would assume they would jump all over this in similar fasion.

I was in dealer hell an I had only had the car for a year and a half with < 15K miles on it before it ran in to serious drive train issues. After a month and a half and 4 times in the shop the car still didn't run right. What I found was that the dealer would milk corporate as much as they could on "in warranty" repairs and then "gave up" once they hit the $ warranty stop loss limit as they would then have to eat the $ themselves. That was when they started to claim that they had fixed the vehicle and what I was experiencing was "normal" behavior for my car (like idling at 2K was was normal and having the engine stall the second the air condidtioner was turned on was normal...yah, right...).

Here is how I resolved:
I contacted Mazda's USA Headquarters and talked with their VP of Consumer Affairs and the GM for Mazda USA. I followed up with a certified letter to them as well and copied the general manager of the dealership, as well as the president/owner of the dealership by certified mail as well. I clearly and consisely articulated my problem with the vehicle (which is hard to do when you are mad!), how the dealer was unable to resolve, and my dissatisfaction with not only my purchase, but the automobile manufacturer in general as a result. I also stated that if the issue could not be resolved that I was going to file action citing the state's applied merchantability laws as well as the state's lemon laws. I also stated that I was notifying the state agency for automotive repairs, consumer affairs, as well as the city's BBB.

Within a copule of days all hell broke loose as Mazda USA corporate tried to resolve the issue and the dealer tried to save face with them. Each individual dealer is held to very high corporate marketing and image standards. The last thing they want is something elevated "out of school" to their supplier when they should have been able to solve it themselves to the customer's satisfaction. Within two weeks they had my car running perfect, having replaced the entire upper block of the engine. I also had the factory warranty reset to 0 due to the grave nature of the repairs.

Last note: On warranty repairs demand all receipts, even if you are not paying. You want an inventory of all parts replaced and the time/$ involved as each state has various $ amounts tied to their lemon laws. Once repairs cross that amount, even if you don't pay out of your own pocket, many states require that you get a brand new replacement vehicle. On my vehicle I even took it in for burned out dash interior lights to keep the $ meter running. In the state of Calif one final warranty repair for $200 two years later pushed me over the line and I finally got a new car as a result...

Recommendations?
1) Search the web for the lemon laws in your state.
2) Contact Inifiti corporate and their consumer affairs office. Follow up with a leter to them and copy Mark McNabb, VP and GM for Infiniti North America; Joy Murakami Cross, VP, Legal and General Counsel, Nissan North America; check www.infinitinews.com to find the correct Regional VP for your region of the US; William O. Bosely, VP, Parts and Service, Nissan North America. Copy the GM for your local dealer and the owner of the dealership.
3) Watch the sparks fly as the dealer tries to cover his butt...

[Amped_phx]

Yes, nscalemark is definitly correct. I work for a consumer electronics company and same thing happens to us when a consumer gets a hold of one of our VP's. I tried this method on my cellular phone provider (verizon) who couldnt refund me for $50 at the store but i e mailed corporate explaining the diffacuilt time i had with there customer service and why they didnt refund me. Well within 2 hours i received an e mail from verizon appoligizing to me and the refund would be credited on my next bill. My point is go to the source just like how nscalemark explained.

[Creigh]

Thanks for all the help from everyone, Last night 2-24-2003 Infiniti Corporate called me to offer me a replacement. But let me tell you, I have pushed this thing as hard as I have anything and it still took a Attorney to call to have them offer this. Thanks again,