# Horrendous experience with my 2017 Nissan Rogue and Nissan customer experience



## NeverNissanAgain (Apr 14, 2020)

I am writing today because of a recent encounter that I had with Nissan of Boardman located in Boardman, Ohio.

I am at the end of a three-year lease on a 2017 Nissan Rogue. The vehicle has 27,804 miles on it. The most recent oil change was completed on February 15, 2020 at Walmart. About a month later my husband and I noticed some smoke coming from the tailpipe. Shortly after that we noticed oil on the driveway. At this time there was no check engine light on. We took the vehicle in to the dealership to have it checked.

Initially I was told that the drain copper ring could be missing causing a leak. It was checked and determined that was not the problem. Then I was told that the oil was put in the wrong place and that it would not be covered under warranty. I was told, “I hope you kept your receipt because you will have to sue Walmart for this.” I thought it was very unlikely that the oil was installed improperly. I also felt this was a strange and very unprofessional remark to make. After the Nissan technician verified that the oil was filled properly, I was assured that the engine repairs would be covered by the warranty. I was put into a rental vehicle at no cost. Then I received another phone call, Boardman Nissan they then recanted their statement claiming that the engine was “sludged up” and needed a long block at a cost of $8,000. The service manager told me that if I could produce a minimum of 5 receipts for oil changes that he would contact customer service on my behalf. Walmart does not keep customer records of this nature however I do have the most recent receipt dated Feb 15, 2020. The only option that I was given would be to finance $4,000 of the repairs and that the balance would have to go on my credit cards. This is an unreasonable request to make of anyone, especially a loyal Nissan customer.

They changed the oil again at no cost to me and charged me a day’s rental. I contacted customer service myself to see if they would be able to assist in anyway. Their reply to me was that they rely solely on the advice from the service technician and that the warranty would not be honored. I feel that this approach is bias at best and that it does not give the customer a voice. I am being falsely accused of not properly maintaining my vehicle.

I am a Registered Nurse in the State of Ohio. Under the current pandemic emergency that our country and state is experiencing I am classified as an essential employee and must report daily. I’m in need of dependable transportation. I'm unable to afford an 8k engine replacement so i'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. Nissan has left me very disgruntled and will never have my business again.

Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this.


----------



## LB15Rogue (Sep 1, 2018)

I'm sorry to hear about your difficult situation. Did you use a credit or debit card at Walmart? If yes, you will at least be able to get records for that. Post your story either or Facebook or twitter. That is more effective these days. 

Thank you for all the help you provide during this difficult time.


----------



## bjrjar (Aug 31, 2018)

Twitter works for this kind of thing. Try it anyway...

Bob


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

NeverNissanAgain said:


> I am writing today because of a recent encounter that I had with Nissan of Boardman located in Boardman, Ohio.
> 
> I am at the end of a three-year lease on a 2017 Nissan Rogue. The vehicle has 27,804 miles on it. The most recent oil change was completed on February 15, 2020 at Walmart. About a month later my husband and I noticed some smoke coming from the tailpipe. Shortly after that we noticed oil on the driveway. At this time there was no check engine light on. We took the vehicle in to the dealership to have it checked.
> 
> Initially I was told that the drain copper ring could be missing causing a leak. It was checked and determined that was not the problem. Then I was told that the oil was put in the wrong place and that it would not be covered under warranty. I was told, “I hope you kept your receipt because you will have to sue Walmart for this.” I thought it was very unlikely that the oil was installed improperly. I also felt this was a strange and very unprofessional remark to make. After the Nissan technician verified that the oil was filled properly, I was assured that the engine repairs would be covered by the warranty. I was put into a rental vehicle at no cost. Then I received another phone call, Boardman Nissan they then recanted their statement claiming that the engine was “sludged up” and needed a long block at a cost of $8,000.


It's hard to believe that there is any sludge as long as the oil changes were done according to the suggested oil change interval which is every 5,000 mi. Sounds like the dealer may be doing some scamming. How much smoke are you getting at the tail pipe; is it blue smoke or white vapor. Since you're at the end of your 3-year lease, maybe you shouldn't worry about it.


----------



## NeverNissanAgain (Apr 14, 2020)

bjrjar said:


> Twitter works for this kind of thing. Try it anyway...
> 
> Bob
> 
> ...


I tried using twitter. Once the message bot looked up my VIN# and seen we already had a case made through the regional consumer affairs it just gave me an automated response saying they're unable to provide further support.


----------



## NeverNissanAgain (Apr 14, 2020)

rogoman said:


> It's hard to believe that there is any sludge as long as the oil changes were done according to the suggested oil change interval which is every 5,000 mi. Sounds like the dealer may be doing some scamming. How much smoke are you getting at the tail pipe; is it blue smoke or white vapor. Since you're at the end of your 3-year lease, maybe you shouldn't worry about it.


I know for a fact this dealership tried scamming way more money out of us. We called in one final time because we were all out of options. We asked to speak with the owner of the dealership to inform him of our situation directly. My wife needed a car bad being an RN and we didn't have 8 grand to fork over. They told us they would try and get in contact with him and would reach back out to us. What ended up happening was the dealership called us back the next day and told us they would take 2k off the total (8k orignally bringing down to 6k). So my father in law ended up paying 4 grand for the price of the new engine while me and my wife paid the remaining 2 grand for labor costs. Why we were ever charged 8k in the first place is beyond me, 6k seems at least somewhat reasonable for a brand new engine. If we ever wanted to get out from underneath this vehicle which we do since we want to be rid of Nissan, we figured having the brand new engine would be our best bet.


----------



## LB15Rogue (Sep 1, 2018)

What a terrible story. You did what you had to do given the circumstances. In all fairness, it is possible that during one of the oil changes at Walmart, one of the oil kids didn't actually change the oil. Or maybe they installed gear lube or something stupid like that. Chemical analysis of the sludge might help explain, but I'm sure it's too late for that and you would still have to hire an attorney. I agree that your dealer handled this poorly.


----------



## Jhv357 (Apr 28, 2020)

Sorry to hear about your 6k repairs.
Did you always go to Walmart for your oil change?
Those workers only get payed minimum wage and are not techs or even close to mechanics .
Maybe they didn’t even put the correct oil in the engine or not changed it at all.
The dealer only going on what the engine condition is right now.
At 27.000 miles there should be only about 5 oil changes if done properly there should be nothing wrong with your engine.
Did you ever go back to Walmart to question the service?
Good luck on your new engine.


----------



## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

NeverNissanAgain said:


> I know for a fact this dealership tried scamming way more money out of us. We called in one final time because we were all out of options. We asked to speak with the owner of the dealership to inform him of our situation directly. My wife needed a car bad being an RN and we didn't have 8 grand to fork over. They told us they would try and get in contact with him and would reach back out to us. What ended up happening was the dealership called us back the next day and told us they would take 2k off the total (8k orignally bringing down to 6k). So my father in law ended up paying 4 grand for the price of the new engine while me and my wife paid the remaining 2 grand for labor costs. Why we were ever charged 8k in the first place is beyond me, 6k seems at least somewhat reasonable for a brand new engine. If we ever wanted to get out from underneath this vehicle which we do since we want to be rid of Nissan, we figured having the brand new engine would be our best bet.


New Long block QR25DE engines retail for around $5,500; dealers get them for less. Labor rates run around $120/hr. So let's say it takes 6 hrs for replacement; that's $120 x 6 = $720 labor. $5,500 + $720 = $6,220. The *stealership* originally wanted to charge you $8,000; that's an extra $1,780 in their pocket. 

So now the stealership, out of the goodness of their heart, dropped the price down to $6,000. They still made their profit; if you didn't complain, they could have made more! Did your original engine really have sludge and did they show it to you. A real easy way to determine if the engine has a lot of sludge is to remove the valve cover; if the head valve chamber has a fair amount of sludge, then it's a given. 

Now, another question. It seems you're dealing with a shady outfit, so did the stealership really replace the engine. If they did, maybe they installed another used engine. Do you know for sure? 

What's the old saying - Buyer beware! Always get a second opinion from another dealer or local repair shop.


----------



## Binder (Jul 13, 2020)

rogoman said:


> New Long block QR25DE engines retail for around $5,500; dealers get them for less. Labor rates run around $120/hr. So let's say it takes 6 hrs for replacement; that's $120 x 6 = $720 labor. $5,500 + $720 = $6,220. The *stealership* originally wanted to charge you $8,000; that's an extra $1,780 in their pocket.
> 
> So now the stealership, out of the goodness of their heart, dropped the price down to $6,000. They still made their profit; if you didn't complain, they could have made more! Did your original engine really have sludge and did they show it to you. A real easy way to determine if the engine has a lot of sludge is to remove the valve cover; if the head valve chamber has a fair amount of sludge, then it's a given.
> 
> ...





rogoman said:


> New Long block QR25DE engines retail for around $5,500; dealers get them for less. Labor rates run around $120/hr. So let's say it takes 6 hrs for replacement; that's $120 x 6 = $720 labor. $5,500 + $720 = $6,220. The *stealership* originally wanted to charge you $8,000; that's an extra $1,780 in their pocket.
> 
> So now the stealership, out of the goodness of their heart, dropped the price down to $6,000. They still made their profit; if you didn't complain, they could have made more! Did your original engine really have sludge and did they show it to you. A real easy way to determine if the engine has a lot of sludge is to remove the valve cover; if the head valve chamber has a fair amount of sludge, then it's a given.
> 
> ...


I have sludge in my 2015 Nissan Murano at 47k miles. I just paid off the car in May and dealer wants $11,500 for a new engine!!!!


----------

