Check Engine Days After G37x Purchase

[sedanDrifter]

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum and was hoping you all might be able to give me some advice.

On Tuesday 6/16 I purchased a certified pre-owned 2012 g37x from a Colorado Infiniti dealer.

On Wednesday 6/17 I noticed while stopped and in gear, RPMs would very slowly drop from around 550 RPMs to about 470 RPMs, at the low end there would be a brief rough idle, then RPMs would quickly jump back to 550 RPMs. I also notice that shifting, especially a low speeds in stop-and-go traffic has suddenly become "lurchy", like the car can't decide which low gear to be in, and when it finally shifts it is not smooth.

On Wednesday 6/17 I called the dealer and they told me it would be Monday before they could provide a loaner, pick up the car, and bring it in for service.

Today, Friday 6/19, driving home from work the service engine soon light comes on. I also notice when I park my car in the garage I can smell gasoline, maybe from the exhaust, but I am not sure. I had the service codes read by AutoZone, and the readout was P0441 - Evap control system (explains the gasoline smell), and P0108 Manifold absolute pressure sensor high.

The car was purchased with 25,000 miles on it. I have not even driven the car 100 miles. I drive gently most of the time.

The person who read the codes was insistent that these are both pre-existing issues with the vehicle, that it is very unlikely either would occur suddenly, within 3 days of purchase and with so few miles driven, and that what most likely happened is the dealership cleared the codes and sold the car.

The car is under warranty, I also purchased Infiniti's "Elite Protection Program" extended warranty. So I am 99% certain this will be repaired at no cost to me. However, I no longer trust the dealer, and I can't be certain of what else might be wrong with the car. I thought perhaps with the evap issue, I could get an emissions test done, and if it failed I would have legal recourse to return the car and force a refund. Unfortunately, in Colorado the vehicle must fail emissions and be brought back to the dealer for repair within 3 business days of purchase, which just passed a few hours ago.

I'm not sure if I'm over-reacting. Perhaps these are minor issues that aren't worth worrying about, especially with the warranty. Nonetheless, I would really appreciate any advice.

Thanks.

[telcoman]

Sorry to hear of your experience.

Since you are covered under a warranty no need to overreact and drive yourself crazy.
Ask to meet with the service manager and request a complete history of the vehicle service records. Ask if this vehicle was originally sold by this dealer or was it sold in another state and possibly purchased at auction. If that was the case, I'd be more concerned. Was it ever involved in an accident or flood damage are questions for you to ask.

Good luck

Telcoman

[Warpkor]

It will be difficult to prove anything the dealer may or may not have done prior to your purchase. It can be quite frustrating dealing with dealer sales and service personnel. You must hold the dealership to the warranty until the problems are resolved. Assuming there are unreasonable delays in resolution, suggest bringing the local TV station's consumer help folks to the mix to spur things along. I discovered a blue-tooth OBD II device that can be ordered from Amazon for about $25. You can download a smartphone app called Torque (lite) for free or Torque Pro for $5 and run the car taking read outs in real-time. It will tell you codes in real time, it's very cheap and useful and will allow to clear codes in the future if need be. It's nice to have a device like this without having to leave the comfort of your home.

[Starter]

You have the warranty, so take it back to the dealer and have them fix it.

As for working with dealers - They are always the expensive option for service. Anything you can do yourself will have you come out many, many dollars ahead. There are many perfectly honest dealers around. Unfortunately, there are also many dishonest dealers who will lie through their teeth to separate you from your money. Until you have a history with a particular dealer and know you can trust them, take everything they say as questionable until verified.