We had ours for 3 days and the clutch went bad!!!I made a huge **** fit about it @ the dealer and forcedthem to let me out of the deal! i was PISSED! Also the door handle that has the window and lock switch when closing the door would come OUT! just pull right out!

CHEAP POS!Great features ****ty car =/

i think im going to buy her a VW rabbit =(

Too late! There are obviously many satisfied buyers here - sorry your's didn't work out...

Good luck with the rabbit

Well i know it makes no difference now, but maybe the clutch wasn't your problem...

zerothread/189627

Glad someone is on top of these issues. I had completely forgot about that thread.

Good deal

personally I think when buying a new generation car is a risk... you might get some problems like these due to silly design

I really like my Versa.

Technically it isn't a "new" car as they have been driven in Japan.

However, there are some cosmetic things I'm sure Nissan will address to appease the American market:

Need two power sources. The visor problem.I'd like the center arm rest raised about 2 inches.Cup holders in the doors.Larger storage in the doors.Map slots behind the front seats.Mirror adjustment is awkward.I miss seeing an outdoor temperature.Move the emergency brake handle and rearrange the gear shifter and the cup holders where each are easier to find.

But none of those things affect performance.

I didn’t have single problem on mine (1000 miles already) and really happy with the car (although the external temp would be nice ) those who are not happy with it represent a normal proportion of people who are getting bad service or a lemon etc. but it doesn't mean Versa is bad car. In fact I am pretty sure that this forum keeps only the attention of those who have problems or people interested in learning things. No "just happy people" We should do a thread where all the satisfied owners will post their comments and you will see how many of them don't usually post

I'd be pissed too if my clutch went bad after three days. That's the third clutch problem I've heard of. BUT that's why new cars got waranty. That's why they sell extended warranties.

I wonder how he got the dealer to let him out of the sale? Wonder what the dealer is going to do with the car after taking it back?

Ben

wouldnt that be covered under warrantee?

Bumper to Bumper....

why would you be so pissed off about that... Stuff happens, and thats why the mfg gives warranties....

had i bought a 60,000 M45 or something like that, id be a littlemore upset...

elwesso wrote:why would you be so pissed off about that... Stuff happens, and thats why the mfg gives warranties....

Ummmm, yes, but you *really* expect to be able to drive the car off the lot before it goes in the fritz. One expects little stuff to go wrong, but a drivetrain failure three days after purchase is ridiculous. That implies fundamental errors in the way the car was assembled...and what else was either messed up during assembly or damaged when the clutch let go?

Keep in mind, too, that many Versa owners with minor problems (airbag covers, etc.) are waiting for backorded parts. How long to you think it'll take the dealer to get in a new clutch? Two weeks ago, the dealership told me they didn't even have maintenance manuals for the Versa yet...how long do you think it'll take them to replace the clutch, without a manual? How long would the repair last, when it's done with no technical references as to clearance and bolt torques?

I'd be furious, too, and unless I'd special-ordered the car, I'd also push to have it taken back. Many states have "Lemon Laws," plus neither the dealer nor Nissan would want publicity of this sort on a brand-new car.

Ron

Well, since we didn't get a description of the specific clutch problem he was having, we won't know for sure... but if it was a slipping issue, then there have been at least 3 of us here that have had it, and the problem has been corrected.

My dealership was able to get a new clutch assembly NEXT DAY, even though it turns out they did not need to replace it as it was just part of the cruise that was out of adjustment. Readjusting the part fixed the clutch, and in the case of my car, I've gone another 5300+ miles without a hint of trouble.

And any good dealership will have a master technician on staff. These kinds of people can fix cars without having to look at service manuals, just based on their knowledge of how stuff works and how stuff is generally put together.

Your dealership may quote you a long time just to cover their butts, but that doesn't always mean it's true.

Edit: By the way, by his problem description, he would not meet the muster of a Lemon Law. Lemon Laws require you to have multiple failures of the same system within a specified timeframe, or the vehicle must be completely out of service for a specified timeframe.

The problem i was having was after being driven for awhile the clutch smelled VERY hot, and when you changed gears it didnt want to change it would just rev like you was @ 6k RPM but no power let out. to the point where i was in like 6th gear (testing) @6k RPM going 55MPH

And about getting out of the deal.... if you are as big of an ******* and good at arguing and loud like me whith a packed show room. They would do just about anything to get me out the door quietly and happy. If thye didnt i was ready to print out signs and stand on the sidewalk of the Nissan dealeship with signs that said

"NISSAN VERSAS CLUTCHES DIE AFTER 48 HOURS OF USE!"

Yes.... im one of those consumers =)

shauns wrote:The problem i was having was after being driven for awhile the clutch smelled VERY hot, and when you changed gears it didnt want to change it would just rev like you was @ 6k RPM but no power let out. to the point where i was in like 6th gear (testing) @6k RPM going 55MPH

That would be a slipping clutch. SL? You had an ASCD switch that was out of adjustment. An easy fix for their technicians... that happened to me within *24* hours of me purchasing the car. They gave me a free rental "until the car is fixed" (which ended up being only 24 hours) and got it taken care of... a new clutch was obtained but not installed as it wasn't needed. As I said, I haven't had a lick of trouble with the clutch since, and I'm one of the higher mileage drivers here.

And the door handle should have also been an issue they could have taken care of with little or no problem.

I suppose it's your right to try to get the deal unwound for these issues, but it makes me wonder.... do you actually realize that overall, in the new car industry, there is an average slightly more than 1 defect per new vehicle?

You may be waiting a while if you're expecting a *PERFECT* new car. Much less a car that hasn't been on the market long (yes, we know it's been in Japan for a while, but there are differences between the US and JDM models!)

Go... buy a Fit.. and watch the paint flake off your front bumper the same week you buy it!

Or buy a Yaris and break your neck every time you get in/out of the car thanks to that wonderful low overhang over the door.

Edit: Those Volkswagens also have their own historical problems. I seem to recall that their predecessors had problems with ignition switches, timing belts, and mass airflow sensors all failing prematurely. The second one could really ruin your day.

[QUOTEi think im going to buy her a VW rabbit =([/QUOTE]

Good luck—I had an '07 GTI for 13 days. (You know, the big sister to the Rabbit ...)

It was such a POS that the dealer offered to buy it back—before I even asked.

Next time you buy a car and have a problem, grow up and at least give the dealer a chance to fix it. It's a mechanical beast with thousands of parts that sometimes don't work together as perfectly as they should.

BTW, VWs for the past several years have been fighting for the bottom of the owner surveys on reliability. So good luck, if you don't expect to take the car back to the dealer.

And, IMHO, threads such as this one should be locked by a moderator because the title is ridiculous—and overly inflammatory.
Modified by Spa2k at 10:28 PM 9/23/2006

Go ahead, buy the Rabbit. If you think a German car will have less problems than a Versa, you're in for a fun surprise.

Spa2k wrote:Next time you buy a car and have a problem, grow up and at least give the dealer a chance to fix it. It's a mechanical beast with thousands of parts that sometimes don't work together as perfectly as they should.

And, IMHO, threads such as this one should be locked by a moderator because the title is ridiculous—and overly inflammatory.

Well said. The thread starter's problem is definitely the case of someone being immature about an issue and being to busy trying to punish and blame someone for their misfortune to try and actually rectify the situation.

I don't think the thread is so bad that it's worthy of being locked, though (but the all caps title is gone...you're welcome ). Everyone deserves a chance to share their opinion.

If you read the thread that was linked above, you'll see that I'm one of the folks whose clutch was slipping. First trip to the dealer the service writer couldn't duplicate the problem, second trip, the clutch messed up beautifully !!

He was amazed that I wasn't all pissy and mad and yelling about my brand new car having such a BIG problem. I had seen EV's thread prior - as a matter of fact had printed it for the service dept - and kinda knew what was going on. I told him... "Why waste the energy in gettin' all pissed off and angry. It's a new car and I KNOW you guys are gonna fix it." It did get fixed and I haven't any issues with the clutch since.

I have a great relationship with just about everybody at my dealer, from the owner, sales manager, several of the salesmen, service writer, to the parts guy. Attitude goes a LONG way in getting things done. As was said, a new car is an extremely complicated piece of machinery, and a new generation car is gonna have some quirks. They WILL correct those issues.

Like my Mamma always told me.... "You can catch more flies with honey that you can with vinegar. "

Paula

I've had my Versa SL for three weeks and its been in the shop for two (Air bag Sensor Fault) I love my car but I too had a problem on the third day of ownership. I also have other problems with it. My passenger mirror is the wrong color (Black my car is Blue) and the rear passenger door panel is the wrong fabric, I have an sl and the fabric is for the s model. I still love my car. I waited over a month for the dealer to find this car and I'm in it for the long haul. I think I have a Friday Car

vw Rabbit eh?

Good luck with the electrical system!

Oh, and by the way... It's impossible for a clutch to go out in 3 days. Clutches are wear items, similar to brake pads. It usually takes 50,000 miles for someone to wear out a clutch.

Your problem was with the ASCD switch as noted above. Because you are a hothead and jumped to conclusions, you will suffer the pain of living with a VW in a couple years.

Good luck with that!

Hey.. on the bright side.. There will be a perfectly good (Very slightly used) Versa on a lot near Athens, GA. in a couple days!

vidrine wrote:I've had my Versa SL for three weeks and its been in the shop for two (Air bag Sensor Fault) I love my car but I too had a problem on the third day of ownership. I also have other problems with it. My passenger mirror is the wrong color (Black my car is Blue) and the rear passenger door panel is the wrong fabric, I have an sl and the fabric is for the s model. I still love my car. I waited over a month for the dealer to find this car and I'm in it for the long haul. I think I have a Friday Car

so are they gonna get the correct mirror and door panel for you, so everything matches? it sounds like it WAS a friday car, friday afternoon about 4:30!

oldschoolimport wrote:so are they gonna get the correct mirror and door panel for you, so everything matches? it sounds like it WAS a friday car, friday afternoon about 4:30!

Sounds worse to me, actually. Wrong color of passenger mirror + wrong fabric on the inner door of one of the passenger doors?

Sounds like the car was hit on the passenger side, and they used whatever parts they could get to fix it (a door off of an S, and a mirror from a black one).

THAT would be worth investigating.. because that could mean that there will be a serious safety fault down the road.

At the very least, he should look under the passenger side of the car and see if there's any damage to be seen from that angle.

Even more suspicious is that his car has an air bag sensor fault... Something that as far as I can tell, noone else has experienced... and could theoretically be related to a collision.

Yea!! What he said.

I guess you could be correct with the assumption that the passenger side was hit but if this were so than someone did a hell of a good job with body work and frame work I have been under the vehicle and the frame is in new condition. If someone did wreck this vehicle they had to be done in the first 10 miles because it only had 10 on it when it was off loaded from the truck. I bought it the same day and was the first to drive it. As for the Seat belt tensioner failed, the new part that was installed failed only a few days after it was installed. I have since had the same tensioner replaced and have been driving for a week now with no problems. The others failed within three days.

And yes they are replacing the Mirror and cloth on door.

This thread rocks!

I'm glad to see that not everyone resorts to throwing a temper tantrum the very second something doesn't go their way.

If I were the GM of that dealership, you'd be dealing with the police, because that kind of behavior (unprovoked) is uncalled for.

Paula (above) said it brilliantly.

Maybe I missed the part where they refused to warranty the clutch? Or maybe I missed the part where you popped in, did some research, and found out that it's a relatively simple fix?

Can you imagine how SWEET the service department would be to a customer who KNOWS what's wrong with the car, has done their research, knows the TSB # or the part number and points it out for the service writer?

I can - Because I do it all the time.

Sometimes dealer techs don't get alerted to model-specific issues immediately - Word travels FAR faster on a well-maintained enthusiast forum such as NICO.

p.s. Have fun with VW's service department. They're REAL accomodating....

Eikon wrote:vw Rabbit eh?

Good luck with the electrical system!

Oh, and by the way... It's impossible for a clutch to go out in 3 days. Clutches are wear items, similar to brake pads. It usually takes 50,000 miles for someone to wear out a clutch.

Your problem was with the ASCD switch as noted above. Because you are a hothead and jumped to conclusions, you will suffer the pain of living with a VW in a couple years.

Good luck with that!

Hey.. on the bright side.. There will be a perfectly good (Very slightly used) Versa on a lot near Athens, GA. in a couple days!

No kidding about the Rabbit! Had a VW for a couple of years and will not ever make that mistake again. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE mileage for a small car, burned oil like it was gas, electric issues like crazy and bc it was a commuter car, was out of warrantly much sooner than 3 years. But you know how rough highway miles are on a car (so I was told ). Luckily, VW has high resale values for quality that is on par with Ford. At least get something Japanese like Honda Civic or Scion.

vidrine wrote:I guess you could be correct with the assumption that the passenger side was hit but if this were so than someone did a hell of a good job with body work and frame work I have been under the vehicle and the frame is in new condition. If someone did wreck this vehicle they had to be done in the first 10 miles because it only had 10 on it when it was off loaded from the truck. I bought it the same day and was the first to drive it. As for the Seat belt tensioner failed, the new part that was installed failed only a few days after it was installed. I have since had the same tensioner replaced and have been driving for a week now with no problems. The others failed within three days.

That may well could be. My wife's Tucson was in a severe accident (at 10,000 miles, her fault) but the body shop did a PHENOMENAL job rebuilding the car. In fact, as we found out later, if we wanted to be dishonest, we could sell the car as never having been in a wreck because Carfax doesn't show the accident, and the work was so perfect that unless someone knew the car was in a wreck, they could never tell.

And that was after she rear-ended a Frontier on the freeway, just soft enough to not pop the airbags, but hard enough to cause $7800 in damage.

All I'm saying, though, is that your symptoms (two mismatched parts on one side of the car, and a failing piece of safety equipment) are EXTREMELY suspicious... If I were you, I'd never play the lottery again because this particular combination of problems has to be on par, statistically, with winning the jackpot.

Doesn't carfax only show cars that were TOTALLED?

Ben