Elite Extended Protection Plan Paint Issue

[Uffda]

My outside mirrors were deemed defective by my dealer and are covered under my extended warranty protection plan. HOWEVER, I am being told that the cost to PAINT the mirrors to match my car is NOT covered under the warranty. Anyone have experience with an issue like this? I even talked to Infiniti Consumer Affairs and they said paint is not covered. So, basically, I can get a new pair of primed mirrors replaced on my car? WTH!

[Ace2cool]

Whaaat? If the mirrors were painted from the factory, and were defective, they should be replaced with factory spec items. I'd call some other dealers to see about that.

EDIT: Let's put it this way: the dealer will get paid for the labor, regardless of who pays for it (in this case Nissan is paying). If another dealer will do it and bill Nissan, ask your closer dealer WTF their problem is, ask for a manager, ask for a regional manager, and see if they have a complaints department. If not, contact Nissan here: http://www.nissanusa.com/apps/contactus and see what you can get resolved through them.

[RicerX]

Which vehicle is this on?

[Uffda]

Infiniti Q45, why?

[RicerX]

Ok... was just curious. I wasn't sure if the vehicle in question was the one in your avatar or another vehicle. Welcome to NICO, by the way! Where are my manners?!

Just a strange situation. What was defective about the mirrors? Is your extended warranty purchased through Infiniti or a third party?

Either way, I'm inclined to agree with Ace, unless of course the warranty is a third party with some strange legalese that doesn't cover painted parts. If it's an Infiniti warranty, then by all means I would escalate the matter. I would not think an Infiniti warranty would do this, however.

[Ace2cool]

The EEP was licensed through Nissan/Infiniti, as far as I can tell.

[Uffda]

The side mirrors do not return to their set position after use of the reverse tilt feature.

Yes, the selling Infiniti dealer sold the extended warranty to the original owner of the vehicle. I am the second owner and we transferred the remaining warranty into my name.

A little background -- This car is in MINT condition, and probably the nicest 2005 Q45 on the road today. It has the premium package with 18" chrome wheels and the window sticker (which I have) states $63,610. The nice man I purchased it from was incredible in regards to caring for this car. I flew out to California to buy it, and drove it back to Minnesota last May (2014). It only had 56,000 miles on it, had never been driven in snow, never seen the inside of an automatic car wash (he did it by hand), or spent a night outside of a garage. I found one itsy bitsy scratch on the exterior, and the interior was free from any stains. He had an awesome dealer who took care of every concern he had. Fortunately, for me, he was a tad bit fussy. He visited the service department 42 times in 8 years! Unfortunately, for me, the two Minnesota dealerships I've been to fall well short of this type of customer service. Maybe it's because I didn't buy the car from either one of them, but this is the fourth pre-owned Infiniti we've had all our service work done. None of the previous cars had extended warranties.

OK, back to the issue. I brought the car in to have the mirrors checked out and the tech deemed them defective. There is something wrong with the motors, so both mirrors need to be replaced, but would be covered under the extended warranty. The service advisor informed me he would order them. I asked him if it was the whole mirror assembly or just internal parts. He didn't know and would have to check with the parts department. He called back to inform me they ordered the entire mirrors and it'd take a couple of days to receive them. He then proceeded to schedule an appointment with me for the day they were to arrive, and that's when I asked if they'd need to be painted. He had to check with parts again, which of course they said they would. He said he'd have them sent out to their paint shop right away after receipt. I asked if they'd need my car in order to match the paint because I was concerned about them matching the existing paint. He said that wouldn't be a problem, as they'd just use the factory Pewter color. At this point, all was okay and going well. Ten minutes later, I called him back because I remembered that the car had the acrylic paint protection and clear bra (chip guard) installed on the back of the mirrors. A different dealer installed these items when the car had 3 miles on it, and prior to selling it to anyone. The service advisor informed me this would not be covered under the warranty because the car didn't come from the factory with these additional options. I called Consumer Affairs to question this, as I wanted the car back in the same condition as it was prior to the repairs, due to their defect. I explained the situation to the person who answered the phone, and he informed me that "paint" was not covered in the extended warranty as stated in my agreement under "What is NOT Covered". Item #2 states; "Paint, exhaust system, carpet, glass, upholstery, soft time, weather-stripping, convertible soft top fabric and liner, clutch disc (manual transmission), any and all in-vehicle communications systems, conversion of the air conditioning systems to operate on R134, battery and cables, tires, disc brake rotors, squeaks, rattles, water leaks, wind noise, shock absorbers, immobilizer key, and remote keyless entry switch assembly." I tell him it's not the paint that I'm concerned about, it's the protectant and clear bra/chip guard which had been applied. He then tells me he will have to create a case and have someone call me back. I got the call, explained the situation again, and talked about the issue. She didn't know the mirrors were being covered under the warranty and wondered why the case had been given to her. I told her maybe it was because the person who answered the phone was confused and thought that "painting" (of the mirrors) was not covered under the warranty. We laughed about the fact that I would get my mirrors back in a grey primer color! She said it would be like her having a warranty issue with her bumper, and getting it replaced unpainted. So, I go into detail about what I was calling about, and she said she'd check into it and call me back. Long story short, she tells me a couple days later that "paint" isn't covered but she would go ahead, approve a goodwill gesture, and pay for the painting of the mirrors, but would be unable to cover the cost of the paint protection and clear bra (which is a very small strip on the back of the mirrors). WHAT????? I didn't know what to say!!!

Sorry for the book version of this story, but thought I should explain it in detail. What are your thoughts? I believe it was the dealer service manager who told the consumer affairs women that paint was not covered, so that's what she went with. I honestly believe she doesn't understand or know the service agreement as written. I think she made the decision based on information provided to her from the dealer. ??? This went from a simple inquiry with minimal cost, to an f'd up mess! I find out the amount they won't cover is $150. At this point, it's not the cost, it's the principle. The goodwill gesture should be the $150, not the painting of the mirrors.

One last thing, does anyone know why the entire mirrors have to be replaced? Couldn't they just replace the internal components?

Thanks!

[frapjap]

Nissan/Infiniti customer service is horrendously bad. I had an automatic seat belt fail in a 240sx and somehow that got translated into a door lock via NNA customer service. But I digress, their service people in customer affairs probably don't know anything about cars aside from the fact that they use gasoline and have (maybe) 4 tires.

I see your point about wanting the car back in the condition you had it in before the mirrors failed, but they really do suck when it comes to this. At the least, you're getting your new mirrors assemblies painted, which is something that you should've never had to fight for in the first place. I really don't like saying this about our beloved manufacturer, but you might have to cut your losses because they suck so much.

However, since you've bought four cars from this dealer and serviced them there as well, you should try playing that card (politely but sternly) with the General Manager. My guess is this will be the last time you use their service department or purchase a vehicle from them again.