I did it

[blfstyk]

Six weeks ago I bought a 2008 Journey AWD with everything except the Tech Package (which I don’t want or need) from a local dealer. After exhaustive research, I knew the EX was the car for me but pricey so I had settled on the 2010 Base RWD with no packages. All three of the dealerships near me had horrible reviews on the local opinion sites but I bit the bullet and headed out to the nearest. I looked around the lot for while and soon discovered that the 2010s were above my price pain point.

Remembering I had seen a 2008 with 25K mi in my second color choice, I ventured inside where I was accosted by a sales guy who epitomized all the stereotypes of a car salesman. Smooth, cagey, only interested in the sale. I told him I might be interested in the Platinum Graphite 2008 on their website. He said it had been sold but they had a 2008 in White. I said White was a non-starter for me and then he checked the lot and said he was mistaken, the Platinum Graphite was still there. We took it for a ride. The car looked and felt brand-new. I was hooked. I wanted that car. I tried to haggle him down a bit, asked if he’d throw in a tonneau cover, no dice (he said he didn’t know the price, I told him the price), but the car was slightly below my price point so I made the deal. I noticed it was missing the antenna mast and asked Mr. Salesman about it, he said don’t worry about it, it’s not necessary? I thought, WTF?, oh well, I can always pick one up if I need it.

Long story short, after reading several threads on this EX board, I made up a list of issues and drove to the dealers to inquire about my license plates which I should have gotten a call about by now. Turns out Mr. Salesman is no longer employed at my dealers which is why I didn’t get the call about the plates (which were there -- the salesman is supposed to make the call) and I talked to another new sales guy about my issues, who was the most accommodating salesperson ever.

He got my plates, offered to put them on, got me an antenna, got me a console tray, even got me that funny little tool pictured on page 5-13 of the EX manual that they suggest using to push down the Shift Lock Release button (you’ll notice there’s a cut-out in your tire well that exactly fits that tool, though no one seems to know what other purpose the tool has) and did it all for free. I also talked to the Service Manager who looked in his computer and said that the 30K Premium service had already been done by the dealer and the only thing I need at 30K is an oil change. They had also put new tires on the car (I thought they looked pretty fresh for 25K miles). And there were no outstanding recalls on my VIN.

My point in all the above is many people complain about their dealers but it’s all in the people you deal with. You just have to find the good people.

As of today, I’ve read all of the 42 pages of posts on this forum (and took notes). The value I’ve received from these posts is huge and some deserve special mention:

I purchased the extended warranty from Scottsdale Infinity for $1,200 (my dealer quoted me $2,900). Thanks to that poster. I decided on the extended warranty because it includes extended Roadside Service, which I used when I ignorantly ran down my battery experimenting with the NAV and Audio features. I’ve had AAA for years and the Infiniti Roadside Service put them to shame. They were there in 30 minutes and got me going again. I wanted that service as long as I could get it.

I purchased the stainless steel audio and climate knobs from the enthusiast in So Cal which are awesome and well worth the money. I showed them to my new, much cooler salesguy and he was blown away, he wants to buy some for his G35.

I actually made a tonneau cover based on the instructions by one poster, and it looks great and I like it better than the OEM. It’s less cumbersome and easier to store. One improvement: there are storage clips in the back sidewall and sewing some plastic “keychain” clips to the cover lets you clip to those clips so the cover doesn’t hang down too soon.

I learned how to use DS and Manual from this forum and use them often.

I could go on but this post is already too long and I thank those who have contributed and a special thank you to Steve the Tech who has enlightened me about so many potential problems and fixes for my EX. I wish he worked at my dealers. Funny thing is, I haven’t had any of those problems. Maybe it’s a good idea to buy a 2-year-old car that’s had its bugs worked out.

Thanks, y’all.

[EXceptional]

Good read... and welcome to the Site !