Nissan's Expensive to Repair??!!

[kerrton]

Not a big deal since we're under warranty, but I've had some warranty work done recently and can't believe how expensive it is!! Of course the manufacturer pays, but once I'm off warrantly I'm a little worried about having to fix anything on this car. What I'm wondering is if Nissan is generally more expensive than say GM, Ford and Dodge/Chrysler for parts (I know shop labor is about the same, currently $110/hour)? For example, today I had the following work done:

New Steering Wheel Assembly - $600New Steering Column Cable - $ 400(That's a total of $1000 bucks just to get rid of a squeek in the steering wheel).

And a few months ago I had a new CVT Installed - Approx. $5500

I couldn't believe how much the steering wheel was, with just 1 hour labor, I'm scared to be off warranty and I was planning on keeping this vehicle for at least 10 years!

[Goblin]

Dido on transmission.

A notable charge for recent repairs for accident damage was a OEM wheel for $795! OMG, I can't believe those cheap a$$ wheels cost that much.

[philipa_240sx]

Try buying parts for a German car... makes the Japanese seem cheap by comparison.

I have not owned a domestic... ever. So I have no comparison. All I know is I have had very few parts break down on my Nissan's. Repairs have been few and far between.

My Rogue has 45,000km (27,000mi) and I have yet to drop a single cent in repairs... warranty or otherwise.

The '03 Altima went 240,000km (144,000mi), I had one major warranty repair that was expensive. Maintenance aside, I broke one taillight ($200) and one engine splash shield ($80)... all my own doing . The car owed me nothing.

The '90 240SX had somewhere around 200,000km. It had a host of issues mainly due to an accident. It turned into a money pit for me... turning it into SOLO1 race car didn't help.

The '87 Pathfinder was a bit different. After 300,000km (180,000mi) I went through 2 starters, 3 alternators, fuel pump & sending unit, a few engine sensors, tie rod ends, ball joints, 4x4 hubs, 3 exhaust systems, more sets of brake pads than I could count, and countless other items. But I still love that truck! It never left me stranded.

[Leo2005]

yeah I remember on my audi a4 2.8L when my thermostat got bad dealership asked $1600 to replace it because at the same time they replace water pump and timing belt. I replaced thermostat by myself for $210 just for the part and about 7 hours of labor since I had to remove bumper, radiator and a lot of other parts.

[ahhbeebee]

Hi Kerrton,

Did the repair shop have to confirm the squeaking? I've had some steering wheel/column squeak during the last cold spell, but only when its cold. Was your repair related to the tech bulletin?

Off topic:$210 for a thermostat? - I had heard Audi's parts were pricey but sheesh. Was this part manufactured by Audi or 3rd party? A new thermostat for my Subaru Legacy was under $50 or so, and no removing anything to get access. It was like 30 min to replace and that was with waiting for the coolant to cool down.

[kerrton]

Hey Leo,

My squeeking was pretty obvious, it did it all the time so I assume the confirmed it as they drove it around into the service bay. Now that I have a new steering wheel I realize that the old one turned a little harder than the new one, so it must've been a significant issue beyond just a squeeky dust boot. Also, I didn't see a tech bulletin for this, there is one for the gear shift console finisher, which I also had them fix because it was getting annoying too.

Regarding the thermostat, didn't someone mention that the Rogue does not have a thermostat? Not sure if this is even possible, but I'm not familiar with some of the new features (ex. no plug wires, etc.)

[Goblin]

Oh, I've got a good one. I took my Dodge Durango in for a service engine light. It cost $140 for the diagnotics and a fuse. A frigging blown fuse cost me $140. Can you believe it?

[Leo2005]

The thermostat was 3rd party. I even forgot the brand of it. But I remember after that they gave me a discount on water pump since I decided to replace it too. The original was made from plastic and the new one was aluminum. BTW replacing thermostat on audi 4 cyl would take approximately 30-45 min and the cost will be around $80. I had 6 cyl and all the parts were way overpriced.

[Roguemonster]

yeah I remember on my audi a4 2.8L when my thermostat got bad dealership asked $1600 to replace it because at the same time they replace water pump and timing belt.

For those not familiar with VW/Audi who wonder what Leo's talking about, some models have water pumps that actually run off the timing belt.

I had my New Beetle's timing belt replaced at the recommended (105,000) mileage point, and the dealer suggested replacing the pump at the same time just as maintenance ("it's not going to last another 100,000 miles"). I did. The part was well under $100, if not under $50, and they didn't charge any extra labor for it. The total bill was more like $500, nothing like $1600 though.

Quite a different deal from the days when I could replace the pump in 20 minutes with a $25 aftermarket model. ('89 Fox with no air conditioner)

By the way, did I mention how easy access is to everything in the engine compartment of the Rogue compared to my VW's?

[philipa_240sx]

Regarding the thermostat, didn't someone mention that the Rogue does not have a thermostat? Not sure if this is even possible, but I'm not familiar with some of the new features (ex. no plug wires, etc.)

Actually the Rogue has not one but two thermostats! There is one in the engine block that opens at 177F and a second in the cylinder head that opens at 200F.

Apparently the reason for this is cold start emissions. By putting in 2 separate thermostats, Nissan could keep more uniform combustion chamber temperatures and speed engine warm-up.

BTW, never had a thermostat fail on any of my Nissan's.

[BelindaT]

I would like to clear out things with regards to car insurance. I just have found out an article which could help those readers out there who are wondering if they could get insurance when their car repairs is expensive. Well, it was said that the most expensive repairs are typically not covered by car insurance, except in the case of an accident. Regular maintenance, however, can greatly minimize or postpone these charges. You can check this out his link for more information: Preventing the four most expensive types of auto repair.

[dmw56]

As a Rogue Owner with over 130,000 miles, my humble advice would be to sell before the warranty expires. Too many repairs , front bearings, transmission and on and on costing $$$$ that will end up taking you for a journey of spending more than the vehicle is worth on a trade-in. I've owned Nissan trucks and a 350z and beat the hell out of them with no major issues, so go figure. Car seams to fragile for a SUV/every day commuter. So to not beat a dead horse stick with a 5 or 6 speed trans and 6 cylinder engine if you plan to go with Nissan and keep the car 5- 8 years.

[lulimet]

Kerrton, part of the problem for the expensive parts and high labor rates is that you are in Canada. Pretty much everything there costs more than in the US.

[Unicorn]

That's about the same as I've seen for most cars, especially at the dealership. Toyotas are about the same. Older ones are cheaper because of tons of aftermarket parts. The more common the car the more parts are available so less costly. Usually.

The water pumps on the VWs don't run of the timing belt, but you have to remove the pump to get to the belt. It's in front of the belt. Might as well replace that part since it's off already. Otherwise your paying 90% of the labor again to t replace it later. Many people get the German pay as the impeller is metal instead of the plastic used in the US market.
The pump on my jetta went out at just over 90k. Spent the extra tiny bit to get the timing belt replaced too. No point in spending another thousand a few months later.