How long is reasonable to repair a 2 year old car?

diveleader

Can you help me with the following issue please?
I have a Nissan Leaf. This car was purchased from a main dealer as an ex demo with 2k miles on the clock back in November 2013. The car was purchased outright with no finance.
Following its 2 year service in May (when the brake fluid was changed), the regeneration function on braking stopped working. Mileage was 9500 at this point.
The car when back to the dealers on the 1st July where it still remains.
They have changed numerous parts, had a boffin down from Nissan Sunderland but still cannot fix the issue.
It is just past 7 weeks since they had the car back. They have provided me with a loaner (albeit being covered in 'MOTABILITY' stickers.)
I got Nissan customer service involved. They do keep you informed, but at the moment, they are just updating me with 'awaiting Nissan Sunderland'.
I know they have been unplugging parts and swapping them from a donor car and the thought of all this is making me loose confidence in:
Their ability to repair it
What the car will be like when returned. The three year warranty expires next May.
Ideally, I would like to reject the vehicle (and be refunded a portion but not the full invoice price), but understand that this gets complicated when more than 6 months have passed. I also understand that I have to give them reasonable opportunity to repair the vehicle. But what constitutes a reasonable time.
Less ideally, I feel that the warranty should be extended by Nissan as a goodwill gesture.
I am reasonable?

rich13348

I would say that being a new type of car. The grease monkeys don't have a clue. Queue the boffin from Sunderland. So they will be struggling to know what is wrong with it. Let alone how to fix it.
I would say give them another week so 8 weeks (2 months) if they haven't fixed it tell them you have lost confidence in the vehicle and would like them to buy it back at a fair value pre issues.

colino

It is a difficult one simply because the current users of the cars are still basically road testing the cars for Nissan as they seem to be getting software and hardware upgrades all of the time.
I doubt very much if you would be able to reject after having it for so long, and they are trying to keep you mobile with a courtesy car.
The simplest way to clarify the situation is to get a named contact at Nissan and write to them with all of your concerns and asking for a date, in the near future, for your car to be returned in full working order. If they breach that, make it clear you consider the car to be irreparable and you want a replacement (realistically!) or a refund (which is less likely).
Have a google and see if there are owner clubs on the go yet for the car and see if members there have had similar problems and what Nissan has been doing to placate them.

m0bov

I would have already issued a deadline, your not a road tester and I would drop them a letter offering them 1 more week and then you either want a cash refund for the market value or a replacement car with similar mileage/age.

almillar

Keep driving their car. That's costing them money, and it's in their best interest to fix your car ASAP. I assume you're driving another Leaf and therefore not paying for petrol. You're not putting mileage and wear and tear on your own car, which might make up for not having the use of your own personal vehicle. It sortof comes with the territory of an EV that dealerships won't know how to repair them and will need external help. You can also expect parts to be a difficulty. I think as well as the 6 months guide, you would need to allow 3 attempts at repair?

agrinnall

My friend bought a new Qashqai earlier this year and when he started to experience a few issues the dealer found that the timing belt had stretched and it now needed a new engine - this in a car that had done 2,000 miles. Two months later the engine still hasn't turned up, and he has now got his lawyer writing letters to the dealer, copied to Nissan GB, asking then for either a new car or a full refund. Even if I had ever considered a Nissan his story and now this one would make me very cautious about going anywhere near one.

diveleader

Hi all
An update on my Leaf repair as it is now been 14 weeks and the car is still with the dealership.

I still have the dealerships leaf as a loaner, but am getting tired of using it, as it covered head to toe in Motability stickers.

They have changed the same part twice now and still cannot repair the fault.

I have Nissan customer services involved, but they only tend to liaise with the dealership and not add any additional impetus.

Nissan are sending a couple of technicians down later this week (the second time this has occurred) and my gut feeling is they will be unable to fix the problem and will probably consider taking the car away for more dismantling.

I am at the end of my patience with this. After 14 weeks and more than 3 attempts to rectify, my car is still in bits at the dealership.

I feel that rejection of the vehicle is the only option.

Would you think that this is unreasonable of me?

Moto2

diveleader wrote: »

I still have the dealerships leaf as a loaner, but am getting tired of using it, as it covered head to toe in Motability stickers.

Take them off it? - I would

m0bov

You can't reject the car as its yours! I would either:-

Push for the car to be towed to another dealer for them to try.

Go speak to the dealer principle and ask to negotiate for a like for like car.

Take it to an independant specialists and then sue for the cost.

You have given them reasonable chance to fix.

dannyrst

What are they saying to you? Surely they must accept that this is dragging on way too long now?

agrinnall

To update my previous post #6, my friend now has a brand new Qashqai, but not much thanks due to Nissan GB - basically the dealer repaid him the full value of his original car and then gave him a good deal on the new one. It's a different situation to the OP as the car was so new, but it's a warning not to expect much assistance from Nissan GB, so it may be simplest just to issue an ultimatum to the dealer demanding a proportional refund and if necessary take it to court.