Nissan get your head out of your bottom

[DaveinOlyWA]

If u like I can relate the negative aspects of my delivery and the mid steps I had by banking on delivery in december instead of the jan 2011 date

I arranged my finances to purchase the car in december. When that did not happen I was unable to sell my Prius to my sister as she could not wait. I just paid the IRS. $2700 on mu tax bill and I ended up leasing at a much less than preferable rate.

I can go on if u prefer but none of that addresses the issue of Nissans failed attempt to keep us informed.

The problem I had was my disappointment when delivery guidelines were not kept to the letter.

But that only contrasts to other cars peered.I did the same thing 2 years ago for my Prius.

Only difference is that. Toyota made ZERO EFFORT to keep me informed so they had no commitment to make which allows them to look better because they did not have to maintain any long term predictions

 

[LEAFfan]

I do not have mine yet. Big whoop. I will get it when it gets here, today tomorrow or next year, be patient. No one is entitled to anything. If you do not like how this really lousy system works, cancel your order and wait for whatever comes next.

So your wait kinda is no big whoop.

Downey, I want to see you say the same thing after you've been waiting 13-14 months from your reservation, which you know you won't have to.

 

[davewill]

I have sympathy for everyone who is waiting and waiting for a car, and especially those who got skipped over. I have nothing but contempt for whining, rude, and over the top complaints. People who post crude comments like the thread title, and threaten useless law suits and ultimatums, or disrupt others' positive threads with complaints are going to start hitting my ignore list.

As far as worrying about when in the model year you take delivery... :roll: If you want to time the market like that, I suggest waiting until 2014 or so, when supplies are plentiful and you can walk in on the date you've picked out to buy and negotiate your perfect deal.

 

[thankyouOB]

To Davewill and that sentiment, I add a right on, though I would not put it in such hard-edged terms.

In my almost 40 years of car buying I never broke these four rules:
-bought a new model without letting it go a year to be sure it got the kinks out
-bought a car unless it was near the end of the year to save $$ and increase bargaining power
-bought a car without seeing the crash test results (once those existed)
-bought a car without reading extensive consumer and car-cult reviews

I broke all those rules for the Leaf for two reasons: patriotism of getting off oil and cleaning up the air; and the nearly 14k in rebates and other perks--free parking, HOV, etc.
Once the road got rocky in March for delivery timely and the CA rebate got to be an issue, I had to decide if I would go ahead. That decision never got tested, as I stayed lucky.

Two cars before this (Iost the predecessor in a bad crash), I looked at a Prius. But early adopters usually get screwed cause the dealerships rule on price. Nissan fixed that. What they didnt fix was properly handling the expectations of new buyers or the hopes of others who wanted in on the Beta and all the bonuses, psychic, monetary and infrastructurally.
I have sympathy for those still waiting, who may have to forgo being in on the Beta and take the more rationale choice of following my four car-buying rules, and for Nissan, which is doing a hell of a job if you take into account the catastrophic conditions in Japan.

I still worry about the crash tests and drive extra carefully at intersections, as a result. YMMV.

 

[garygid]

Nissan is attempting a HUGE project in bringing out the LEAF. I am VERY pleased with their vision and hopes for the world's future. BRAVO!

They have had more than their share of setbacks, but I think they are TRYING to do a very good thing, but without control of most of the many thousands of impacting factors.

Who could predict that Red and Blue colors would be delayed?

Who does not understand "estimates", and then act upon them as if they were "the truth"?

The FUTURE is NEVER certain, so no matter how many "promises" one thinks they have been made about the future, one should realize ... that they cannot be "promises", but rather intentions, plans, or even expectations. Some ask for "the truth". Well, this IS the truth.

But, many cannot handle "the truth", perhaps because they would have to admit it is necessary to handle the uncertainties of the future themselves?

If one is being mislead, why are they following?

 

[LEAFfan]

I still worry about the crash tests and drive extra carefully at intersections, as a result. YMMV.

You worry about the crash tests?? The LEAF was just tested (another thread) and it scored the highest score for any car in its class, even better than the Volt.

 

[leafkabob]

I fully support Healy and Nissanvirgin and anyone else who wants to vent in this thread "Nissan get your head out of your bottom" or any other thread similarly titled.

I understand that some others may get tired of hearing what they perceive as useless whining. If you fall into that camp, perhaps you should not read threads with titles similar to this one. Win-win for everyone.

Believe me, it is good to be able to vent when you are frustrated.

 

[thankyouOB]

I still worry about the crash tests and drive extra carefully at intersections, as a result. YMMV.

You worry about the crash tests?? The LEAF was just tested (another thread) and it scored the highest score for any car in its class, even better than the Volt.

those were the industry-run tests and not the government tests. I saw them and was encouraged, but there is, in my understanding, a significant difference between one and the other.

 

[rawhog]

.

 

[thankyouOB]

ARLINGTON, VA — The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf earn the highest safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the first-ever U.S. crash test evaluations of plug-in electric cars. The milestone demonstrates that automakers are using the same safety engineering in new electric cars as they do in gasoline-powered vehicles.
--------

As I said, these are industry tests and definitely NOT the well-known 5-STAR tests run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.


You know, the ones featured on the new car sticker and at consumer reports.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/
Those have not been done yet, cause they need cars to crash.

I don't view insurance industry substantially differently than the auto industry tests.

 

[BlueSL]

Thread drift! And then some.

 

[downeykp]

I do not have mine yet. Big whoop. I will get it when it gets here, today tomorrow or next year, be patient. No one is entitled to anything. If you do not like how this really lousy system works, cancel your order and wait for whatever comes next.

Agreed, the delay is not really that much of an issue. I, like most other 2010 orders, have waited over a year from reservation anyway. Personally, while I would like it sooner, I could wait another six months without a huge deal (I still have to pay for the car). However, when Nissan's screw up potentially costs me thousands of dollars in a lost rebate from California (my tax money), then it is a big deal for me. For you, being in Washington state without a state rebate, I can totally see how the delay for you doesn't really matter.

One last note, since you are a Jan 2011 order, your wait (from ordering at least) isn't quite as long as others. Also, if Nissan hadn't messed up the ordering to delivery sequence, the delivery 2010 orders would mostly just being finished now or in June and the 2011 orders would have most likely had their deliveries started in July or August. So your wait kinda is no big whoop.

Like I said, it is no big whoop. If you can not afford the car with unless you get the rebate then maybe you can't afford the car.
I did not ask to be put ahead in line. There is no mechanism to have the car delayed. I do not need it now, end of summer end of year I do not care. I might or might not get to realize all of the Fed. credit. Big whoop. I am still buying because I can afford to and want to make a difference within the world in which I live.
It really amazes me how everyone thinks they are entitled to everything. It will happen when it happens.

 

[downeykp]

I do not have mine yet. Big whoop. I will get it when it gets here, today tomorrow or next year, be patient. No one is entitled to anything. If you do not like how this really lousy system works, cancel your order and wait for whatever comes next.

So your wait kinda is no big whoop.

Downey, I want to see you say the same thing after you've been waiting 13-14 months from your reservation, which you know you won't have to.

I have been stating for months on this forum how I really do not care when it actually arrives. It will arrive. It looks like it will be 12 months from reservation as it is. If it comes after the 17th of June it will sit at the dealers lots for two months because I will be out of the country. So that puts me at 14 months. So I guess I am saying the same thing. Nissan f##cked up I get that. But it is time to move on.

 

[downeykp]

Nissan is attempting a HUGE project in bringing out the LEAF. I am VERY pleased with their vision and hopes for the world's future. BRAVO!

They have had more than their share of setbacks, but I think they are TRYING to do a very good thing, but without control of most of the many thousands of impacting factors.

Who could predict that Red and Blue colors would be delayed?

Who does not understand "estimates", and then act upon them as if they were "the truth"?

The FUTURE is NEVER certain, so no matter how many "promises" one thinks they have been made about the future, one should realize ... that they cannot be "promises", but rather intentions, plans, or even expectations. Some ask for "the truth". Well, this IS the truth.

But, many cannot handle "the truth", perhaps because they would have to admit it is necessary to handle the uncertainties of the future themselves?

If one is being mislead, why are they following?

+1

 

[TRONZ]

I would say "cancel" and move on. Everyone behind you would love to fight over getting your car.

 

[LALeaf]

I would say "cancel" and move on. Everyone behind you would love to fight over getting your car.

TRONZ, Leaf delivered: 1/31/11

 

[Sheffield]

Just for fun, as an early adopter of the Prius and the hybrid Highlander, here is how it worked at Toyota in 2000 and 2005:

Dropped in to my local Toyota dealer about a year pre release. Asked to talk to the specialist assigned for the car. We were asked what color and equipment (only choices were gps or not fir the 2001 Prius, trim level and gps for Highlander). No money changed hands. In each case I got called the first month of USA availability to come pick up my car. For the Highlander, the car they had was an orphan, the first of the model the dealer had gotten, only difference was the color, otherwise mine would have been in within two weeks.

Both were sold at MSRP. No haggle. No problem. No intention to restrict supply. Within six months you could walk in to a dealer and leave with a car.

Naively, I expecte that the Leaf would work much the same way. In the case of the Volt, it did. For the Leaf, lots of glitzy promo, no car. 4/20 - 11/30 - Apr, May, Pending, June, July.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Just for fun, as an early adopter of the Prius and the hybrid Highlander, here is how it worked at Toyota in 2000 and 2005:

Dropped in to my local Toyota dealer about a year pre release. Asked to talk to the specialist assigned for the car. We were asked what color and equipment (only choices were gps or not fir the 2001 Prius, trim level and gps for Highlander). No money changed hands. In each case I got called the first month of USA availability to come pick up my car. For the Highlander, the car they had was an orphan, the first of the model the dealer had gotten, only difference was the color, otherwise mine would have been in within two weeks.

Both were sold at MSRP. No haggle. No problem. No intention to restrict supply. Within six months you could walk in to a dealer and leave with a car.

Naively, I expecte that the Leaf would work much the same way. In the case of the Volt, it did. For the Leaf, lots of glitzy promo, no car. 4/20 - 11/30 - Apr, May, Pending, June, July.

so tell me, what commitment did Toyota give you when u dropped in a year early? i was in same boat for 2004 and 2010 Prius. they gave me nada.

all they could tell me was it would take "at least 3-4 months", it took 6½)

so they were simply smart enough to know that the timing on the releases of new models is dicey at best and were very very non-committal.

Nissan's attempt to keep us updated on what is basically a weekly notice is the only fail here, and to be honest with ya, they did not have to do that. they underestimated demand a bit (like Toyota didnt?? it took them over 3 years to meet demand)

they could have done what Toyota did and leave it all up to the dealers. i am glad they did not.

 

[Stoaty]

Nissan's attempt to keep us updated on what is basically a weekly notice is the only fail here, and to be honest with ya, they did not have to do that. they underestimated demand a bit (like Toyota didn't?? it took them over 3 years to meet demand)

I think Nissan's big screw-ups were:

--not explaining a bit more about what causes Dashboard dates to change ("milestones")
--not putting a big disclaimer that many unforeseen events could slow, temporarily halt or even reverse progress
--offering a "customer service" line for those who had ordered, but then giving those reps ZERO information, so they resorted to making stuff up to fill the information void. Customer service also implies that there is some power or authority to actually serve the customer. In actual fact, Customer Service does not seem to have any power to expedite or change the course of the delivery.

The last one is a particularly bad error, because it damaged Nissan's credibility in the eyes of those seeking information. It would have been far better to give no information over made-up information.

 

[GeorgeParrott]

Other Experiences with significant NEW MODEL rollouts-

RE: 2004 Prius Gen 2 rollout

I saw the car and the details in an early report from the 2004 NYC International Auto Show where it was introduced for later in that year production. This was in March of 2003 I believe.

I immediately called my local Credit Union/Group sales manager at a Folsom Lake Toyota (near Sacramento); we had bought at least 3 or 4 cars from him over the previous 10-15 years. I offered to pay "$500 over dealer cost" for a fully optioned Gen 2/2004 Prius in beige exterior color.

He took that order, with no cash involved upfront, and I got my car in the first month of actual deliveries later that year; it was about $2000 or a bit more UNDER the MSRP sticker ! (NOTE: Over the next 3 years, my extended family bought 3 more Prius cars, a Camry Hybrid and a Highlander Hybrid from him at that dealership and at least one more conventional SUV--all at considerably UNDER MSRP !).

RE: Acura MDX initial rollout

When this was being introduced, the motoring press was giving it impressive positive reviews well before any vehicles were actual at dealers. We were in the market for something larger, e.g. 7 passenger with snow capability, etc., so I checked around Sacramento and Northern California to see if I could order one for delivery in the first batch or so after actual production. I could NOT find any dealer within 200 miles who was not asking at least MSRP to take an order and most wanted $1000 or more in padded dealer markup details. Finally I found a dealer in Ashland, OR. (about 400 miles north and in another state) who would order my exact configuration at $700 under the MSRP sticker. I confirmed that order with a $1000 credit card payment, and in the first couple of weeks of shipping those models, I was called that mine had arrived at the dealership, so I found a private pilot friend to fly me up to Ashland to pickup the SUV. No delays, no hassles, in 45 minutes at the dealership I was on the road driving back to Sacramento to pay the final sales tax on the vehicle here when I registered it for California license plates.