Neil Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Nissan are currently using the following in their sales literature which prompted me to contact them. 'Can our paint resist diamonds?' Did You Know - We test our paint using the hardest natural substance known to man - diamond. Using real diamonds, fired point blank from a compressed air gun at over 100mph, our paint is tested to the extreme. If it isn't tough enough to resist, it isn't used. As I have in my opinion, excessive stone chips on the bonnet and the front wings after only 26,000 miles, I spoke to Nissan Customer service was told to take my car to a dealer for a paint inspection, which I did yesterday. I received a phone call from Nissan Customer Services that afternoon to be told that 'they perform a durability test using diamonds' and they will not entertain stone chips. I asked the agent to define 'durability' 3 times and she could not. What annoys me is that they speak to 'us' customers in a patronising way and when I asked her for a name to write to, she flatly refused to offer, telling me that it was no use. If anyone can offer a Director or CEO contact email address at Nissan to enable me to write to them, I would appreciate it. Please PM me. I suggested that I contact Japan and she replied 'that's OK, they will only refer your enquiry back to the UK anyway'. I am thinking of contacting 'Watchdog', 'Top Gear' or some other consumer rights organisation, as it goes against the grain to be given a take it or leave it attitude, on a car that is at the top of their range. Looking at previous threads, it is clear that there is a paint issue on the Zed?..I assume that you guys are with me? As an aside...I also explained to the agent that the roads were not covered with diamonds, but stones. Why don't they fire stones at the paint for a more accurate assesment! I also think that I am probably building a rod for my own back as I will be labelled as a problem customer and I still have a year's warranty left on the car, but what the hell...someone has to speak up eh? Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traktion Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 The world needs more people like you, sir! It sounds like they've been completely unhelpfull and if the paint really did have the strength to resist diamonds, stone chips would never happen. Trade (mis)descriptions? I can't offer any help really, but to say that I have a few chips (nothing excessive, luckily) but I've heard of many people with the same problems that you're having. Good luck taking the fight to them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted May 23, 2006 Author Share Posted May 23, 2006 Thanks Traktion...I was beginning to think I was on my own for a moment there ! Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I know its a pain with stone chips appearing on our cars , but I used to have a Porsche 944 years ago that was at least as bad as the 350z if not worse .. Personally i think its more to do with the shape of our cars than the paint quality and think is something you have to live with ,or put on some kind of paint shield Myself I will leave mine untill it gets too bad to look at then have the front end respayed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I'm totally with you Neil, mine's a complete disgrace to be honest. If you get any joy with contact details PM me with them and I'll fire off a similar letter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I defy anyone at Nissan to perform this "firing a diamond at 100mph" test on my car and it not leave a chip. I have chips half way up my bonnet - how? If this paint can take direct hits from diamonds at 100mph, then how does it chip so easily. The front of my Roadster is starting to become a joke. I have a VW Golf, and although the paint on that is water based, and also chips relatively easily, it has covered almost 40,000 miles half of which on motorways or dual carriage ways, and it has just the same ammount of chips as the 350, which has barely covered 5,000 miles. In my personal opinion the paint on the Z is the worst of any car I have ever owned in terms of durability. I believe there are minimum standards that paint should meet (thats what I was led to believe by a paint expert at a recent show) - so many microns of primer, so many colour and so many lacquer. It would be interesting to find those numbers and also find someone with access to the gear to measure it on the Z and see how the paint thickness compares to other marques. I have to say, looking at the chipped areas on the Z compared to the Golf, the paint on the Z appears, to me, to be considerably thinner. NOTE: The views above are entirely my own, and not necissarily that of 350z-uk.com. No conclusions should be drawn from my opinions, nor should these opinions be used by other parties in any future action concering the matter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted May 23, 2006 Author Share Posted May 23, 2006 I forgot to mention... Nissan Customer Service told me that they did not cover stone chips as they cannot be responsible for the speed I drive and how close I am to the vehicle in front! Think I might give driving in reverse a try! Still need a CEO contact if anyone can help please? Thought I might try them first before going to 'Judge Judy'. Thanks Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Good luck with this one Neil, dealing with customer services is a nightmare. You never get the same person twice, your lucky to get through to someone in under 12 mins (I’ve timed it on many an occasion, 18 mins being the longest) then you get some snotty bint who wont listen, wont pass you on to her boss and acts like god almighty. I’ve been on over a year now with one of my warranty claims. By the way I agree with you on the paintwork, its crap, I raised it with one of the Nissan customer services engineers and his words were “it’s the nature of the beast†Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek_ZR Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I might complain myself although it sounds like a waste of time. A respray at own cost is pointless as I already have stone chips in my bumper that was only resprayed 6 weeks ago. Only done 7500 miles and it's really starting to **** me off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagar Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 why dont we all club together and speak to Whatcar magazine? adverse publicity just as the 06 model comes out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_350z Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Count me in - my Kuro has 8k on the clock and drives me crazy - sometimes in a good way, but when I got nose-to-nose with the bumper - in a bad way! If they claim in their literature that they perform the diamond process then they have to be able to prove it - I would suggest going to the trading standards people as a first stop. If we all do it separately then it will have more effect. More pain points. People, let's move! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoREoD Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Dont forget the Advertising Standards people. They can have the Ad withdrawn. But I'd rather not have the stone chips! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 Sent a PM to you all.... Thanks for your support Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacko Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 I'd be on for this as well..... was already about to arrange a appointment with the warranty man where I bought the car. Not expecting much but count me in with anything you do....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonadthegolf Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 they say they spray it with diamonds, the diamonds are propably incredibly small industrial diamonds which would find it imnpossible to take a chip out of the paint. they probably do 'blast it with diamonds' because their legal department wouldnt let them advertise that without proof, but as i said, if the diamonds are the size of a grain od sand, the test's only benefit is that it allows them to place it on their advertising propaganda. this is the only issue that puts me off the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Yes. But it may be a little missleading. Example: I tested my head for durability this morning. I dropped a brick on it from a height of seven feet, and it didn't break the skin, nor did it even hurt a bit! How hard am I! Note: Brick was from lego set no B8421, a little yellow one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek_ZR Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Sent a PM to you all.... Thanks for your support Neil Not had a PM but count me in. We should ask why they didn't test the paint with stones as we don't normally get diamonds flying around while we drive along the road Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 as we don't normally get diamonds flying around while we drive along the road don't you now? my roads are all littered with precious stones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek_ZR Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 as we don't normally get diamonds flying around while we drive along the road don't you now? my roads are all littered with precious stones! Must be very precious Anyone want to take a diamond into their local Nissan showroom and hit the cars with it to see what happens ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 that wold be fun how many carats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek_ZR Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 No need to get so technical - any diamond will do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 Just PM'd you guys that have shown support on this..thank you. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted June 2, 2006 Author Share Posted June 2, 2006 I have sent an email with Nissan's reply to those of you who have given me your personal email address. Your comments are most welcome. Many thanks. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D4V3 GT4 Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 Sent a PM to you all.... Thanks for your support Neil COUNT ME IN!!! I found CS very good, but the paint is @*!# and that women sounded terrible, really frustrating when that happens-!! DaveH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintshield Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Unfortunately none of this will do any good as the Car Manufacturers will cite that they are complying with Statutary regulations on Environmental protection. The fact is all manufacturers at every level have this problem now some are worse than others mainly due to the fact that some of them have been utilising clearcoats that have been outside of the regs (Will change this year). I have seen a 12 month old rolls with 56 Stonechips on the front!! The only solution to this issue is to fit PPF to the car, whilst the occassional Item MIGHT Get through on one in a thousand cars (Lorry wheel nut etc). The fact is that it will stop 99%-100% of the damage in most cases in regular use. Next year the mobile chip repair guys come under the regs and most of them will be forced out of business leading to a large increase in the cost of re-sprays (fixed capacity increased demand = increase in price). If you are going to get a respray I would do it this year. Cheers Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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