Anyone else smell BS?

Kinja'd!!! "fhrblig" (fhrblig)
08/20/2015 at 10:19 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!1 Kinja'd!!! 15

Here’s the situation: I’m taking a Nissan NV2500 V8 in for a warranty repair and figured we would do the 30k service. The dealership service tech insists that differential fluid has to be changed at 30k. The service manual that came with the van says ‘inspect’. Almost every other cargo van on the market has an interval of 100k or more. The existing NV vans we already have have been done at 100k.

I am incredulous about this. I politely told the tech that I’m ok with the inspection, but if it’s dirty and needs changing we will probably not buy another Nissan van. Am I crazy, or is this a case of a dealership trying to soak us for a service that isn’t needed?


DISCUSSION (15)


Kinja'd!!! bob and john > fhrblig
08/20/2015 at 10:20

Kinja'd!!!0

dealer trying to soak you.


Kinja'd!!! Cherry_man1 > fhrblig
08/20/2015 at 10:21

Kinja'd!!!0

Sounds like they are trying to soak


Kinja'd!!! Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > fhrblig
08/20/2015 at 10:22

Kinja'd!!!1

Yeah 30k diff oil change would be nuts.


Kinja'd!!! jariten1781 > fhrblig
08/20/2015 at 10:24

Kinja'd!!!2

More likely is that the Service Advisor is an idiot and couldn’t find the job code for ‘inspect diff’ fluid in his computer and went with the closest thing he/she did find which was 'replace'.


Kinja'd!!! crowmolly > fhrblig
08/20/2015 at 10:25

Kinja'd!!!1

Have them put it in writing as an estimate, and then mention that you are going to complain to corporate about the short service life of the fluid.


Kinja'd!!! BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > fhrblig
08/20/2015 at 10:26

Kinja'd!!!0

What’s in the owners manual?

FWIW I change my diff fluids every 30k miles, but I’m sure my Subie is different than a dedicated work van w/out AWD.

Also how much does it cost, like $30?


Kinja'd!!! Berang > fhrblig
08/20/2015 at 10:33

Kinja'd!!!0

How much do they charge to change it?

I’m used to old cars so 30K doesn’t seem silly to me, but if they’re trying to charge out the wazoo for something simple I’d be wary too.


Kinja'd!!! Urambo Tauro > fhrblig
08/20/2015 at 11:05

Kinja'd!!!0

Before condemning the dealer, I would look into it some more. Spend some time on the forums and see if anyone’s had problems. Dealers sometimes get TSBs from the manufacturer that change the specifications of the vehicle. This is in the vehicle’s best interests.

My 1996 Thunderbird had some fluid specs changed since it left the factory. Instead of power steering fluid, it now takes Mercon V. The transmission fluid was also updated from regular ATF to Mercon V. As far as this transmission goes, the Mercon V is known to reduce shudder.

Can’t say I fully understand what “inspect” means in your case. The best way to inspect the rear end is to pull the cover, which means draining the fluid. But if it’s just the fluid that’s getting inspected, there’s not much to see except level and color.


Kinja'd!!! fhrblig > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
08/20/2015 at 14:49

Kinja'd!!!0

It’s a dealership. NOTHING is $30.

Cost isn’t the big thing; the loss of use of a vehicle because it has to go in 3x as often as the other vans is the bigger problem. Not to mention that dealerships aren’t usually fast at getting you in and out.


Kinja'd!!! fhrblig > Urambo Tauro
08/21/2015 at 00:47

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It’s just another frustration I have about these vans. The TPMS can only ever be successfully reset by the dealer, two wiring harnesses had to be replaced at 100k, they’re going through catalytic converters left and right, one has had multiple door parts fail... at this point, I think I’m done with them.


Kinja'd!!! fhrblig > crowmolly
08/21/2015 at 00:49

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Yeah, the next time Nissan sends me a survey about these vans I’m letting them have it with both barrels. Not the dealership service survey, I’m not going to punish the service techs for doing what they are told; there’s another one about how the vans are holding up.


Kinja'd!!! fhrblig > Berang
08/21/2015 at 00:49

Kinja'd!!!0

It’s just that every other RWD cargo van we’ve used has been 100k or more, and I’m already not a fan of these things.


Kinja'd!!! fhrblig > bob and john
08/21/2015 at 00:51

Kinja'd!!!1

After talking to a couple of other dealerships, it’s more like Nissan doesn’t know how to build a hardy differential for these vans. One of them told me there was a TSB about frequent changes because they were having to replace diffs right and left.


Kinja'd!!! Urambo Tauro > fhrblig
08/21/2015 at 09:31

Kinja'd!!!0

After talking to a couple of other dealerships, it’s more like Nissan doesn’t know how to build a hardy differential for these vans. One of them told me there was a TSB about frequent changes because they were having to replace diffs right and left.

Now that is interesting.

It’s also a deal-breaker for me. If I was in the market for a work van, the last thing I’d need is something that has known issues with a critical component. (actually, that goes for any car) Problems with the TPMS are annoying, but this is serious.

I’m a big believer in following proper service intervals in the interest of longevity, but this doesn’t sound like a solution; it sounds like a band-aid. Something’s wrong with the design, the manufacturing, or maybe the assembly.


Kinja'd!!! fhrblig > Urambo Tauro
08/21/2015 at 09:33

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Exactly. And like I told the service tech, there are too many other vans on the market that don’t have this problem.