Nissan says 3-4 weeks to get a driver's side lower control arm. The ball joint
is fine, but the bushings are shot. WTF! I have a 2001 Sentra SE. Why should I
ever buy another Nissan car? It is not like my car is an antique, they should
be able to predict the need for these parts that wear out. It seems to be a
policy; "Just in time" inventory supply seems to be supplanted with "Just some
more time". Are other manufacturors this bad?
JimV - 09 Mar 2007 03:23 GMT
> Nissan says 3-4 weeks to get a driver's side lower control arm. The ball joint
> is fine, but the bushings are shot. WTF! I have a 2001 Sentra SE. Why should I
> ever buy another Nissan car? It is not like my car is an antique, they should
> be able to predict the need for these parts that wear out. It seems to be a
> policy; "Just in time" inventory supply seems to be supplanted with "Just some
> more time". Are other manufacturors this bad?
That's because it costs so much in taxes to keep inventory around. It is
6 years old too.
G - 09 Mar 2007 16:04 GMT
Parts delay for the 2007 Nissan models are no different. But overall parts
supply at most dealerships whether it be domestic or import are all about
the same. Had a Ford Focus and getting parts in a timely manner was a
problem.
But Toyota, Honda and Nissan appear to be the worst in lack of inventory on
the self.
Dersu Uzala wrote:
> Nissan says 3-4 weeks to get a driver's side lower control arm. The ball
> joint
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> some
> more time". Are other manufacturors this bad?
That's because it costs so much in taxes to keep inventory around. It is
6 years old too.
Chuck Tribolet - 10 Mar 2007 08:09 GMT
Nah, blame FedEx. All the dealers have this attiude: stock the periodic service parts.
If something broke, we can get it tomorrow. Except that, if the mech finds the problem after
noon, it's not tomorrow, it's the next day. And the the local Nissan dealers can't ask
each other of they have a part any more. They could in 1974, and were happy to send
me to their competition to get me the part TODAY.. Thirty years later, with
serious internet connectivity, they can't. DUMB.
And if the Nissan warehouse is out, you are SOL.
If I have to send a vehicle to the dealer, I make an appointment for first thing Monday,
and make sure I'm number one in line on Monday. That way they have maximum time
to sort out the parts situation. I don't mind being without the PF during the week --
I get to drive the 'vette. But the 'vette don't tow my boat, so I wouldn't get to dive
on the weekend if the PF isn't back.
>> Nissan says 3-4 weeks to get a driver's side lower control arm. The ball joint is fine, but the bushings are shot. WTF! I have a
>> 2001 Sentra SE. Why should I ever buy another Nissan car? It is not like my car is an antique, they should be able to predict the
>> need for these parts that wear out. It seems to be a policy; "Just in time" inventory supply seems to be supplanted with "Just
>> some more time". Are other manufacturors this bad?
>
> That's because it costs so much in taxes to keep inventory around. It is 6 years old too.
H. Brown - 09 Mar 2007 17:14 GMT
>Nissan says 3-4 weeks to get a driver's side lower control arm. The ball joint
>is fine, but the bushings are shot. WTF! I have a 2001 Sentra SE. Why should I
>ever buy another Nissan car? It is not like my car is an antique, they should
>be able to predict the need for these parts that wear out. It seems to be a
>policy; "Just in time" inventory supply seems to be supplanted with "Just some
>more time". Are other manufacturors this bad?
I have a 2000 Sentra SE that I purchased new at the time. The SR20DE 2.0 liter
engine has been extraordinarily reliable. But the paint, radio, and the
climate controls failed 3 years ago. Apparently there are no replacement parts
available, I need to scavenge from a junkyard.
I've been in the shop for these and similar stupid "quality of life" issues
that are surprisingly irritating, and NONE has been resolved. Ever.
So, I LOATHE Nissan service departments. It is what will keep me from buying
another Nissan.
Ulysses - 09 Mar 2007 17:40 GMT
> Nissan says 3-4 weeks to get a driver's side lower control arm. The ball joint
> is fine, but the bushings are shot. WTF! I have a 2001 Sentra SE. Why should I
> ever buy another Nissan car? It is not like my car is an antique, they should
> be able to predict the need for these parts that wear out. It seems to be a
> policy; "Just in time" inventory supply seems to be supplanted with "Just some
> more time". Are other manufacturors this bad?
I have a bunch of Fords (trucks) and one Nissan Frontier (04). I'm going to
sell the Nissan and get another Ford. Not that I like Fords all that much
but at least I can always get parts and I don't need to go buy a manual to
change a belt. So far the only part I ever had to wait for from Ford Parts
was a radius arm bracket for a '92 Explorer and I got it in a couple of days
for a reasonable price. Most parts are also available at auto parts stores
for my Explorers and F350 ('78). Some Ford parts are rediculously priced
such as $125 for front disc brake pads and $45 for spark plug wires but at
least they are good quality parts.
When I lived in Orange County, CA there was a parts store called Orange
Engine and they could get just about any part for any car in a couple of
hours. They said "if we can't get it you don't need it."
Speedy Pete - 13 Mar 2007 01:39 GMT
I'll venture a guess that they are having a LOT fail at this time so
they are out of inventory until the factory make a bunch more.
-SP
> Nissan says 3-4 weeks to get a driver's side lower control arm. The ball joint
> is fine, but the bushings are shot. WTF! I have a 2001 Sentra SE. Why should I
> ever buy another Nissan car? It is not like my car is an antique, they should
> be able to predict the need for these parts that wear out. It seems to be a
> policy; "Just in time" inventory supply seems to be supplanted with "Just some
> more time". Are other manufacturors this bad?
Dersu Uzala - 13 Mar 2007 02:35 GMT
>I'll venture a guess that they are having a LOT fail at this time so
>they are out of inventory until the factory make a bunch more.
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
>> more time". Are other manufacturors this bad?
Update on my situation. I went to my local dealer, and nicely bitched about
the delay. They said that there was like 186 parts in transit, with 219
requests for the part. But they also said there was a special category for
irate customers to get faster service. I actually picked up the part today, a
four day wait. Evidentially, Nissan dealers have no way to do a nation-wide
search of other dealer's stock, without manually calling every dealer
themselves. The main office in California found it. So I guess the squeaky
wheel gets the grease. I suppose those on the waiting list also paid sticker
price. I am a little bit less unhappy now, but Nissan should really have a
better system. As the last poster said, "[I] guess that they are having a LOT
fail at this time". Well, duh! Bushings have a known statistical life span; as
the number of replacement parts requested started to increase, they should
have ramped up production.