Forget talking to someone at the dealership. Bypass them and go straight to corporate. The dealership figures if you do get a Lemon Law buyback, it's corporate that will foot the bill, not them. Because of this, don't expect the dealership to help you much.

But, before you do call them, sit down and ask yourself what you think would be a fair remedy. Once you know what you want to make you happy, work from there. I mean, you paid for a new car and all you've had is problem after problem. Just have all your paperwork ready, and explain your situation in a calm manner. Be polite, it goes a long way. And be patient because you're going to be shuffled around and transfered. Infiniti/Nissan Corporate will have all your service records in their computers. They have people (usually paralegals) that are employed just to take your calls and they'll know exactly how many times you've been in, what the service techs wrote about your car and what your complaints have been.

When you do get to talk to someone that matters (a supervisor or manager), you may even consider stating that you've already contacted a Lemon Law lawyer in your area but would rather not go through them. Use the argument that "Look, I know what my rights are under the Tanner Consumer Protection Act, and I guess I can go ahead an retain an attorney, but I thought I'd save your company the hassle of having to pay his legal fees once I prevail."

BE PREPARED TO NEGOTIATE. Look at it like when you purchased your car. It's a give and take. Don't take what their representatives state at face value. Remember, they're banking on you not being knowledgeable.

If all else fails, then DO report them to the Better Business Bureau AND the California Dept of Consumer Affairs - Bureau of Automotive Repairs http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/stdhome.asp . Usually, when corporate gets a notice from one of these agencies, they usually do their best to jump through the hoops.

Again, let us know how it goes. I get all fired up when I hear about cr*p like this.... (part of the reason I went to law school... but that's another long story )

 

Hey, thanks Kevin. That website is pretty good, got lots of info in one place. Looks very helpful.

 

I agree with most of what has been posted, but I would use the Lemmon Law as a last and not first resort remedy. Also, don't threaten anyone during your negotiations. The Dealer knows that a dusgruntled customer will use the Lemmon Law to seek a solution, so there's no need to throw it in his face. Nobody likes being threatened, and threats are generally counterproductive during negotiations.

A lot will depend on your Dealership and their business philosophy. The Dealer I go to will go to extraordinary lengths to attain cusstomer satisfation. So I wouldn't just bypass your Dealer. Set up a meeting with the Dealer's Sales Manager, and review your repair history with him. Bring along all of your documentation and tell him that you no longer want the car, and ask him to offer a remedy. If the Dealer is willing to offer you KBB wholesale, excellent condition for your car, and sell you an '06 at their cost, you've got a good resolution to the problem.

If you aren't successful at the Dealer level, then escalate to corporate. Be sure to document all of your meetings, and be sure to note when the meetings took place, meeting attendees, and what was discussed. If you get no satisfactory resolution, then and only then, would I use the Lemmon Law.

Just make sure that you are prepared for these meetings, do your homework and be realistic in your expectations. Good luck.

 

Since the car hasn't left you on the side of the road for most of your problems the judge will not be very sympathetic and you will probably not get anywhere.

If you are really upset with the car and the dealer I would just cut your losses and trade it in for something else. Before you do that I would take the car to other dealers for service and see if they can fix your problems.

As far as scratches go, unless you take precautions upfront there's little you can do. Dealers get accused of scratching cars all the time. Sometimes it is their fault many times it isn't. My dealer did admit once scratch and fixed it, but they denied others. You have to walk around the car before you turn the car in and document anything you see. Then have the dealer sign off on it and make a copy. That way if they scratch something there's no argument.