I didn't pay an advertising fee, but pre-printed on my bill was a charge for $150: Messenger Fee - $55, Clerical Fee - $95. What a ripoff!! I'm going to make sure I put this in my survey that they're sending me.
Oren, thank you for trying to identify the problem with headlights on/off. Does this mean that the dealer really didnt fix your vibration problem since your car still vibrates with your headlights/foglights on? I also notice that the vibrations are worse when the climate control system is on "Eco" mode, NOT "Auto" since "Auto" engages the compressor and kicks the RPMs back up. As I said before, when the compressor (A/C) is on, the car drives like an Infiniti should. If you are just sitting in your driveway with the engine at normal operating temps, and have the headlights and foglights on, and your foot on the brake, and if you turn the steering wheel SLOWLY, it vibrates really bad that way too (its pretty bad since something rattles inside my car). These are just some tips to point the problem out to your dealer, since the dealers like to give all of us the same answer, "I dont see a problem with your car." I hate that answer! Worse part of it is that its just an answer, and no solution is provided or attempted! Anyhow, Oren, you were talking about adjusting the idle...the only way for them to do it is to adjust the idle screw inside the engine compartment (somebody posted a website which showed you how to do it yourself). My dealer already did that to my car, and it did NOT solve the problem. Since it is very convincing that you and I have the same problem, I dont think that simple "fix" will work on your car either, and as we have previously determined, it MUST be the fuel injectors. My dealer said that the low range for "base idle" is something like 500 RPM, and the HIGHEST range Nissan/Infiniti corporation specifications recommend is 700 RMPs. They have already set mine to the highest, 700 RPMs, and I still have the problem as bad as it was before. Anyway, still waiting for the dealer to get back to me about my problem, its going to be 6 days tomorrow, and no response yet. I will have to call them (its so stupid how my Infiniti dealer has made ME do the research to figure out what is wrong with my car, and also expects ME to call them to see what THEY wish to do!). I am sorry to say, but I dont think I will be purchasing another Infiniti/Nissan product again, nor would I recommend it to anyone, as I really believe Toyota/Lexus really has a better car with less problems on the average (own a 2000 Camry which is flawless to date). I say this becuase I am suddenly experiencing new problems with my car, like something that rattles really loud when i hit even the smallest of bumps, and my driver side window makes a loud scraping noise when i raise/lower it (as if something was scratching the glass between the door)!! I dont even know if I should bother having my dealer look at those problems, since they seem to be LARGELY incompetent.
Roy, The vibration on my car, since the last visit to the dealer, is not as bad as it use to be even with the lights on. I think most of the dealers are clue less on more complex problems with the car. I had this car for about 2.5 years and over all not happy with it. Just to mansion few problems nothing major but very annoying for the car like Infiniti: 1. Every time I pull in to my driveway I hear a knock in the passenger side wheel. Took it back to the dealer. Dealers answer "Nothing wrong". Problem still there. 2. On a humid day I hear cracking noise from my roof line. Dealer sad that they have to take interior down inside the car to see where it comes from. I am afraid to let them do it. Because it may be worse after it's taken apart. 3. I had vibration in my car when I was braking from the high speed. Rotor where cut to solve the problem. I ask the dealer to replace the rotor, he refused. 4. And the vibration problem we been discussing.
This car was great first year and down hill ever since. I do not think I will consider another Nissan product in the future. I also own 1992 Nissan Maxima with 80,000 miles on it and it's great car. Never had any problems. I think the quality of Nissans has gone down since they been facing financial problem. Soon it will be called "La Nissan".
I definately agree with you about Nissan/Infiniti poor service and the not-as-reliable-as-you-thought vehicles they put out. I too think that their financial trouble has caused them to slash costs coming from warranty claims. Its a bad formula since bad cars + bad service = really bad name. I'm not saying that Nissan cars are bad, yet in general terms, the quality seems to have declined. Service is not as great as it should be. My dealer has a separate desk for Infiniti and Nissan, yet there is only one area where all the cars are lifted and worked on. Seems like they try to make it SEEM like you are more important if you are an infiniti customer, but I dont see the difference. The Nissan service manager at my dealer seems MUCH more polite and much more of a concerned person...too bad I cant deal with him. Oren, I just wanted to acknowledge another problem you mentioned, about when you pull into a driveway. I have a problem when i pull OUT of my driveway, after the car has sat for a few hours. To pull out of my driveway, I have to turn the wheel almost all the way to the right, and then all the way to the left, and when i roll out of the driveway and over the bump, i hear this loud squeeking noise from my right front tire. However, again, I dont know if I should even BOTHER bringing this up to the dealer, since it doesnt really annoy me THAT much...YET! By the way, I love the "La Nissan" joke!
The way tax works on a trade in is as follows. If you have purchased the car, or financed the car and go to trade it in, you will get a tax credit, and only pay the difference. If you have leased a car, you have not paid the sales tax on the amount not paid for. Sales tax is complicated. Pretty much what you can expect is that any trade in from a lease, you will not get much of a tax credit, it you have paid cash for the car or done normal finance you will receive tax credit.
these seem like normal noises to me. the squeak you hear when you pull out of your driveway is probably your shock/strut doing its job. the squeaky window on its way down is probably just the rubber window trim, it gets dried out after a while and squeaks when the glass is on its way down at certain points. my dads 97 aurora did the same...
I stumbled across your saga. Congratulations on sticking with your case. Many businesses count on wearing you down over time. Some suggestions: 1)Create a file folder and file chronologically. 2)Keep copies of everything. 3)Any mail you send to the dealership, or any other important party, send certified with a return receipt so you have proof they received it and when it got there. 4)Buy a cheap "RECEIVED" stamp at an office supply store and/or date your receipt of materials from any important party. 5)Notify your State Attorney General's Consumer Protection Office. (You're in TX, right? I once had to fight with a credit card company that had headquarter offices in TX, IA and DE. TX was the only state that did anything. I won! The office will send you a form to complete and send back with pertinent copies.) 6)If this dealership has branches out of state, it is likely subject to federal regulation, too. (But the feds did nothing for my credit card case!) 7)Since you have hired an attorney, why not let her handle calls from the dealership and save yourself the mental anguish of rehassling the case? Have the attorney send a letter telling them to contact her from now on. (The downside to that can be larger legal bills.) 8) I don't recall if you wrote the manufacturer. If not, do so. If nothing else, they file complaints. Numbers sometimes matter. 9) Don't give up till it just "ain't worth the time and/or money any longer."
Let me tell you...these things happen to guys, too. I once had a salesman "discover" errors in trade value and taxes after I'd agreed verbally to a deal. I'd given him my credit card to charge a $100 "hold" fee, and when I stood up to leave after these "discoveries," he refused to return my credit card! After three times of "Give me the card!" from me and "Let's discuss this!" from him, I told him to give me the @.!+x card or I'd call the police. He still refused. I stormed out of his office and into the manager's office and repeated the demand to return the card or I'd call the cops. He ordered the salesman to return the card. As I was driving off the lot, the salesman was running alongside my card asking me to come back in and "discuss this."
Like you, I spent hours firing off letters to the owner (no response), Ford (no response), and the BBB. The BBB wrote back saying the owner was a fine, upstanding citizen with a sterling reputation. I wrote back telling the BBB to file my complaint and not to bother me again.
Next day, I came home to find the salesman's business card stuck in my front door saying they'd give me the deal I'd agreed to. I ignored it. Next morning, the salesman called my home. I told him not to call again, and if he did, I'd turn him in for stalking me.
End of story. Bad guys are bad guys whether dealing with women or men. Unfortunately, about all we've got to work with are persistence, good records, and knowing we did nothing wrong. AND never going near the offending dealership again.
I dont understand your post regarding "normal noises." I dont expect any noises from a car I had spent over 30,000 dollars on. In fact, the 2000 Camry I only spent a little over 19,000 on makes NO noises at all. Also, I dont experience a [simple-fixed] "squeek" when my window goes up and down, its a loud scraping noise (sounds like scraping the edges of two pieces of thick glass). I dont see this as normal, and again, I EXPECT NOT to experience these stupid annoyances in a vehicle which is supposed to deliver extremely high levels of quality and customer satisfaction. Some of us are more picky than usual, and we have a right to be picky when spending this much of money. I wouldnt be picky if I bought a Ford Escort since you would expect more annoyances with a cheap Ford. However, I expect a quiet, worry-free luxury sedan, not one that scrapes my window on the way up/down, vibrates, and rattles. Sad thing is that I still have to experience this BS from the car, and mostly from the horrible service people. redskin, do you live in the Buffalo area? Your profile doesnt indicate you own an Infiniti, rather a Pontiac owner shopping for a Chevy. Are you familiar with the Autoplace Infiniti service people? Thanks...
redskin...if you ARE familiar with Autoplace Infiniti people (and have dealt with them firsthand), I would like to say they dont care about their customers at all. My Acura dealership service manager (Ray Laks of Amherst) calls me at home to ask me if I had ANY problems with their service, and if there was ANY reason why not to rate them high on the survey I will soon receive. When visiting my Infiniti dealer, it seems like I have to initiate feedback, even if it was good (which is no problem since it never was good). Actually, they probably know that, and thats why they never even bother calling...sheesh, some "Industry Leading" customer service. On top of that, they dont bother sending me a survey to rate their service...if they did, I am sure they could make drastic improvements and make their customers happy.
I too, replaced my air filter with a K&N Filter. I have NOT noticed better mileage. I have noticed that the engine sounds better, as if it is breathing better. Before it seemed to kind of whine, when you step on the gas, now it really goes. So maybe the performance is a little better, but I have never timed the car before or after the filter replacement.
actually, yes i do live in the buffalo area, but no, we are not familiar with the Autoplace service department. my dads I30 is a 2000 witha little under 14,000 miles and he has had no problems so far, but i will keep your posts in mind when we do get it serviced, but it is a leased car, so it may never need it. as for your 2000 camry, camrys are a great car, but remember that it is brand new, and probably doesnt have many miles on it where as your infiniti i believe you said was a 97 with over 35,000 miles. of course the 97 is gonna have more problems than the 2000 but it is also a more complex car, therefore harder to find the problems. and of course, the noise will never recreate itself when the mechanic looks at it. as for me being a pontiac owner shopping for a chevy, i have bought a chevy, a '87 Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe.... a real american car.
Have had use of a 1997 I30t and it's been terrific to drive. Looking to buy / lease a new I30t - what are the merits of with / without the rear spoiler? any comments appreciated andy65 , westchester NY
I own a 2001 I30 and love the car. It does everything I expect, plus great fuel economy. I have two things that I think might be wrong. One- the floor mats say touring. They look wonderful but should I have those on the Luxury model?, Second-When I use the steering wheel radio control, the bottom arrow pointing down moves the radio to the next station up the scale and when i hit the button pointing up the radio scans to the next station down. The volume controls work correct. Has anyone else experienced the same thing? Thanks in advance for the reply.
Yes, the Camry is new...BUT, instead of going straight with a new camry, we were actually going to purchase a used '98 Camry. They were both equipped with the 4 cylinder engines...and the used one had 42,000 miles on it. It ran JUST like our new one...it was JUST as smooth (when we were test driving it, we forgot that it was on it was so quiet!). When you close the doors, your ears pop since its so tight. I at least expect my Infiniti to idle quietly...instead, last night, i was maneuvering in the supermarket parking lot, and it sounded really bad (pretty loud and it had this rumbling noise because it was idling rough). They really need to fix that problem. Also, my car does NOT have over 35,000 miles on it...you must be confusing me with somebody else. My car is shy of 21,000 miles...and I would still consider this baby a pretty new car. I take meticulous care of this car...yet it still misbehaves. There should be no reason for the fuel injectors to pre-maturely die out on so many Nissan cars...its definately something "fishy." Anyhow, if you bring your dad's I30 in for regular service...just let the service manager know. If you have deeper concerns (like mine), just take it straight to somebody higher than him. By the way, I ended up calling them back about my situation (since they never bothered to call me to report what their course of action would be). They told me "Somebody from the factory will be here next Thursday" so thats when I bring my car in. My cd cases started to rattle inside my cabin the vibration has gotten so bad.
First-time poster here. Thanks to everyone above for all of your good information. I've been looking at new cars in the $30K range, and based on my research, the I30 is looking pretty darn good. My take thus far: Acura TL: No doubt perhaps the most reliable, and that's a very important factor fo me. (I currently own an Accord that I've been very pleased with). Good value. Extremely vanilla from a design standpoint, though, and not as much headroom as the Infiniti (I'm 6'4"). Chrysler 300M: I really love the look of this car. It's also nice and roomy for a tall guy. I just simply don't think I can bring myself to pay $30K fo a Chrysler. Lexus ES300: Over-priced (especially once you add a few options that are standard on some of the others) and over-rated in my opinion. Also less headroom than the Infiniti. Johnson Lexus in Raleigh has a good service reputation, however. Toyota Avalon: Good value, and probably roomier than all the others (except perhaps the 300M, I'm not sure). I don't particularly care for the looks of the newer models, though. Volvo S70: I actually like the Volvo's boxy looks; to me it's sort of a classic design. I'm concerned that Volvo's reliability has fallen off the past couple of years -- e.g., Consumer Reports no longer recommends them. And reportedly when repairs are necessary, they have historically been relatively expensive. That leaves the I30: Good looking (I really like the looks of this car). Plenty of head and leg room for me (even with the sunroof, which I still may delete). My take on the reliability is that it's better than most, but on balance probably not quite at the level of Acura.
Anyone else want to add to or challenge any of this? I'd welcome your input.
Also, anyone out there have any experience with Leith Infiniti in Raleigh, NC? They're the only Infiniti dealer for the area, and I'd like some input on their service department, in particular.
My brother and I just bought 2000 I30s this year and came to the same conclusions as you did when comparing all the makes. He happens to live in Raleigh and bought his I30 from Leith.
He says their service dept is good and very responsive to his requests (they even replaced a inside piece of trim than he scratched with the seat belt)
When he bought the car they at first would not lower the price from MRSP so he went to another Infiniti dealer in Greesboro and Leith matched the price. He did get the 2000 last Nov, so that may have been why they gave him a hard time with the price.
I am not sure however if the Honda/Accura are more reliable than the Nissan/Infiniti. From 1995 to 2000 we had an Accord and Maxima. Both very reliable, but the Accord with less miles than the Maxima seemed to "age" faster. Just didn't handle and feel like new after 3-4 years while the Maxima seemed like now after 5 years.
You will be happy with the I30. We have not had any problems, the ride is great, engine quick and it seems to get faster, more responsive, with each 1000 miles!
My brother and I just bought 2000 I30s this year and came to the same conclusions as you did when comparing all the makes. He happens to live in Raleigh and bought his I30 from Leith.
He says their service dept is good and very responsive to his requests (they even replaced a inside piece of trim than he scratched with the seat belt)
When he bought the car they at first would not lower the price from MRSP so he went to another Infiniti dealer in Greesboro and Leith matched the price. He did get the 2000 last Nov, so that may have been why they gave him a hard time with the price.
I am not sure however if the Honda/Accura are more reliable than the Nissan/Infiniti. From 1995 to 2000 we had an Accord and Maxima. Both very reliable, but the Accord with less miles than the Maxima seemed to "age" faster. Just didn't handle and feel like new after 3-4 years while the Maxima seemed like now after 5 years.
You will be happy with the I30. We have not had any problems, the ride is great, engine quick and it seems to get faster, more responsive, with each 1000 miles!
I would have to say that the Acura/Hondas ARE actually more reliable than Nissans. One reason, not necessarily DIRECTLY related to reliability, but a possibility, is that Honda has replaced Nissan as Japan's #2 carmaker. I think that with Nissan's current financial situation, their service has taken a downfall, and so may have their product quality. Honda makes most of their money in the US, and i am sure that is also true with Nissan...but comparing the sales of the Accord/TL to the Maxima/I30, the Accord/TL has taken over by far. Of course, the Camry/ES300 seems to be doing the best of the three, and I wouldnt push back the ES300 primarily on the basis of cost. I still believe the Lexus (in general) is the most reliable car in the long-term. However, recent JD Powers reports show that the Acura TL was VERY VERY close to the top (#3??) with regards to problems per 100 ratings within the first 6 months of ownership (by the way, the Acura RL was #1, while the Lexus LS400 was #2, followed by the TL at #3). So I would say go for the ES300 (which I believe was #4), and if you dont like the idea of spending that extra cash, try the TL. We've owned an I30, 3.2TL, 3.2CL and a Camry, and we like all of them, but we like the I30 least because of its problems and bad service reputation (at our dealership...yours may be different). The TL had minor problems (sunroof rattled) and were fixed promptly. Thats just my opinion, so take your pick...
i got a 2000 i30 luxury with 3000 mi it, today i went to the edmund live test drive...i was very disappionted in the performance of i30 touring.. the TL, IS300, and bmw323 handle so much better than i30t, i30 got alot body roll and no as stable as others...it only beat 300m and the lincoln LS in handling..how can i make my i30to ride stiffer and less body roll like the bimmer? i always thought i30t is the bada$$ car...maybe i was wrong...but it does look the best comparing to those other cars
the IS300 and the BMW 323 are in a different class than the I30. they are smaller and sportier than an I30 so therefore they handle better.
Everyone about the ES300>>>>> this car has been the same since 1992. its styling aint anything to write home about, it has no headroom, especially in the rearseat(my dad is 5"11 and bald and his head was touching the ceiling) and the styling isnt due to change until 2003. if they freshened the design of the car i think it would be more appealling. Lexus also hits you with options that arent really options. My dad was looking at the RX300, and you have to get the "leather Seat option". When was the last time you saw a Lexus with something other than leather seats? ive only seen one, a 91 ES250. yet you still have to pay extra over the base price... i dont understand the point behind it....
Steve -- Glad to hear you've been so pleased with your I30, and thanks especially or the info on Leith. Admittedly, though, I think mhammy's points are valid. I think the prevailing conventional wisdom (backed up by JD Power and other such reports) is that Honda/Acura cars are a notch above Nissan/Infiniti in reliability. I certainly know people who have had bad luck with their Accords. Not every car can be "made on a Wednesday" as they say. My Accord is a '92 and it has performed flawlessly. I've changed the oil every 3000-3500 miles religiously and taken it to the dealer every 15k for routine maintenance. As you can see, I have a sort of "buy and hold" philosophy toward cars, and I'd like to get the same kind of longevity out of my next one. I had promised myself I'd get the Accord to 100k miles before trading it in. It's at 98k now, and I'm starting to get the itch.
I really don't want the Lexus; just not enough headroom for me, and again I feel it's over-priced and over-rated. It looks like I'm deciding between a historically more-reliable but boring-looking car with a little less room (Acura) vs. a better-looking, roomier, but perhaps on the whole not quite as reliable car (the I30). Thanks again for your input.
at 70 mph in an 2000 luxury I30, it is beautifully quiet. yet so is a toyota camry/lexus. its all a matter of preference. one thumbs up for the I30 that i have is I was driving down the NYS Thruway and pushed the car up to 100 mph. i asked my girlfriend at that point "how fast do you think were going?" she said "65-70?." boy was she not even close... this car rides beautifully and quietly... in comparison, i had my dads aurora up to 100 and it felt kinda sluggish at that speed.
Hi All, I have about 12k miles on my 00 L. So far the car has been great. I remember reading on these boards about a sulphur smell. Supposedly the gas in California was suppose to be immune to this due to some additive. Unfortunately, I occasionally get the sulphur smell. I was wondering if Infiniti has ever acknowledged this problem and if they have ever done anything about it. Also, I have heard that certain brands of gas may minimize the smell. Could any CA owners share which brands they have used without encountering the smell. Thanks.
Torpman. I live in central California (Monterey/Salinas) area. I've used Chevron Supreme exclusively with no sulfur smell. I have an '00L with 8,000 trouble free miles. Actually, the sunroof motor is acting up and the dealer will replace this Friday. Love the car.
Maybe I am missing something. You mentioned that there was an error in the tax computation, $1000 worth. The dealership was going to split this. Sounds okay to me. We all have to pay tax - it's a government thing. Also there was some problem about having the tint and stripe added to your cost. I had to pay for this too when I got my I30 but I wanted those added on. All things considered it seems the complaint is based on a human error for which you are going to get a $500 credit. Aren't you ending up better than if the calculations were correct in the first place? Let me know what happens.
Have a friend who owned a 99 I30 Limited...complained constantly that the car smelled like Sulphur when they pulled into the garage. I could smell it in my car if i was following them with all my windows closed and HVAC system off. Anyway, they kept returning to the dealer to solve the problem. Ultimately, the dealer had done all it could (replace entire exhaust system, etc.) They got a 3rd party place to do an exhaust fume analysis, and went back to the dealer. They ended up getting a brand new 2000 I30 with similar options, and payed 4,000 for it too (they had about 10K miles on the car). I am sure that if they did this through their lemon law rights, they would not have had to pay the 4000 dollars since lemon law in NY covers you until 18K miles. I heard that its the result of the gas stations switching to the different fuel mixture which happens during certain months...not sure about California though.
I'm amazed! Not only did you save an extra $500 on the deal, you feel it necessary to drag a dealership's name through the mud because you are too ignorant to understand the Texas automobile leasing laws.
It's people like you who seize any opportunity to save a buck that really make customer service a difficult job to do. There simply is no winning with you!! That dealership should have stopped the sale and thrown you out. Most business that sell high dollar items are also in the business of keeping their clients happy. (Duh!!) Had there been no sale, this discussion would not even be happening! I think the biggest mistake is that they sold the car to you.
As far as your check, do you really think that they went out to have a steak dinner with your $500?? Most likely they dragged themselves home after a long day of dealing with customers like you who insist that they pay less for the vehicle than the dealership employees can themselves. Who do you think you are???!!!???
My suggestion would be to go ahead and check the laws, but the last time I checked there was not a law against making a mistake. (If so, then you'd be guilty too!) Good Luck!
I picked up a 2001 i30t last night.. It is absoultely marvelous. I've noticed a few peculiar things however:
1. The fuel level goes to E when the engine is off. Is this common? This does not happen on my Camry.
2. The HID lights, although bright, only illuminates area close to the vehicle, almost as having flood lights shooting down to the group, but does not light further down the road. Almost as if it's alignment is off. Has anyone experienced this?
3. There was some mention of some kind of air filter that required to be changed.
Other than the above, the car is top notch. I plan on keeping this car for a long time. It's quiet, smooth, silky and roomy. More room than my uncle's ES300.
i kinda like the smell of sulfur.... anyways, the couple mentioned above could not have gotten anything under the lemon law i believe, because it is not a mechanical problem with the car. in any case, though, id be happy to be paying only $4000 for a 2000 I30! with that much around here you cant buy anything new, but you could buy an old, higher mileage used car....
Maneesh: The car is new! dont worry about changing the air filter during your first week of owning the car! Unless you are referring to the K&N...which I have heard doesnt do anything anyway. I heard its basically one of those stupid TV "gimmicks" just like those fake breast enlargement creams (of which I had just seen the commercial for...talk about pathetic, useless product!) Also, the HIDs shouldnt be lighting up miles of road ahead of you, because if they did do that, they would be blinding all the oncomming drivers, and only you would be able to see! The HID lights in my TL dont light up road too far ahead, however, they make the road brighter, and they also cover a wider portion compared to regular headlights. Fuel gages on all the cars i've owned go to E when off.
redskin: the lemon law may have worked for them if they formulated the argument in their favor. The fact that they are bringing their vehicle in for service, for behavior they perceived as abnormal constitutes a "service visit." After all, the service department responded to their claims, by performing service. Also, the complaints were recorded on the service invoice each time, which means the dealer must in some way "solve" or attempt to "solve" the problem. After having the same complaint about joint customer-dealer perceived abnormal behavior four times, it means something is up and that their vehicle is in the shop more times than usual for a newer vehicle...which should entitle them their rights. Also, I think you may have misunderstood me! They DID pay the 28,000 dollars for the '99 I30 limited...but you're right about the fact that they gave up only 4000 dollars more for an updated, fresh 2000 vehicle (basically, they ended up paying 32,000, not including all the extra fees, for an I30L with no HIDs, no spoiler/sills package, nothing else).
I'm still trying to buy a 2001 I30 Luxury but was told today that the Xenon Light option, which was new for 2001, has been suspended and is not available. Previously, I was told that the Traction Control option was only available if you also bought the Navigation option and the Heated Seats option (I knew about the Heated Seats option as it's on all the web sites). I'm having trouble believing what I've been hearing as it's contrary to all the web sites, including Infiniti's as well as the 2001 Infiniti product brochure. Can anyone clarify the situation for me.
geez! do you live in the spaulding lake area of clarence? from what youve said, i assume you have at least three cars? a 97 I30, a 2000 Camry and a 99 or 2000 3.2TL? i assume its a 99 or 2000 TL because that is when HIDS became standardon that car....
Mhammy, yes it's true that the light they produce is wider and the road is bright as well. However, because of the brigher road, everything in the distant seems darker. I understand that if they projected outward, on-coming cars won't be able to see. Also, the light housing is tinted, probaby done to minizime blinding on-coming cars.
Just driving around the neighborhood, my Camry lights are not that bright, but I could see the mailbox on a house that's further away. However with the HIDs, the immediate road is bright, but the mailbox is poorly lit.
When I go to the dealer to pickup my plates, I'll ask him to look at it... It seeems that no one else has this issue.
I think your dealer is taking you for a ride.. Check at carorder.com regarding the option selection. You don't have to get Nav to get anything else. I think the dealer is trying to get rid of a car that he has on his lot.
From the previous post that you posted you are taking your car to the dealer today to be inspected by factory technician. Please keep me posted on the results, because I have an appointment for 10/9/00 to take my car back for the fourth time in attempt to fix vibration problem. Good Luck. Thanks.
Hi! Everybody. I am a newcomer in the Town Hall. I think this a great place to get information on cars. I am interested to buy a 1997 I30 with 38800 miles. The dealer make me an offer for $16k. He also agreed to install new tires on the car. My question is what are the best tires for I30? I will appreciate your feedback Thanks
I know what you are talking about. My HID lights were set slightly low. I had mine adjusted up, and I "went to school" on how the dealer did it; and I have made slight adjustments since. You have to be careful and not get them too high, other drivers will flash you as they are being blinded. The HID lights are on only on the low beam and switch to halogen on high. I think Infiniti sets them just a tad low to be on the safe side. I have 28,000 on my 00I30t with no problems, great car, all prospective buyers take note.
I own 1992 Nissan Maxima and 1998 I30 both cars have Toyo tires. I think it's one of the best tires on the market. I put 80000 miles city/hyway on my nissan before replacing it. When I was looking for new Toyo tires for my nissan I was told by numerous tire dealers that Toyo tires are the most lasting tires on the market. This tires perform well on wet/dry/icy/snowy roads. I hope this helps.
I purchased a 1999 I30 limited on July 1999 for $26800. It included 2 tone paint, wood/leather steering wheel, alloy wheels and a rear spoiler. Can anyone tell me if this was a good deal? The new 2000 i30's are seen advertised for the same price but without sunroof.
Thanks Adrian for your input... I told my Sales guy about it - he said bring it in. 28k in less than 12 months??? You must drive a lot. What oil do you use? Have you tried Mobil 1 synthetic? How has your maintenance been?
I have Bridgestone tires - I was wondering what kind you have?
Just to let everyone know that when you buy the glorified maxima and you think that your paying for the "infiniti total ownership" that it is a crock. I have sent certified letters and have called numerous times and just finally recieved a response. My problem is a spark knock that they do not know how to fix. After raising heck with infiniti they have now informed me that they will not buy back or repurchase the car for the problem because they havent heard it in the 5 times I have taken it to the dealership. They basically told me I would lose at arbitration becasue it has not been verified except the 1 time when they replaced the spark plugs and coils. So basically I lose no matter how you look at it. Any ideas or suggestions on how to fix the problem or what to do from here? Obviously I wont get any help from infiniti.
Sorry to hear about your dilemma! I would recommend doing a little research into finding a reputable local mechanic, hopefully one who specializes in Nissans. If you say that the spark problem only started after 10K miles, then something has happened, and it SHOULD be relatively easy to diagnose. If there is a problem with the timing being too far advanced, then you can very easily get spark knocking. Unfortunately, the i30 is a non-adjustable timing. There are probably three sensors on your 2000 (3 on my '96 model: crankshaft position, camshaft pos , and camshaft reference). They should have at least checked these to see if they were functioning correctly. Not a hard job. Did it myself in an hour. The service manual states that if you still have timing problems at this point, then there may indeed be a problem in the ECU, although rare (electronic control unit - basically the brain for the whole car). I would hope that the dealer would have at least swapped out the ECU and let you drive it for a while to see if that was the problem and to see if yours was one of the "rare" cases. Also, if the spark knock sensor has stopped working, then it is no longer feeding this information to the ECU, and the engine will not correctly retard the timing to eliminate the knocking, especially on a hot day. Normally, however, this sensor would not be needed, since with high octane gas, you really shouldn't experience any knocking. There are any number of other problems with the fuel/igition/timing systems that should be by the book when troubleshooting this problem. It's just very unfortunate that you appear to have had a problem early on that the dealer can't figure out. Time to take it to someone else. In the meantime, try using some Octane boost and see if that helps. By the way, try not to accelerate hard when you hear the knocking, because it can be detrimental to the piston heads. (That's why there's a spark knock sensor).
Thank you very much Oren1 for your input regarding the Toyo tires. I live in south Florida . I am not as much concern by the snow an ice than by the durability of the tires. I am going to follow your recommendation and try to convince the dealer to install them on the car. Thanks again.
My I30t was a yr old Aug 31, no problems except having the low beam HIDs raised up to improve the distance they illuminate. The car has the Bridgestones RE92's and I am suprised how good they look with 28K on them. I get them balanced every 5K and that makes a big diff. When the car was new, the early skeptics said the V-rated tires would be wore out at 20K, I am glad they were wrong, 40K will not be out of reach for them. They might have been right if I had Firestones on it!! On the oil I use Pennzoil 5W-30 and I change it every 3K. I would rather change the oil more often with the Pennzoil than use the Mobile 1 and leave it in there a long time, everyone to their own .... A suggestion if you are a maintenance guy..change the transmission fluid regular, I change mine every 12K, it is surprising how dark it gets. There is no filter on the trans... just drain and add 4 qts Pennzoil Micron 3. and a bottle of Duralube Trans. Protectorant(about 10oz) Do it yourself for $16 or take it to the dealer for $60. (probably more!) I have actually changed mine 3 times, it is easier than changing oil..(the Duralube is $10)My trans shifts like silk, super smooth. As you can tell I am a pretty picky guy and I have no squeaks, rattles, pinging, or none of the other stuff you see on this site.... nothing but a GREAT CAR... period!
Oren: yes, took the car in today to the dealer. The "Factory Rep" came in, company gave him a FULLY loaded 2000 Q45t to drive around. So thats where they spend their money, on their employees, and not on their customer's warranty claims. He connected his little Nissan engine diagnostic computer to my car, and we drove around. Basically, he ran all his little "tests" and was constantly talking [non-permissible content removed] (hate to use that word, but its so true) about his little "tests." He tried to turn me away by using all his little technical lingo, in fact, he used so much I was completely sick of him. All he did was get me out of there, with some BS, he TOLD me up-front that I am TOO picky. I told him, "Who isnt allowed to be picky when spending 33,000?" His "point" was that the car is normal (since his stupid computer didnt tell him anything and i wouldnt expect it to anyway since i dont have any malfuntion indicator lights showing on my dash, or MILs, whatever they call it). He told me that in order for Infiniti to meet US emissions standards, they had to do certain things that made their cars idle rough, and that each year (from 96-99) the standards became stiffer and stiffer. He therefore concluded that the I30s became rougher and rougher. He said the 99's were really bad compared to my car (my car is bad enough), since the regulations were so tough. Then, I told him my I30 behaves like my old 1989 Camry i used to drive, and he said, "No way, this I30 is so much smoother." So that doesnt make sense to me how the 99's are SO rough, and my car doesnt come close to a Camry. I should have asked him if the 99's are as rough as a Camry, and if they REALLY were (he thinks i "went" for his little [non-permissible content removed] story) Consumer Reports would have bashed the car in its reports so bad that nobody would have bought one. After all, who pays 33,000 dollars to buy a luxury car that idles and buzzes like a Camry from the 1980's. As I said before, my 2000 Camry doesnt even vibrate AT ALL and thats only a 4-cyl. So Oren, all I can say, and as a friend who has had past experience with the same dealer as me, is to find a GOOD local repair shop to run a test for you. Tell that local shop to pull each spark plug (or fuel injector??) and test to make sure that the RPMs reduce the SAME amount for each one when pulled. If, when one is pulled, the RPMs reduce either MORE or LESS than the others, then THERE is your problem! My friend who has dealt with a problem with the same dealer has told me the "company reps" are the WORST people to deal with, all they do is drive around in fancy company cars and tell customers that nothing is wrong with their car, instead, making the customer believe that there is something wrong with YOU and NOT the car. Thats what the idiot I dealt with today did to me. He said I am WAY too picky. What type of customer service is that? He FLATLY told me he couldnt fix the problem without even cracking open the hood. He didnt even drive the car...never even offered to do so. So again, having these "Company Reps" come to look at your car is basically a complete waste of time. But, Oren, I DO recommend that you do show up for your appointment on the 7th and see what they tell you. I am VERY VERY curious to see how they treat you with the same problem I have (I am VERY sure they know about this problem, but they try to cover it up). My advice to you Oren, during the appointment, is to show the person EXACTLY when the problem occurs, and tell them it really annoys you. Maybe you could formulate an argument that twists in the fact that it annoys you enough to divert attention from driving (to bring in a safety-issue reference)?? Make sure your headlights/foglights are on, and you steer the wheel very slowly to show him the vibration. Keep me posted on what happens!
Comments
The vibration on my car, since the last visit to the dealer, is not as bad as it use to be even with the lights on. I think most of the dealers are clue less on more complex problems with the car. I had this car for about 2.5 years and over all not happy with it. Just to mansion few problems nothing major but very annoying for the car like Infiniti:
1. Every time I pull in to my driveway I hear a knock in the passenger side wheel. Took it back to the dealer. Dealers answer "Nothing wrong". Problem still there.
2. On a humid day I hear cracking noise from my roof line. Dealer sad that they have to take interior down inside the car to see where it comes from. I am afraid to let them do it. Because it may be worse after it's taken apart.
3. I had vibration in my car when I was braking from the high speed. Rotor where cut to solve the problem. I ask the dealer to replace the rotor, he refused.
4. And the vibration problem we been discussing.
This car was great first year and down hill ever since. I do not think I will consider another Nissan product in the future. I also own 1992 Nissan Maxima with 80,000 miles on it and it's great car. Never had any problems. I think the quality of Nissans has gone down since they been facing financial problem. Soon it will be called "La Nissan".
I definately agree with you about Nissan/Infiniti poor service and the not-as-reliable-as-you-thought vehicles they put out. I too think that their financial trouble has caused them to slash costs coming from warranty claims. Its a bad formula since bad cars + bad service = really bad name. I'm not saying that Nissan cars are bad, yet in general terms, the quality seems to have declined. Service is not as great as it should be. My dealer has a separate desk for Infiniti and Nissan, yet there is only one area where all the cars are lifted and worked on. Seems like they try to make it SEEM like you are more important if you are an infiniti customer, but I dont see the difference. The Nissan service manager at my dealer seems MUCH more polite and much more of a concerned person...too bad I cant deal with him. Oren, I just wanted to acknowledge another problem you mentioned, about when you pull into a driveway. I have a problem when i pull OUT of my driveway, after the car has sat for a few hours. To pull out of my driveway, I have to turn the wheel almost all the way to the right, and then all the way to the left, and when i roll out of the driveway and over the bump, i hear this loud squeeking noise from my right front tire. However, again, I dont know if I should even BOTHER bringing this up to the dealer, since it doesnt really annoy me THAT much...YET! By the way, I love the "La Nissan" joke!
Let me tell you...these things happen to guys, too. I once had a salesman "discover" errors in trade value and taxes after I'd agreed verbally to a deal. I'd given him my credit card to charge a $100 "hold" fee, and when I stood up to leave after these "discoveries," he refused to return my credit card! After three times of "Give me the card!" from me and "Let's discuss this!" from him, I told him to give me the @.!+x card or I'd call the police. He still refused. I stormed out of his office and into the manager's office and repeated the demand to return the card or I'd call the cops. He ordered the salesman to return the card. As I was driving off the lot, the salesman was running alongside my card asking me to come back in and "discuss this."
Like you, I spent hours firing off letters to the owner (no response), Ford (no response), and the BBB. The BBB wrote back saying the owner was a fine, upstanding citizen with a sterling reputation. I wrote back telling the BBB to file my complaint and not to bother me again.
Next day, I came home to find the salesman's business card stuck in my front door saying they'd give me the deal I'd agreed to. I ignored it. Next morning, the salesman called my home. I told him not to call again, and if he did, I'd turn him in for stalking me.
End of story. Bad guys are bad guys whether dealing with women or men. Unfortunately, about all we've got to work with are persistence, good records, and knowing we did nothing wrong. AND never going near the offending dealership again.
Hang in there! Good luck.
andy65 , westchester NY
Acura TL: No doubt perhaps the most reliable, and that's a very important factor fo me. (I currently own an Accord that I've been very pleased with). Good value. Extremely vanilla from a design standpoint, though, and not as much headroom as the Infiniti (I'm 6'4").
Chrysler 300M: I really love the look of this car. It's also nice and roomy for a tall guy. I just simply don't think I can bring myself to pay $30K fo a Chrysler.
Lexus ES300: Over-priced (especially once you add a few options that are standard on some of the others) and over-rated in my opinion. Also less headroom than the Infiniti. Johnson Lexus in Raleigh has a good service reputation, however.
Toyota Avalon: Good value, and probably roomier than all the others (except perhaps the 300M, I'm not sure). I don't particularly care for the looks of the newer models, though.
Volvo S70: I actually like the Volvo's boxy looks; to me it's sort of a classic design. I'm concerned that Volvo's reliability has fallen off the past couple of years -- e.g., Consumer Reports no longer recommends them. And reportedly when repairs are necessary, they have historically been relatively expensive.
That leaves the I30: Good looking (I really like the looks of this car). Plenty of head and leg room for me (even with the sunroof, which I still may delete). My take on the reliability is that it's better than most, but on balance probably not quite at the level of Acura.
Anyone else want to add to or challenge any of this? I'd welcome your input.
Also, anyone out there have any experience with Leith Infiniti in Raleigh, NC? They're the only Infiniti dealer for the area, and I'd like some input on their service department, in particular.
Thanks, everyone, in advance.
He says their service dept is good and very responsive to his requests (they even replaced a inside piece of trim than he scratched with the seat belt)
When he bought the car they at first would not lower the price from MRSP so he went to another Infiniti dealer in Greesboro and Leith matched the price. He did get the 2000 last Nov, so that may have been why they gave him a hard time with the price.
I am not sure however if the Honda/Accura are more reliable than the Nissan/Infiniti. From 1995 to 2000 we had an Accord and Maxima. Both very reliable, but the Accord with less miles than the Maxima seemed to "age" faster. Just didn't handle and feel like new after 3-4 years while the Maxima seemed like now after 5 years.
You will be happy with the I30. We have not had any problems, the ride is great, engine quick and it seems to get faster, more responsive, with each 1000 miles!
Good Luck!
STEVE
He says their service dept is good and very responsive to his requests (they even replaced a inside piece of trim than he scratched with the seat belt)
When he bought the car they at first would not lower the price from MRSP so he went to another Infiniti dealer in Greesboro and Leith matched the price. He did get the 2000 last Nov, so that may have been why they gave him a hard time with the price.
I am not sure however if the Honda/Accura are more reliable than the Nissan/Infiniti. From 1995 to 2000 we had an Accord and Maxima. Both very reliable, but the Accord with less miles than the Maxima seemed to "age" faster. Just didn't handle and feel like new after 3-4 years while the Maxima seemed like now after 5 years.
You will be happy with the I30. We have not had any problems, the ride is great, engine quick and it seems to get faster, more responsive, with each 1000 miles!
Good Luck!
STEVE
the TL, IS300, and bmw323 handle so much better than i30t, i30 got alot body roll and no as stable as others...it only beat 300m and the lincoln LS in handling..how can i make my i30to ride stiffer and less body roll like the bimmer? i always thought i30t is the bada$$ car...maybe i was wrong...but it does look the best comparing to those other cars
Everyone about the ES300>>>>> this car has been the same since 1992. its styling aint anything to write home about, it has no headroom, especially in the rearseat(my dad is 5"11 and bald and his head was touching the ceiling) and the styling isnt due to change until 2003. if they freshened the design of the car i think it would be more appealling. Lexus also hits you with options that arent really options. My dad was looking at the RX300, and you have to get the "leather Seat option". When was the last time you saw a Lexus with something other than leather seats? ive only seen one, a 91 ES250. yet you still have to pay extra over the base price... i dont understand the point behind it....
Steve -- Glad to hear you've been so pleased with your I30, and thanks especially or the info on Leith. Admittedly, though, I think mhammy's points are valid. I think the prevailing conventional wisdom (backed up by JD Power and other such reports) is that Honda/Acura cars are a notch above Nissan/Infiniti in reliability. I certainly know people who have had bad luck with their Accords. Not every car can be "made on a Wednesday" as they say. My Accord is a '92 and it has performed flawlessly. I've changed the oil every 3000-3500 miles religiously and taken it to the dealer every 15k for routine maintenance. As you can see, I have a sort of "buy and hold" philosophy toward cars, and I'd like to get the same kind of longevity out of my next one. I had promised myself I'd get the Accord to 100k miles before trading it in. It's at 98k now, and I'm starting to get the itch.
I really don't want the Lexus; just not enough headroom for me, and again I feel it's over-priced and over-rated. It looks like I'm deciding between a historically more-reliable but boring-looking car with a little less room (Acura) vs. a better-looking, roomier, but perhaps on the whole not quite as reliable car (the I30). Thanks again for your input.
Steve
I have about 12k miles on my 00 L. So far the car has been great. I remember reading on these boards about a sulphur smell. Supposedly the gas in California was suppose to be immune to this due to some additive. Unfortunately, I occasionally get the sulphur smell. I was wondering if Infiniti has ever acknowledged this problem and if they have ever done anything about it. Also, I have heard that certain brands of gas may minimize the smell. Could any CA owners share which brands they have used without encountering the smell.
Thanks.
I'm amazed! Not only did you save an extra $500 on the deal, you feel it necessary to drag a dealership's name through the mud because you are too ignorant to understand the Texas automobile leasing laws.
It's people like you who seize any opportunity to save a buck that really make customer service a difficult job to do. There simply is no winning with you!! That dealership should have stopped the sale and thrown you out. Most business that sell high dollar items are also in the business of keeping their clients happy. (Duh!!) Had there been no sale, this discussion would not even be happening! I think the biggest mistake is that they sold the car to you.
As far as your check, do you really think that they went out to have a steak dinner with your $500?? Most likely they dragged themselves home after a long day of dealing with customers like you who insist that they pay less for the vehicle than the dealership employees can themselves. Who do you think you are???!!!???
My suggestion would be to go ahead and check the laws, but the last time I checked there was not a law against making a mistake. (If so, then you'd be guilty too!) Good Luck!
I picked up a 2001 i30t last night.. It is absoultely marvelous. I've noticed a few peculiar things however:
1. The fuel level goes to E when the engine is off. Is this common? This does not happen on my Camry.
2. The HID lights, although bright, only illuminates area close to the vehicle, almost as having flood lights shooting down to the group, but does not light further down the road. Almost as if it's alignment is off. Has anyone experienced this?
3. There was some mention of some kind of air filter that required to be changed.
Other than the above, the car is top notch. I plan on keeping this car for a long time. It's quiet, smooth, silky and roomy. More room than my uncle's ES300.
Any help with the above is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
the gas gauge going to E when the car is off is normal.
anyways, the couple mentioned above could not have gotten anything under the lemon law i believe, because it is not a mechanical problem with the car. in any case, though, id be happy to be paying only $4000 for a 2000 I30! with that much around here you cant buy anything new, but you could buy an old, higher mileage used car....
redskin: the lemon law may have worked for them if they formulated the argument in their favor. The fact that they are bringing their vehicle in for service, for behavior they perceived as abnormal constitutes a "service visit." After all, the service department responded to their claims, by performing service. Also, the complaints were recorded on the service invoice each time, which means the dealer must in some way "solve" or attempt to "solve" the problem. After having the same complaint about joint customer-dealer perceived abnormal behavior four times, it means something is up and that their vehicle is in the shop more times than usual for a newer vehicle...which should entitle them their rights. Also, I think you may have misunderstood me! They DID pay the 28,000 dollars for the '99 I30 limited...but you're right about the fact that they gave up only 4000 dollars more for an updated, fresh 2000 vehicle (basically, they ended up paying 32,000, not including all the extra fees, for an I30L with no HIDs, no spoiler/sills package, nothing else).
(You must work for a car dealer, or own one)
Just driving around the neighborhood, my Camry lights are not that bright, but I could see the mailbox on a house that's further away. However with the HIDs, the immediate road is bright, but the mailbox is poorly lit.
When I go to the dealer to pickup my plates, I'll ask him to look at it... It seeems that no one else has this issue.
Great car though.
Thanks,
Maneesh
Good luck.
From the previous post that you posted you are taking your car to the dealer today to be inspected by factory technician. Please keep me posted on the results, because I have an appointment for 10/9/00 to take my car back for the fourth time in attempt to fix vibration problem. Good Luck. Thanks.
I am interested to buy a 1997 I30 with 38800 miles. The dealer make me an offer for $16k. He also agreed to install new tires on the car. My question is what are the best tires for I30?
I will appreciate your feedback
Thanks
I have Bridgestone tires - I was wondering what kind you have?
Thanks.
Sorry to hear about your dilemma! I would recommend doing a little research into finding a reputable local mechanic, hopefully one who specializes in Nissans. If you say that the spark problem only started after 10K miles, then something has happened, and it SHOULD be relatively easy to diagnose. If there is a problem with the timing being too far advanced, then you can very easily get spark knocking. Unfortunately, the i30 is a non-adjustable timing. There are probably three sensors on your 2000 (3 on my '96 model: crankshaft position, camshaft pos , and camshaft reference). They should have at least checked these to see if they were functioning correctly. Not a hard job. Did it myself in an hour. The service manual states that if you still have timing problems at this point, then there may indeed be a problem in the ECU, although rare (electronic control unit - basically the brain for the whole car). I would hope that the dealer would have at least swapped out the ECU and let you drive it for a while to see if that was the problem and to see if yours was one of the "rare" cases. Also, if the spark knock sensor has stopped working, then it is no longer feeding this information to the ECU, and the engine will not correctly retard the timing to eliminate the knocking, especially on a hot day. Normally, however, this sensor would not be needed, since with high octane gas, you really shouldn't experience any knocking. There are any number of other problems with the fuel/igition/timing systems that should be by the book when troubleshooting this problem. It's just very unfortunate that you appear to have had a problem early on that the dealer can't figure out. Time to take it to someone else. In the meantime, try using some Octane boost and see if that helps. By the way, try not to accelerate hard when you hear the knocking, because it can be detrimental to the piston heads. (That's why there's a spark knock sensor).
Good luck!
Thanks again.