Nissan Versa New Owners Report

Sylvia · July 2006

Are you a new Nissan Versa owner? What do you think so far?

flightnurse · July 2006

Ok people I've been looking for the last 6 months for a new car, I went to the Detriot autoshow to check out all the new cars.. I test drove them all, the Honda Fit, Yaris, the Rabbit and now the Versa. At the autoshow I knew the Versa was going to be in the running, it was very roomy and I liked some of the options that came on the car. So after driving them all, I bought the Versa SL. The dealers here in PHX are finally getting them. I paid $16,100 the car has CVT and Conveniece package, XM sat (had them add it) and floor mats. The dealer already added on window Tint, Door edge gaurds and paint protection. The dealer was asking $18,700. It wasn't hard to get them talked down, they still make roughly $1K on the car. Traded in a 2000 FOrd Contour SE w/83K miles and they gave me $1900 for it, I'm leasing the car, so nothing out of my pocket, and payments of $270/w tax for 24 months and 15K/yr. The Resdiual for the car is 68%, which I thought was very high, but hey, that is nissans problems in 2 yrs.. I have had the car now for roughly 8 hrs... So far I really like, I have my bluetooth phone programed in, and I love that feature, and the keyless entry and start is great..

The h onda dealer wouldn't deal on the Fit, basically it was take it at full MSRP or leave, so I left. The Fit is smaller, and doesn't have some the equipment I was looking for, Bluetooth was one of them, now I can have a conversation on my phone without holding the damn thing.. The lease payments for the Fit were more then what I got the Versa for...

The Rabbit I thought was nice, but the quality of VW's latley haven't been that impressive, and the dealers are dealing on then..

I'm very happy with the Versa, tomorrow, I'll get to drive it more and get a feel for the car, I'll put a review up in a week after driving on my commute to work for a week..

Tony :shades:

mattschechter · July 2006

Congrats!! Let us know how you love it!

peteinmpls · July 2006

Tony,

Thanks for the write-up. My situation is almost exactly the same as yours...I've been researching and looking for months and am now just waiting for the Versa to land here in my area (Minneapolis) so I can do my final head-to-head comparison and make a decision.

Like you, I checked them out at my local auto show. I was surprised how much better the Versa came across when I saw it in-person vs. the pictures. It looks like the type of car you'd see on a European street (definitely more Euro than Asian) and has the in-person stance of a VW Golf III or IV. I likewise thought the Fit came across better in-person, though at the end of the day the Fit just has this toy-car, non-substantial look to it. If it got 50-60MPG like a Smart car or something, you could justify the looks as "function over form"...just my subjective opinion. Also the missing options and dealer unwillingness to deal (much less to even have one available for test driving) makes the Fit a mediocre value.

So for me, it will come down to the Rabbit, Mazda3 or the Versa. I'm very interested that you compared the Rabbit and Versa also and am wondering if you could elaborate more on that. I've always had great luck with VWs personally so reliability is not an issue for me (I think it's improving dramatically in recent years anyhow). What bothers me about the Rabbit is the city fuel efficiency (22 vs. 30 in the Versa) and the fact it's basically a $20,000 car when you option-up a 5-door. That's well within my budget, but a loaded Versa shouldn't cost more than $17K out the door, which is more the price point I'd like to hit for a 2nd, commmuter car.

Tony, please give us details on your "real world" fuel efficiency in the Versa, including details on your hwy/city mix and how you're driving it. I suspect most auto journalists are driving a car, that's not even broken-in, much harder than the average person would who's driving for efficency. So let us know what you find. Thanks!

Thanks to others giving their first-hand impressions...it's very helpful to others who are considering this car.

Cheers,
Pete

flightnurse · July 2006

hey Pete...

I have a few coworkers who have 94 and new Jetta's and Bettles who have had window Regulator problems as well as window switch problems. If you go to the VW forum here, that seems to a common problem with VW.. Also for the price the Versa is in my option a MUCH better bargin.

BTW, I forgot to mention the Yaris, it looked something from the movie CARS.. too much like a toy for me..

SO far I really do like it, I don't drive the car hard, since its not a race car or sports sedan. the CVT is something to get use to, leave a stop light and the engine revs to 2500 and the car pulls away, the engine revs go up to about 3K and stays there and you move along. Its very easy to speed in the car, since the engine sound doesn't change you really can't judge speed that way.. I went to brekfest this moring with 2 friends, both over 6' tall and both weight about 250lbs. They were impressed with the amount of room in the car. One has a 05 Nissan Altima 3.5SE the other 06 Maxima SE. With all three of us in the car it gets around town with no problems.. So far the fuel gauge still shows full with 57 miles on this tank. I love the XM radio now I wont have to bring my iPOD with me in the car... One thing that will take a while to get use to is the seat adjusters, they are located on the right side of the seats. But for me once I find a comforable position I don't touch them. Getting in and out of the car is very easy and simple, I love that my car has the key less system for the doors and start, this feature well spoil me and I can see why Nissan has added this. Its a good way to keep feature buyer as all of thier cars will have this option starting in 07...

Now regarding a fully loaded Versa, my perfect one would have had the audio package, sunroof as well as ABS package, but I took what I could, you are looking at 18K for one of them. That is at the midlevel Sentra price...

But currently I am very happy with the car, my insurance will go up $300/yr which isn't too bad but I should save that in fuel saving...

Tony :shades:

P.S. More to come as I get more miles on it.

peteinmpls · July 2006

Thanks for the info...I look forward to the future reports too.

Yeah, I know a lot of people that will never set foot in a VW dealer after the window regulator fiasco. Our household's other car (not the one we're replacing) is a 1.8T Passat Wagon manual. We had one problem with coil packs a couple years back that was quickly taken care of...other than that, completely trouble free. So we've been fortunate in that regard.

If I go with the Versa, I'll be looking at a loaded SL with the six speed manual. If I have to wait a month or two for it to arrive, that's fine. MSRP with destination should come in around $17.2K I have a long-standing relationship with a local dealer so at a minimum I'm sure they'll knock off the destination fee for me which will put it around $16.7K before T.T.L. On paper, it's the one to beat. What I'll be looking for in the test-drive is how it performs (obviously!)...specifically as compared to the Rabbit and Mazda3. I think you could say they, along with the Fit, are the current benchmarks for steering/suspension/handling among subcompacts and compacts. I'll also be looking for any overt feeling of cheapness or cost-cutting...based on everything I've heard, I don't expect to find that at all. On the contrary, I thought when the current Altima, Maxima and Titan came out they all felt very comprimised in interior quality. Finally, I want to know if the Versa really delivers on fuel efficiency...because for me that would make up for it being perhaps 80% of the drivers car that the VW & Mazda are. Like you, I don't push my car to the limits all the time either (but like most people I'm a sucker for the feeling of "I could if I wanted to")

The Versa seems to be somewhat polarizing in its exterior looks. How have people, friends or strangers, been reacting to it so far? Personally, I'm a fan of hatchbacks and wagons to start with so I'm predisposed to like it. I definitely don't think it photographs well from some angles. But I don't see how some people will say a VW Golf is attractive while the Versa looks like &*%!, as some veedubers say. To me they strike a similar stance. What say you?

flightnurse · July 2006

OK people here is a 3 day report..

For those you don't know, I have 2007 Versa 1.8 SL with the Convience package and CVT. I paid $16,500 for it, dealer invoice on the car was $16,256. With this I got tinted windows (all of them) Door Edge guard, and Automate (paint protection) window sticket was $18,100. So $16,500 wasn't a bad price in my book..

I have 195 miles on it. One thing that I dont' like is the gap between the sunvsior is too wide and when you drive westbound (I live in Phoenix,AZ) you get blinded by the sun, the sunvisors are useless...

So far that is my only gripe with the car.. For those of you who aren't aware of what ocmes with the Convience package, the two main things are Bluetooth and Intelli Key. I love them both, I have my cell phone paired and the interface/voice reconition software is top rate... Also the Intelli-Key has made more so spoiled... Just for those 2 items is well woth the $700....

The CVT transmission i'm getting use to driving, the more I drive it the more I really like it. I can see that this is new transmission of teh future.

The car has a european ride to it. For a "small car", its very comfortable. Its very easy to cruise down the freeway doing 80 without really knowing you are doing that. One of the other items that comes with the Convience package is the stereo 6 disk in dash, Satilite ready. I'm getting that installed this week, not going through Nissan but a third party. I'll go with XM.

So far its very hard to realize you are driving a "entry" level car, when you close the doors there is a nice THUD to them, the suspension soaks up the bumps very well, again very European like...

I know people have budgets, but if you can spend alittle more, get the SL with the convience package. The Intelli-Key should be standard on all cars, a great safety item for women...

More to come on Friday.. That is the day I'll fill the tank up and get my first MPG..

Tony :shades:

bodhisun · July 2006

I live in Pine, AZ and would like to know which dealer you got yours from since it sounds like a great deal. I am looking for a SL with ABS (seems to be mutually exclusive of convenience package) and CVT. Could you tell me what your invoice price details were and if there is anything I should know in how to make the deal. Thanks. Bodhi

flightnurse · July 2006

Hey Pine, I'm sure its nice and cool up in the mountains..

Peiora Nissan is where I got mine, sales person was Mike T (in the internet department, tell him Tony with the Versa sent you) invoice for my car was $16,256, paid $16,500. Mine is a SL, with Convience package and carpet kit. They also had tacked on extra for Tinted windows, Door Edge Guards and Automate (paint Protection), I didn't pay for them at all but have them on my car. I wanted the SL also with the Audio package, but none of thier cars were coming in with that package, Mike told me that July 14th they were getting a couple more cars. As of Sat, they had a Black SL CVT sitting there... Good luck..

Tony :shades:

yardtime · July 2006

I am quite interested in your updates Tony as I am very seriously considering buying a Versa. I realy like the options you can get with the Versa, particularly the blue tooth feature. My one big concern right now is, will the versa be a reliable car? I'm also looking at Corolla's and civic's but I'm leaning towards the versa. Can I expect the versa to be a very reliable car?

flightnurse · July 2006

Yardtime, regarding Reliablity is a tough one to answer, but the engine in Versa was in the last generation Sentra so its been around for a while, the CVT tranny has been in the Murano since it was released I havn't heard antying regarding problems with it. Blue Tooth has been in the Max as well as Infiniti cars, as well as the Intelli-Key. So the technology that is in the car isn't new to Nissan.

I'm betting that the Reliablity well be up there with Toyoto and Honda. We have a 05 Altima 3.5 SE and it has never been back to the dealer..

Regarding the Blue Tooth, I'm spoiled, I love it. That is one feature I will have on all of my new cars from now, as well as Intelli-Key.

I hope this has helped..

Tony :shades:

drmarge · July 2006

I got a red 1.8 SL with CVT and convenience package on Tuesday last week. I have 350 miles on it already, and so far it's been great! No funny lights going on. No funny noises (except when my husband put his glasses in the sun glasses holder...it rattled around abit).
It seems pretty solid even at 80 miles/h passing (don't tell the troopers)! I won't test it much beyond that but it didn't have any difficulty getting to that speed on the turnpike.

As to the reliability issue: I had asked my mechanic about the versa cars before I decided to buy it and he felt that the platform (from the sentra) was not really new and that he had not seen excess problems with them. My engineer (EE) brother said that toyota was the most reliable but in general the japanese engineers make pretty reliable cars, so I shouldn't really be worried about choosing nissan as a brand.
So far, I am really happy with my choice.

flightnurse · July 2006

Ok I had the versa for 2 weeks and 557 miles. I have to say I really do like this car. One thing I have noticed is when you get out of the car, for me is the ease of exit, kind of hard to explain but I can just slide out of the car without working at it. The same can be said about getting in.
The Intelli-key is a option I will have on ALL of my car from now on, I really like that, being able to get in and lock a car without having the key fob or key in my hands.. The BlueTooth is very good, love being able to make or recive calls without holding a phone. The Voice Reconition works almost flawlessly, I have down if you give the full phone number at once, it works best then just it 3 or digits at a time.

The CVT is a smooth operator, at times it almost feels like a hybrid. This car is so quite in inside it hard to believe its a sub compact. I will go look at the Sentra when it comes out, Im betting it will be just as quite..

So far I'm averaging 29 MPG now this is with A/C running all the time and when on the freeway trying to keep the car under 80... Thank god for Cruise...

More to come.

Tony :shades:

tada · July 2006

I just purchased a new 2007 Versa S with a 6 speed transmission. Got it with the power package and floor mats for #13,905.00. Full MSRP, but there were only 4 here in Denver, and they gave me an excellent trade-in.

After one day of driving it, the flywheel in the transmission has gone bad. I took it back to the dealer, and they had limited information on it, including no part numbers. The general manager of the dealer happened to see my Versa on the rack in for service and questioned why a car with less than 300 miles was having its tranmission removed. The dealer got with Nissan for technical support and they were able to determine that the flywheel was bad. When they searched for the parts, they found 4 flywheels total in the country. They were able to snag one, and should have it back in the car tomorrow. Total time to repair - 4 days, hopefully.

I know it's a new model, but I traded in a Honda that I never had problems with, and selected it over the Toyota Yaris. I like the car, but I was very unhappy that it needed repair after only day of driving. It doesn't reflect well on the quality of the new model and it makes you feel like you bought a blem.

flightnurse · July 2006

Tada, with all the Versa's out there it sounds like a fluke to me. Sorry you had the problem with your car, I hope that Nissan is treating you well over this. BTW, all manufactures have these problems.. Neighbor down the street bought a 07 Camry, the first month they were released, its been in the shop 5 times for Multi problems, mostly...... Transmission Issues...

I personally think you made the right choice on getting the Versa over the Yaris..

Tony

tada · July 2006

Just an update. The dealer replaced the flywheel. The Service Manager and General Manager called and apologized for an inconvenience the repair had caused. Nissan engineers helped out with technical data that the dealer needed. All in all, the service was great. I've had the car out of the shop for over a week and love driving it.

wulfgar · July 2006

After one week with our S model 6 speed, my general assessment:

Well built with quality materials for the price (a better interior than my Titan SE that cost 10 grand more).
No shifter noise, to me - a little notchy getting into 6th but that may/should improve with break-in.
Great ride quality (to me). My wife thinks it drifts a bit on the interstate. We haven't ridden in the car together yet to see what she means.
29 MPG on the first tank - predominantly secondary roads with a small bit of interstate.

No worries so far and very pleased, as one should be after only one week.

bendupre · July 2006

You're never going to beleive what I just did.

One of the weekly chores my Sable used to perform was hauling the grass clippings to the town disposal site. I normally fill up two 30-gal cans and I would stand them up in the trunk of the sable tying the trunk down with a bunji cord. After doing this evry week for years, the trash cans naturelly were showing their wear and were quite dirty. Not wanting to put those old dirty cans in my brand-new car, today I went to Lowes and bought new 34-gal cans with wheels.

Well after cutting the grass and filling the cans I closed them up and had my bunji cord ready to tie down the hatch and make my three block trip (small town) to the town dump.

I folded down the seats, took out the cargo cover, and hefted one of the cans through the hatch. It stood fully uprightcan, lid, handle and allin the cargo area. I hefted the other can through the hatch, gave it a little shove, and then I CLOSED THE HATCH. I didn't even have to slam it like an overstuffed suitcase. I just closed itthunk. No bunji cord, no nothing: Just two 34-gal trash cans and a closed hatch.

Everyone has been complaining that the rear cargo area isn't flat with the seats down, well there's why. It's an extra eight inches of space. I swear this car is bigger on the inside than on the out. I'm amazed.

Ben

flightnurse · July 2006

Ben very cool... To hear that the Versa really can carry things like that.

voltronguy · July 2006

Of course this is a great car around town, but I'm finding it truly fun to drive on longer trips. We took out on a nice drive through winding country/mountain roads and found it really smooth and fun. Pop in some nice jazz and w/ the 6 speakers in the SL you have a fun time. We're still in the break-in period so I wasn't racing, but the CVT does just fine on the big hills.

I almost forgot about how big and comfy the front seats are!

doromachi · July 2006

Totally agree. Most fun driving car I have ever owned, well with one exception. Had a Nash Metro once, great fun.

I have a couple minor complaints with the engineering of the Versa. The gas filler is still on the Euro side. Maybe it was because of the rush to get it over here. I miss the guages for oil, motor temp and battery condition. Never liked the lights. I knew this when I bought it but still a minor nag for me

flightnurse · July 2006

I have to agree, the ride on the open road is something you would expect from a much larger car, I'm always impressed wtih this car, and since day one, I never had buyer Remorse of buying the car.

bendupre · July 2006

Love having MP3 and Sirius in the same radio with steering wheel controls. Love the smooth ride. Absolutely love the CVT. My SL was built to cruise.

Funest car I ever had though was a 1960 Chevy Corvair with 2-speed Power Glide automatic transaxle. The car had a lever in the dash in case you wanted to shift manually. This is the car Ralph Nader had banned because the furnaces would catch the car on fire. Yep- it's a rear engine air cooled flat 6 so Chevy invented a little gas powered turbo furnace mounted in the front trunk to heat the vehicle. It had it's own fuel line, spark plug, ignition coil and ignition module. My furnace was disconnected. Fun hobby car. I knew a guy who had three in his back yard so I never had to search for parts.

The guy around the corner from my parents had a metro in his driveway. Never saw him drive it though. Cute car.

Ben

ltodeasa · August 2006

Here's a puzzling situation. Just bought a Versa w/ CVT and the Convenience package. Love the roominess and the gas mileage (we got 39 on the highway with four people and suitcases in the trunk).

HOWEVER, I got a little suspicious about the tires when the saleman gave me the run-through of all the car's features after we'd bought it and before we'd taken delivery. When he opened the glove compartment, there was a package with Nissan locking wheel nuts inside, and he seemed a bit surprised (flustered?), and quickly said, "Oh they have replaced the original lug nuts with these special locking lug nuts, at NO COST to you -- you'll just have to keep this special lug key handy because you won't be able to remove the tires without it."

:confuse: I thought that was a little odd, especially the fact that they were changed without my permission and "at NO COST" to me. On our trip, the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) light came on. We pulled off the road, checked the tire pressure, and all was fine. Then we read about the TPMS in the Owner's Manual, where it states that if the TPMS light flashes for a minute when the ignition switch is turned on, then remains on, it is a TPMS malfunction and the system should be checked by a Nissan dealer. When we started the car backup, that's what it did--flashed, then stayed lit.

We called the Service Manager from the road, explained what had happened, and he said that we just needed to go to the dealership to have the TPMS "recalibrated." When I asked if I needed to interrupt my trip to find a Nissan dealership, he said no -- that he knew it was annoying, but it would not affect the car's drivability. So I said I'd wait and let THEIR dealership handle it.

Lo and behold, on the way home, we had a flat on the interstate in Pennsylvania (hottest day of the year, approaching 100 degrees!) Thank goodness no one was injured, and the PA DOT truck came and changed the tire to the spare for free before AAA came! They have cameras mounted along the highway and the computer notified them of our car pulled over in the breakdown lane! We drove slowly to the nearest tire store (a Walmart Tire and Lube Express). Wonderful people there. Had to sign a disclaimer since they didn't have a tire with the same speed rating (H) as the original, but they put on an "S" rated tire (112 mph on the S, as opposed to 130 mph speed rating on the H.)

I now have come home, and need to resolve some issues with the dealership concerning the TPMS malfunction, the tire issue (Did they switch the original equipment tires for cheaper ones? What could explain their putting the $27 special locking lug nuts on the wheels without charging?)

When we came to buy the car and I was checking it out again, another saleman took it away from us to let someone else test drive it. Before I signed the papers, I asked the salesman how many miles it had on it now. He asked me how many were on the car when I test drove it. There were 47 miles on the car when we test drove it. and he said it had about 50 miles on it now. When we came two days later to take delivery, the documents stated it had 149 miles on the car! There answer to my shock was that I probably had looked at the trip odometer! HOWEVER, on the Service and Maintenance Guide page where the salesperson wrote "Mileage at Delivery", he put 18 MILES! I'm upset about the whole thing!

Anybody ever have a similar experience with another car or another dealership? I bought this car at CountyLine Nissan Buick in Middlebury, CT.

Thanks for any input,
Louisa

bendupre · August 2006

They were probably showing it while you were gone. they shouldn't be doing that. However if you didn't have your deal finalized or leave a deposit on the vehicle before you came back to pick it up, it may not be illegal for them to do that. It is, however, highly unethical to show and allow other customers to test drive a car that has already been "sold".

My car was the second one delivered (first one sold) to the dealership where I bought it. The first they got was a 6sp S model. Mine was the SL with CVT. It had just come off the truck and NO ONE ELSE had set butt in the car before I did (except the guy who backed it off the truck). I left a $500 deposit on the vehicle that afternoon and came back the next day to finalize the sale. they slapped a "SOLD" tag on the car immediately. The dealer had been expecting the car and had promised several customers test drives when it came in, but I snatched it up. My salesman asked me permission to "show" the car to one of his "best" clients, but promised he would only look, not drive the car. I was so exited about the vehicle, that I told him he could let the fellow drive it as long as they didn't take it far.

That's the way it should go. Once you go into negotiations, the car should be off limits, but without a down payment, it's technically not sold yet.

Sorry to hear about your experience. I'd report it to the better business bureau, and I'd demand they replace the tire (with a matching one, properly rated) after the service manager told you not to worry about it. You probably shouldn't be driving around on one odd tire, at least I wouldn't be happy about it.

Ben

bendupre · August 2006

Clocked over 1000 miles today and figured the car is past it's break-in period. I decided to see what the car would top out at. I got on the interstate and went looking for the top end, but unfortunately I couldn't find it. I got up to 100 and the car is just flat SMOOTH at that spped. Tachs 3500 cruising at that speed. The CVT is TALLLL. It takes a little room to get up that high, and there was just too much traffic on the highway at 4:00. I will try later when the interstate isn't so busy. Has anyone else topped their car out yet? Is there a reason the Speedo goes up to 140?

Ben

doromachi · August 2006

I live in a Rural area and there is a paved road a few miles from here that flat and visibility is "forever." I didn't stare at the speedometer but about 105 and I expected for the engine to cut out as some I have had did, via the computer. It did seem to just stop gaining speed there. Had a little pedal left but would not gain.

Won't do that again but wanted to see it. The road is not as smooth as most Interstate roads and the bumping and rocking was enough for me.

bobw3 · September 2006

they made $1000 on the car and about $4000 on your trade-in, which they'll probably sell for $6000. You should have got at least $3000 for your trade. Maybe the Honda dealer wouldn't go down on the MSRP, but maybe up on the trade-in.

bobw3 · September 2006

hmmmm...I get 25-26mph driving 70-75 with my Freestyle with CVT, so I'd think you'd get a lot better than 29 with the Versa with CVT. Maybe it will get better.

flightnurse · September 2006

Well my trade was worth max 3200, so I don't know where you got $6000... The dealer invoice on my car was 16256, and I paid 16500. in the fleet department, they had a new guy and he faxed me the wrong paperwork, so I saw what invoice was on the car..

I did very well on my deal, since I bought mine 7-9-06

Tony :shades:

bobw3 · September 2006

Right, you should have got at least $3000 trade-in price for your car because the dealer will sell it for $5-6,000. If you figure the dealer will sell your trade-in to someone else for $5800, they gave you $1800, so on the sale of your trade in they made $4000. That's why they could sell you the Versa for $250 above invoice, since they made $3000 on your trade in. Now if you paid cash for the Versa and only paid $250 above invoice...that would be a good deal.

That's when I read posts about the great "deals" people say they got it means nothing unless you calculate the trade in or dealer financing. They make interest on the financing, so if you finance a car they can make thousands just in the interest, so they can cut you a deal on the price of the car and you'll walk away thinking you got a great deal because you're not looking at how much interest you pay, or how much you lost and they gained on a low trade-in price. Anyway, just saying that just getting a car at invoice only tells part of the story.

flightnurse · September 2006

LOL, you are making ASSUMPTION without even knowing the car, I can tell you that the car was wholesaled out and the dealer didn't sell it..

BTW, I leased my car, and I got more for my car then what I thought I was, so _I_ can out of the deal ahead....

Tony :shades:

bobw3 · September 2006

okay...as long as you feel happy that's great!

bendupre · September 2006

Bob you just don't know what you're talking about. Most trades go to the auction unless they're really super clean. In fact, a dealer will often give more trade allowance than he can get for the vehicle at auction. Dealer's don't finance cars, they don't make money off interest. And the margins on Versa are about 600-650 at MSRP. There may be some holdback, but there's no way they made $1000 profit on his Versa.

Ben

imascot · September 2006

All:
I've had the car approx 4 weeks and its been in the garage for about 1.5 weeks of that.
I have the model S with Automatic (Paid MSRP)
two main issues: After the first day the car was was not shifting correctly from 2nd to 3rd gear. The next day it was confirmed it was some sort of 'valve' problem. Kept the car for a few days took it back, it was then repaired( 1 day in the garage).

A week later I noticed that the passenger air bag was starting to protrude from the top of the dash. Took the car in and thats where it currently sits (now at 1.5 weeks). I think it will still be there till middle of next week until the part is received.
Nissan turnaround time on parts has been terrible, that will be approx. 8-10 days to have the part delivered (apparently thay have not heard of fedex) as for some of the people at the garage I picked it up from, I'll hold back on my comments for a future date. :mad:
No responses neccessary on this post, just thought I'd update everyone on my experience to date. ( now I'm wondering if I should have went for the fit)

The only thing I have in pocket at the moment is the nissan survey thats still to be completed. At this rate it'll be thicker than war and peace!

Cheers!

flightnurse · September 2006

THere really no reason to write a large note, the VERSA is new and the dealers don't have parts for them. I'm sure Honda had/has the same problem... Just be lucky they aren't giving you the runaround and they admitted there is a problem...

Tony

So far 3500 miles and no problems.

backy · September 2006

Did the dealer give you a free loaner to use?

bendupre · September 2006

There are a few owners over on NissanVersa.org with that same problem. Why didn't you keep the vehicle while waiting for the parts? It's a cosmetic issue.

Ben

imascot · September 2006

All, thanks for the notes. Yes I did receive a rental car (although we had problems there as my the under 21's in my family could not drive it)
As to the cosmetic issue, The airbag really was protruding and I'm not too sure how I would have felt should there have been a crash in the car and the airbag did not deploy. As you say its a personal choice.

As to not having the part, my company sells equipment and when I relelase new equipment to the field I must have spares ready to support but I understand what you are saying.

Thanks for the comments.

bobw3 · September 2006

trades go to the auction unless they're really super clean

Funny, I see a lot of used cars for sale at new car dealers...I guess they have a lot of people washing them to make them "super clean"

And I suppose you believe that the invoice price is the price the dealer pays the manufacture?

" car dealer's main sources of profit, in no particular order, are: the new vehicle's purchase price; trade-ins and resulting used-car sales; financing and insurance; "back-end" products and services, such as rustproofing and service contracts; and vehicle service (repair and maintenance)."

http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=buy&subject=negotiate&story=ngBa- sics1

denverdavo · September 2006

I have now test driven the Versa three times and am thinking seriously about getting one later this fall. I guess I will have to order it, or put my name on a waiting list for the CVT SL which are hard to come by.

Anyway, do you find it terribly odd that if you get ABS, you can not get the convenience package? What do the brakes have to do with Bluetooth and smart keyless entry?

Also, I was surprised to hear that so many have chose the convenience package over the safety of ABS. Frankly, I think we should be able to choose both, and Nissan missed the boat on this. ABS should probably be standard anyway, at least on the SL.

So, how did you justify skipping the ABS for some fun features? Thanks for your input...

doromachi · September 2006

I bought what was available at the time. Needed a vehicle, tired of walking. The first one that came in I bought. The dealer and I had talked the day before and I asked to put on the list for the first white one, whether S or SL. Next morning bright and early got a telephone call. I was there thirty minutes later. It suited me as it was.

SL
Convenience Pkg
Powder white
Charcoal Interior

jacksan1 · September 2006

Anyway, do you find it terribly odd that if you get ABS, you can not get the convenience package? What do the brakes have to do with Bluetooth and smart keyless entry?

Did you use the configurator on the Nissan USA website? If so, true, the configurator does not allow you to choose both the ABS and convenience package. The dealer I have visited, though, says that both packages can be ordered together for a Versa. I think there was a thread somewhere on this forum about Nissan's configurator being broken. Talk to a dealership near you. They should be able to tell you, since they are the ones who have to place orders.

bendupre · September 2006

If you read my post, I said there might be some holdback but there's no way they made $1000 on his car. He paid 500 below sticker.

I had one dealer sell me a car like this: "Here's my invoice price, you write down what you think might ba a fair profit" What a laugh. The deal went down another $500 form there, but they put in my trade.

I also said most vehicles go to auction. Dealers are usually pretty picky about what they choose to resell. It's my experience. And yes they do have detailers busy shining all the tirds.

Ben

bobw3 · September 2006

The deal went down another $500 form there, but they put in my trade.

exactly

sngwrtr · September 2006

I agree, most vehicles go to auction. Dealers will keep popular cars in decent shape with under 100K in miles on it.
Give them a 3-4 year old Honda civic or Accord with 50K on the odometer and the sales reps will fight over it. The same car with 100K or more will go to auction right along with that 8 year old, gas guzzling, Jeep Cherokee with 130K on it. Dealers are essentially laying out cash for the trades, in the form of what you paid net for the new car versus what they paid. They want to turn the trades ASAP so they will keep the fast movers and wholesale the rest.

w9cw · September 2006

Having worked at a domestic dealer for a time as a new car salesman, the majority of the cars that typically are on a new car dealer's used lots come from regional auctions. Most are typically rentals or off-lease corporate vehicles. A few - perhaps 10% to 30% - come from new car trades, but these are in the minority. At least every two weeks, sometimes every week, the Used Car Manager takes a trip to one of the large auctions, and buys several cars. The cars are later delivered to the dealer by transporter, and they're detailed by the Detail Department. Unfortunately, most cars that are traded in, due to their condition or high mileage, aren't kept. With the dealer with which I worked, those that weren't kept never went to the auction. The dealer had a standing arrangement with several secondary used car lots, and 8 out of 10 of the cars traded in went directly to these secondary lots.

The New Car Sales Manager hated to see a Honda or Toyota drive onto the lot. Not that they didn't want the car as a trade (they did), but the amount they would have to lay out for the trade - that's what they hated. And, if you have a car with over 100K, regardless of make, forget about a decent trade in value. You will be given ACV (actual cash value), and the car will be disposed of very quickly to one of the secondary lots, like "Joe's Used Cars," etc.

franko1 · September 2006

As I reported earlier,upon delivery the air bag light came on. The dealer impounded the veh. After 3 weeks, no parts. They finally took a part off a new veh. that just arrived.
A new problem cropped up in that when you draw down the gas from full to near empty I can't remove the gas cap. It is vacuum locked. Need wrench to remove. Nissan,nor dealer has no solution.

imascot · September 2006

frank01:
Thanks for the info, not exactly what I wanted to hear but good to note for future referance.

p.s. Still not received a phone call to say the car is ready to pick up.. the rental car is a mazda 3 and its really nice

bobw3 · September 2006

ACV? Is there a website for this? Is this the same as the trade-in value on KBB?

toronado455 · September 2006

After 3 weeks, no parts. They finally took a part off a new veh. that just arrived.

Really?

So that new car that came in that they removed a part from to install into your car... will that car eventually be sold as new or will it be converted into a donor for [other] parts?

Is it common practice in dealerships to cannibalize parts off of new cars when the parts are in short supply?

Nissan Versa New Owners Report

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