Best Dealerships To Service Convertible Top

gbhrps

Gentlemen,

We all know that the top mechanisms on our 370z’s are intricate, with lots of electrical and hydraulic pieces that can cause grief. This intricacy of the top system, and the rarity of 370z Roadsters, means that few Nissan Technicians will have ever dealt with sufficient top issues to have a real thorough knowledge of servicing them, other than ripping off the top mechanism and replacing it entirely.

I’m not referring to just replacing the convertible top material and such, but rather to correcting issues with the top opening and closing, etc.

What I’m searching for is a list of Nissan Dealerships in North America, who have demonstrated to members here that they can accurately diagnose and repair the top mechanism. Having such a list, updated from time to time, would be a godsend in my opinion.

Where I live (city of 43 000) the Nissan dealer has been operating for 5 years, and has only ever had one roadster in its inventory. Good luck should I ever need to have a top problem corrected. Any of you who have read through the convertible top section of the factory service manual will know what I mean. It is daunting. I know in my case, I’d haul my roadster 500 miles to get a top issue corrected, if I knew the dealership could do the job.

I realize that the TopHydraulics people can rebuild any of the hydraulic components to better than new, and if I had the pump or a hydraulic piston fail, I’d send the parts to them for a rebuild. But the sensors, the wiring, the computer, etc., who does a good job on that end of things?

So ………. who has had a top mechanism issue that the dealership ( in Canada or the USA) was able to correct accurately and quickly?

Gene

gbhrps

Gentlemen,

Alright, 8 days have passed since my original post, and no one has offered up even one suggestion as to a dealership they feel confident enough in to take their roadster to for a convertible top fix. So one must assume that its a crap shoot.

That is pretty telling from my perspective, and a little bit disturbing at the same time. I was hoping for one or two to be identified in my area, either in Detroit, Michigan, or Toronto, Canada.

So, I'll leave this thread for a while, and resurrect it in 6 months time, and maybe some one here will have a dealership to start the list with.

Gene

ZipNZ370

Hi,

I have been researching this issue to death as I have finally experienced the "top" issues. I imagine anyone with a Roadster will at some point have to deal with it, some sooner than others. I have found that there is no consistency in failure. Some people have issue at under 30k miles, some at over 75k miles and everything in between.

What is consistent is the lack of the knowledge of Nissan dealerships and their service techs to troubleshoot and resolve the issues. And their default answer is most certainly more often than not to replace the entire top. Costing thousands of customer dollars out of pocket given that most occurrences take place after warranty has expired.

Nissan has BIG TIME dropped the ball here and I for one am beyond disappointed. I have owned 1 Sentra, 1 Frontier, 1 Nismo 4x4 Frontier, 1 Quest, 2 Pathfinders and now on my last Nissan vehicle, the 2010 370 Roadster. I have had steering column problems (replaced twice) after it went out the third time I said F@#! IT, Im not taking it back again. I searched the Forums to see what else could be done and found a solution...so far so good. Now at only 51k miles my top decides to give me problems. This is ridiculous to have these kinds of mechanical problems at with so few miles. AND to not have the support of the manufacturer and trained qualified technicians to resolve the issues of the car they manufactured which so many of the same model have the same issues is just beyond words for me.

I still have not decided if I will weather through this and keep dealing with problem after problem and not receive the peace of mind that if I take it to the Nissan dealer they will be able to actually pinpoint an issue and resolve it in a timely cost effective manner. Or if I will just throw up my hands and go buy something else.

No, you will not likely receive posts listing a reputable knowledgeable Nissan dealer in this regard.

After being a loyal Nissan customer for years, after this migraine, I will never buy another Nissan again!!!!!

gbhrps

ZipNZ370,

I started this thread a while ago and had no responses until now. I see, as well, that you have been on three threads in the last day or so, on this convertible top issue you're presently having.

First let me say that Nissan sells FAR LESS roadsters than 370z coupes, and therein lies the biggest problem so many people are having with the roadsters. The Nissan service people just do not see enough convertibles in a given year to gain much first hand knowledge of working through the problems with them.

Then, too, the top mechanisms are complex (8 hydraulic rams, each has two limit switches, etc.), and many of the parts needing checking are sandwiched between the top material and the inner liner.

The factory service manual for the convertible top section alone is 249 pages long. A service tech may spend more time reading the service manual than actually working on the fix, as many individual part sections are referred back to other sections in the same 249 pages. Sure they have the Nissan Tech computer to point them to the trouble spot, if they're lucky perhaps, but they will never be any where as competent working on the top as they will be doing a brake job.

I agree your steering lock issue has long been a trouble spot for every model of Nissan since 2009 up until part way through 2011 models. Unfortunately they could have handled the issue far better, shame on them for not doing so, and you've been caught up in it with your 2010. Your online research has shown you that.

Personally I would continue to scream about it to the dealership, Nissan of America, and the better business bureau. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Myself, I have concerns about top failure with my 2016 roadster (11 000 mi at present) and watch it closely. I have downloaded the factory service manual here, read absolutely everything I can find on these top problems and fixes, and have worked on my own cars, many of them convertibles, for over 50 years. I suspect that if my top becomes a problem, I will tackle it myself, as much as possible. Having three other vehicles to drive, and a place to work on them and the tools makes it possible.

As for your top issue, I don't have an answer for you. Its out of warranty and its 7 years old. Maybe some firm but friendly letters to Nissan's head office will yield some results. Too often a bad experience with a certain make of vehicle destroys the customer relationship, and the customer moves on to another make, never to return. Yes, I've been there before myself in 1980 with Chrysler. And I vowed then that I'd never own another one, and I've kept my word. Include some similar language in your letters and see if that yields results. Fingers crossed for you!

Gene

SouthArk370Z

Maybe widen your search a bit? Something like:
Best Shops To Service Convertible Top

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Jhill

Well ended up in this page by accident but I'll tell you it's not just Nissan. All techs for every car line do not want to mass with top issues. When I was with Mercedes no one wanted to touch the convertibles as they are all very complex now days and it's an absolute insult what they want to pay to have them fixed (based on rediculous warranty times), I've seen techs spend a day and a half or more just to come back and get paid .4 hrs

So yes your car is a hot potatoe and no one will want to work on it so they will all try to run and dodge it or as you said put a whole new unit on where at least your guaranteed some time.