what happened to the Nissan Parts department?

[captaingamez]

So I call around for parts for my 910, or for any Datsun for that matter to the dealership, and I pretty much get "No Longer Available" and shooed away and told to go pound sand cause theres nothing they can do for me as far as Nissan is concerned.

 

But that actually seems not to be entirely the case. recently I asked DAWA to find me a few parts for the 910, and he forwarded me to a website called Amayama trading company. well it seems that at least for my car, this site has a whole lot of NOS or just plain New parts on hand, so far I was able to find my rear window weatherstripping and sunroof weatherstripping. and its eash, all I did was type the part numbers into google and typed "europe" next to it. You see, Amayama is some how related to Nissan europe and they find their parts through them, any way, searching that easily found me what I needed in either UAE, or Japan.

 

someone on here said that you used to be able to access a worldwide parts network in the Nissan dealership but that changed when they merged with Renault,

 

so what happened? and are all these parts NOS, or does Nissan still make parts and keep quantities on hand for other countries?

[yellowdatsun]

It boils down to two things:

 

The first is that a few years back Nissan sold off the majority of their older parts, the rest were tossed into a landfill.

 

The second is that Nissan doesn't care about their older cars. This can be shown from their lack of supporting vintage events, and that many of their parts counter guys just don't care anymore. It wasn't always the case, we used to have a really good parts guy at ABC Nissan here in town, but when they revamped the dealership he was gone, and with him went the willingness for them to help out the Datsun people. There's still a few good ones out there, like Chad at Chico Nissan.

[]2eDeYe]

Well when you charge $40 for a $11 oil seal and don't keep them in stock it is kinda silly...Couldn't even get an oil pump for my KA without having to wait a week. Not sure why, just know it's lame. Maybe it has something to do with changing the local stealership name from Performance Nissan to Magic Nissan... Stupidist name change ever.

 

nissanparts.cc is pretty good usually though. :)

[w_datsun_a]

I have had good luck with Younker Nissan.  I was even able to get parts for my transmission on my 620.  They were also really patient on looking up parts also.

[DanielC]

I have had good luck with Andrea, at Gladstone (OR) Nissan.  it is trus there is a lot of stuff NLA, but she will take the time to look.  And if you mention Ratsun.Net you can get a discount.

[captaingamez]

well I called about both seals and they are NLA in the US, but in other countries they are available. wtf?. I have one of them on the way, and the other I am waiting on shipping quote.

[Z-train]

Courtesy Nissan.

 

In Tucson, It's Thoroughbred. They know from whence they came. They still use a 240Z in their commercials.

[Str8_69]

I have never set foot in a dealership to buy a car part ever.

[PDX Matt]

This past weekend I called Nissan of Portland and got a quote for a driveshaft carrier bearing and was even given a quote by their one "Datsun mechanic." Maybe this is just a recent thing. 

[MikeRL411]

I used to deal for parts through Nissan USA in the Gardena headquarters. Their support was superb. They would contact Nissan Foreign Parts [which I think still exists but today's dealers are too lazy or ignorant of it's existence] who would supply the parts availability and a contact phone or internet adress for the local dealer parts department to call and put the part into the delivery cycle. Their support extended this far. I needed a new starter or rebuild kit for my RL411. Nissan Foreign Parts went to Yokohama. They surveyed their inventory and came up empty. I pointed out that when Nissan went to Microfische and scrapped the paper "red book" they skipped the starter page but that the 2 liter SRL311 roadster engine block used the same starter. BINGO! Really no new units and all rebuilt units sold with no future orders. BUT! Since I asked about rebuild kits,they had none but sent me a list of all RL411 and SRL311 starter parts in stock and asked which parts I wanted them to send! I ordered what I needed and rebuilt my original starter which still functions.

 

Bottom line, maybe if you are insistent [or obnoxious] enough to get the parts manager's attention he will call the piss poor parts support office at the new Tennessee location and request a search of the foreign parts department listing in Yokohama.

 

Renault's parts support is second only to the crappy cars they manufacture in France.

Edited July 23, 2013 by MikeRL411

[SupDoc]

It boils down to two things:

 

The first is that a few years back Nissan sold off the majority of their older parts, the rest were tossed into a landfill.

 

The second is that Nissan doesn't care about their older cars. This can be shown from their lack of supporting vintage events, and that many of their parts counter guys just don't care anymore. It wasn't always the case, we used to have a really good parts guy at ABC Nissan here in town, but when they revamped the dealership he was gone, and with him went the willingness for them to help out the Datsun people. There's still a few good ones out there, like Chad at Chico Nissan.

 

+1 on Chico Nissan

[KELMO]

Having worked at Nissan Dealerships from 1986 to 2009 I have talked to the piss poor support staff in Tennessee and have been told by them if a part comes up NLA then I am SOL

 

The guy at ABC Nissan had to be Rod.  Only guy I know if that would actually take the time to help people.  Whenever someone came into a store I was running with a Datsun, the guys would come and get me to find parts...I loved it.

 

FWIW I have access to catalogs and am willing to look up part #'s.  Just PM me make model and year and I'll grin ear to ear.

[Silky_Johnson]

I have had good luck with Andrea, at Gladstone (OR) Nissan.  it is trus there is a lot of stuff NLA, but she will take the time to look.  And if you mention Ratsun.Net you can get a discount.

 

I have also been happy with Gladstone Nissan.  They have treated me really well down there, and Andrea knows me well enough now to automatically take 20% off for the Ratsun discount when I walk in.  I just put in an order for a Roadster pressure plate and throwout bearing last night, and they'll be here by the end of the week.

[Silky_Johnson]

FWIW I have access to catalogs and am willing to look up part #'s.  Just PM me make model and year and I'll grin ear to ear.

 

I'll definitely be hitting you up for part numbers in the future!  I use carpartsmanual.com for most of my research, but they don't have numbers for my zx tranny, sx brakes, and so on.

[OkieRA29]

This is not just endemic to Nissan.  Toyota is the same way with older parts support.  Luckily, I have a really good parts guy, that I have followed from dealer to dealer.  If I can get him a part number, he can usually find it in stock somewhere.  There are a few parts guys and gals out there that know their stuff.  If you find one, treasure them and treat them well.

 

Edited so the spelling and grammar cops don't come down on me...

[Farmer Joe]

its funny this thread comes up.

 

i just went to the nampa nissan dealership. bronco motors nissan or some shit.

 

pull in the parking lot, and park in a visitor spot with the datsun.

 

blank looks from all the sales staff, no one asked if i needed help.

 

get to the parts desk, and it takes 5 min for someone to show up.

 

ask them if they still stock KA24 rockers.

 

doesnt know what a KA is. tell him, engine from 93 nissan pickup.

 

$20 more than anyone else local.

 

then some dumbass salesman starts talking to me about his datsun 620 he had, and how it had the big 800cc engine in it.

 

biggest waste of my time. wont ever go to a nissan dealer again.

[72240z]

Its not worth it to their bottom line to care so much. The money/time/effort it costs them to account for and stock some 30+yo parts to cater to such a small group of owners isnt worth it to them. Can't say I blame them really. Its not nissan or even nissan and yoda is every make out there. 

Some dealers make it their business to fill the niche though. As mention courtesy Nissan is famous for being a go to on any part. 

They didnt toss ALL their old parts either. I still know people who hunt down nos datsun parts collecting dust on dealer shelves to resell at ridiculous prices. Like door cards for 150 bucks that resell for a grand. Some people are even hunting the Japanese dealerships for nos mirrors, steering wheels, bumpers, even huge shit like 1/4 panels w/e and making a mint on them. Soon though, very soon, everything will be gone. Once that happens we are REALLY going to see values shoot up. Just like they have for every other make/model that ran dry through the years. Maybe then will we get a stronger repro market like the domestics have. 

[danfiveten]

I have also been happy with Gladstone Nissan.  They have treated me really well down there, and Andrea knows me well enough now to automatically take 20% off for the Ratsun discount when I walk in.  I just put in an order for a Roadster pressure plate and throwout bearing last night, and they'll be here by the end of the week.

I dont mind andrea and stuff, but i wont support gladstone after what they did to mike, i go to beaverton and they actually search there.  Gladstone has screwed me before, and then someone thats worked parts for nissan forever, and other people i know that have worked there.  They also wouldnt give my wife a loan on a sentra telling us a bunch of bullshit, yet beaverton nissan had no issues. Gladstone doesnt see a cent from me anymore, burnt every bridge by fucking me, and fucking people i know. But thats just me, they do have a good parts department there, but i just wont support the ownership structure of that dealership. 

[Silky_Johnson]

I dont mind andrea and stuff, but i wont support gladstone after what they did to mike, i go to beaverton and they actually search there.  Gladstone has screwed me before, and then someone thats worked parts for nissan forever, and other people i know that have worked there.  They also wouldnt give my wife a loan on a sentra telling us a bunch of bullshit, yet beaverton nissan had no issues. Gladstone doesnt see a cent from me anymore, burnt every bridge by fucking me, and fucking people i know. But thats just me, they do have a good parts department there, but i just wont support the ownership structure of that dealership. 

 

 

Sounds like you had a bad experience?  Had I the same experience, I'm sure I would react the same way.  By the way, what happened to Mike?  I only remember seeing him a couple of times.  He must be related to Andrea?  Same last name?

 

The way I see it is that A. I get a discount; B. Andrea gets paid whether or not I get the discount; and C. Gladstone Nissan probably doesn't make any money after they give me 20% off.  You can rest assured that they're not making any money off me.  :thumbup:

[]2eDeYe]

Its not worth it to their bottom line to care so much. The money/time/effort it costs them to account for and stock some 30+yo parts to cater to such a small group of owners isnt worth it to them. Can't say I blame them really. Its not nissan or even nissan and yoda is every make out there. 

 

 

 

 

The thing is... I own newer Nissans as well and if they can't get a part for a motor made in 1995 within a week and still want to charge 5 times the price of someone that can get it in one day, why would I bother going there for parts on my 2001 Xterra or our 2006 Terra. It's terrible customer support and it is a shame Nissan doesn't hold their dealers to any kind of standard.

 

I have had better luck getting parts from a Nissan dealer in Texas than my local dealer...wtf? :lol:

[Draker]

Courtesy nissan ftw.

 

I've ordered parts from them.. and they found them in Japan and they were shipped to me. Obscure parts too... 92 300zx AC compressor orings and shaft seal. 

 

Called my local dealer, they just said nope.

 

It comes down to parts sitting on shelves don't make you money. In fact, it ties up money that could be making you money else where. The key is being able to get the parts quick. If they aren't on the shelves and you can't get them quick, you lose.

[captaingamez]

Sounds like you had a bad experience?  Had I the same experience, I'm sure I would react the same way.  By the way, what happened to Mike?  I only remember seeing him a couple of times.  He must be related to Andrea?  Same last name?

 

The way I see it is that A. I get a discount; B. Andrea gets paid whether or not I get the discount; and C. Gladstone Nissan probably doesn't make any money after they give me 20% off.  You can rest assured that they're not making any money off me.  :thumbup:

they are making a killing off of you giving you that %20.

 

example:

I worked at the yamaha dealer, in the service department. I needed new carburetor boots for my Seca 2, they were $28.75 per boot and you need 4.

 

with my discount which was dealer cost plus an additional %15, each boot came out to just over $5.00.

 

 

 

The thing is... I own newer Nissans as well and if they can't get a part for a motor made in 1995 within a week and still want to charge 5 times the price of someone that can get it in one day, why would I bother going there for parts on my 2001 Xterra or our 2006 Terra. It's terrible customer support and it is a shame Nissan doesn't hold their dealers to any kind of standard.

 

I have had better luck getting parts from a Nissan dealer in Texas than my local dealer...wtf? :lol:

I dont get this either, I have a 2002 Honda , and I had to order parts for it from the dealer in 2009, they already didnt have the parts there anymore.

 

 

as I said, it seems alot of this stuff is available in europe, the middle east, and Japan, If you go into Ford, and ask for parts for your 1971 mustang, theres a high probability you can still get them, or they will at least be willing to help you try to find them.

 

do americans not care enough about Japanese cars so the Japanese dont care about us?

[Silky_Johnson]

Well, they might be making money from me, maybe not.  Either way, it's cheaper than going to another dealer, and I could walk to the dealer in 10 minutes from my house.

______________________________________________________

 

On another thought, I wonder if the availability of older parts has to do with the fact that the Japanese, as a culture, don't drive older cars?  We're talking about a nation in which the majority of automobile owners don't drive cars much older than 5 years old.  I think there is a lot of myth on this subject (for instance the 60,000 mile motor replacement), but the fact is that we (especially in the northwest) drive older cars compared to the Japanese.  Maybe they don't value fixing old cars like we do because they just don't have them?  Either Tristin or Dawa will correct me on this.

 

One of the funnier myths I heard about the Japanese driving old cars is that they aren't necessarily afraid of their car breaking down because of the cost to fix it and so on.  They are more afraid to inconvenience other people by blocking traffic.  Maybe true, maybe not?  Either way - very honorable!

[MikeRL411]

One reason why most Japanese don't want older cars is that cars need an inspection every 2 years. Very thorough. At 10 years the inspection becomes an annual very chicken shit inspection. Makes German automobile inspections look amateur by comparison. It turns out that most drivers put 6,000 Klicks [about 4,000 miles] on their cars as an average. My niece's husband had to literally give away a beautiful 10 year old Toyota station wagon with 50,000 Kilometers on the clock because no one would buy it and dealers would not take it in on trade. This is the source for the 40,000 mile JDM engines. Now of course there is another outlet for 10 year old vehicles. Put them on a barge and send them to Vladivostok! Any 10 year old Japanese vehicle beats a Lada.

[captaingamez]

Well, they might be making money from me, maybe not.  Either way, it's cheaper than going to another dealer, and I could walk to the dealer in 10 minutes from my house.

well true iim just saying....., I would take %20 any day of the week!.