NHTSA Complaint #10285652 — 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA

'04 MAXIMA, MAINTAINED REGULARLY, ORIGINAL OWNER, PURCHASED IN SUMMER OF '03(FIRST BATCH OF ASSY. LINE); STEREO HEAD UNIT SAT BUTTON, BUT NO SAT CONNECTIONS IN BACK OF HEAD UNIT. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT ONE YEAR ('06) NEAR CHRISTMAS TO TREAT MYSELF TO HAVE SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO INSTALLED IN MY CAR AS I WAS PROMISED BY THE ADVERTISEMENTS AT TIME OF PURCHASE. THE TECH HAD ALREADY MOUNTED THE ANTENNA TO MY ROOF AND THEN WAS READY TO INSTALL THE TUNER AND CONNECT IT TO THE STEREO HEAD UNIT AND COULD NOT LOCATE THE JACKS ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD UNIT TO CONNECT THE SATELLITE TUNER. THE SERVICE ADVISOR EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THEY HAVE RUN INTO THIS ON THE CARS THAT CAME OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE IN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF PRODUCTION OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. THE CARS HAVE A SAT BUTTON ON THE DASH BUT NO CONNECTIONS ON THE HEAD UNIT TO CONNECT ONE. ALSO EXPLAINED IT HAD SINCE BEEN CORRECTED BY NISSAN ON ALL CARS OF THE SAME MODEL MADE AFTER, THAT HAD THE APPROPRIATE STEREO HEAD UNIT INSTALLED TO ACCOMMODATE SATELLITE RADIO TUNERS. HE THEN CONTINUED TO TELL ME THAT NISSAN WAS NOT COVERING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE HEAD UNIT FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS REQUESTING SATELLITE RADIO INSTALLATION. THIS WAS A BIG BLOW TO ME AND I COULD NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE HEAD UNIT MYSELF. THE TECH HAD TO UN-MOUNT THE ANTENNA LEAVING CHUNKS OF PAINT MISSING FROM MY ROOF AND I HAD SINCE HAD TO INSTALL AN AFTERMARKET PORTABLE SATELLITE RADIO WHICH ALWAYS GIVES ME STATIC PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE NISSAN SHOULD COVER THIS REPLACEMENT SINCE THE CAR WAS ADVERTISED AT TIME OF PURCHASE TO HAVE THE OPTION OF SATELLITE RADIO. I ONLY OPTED OUT AT TIME OF PURCHASE BECAUSE I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE FACT THAT I COULD ALWAYS COME BACK AND GET IT INSTALLED. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT ISSUE AT TIME OF PURCHASE, THE DEALER WOULD HAVE FIXED THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE THE SALE. WHY NOT AFTER THE FACT? TREATING CURRENT OWNERS GOOD IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ATTRACTING NEW ONES. REPEAT BUSINESS IS EVERY COMPANIES BREAD AND BUTTER. *TR