Nissan Stumbles...

[motownr]

A nice break from all the bad news about GM and Ford: here's a story on how the media's automotive darling is having problems.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/conte...47/b3960064.htm

I've heard that over 10% of Nissan's dealers have already sued the company for what sound like some nasty tactics. Apparently, Ghosn's trick is to cut corners to prop up short-term profits and threaten any dealer who doesn't stock up on the necessary number of Quests, Titans, and Sentras needed to make the numbers. If you don't play ball, they lose your allocation of whatever's hot or send you all kind of nice legal letters about terminating your franchise.

BW hints that the gig is up. I agree. Nissan is as close to Toyota and GM as the Lions are to winning the Super Bowl.

[jbartley]

and he picks NOW to move the company across the country? ooo boy! a genius!

[Variance]

Nissan's HQ move isn't starting unit next summer.

[motownr]

The relocation is an interesting topic. Obviously, the toll in terms of turnover and the distraction it represents is at the top of everyone's list. However, if you read into the BW article a bit, you see a pattern emerging: Ghosn does whatever it takes to cut short-term expenses, and leaves the LT implications to...well, the long-term. He did the same thing in terms of cutting component costs, and while the ST profits have been stellar, the LT damage to Nissan's reputation is starting to show itself in things like the recent CR Reliabily Survey, which basically said that Nissan was the first major Japanese mfg to have a reputation for BAD quality. I wonder if the jury is still out on Ghosn: if the follow ups to the Altima and sentra are marginal (and they are rumored to be pretty conservative), and Nissan continues to struggle, maybe everyone won't continue to think he should be running GM or Ford. It'll be fascinating to see how it turns out.

[Teh Ricer Civic!]

He did the same thing in terms of cutting component costs, and while the ST profits have been stellar, the LT damage to Nissan's reputation is starting to show itself in things like the recent CR Reliabily Survey, which basically said that Nissan was the first major Japanese mfg to have a reputation for BAD quality.

[post="42860"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Nissan was never considered to be good quality....

[motownr]

Nissan was never considered to be good quality....

[post="42873"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

But were they (until recently) ever really thought of as bad quality? I've always thought of them as your stereotypical Japanese brand in terms of quality. In other words, better than average.

What CR is saying is something completely different: if you look at the data, it says that Nissan is about the worst in the industry in many segments.

That's a big difference.

[Variance]

But were they (until recently) ever really thought of as bad quality?  I've always thought of them as your stereotypical Japanese brand in terms of quality.  In other words, better than average.

What CR is saying is something completely different:  if you look at the data, it says that Nissan is about the worst in the industry in many segments.

That's a big difference.

[post="42880"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Only the trucks and Quest coming out of the new Canton plant have had quality issues.

As far as CR goes, I've explained the beef I've had with their ratings before:

http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...pic=2843&st=20#

[SoCalCTS]

Maybe the kind of shake-up Nissan needs is to replace Ghosn with a Japanese executive that is more concerned about the company's image and quality.

[motownr]

Only the trucks and Quest coming out of the new Canton plant have had quality issues.

As far as CR goes, I've explained the beef I've had with their ratings before:

http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...pic=2843&st=20#

[post="42885"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I agree 100% with the complaints about CR's methodology. If GM ever tried to use data like that, they'd have every lawyer in the country filing suit.

[mrfunji]

Nissan is as close to Toyota and GM as the Lions are to winning the Super Bowl.

Hey the Lions had an amazing game yesterday. They are back on track goooooooooooo Lions on the road to superbowl 40 :cheers:

I think all of Nissans models are feeling the squeeze because of gas prices. That VQ engine is pretty thirsty, and I'm pretty it lags a few MPG behind it's competitors, albeit it is faster.

[regfootball]

wrongo, i've read many owner reports of altimas. maximas, quest etc. that praise its excellent fuel economy, especially for so much power.

[regfootball]

"Nissan plans a late spring revamp of the quirky Quest minivan,a dud since its late-2003 launch" Well, i had agreed to buy one just recently, until they told me they couldn't deliver one off the lot because of a seat recall, and then i got to thinking, 'could i drive one of those things with the freakish dahsboard'? no, i couldn't but if they fix that interior, and the QC issues and fix the interiors on the Maxima etc. and get the next Altima and Sentra launches right, they'll be ok. Edited November 14, 2005 by regfootball

[The O.C.]

A nice break from all the bad news about GM and Ford:  here's a story on how the media's automotive darling is having problems.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/conte...47/b3960064.htm

I've heard that over 10% of Nissan's dealers have already sued the company for what sound like some nasty tactics.  Apparently, Ghosn's trick is to cut corners to prop up short-term profits and threaten any dealer who doesn't stock up on the necessary number of Quests, Titans, and Sentras needed to make the numbers. If you don't play ball, they lose your allocation of whatever's hot or send you all kind of nice legal letters about terminating your franchise.

BW hints that the gig is up. I agree.  Nissan is as close to Toyota and GM as the Lions are to winning the Super Bowl.

[post="42797"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Coming from a former GM District Sales Manager, we did the SAME thing to GM dealers ALL THE TIME.....

This is nothing new.....sad to say

[regfootball]

That's called channel stuffing. Software companies have been using this tactic for years. The manufacturer sells the dealer X number of vehicles at the end of the year and says he will buy them all back if they don't sell. They tried that with the Quest and and no one bought it, so the Nissan dealer I worked at tried to get Nissan to buy them back, but it turns out Nissan didn't want 60 ass-ugly minivans any more than the general public. Funny that.

[post="43239"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

should i be glad i didn't get one? love the handling and engine for a van, but the rest of it......