I have never had the knack for preferring Nissan produced vehicles due to various feedbacks and expensive spare parts in times where the need to fix them may be a necessity suffices. While I tried my luck in 2001 when I bought a second hand Nissan Vanette, I admit I loved the interior and the space that it had, not to mention the cold air-conditioning system to which Nissan is very well known for. Unfortunately, due to spare parts issues, most of which were hard to locate as well as the high cost for getting a surplus part, I decided to just dispose of it, selling it at around $2,000.00. The price sold was really a bargain considering I had already taken the liberty of fixing the other parts that needed fixing. But I had no regrets since looking at a long-term investment; it was truly a debacle of sorts.
Last year, I was again exposed to new car product lines, specifically the SUV types that included the X-Trail and the Terrano classes. Seeing them again, I was caught in a short discussion where most of the new owner claimed that these vehicles were already improved and had no issues. That was last year, but today is a different story.
Just some moments ago, I read this issue regarding an order by Nissan Motors to recall over 130,000 vehicles spread over North America and Asia regarding these two product lines due to a faulty ignition system. The recall order included another product line, the Maxima series. The ignition problem is concentrated only on models that used “intelligent keys� with integrated circuit chips insider where the owner or driver can open their car doors even if the keys are still inside their pockets by merely pressing the handle. The real problem lies in the actual ignition part of the key, a defect that has proven to be unsolved thus the need to recall the said vehicles.
Such a setback such as recalling products of any kind are subject to criticism and will surely create a severe blow to the brand building and marketing efforts of Nissan Motors. Already playing catch-up to the leaders that include Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi, this is sure to dampen their spirits all the more. While not the entire company may feel the setback from this widening development, the product class may need to be recalled as well, and thought of strategically if Nissan is to continue building on this vehicle class as well.
Here is an excerpt from this news article.
Originally posted on October 19, 2006 @ 9:41 am
