Problems Charging at Nissan Dealerships?

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GreenFoot

Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Messages
9
Has anyone had a problem charging at Nissan Dealerships?

A few months ago, I got into it at Surf City Nissan. They had non-Leaf cars parked next to the charging stations. When I asked if they could move the car, so I could charge, they refused. I was down to a few miles of charge left and luckily was able to make it to Connell Nissan who let me charge without an incident. I wrote a letter to Green Car Reports and got over 2500 hits, many from Leaf owners who were outraged that a Leaf owner would be turned away. By the way, a rep from Surf City Nissan wrote on the reply that it was just a misunderstanding and of course they welcome Leaf drivers to stops and charge. Trust me, there was no misunderstanding.

Nissan wrote to me and said their dealerships are independent contractors and they can't require them to allow Leaf drivers to charge up. If that's true, why does our GPS systems direct us to the nearest Nissan Dealers when our battery charge is low? That makes no sense.

I think the Leaf is going to be a hard sell beyond the first early adopters. Truth is, Nissan needs all of us to be very supportive of the car and especially the build up and ease of charging stations. The Leaf will certainly be a big bust if the general public thinks they're not going to be treated with open arms at Nissan dealers across the country.

Has anyone else had a problem with charging at Nissan Dealers?
 
GreenFoot said:
Nissan wrote to me and said their dealerships are independent contractors and they can't require them to allow Leaf drivers to charge up. If that's true, why does our GPS systems direct us to the nearest Nissan Dealers when our battery charge is low? That makes no sense.
Because Nissan dropped the ball. They assumed that no dealer in their right mind would turn people away, so they didn't write the contract for LEAF certification to mandate access.
 
A few have, and those dealers earned themselves a "reputation". Some of these have later changed their charging policies to be more helpful.

HOWEVER, most dealers have been very kind and nice about letting LEAFs charge during business hours. A few dealers have even arranged after-hours (24/7) access.

Some people even encourage buying things from those that treat you best. :D

I suggest calling ahead if at all possible, asking nicely for permission, and using the word "Please".

If you have failed to plan ahead (or at least make prior contingency arrangements), and the charging is really "needed" (not just "wanted"), explaining how you planned poorly, and offering to pay "emergency" rates might also help.

No, it is NOT your RIGHT to get free e-fuel at Nissan Dealers (even if Nissan puts them in Carwings), or ignore planning ahead.

How would you feel if somebody arrived unannounced at your home and wanted you to move your cars so that they could "drink" some of your e-fuel, that they really did not even need?
 
Just to clarify the point. When I bought my Leaf one of the selling points was the Nissan dealership charging network would be available since Blink and other "for pay" options wouldn't be available. If the dealerships were allowed to charge for using their charging stations, they would. But currently, it is illegal for them to resell electricity. Also, there is nothing stopping dealerships from installing level 3 quick chargers, but they are expensive and the dealers don't want to spend the money. Sometimes planning ahead just doesn't work out. And sometimes saying "pretty please" falls on deaf ears. When a dealership parks a non Leaf car in a charging spot, they are sending out a message loud and clear.
 
I haven't had that problem yet, but if I do, I have a response in mind if I really do need the charge.

When speaking with the Nissan Dealer manager, I'd advise him/her that my next step is to call Nissan Roadside support because I'm in an emergency. They will agree to tow the car to the nearest Nissan Dealer. Yes, sir, that's this dealership. At that point you can refuse to service my car under the roadside assistance program and I'll submit a complaint under their procedures. If needed, I will have the roadside assistance people have the car flatbeded from this dealership to one that has a better customer service attitude.

Sometimes forcing things to the absurd can convey your perspective better than arguing :p
 
1. In CA it is not illegal to charge for charging vehicles.

The CA PUC made a special ruling that EV charging was not "selling" electricity and one did not need to be a PU to do it.

2. Some salesperson might have told you that you could charge your LEAF at any Nissan Dealership, but it is unlikely that you have any paperwork that gives you that right. Sorry if you feel mislead, either by Nissan or by any salesperson's ... conjecture.

3. The Tow-to-Same-Dealer ploy can be countered with the dealer saying ... ok, have it towed here, and we will put your car in the back for our service expert to look at as soon as he comes back from his vacation and catches up on the work preceeding your car.

Your move!
 
If the dealers wanted to charge for the service, they would have to spend additional money to install systems that would take credit cards or pre-paid service cards the way Blink works. So far, the dealerships I've stopped at haven't done that. I don't think the dealerships should have to pay for my charge, but maybe Nissan should work out some kind of charge reimbursement for them. It's in the best interest of the company to have happy Leaf drivers who are going to be singing the car's praises -- and the one thing that Leaf drivers share is "range anxiety." If early adopters are worried about running out of juice what's that say about people who are already on the fence?
 
GreenFoot said:
If the dealers wanted to charge for the service, they would have to spend additional money to install systems that would take credit cards or pre-paid service cards the way Blink works. ...
Not really. That's only required if they want them to work unattended like a vending machine. For a dealer who only allows charging when open, they could simply ask for payment before letting you connect. The problem is that these dealers don't want to get paid, they want to snub customers of other dealers.
 
On the "honey" side instead of "vinegar," I've found dealerships have been more than helpful when I've come up with my camera and car and explained that I want to take a picture of my car charging and post it to the dealerships' Facebook page. I've always come in with the attitude of "I'm here to help you sell more cars by showing off my most-enjoyable car ever, while I get some electricity."

The ploy I have for using Roadside Assistance has never needed to be used, and I hope I never have to test it.
 
garygid said:
How would you feel if somebody arrived unannounced at your home and wanted you to move your cars so that they could "drink" some of your e-fuel, that they really did not even need?
Yeah, and I sell LEAFs out of my garage and list my house in every Nissan LEAF ever sold as one of only a few places to charge the LEAF that appears in CarWings!!! The site is listed in ALL LEAFs sold from any dealer.

Whether it's the dealer or corporate - I give a rat's #$(*#(*, the big sign says Nissan, and CarWINGS says - Charge Here with no restrictions indicated.

If it's problem - it's a problem for Nissan Corporate and the dealers to get that dealer REMOVED from CarWings!!

That's a LOT DIFFERENT than me showing up at your house asking for a charge. To any lay person, it implies that the service is there and available for use without reservations since it is publicly listed in CarWings and doesn't show ANY restrictions or Caveats... Sheesh even the cell phone people have to put "*" after FREE! Why can't (the very few, exceptional) stingy, rude dealers do the same. Better yet REMOVE THEIR DEALER FROM CARWINGS charger listings!!!
 
garygid said:
3. The Tow-to-Same-Dealer ploy can be countered with the dealer saying ... ok, have it towed here, and we will put your car in the back for our service expert to look at as soon as he comes back from his vacation and catches up on the work preceeding your car.
Instead of empty threats it is better to just do it. But the truth is that he was in range of a friendly dealership and probably in range to South Coast Plaza.

And I am not sure that calling road side service is going to be a good move while at the dealer with a functioning car. Best to make an attempt to get to the next closest charging station and then call even if you are towed back to the same place.

That is my 2 cents ;)
 
To one of the OPs points - dealerships showing up in CarWings and then refusing to allow you to charge. I agree that is an issue. It would be nice if there was a way to remove these dealers from CarWings - or to have something like TomTom has - a community supplied overlay that has more up to date information. That way, you'd have the official and the community from which to take your pick.
 
Try using http://www.PlugShare.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They seem to be making progress:

1. including ChargePoint locations,
2. including Blink locations,
3. trying out a web-browser interface.
 
Every dealer I've been to has been cooperative in letting me charge. In one case when a car was blocking the charging station I went inside and spoke with someone who was willing to move it so I could charge. However, if I run into trouble it would be easy to say I'll call the local news network, I'm sure they'd be happy to cover it. Every dealer that is listed on the Leaf nav is currently obliged to charge a Leaf at no cost. It is indeed our right as Leaf owners.
 
johnr said:
... Every dealer that is listed on the Leaf nav is currently obliged to charge a Leaf at no cost. It is indeed our right as Leaf owners.
I sincerely hope you simply have a very dry sense of humor that I'm missing, because that is absolutely not true.
 
At some point, someone will see the absurdity of the whole situation. Gas stations work for ICE cars for two reasons:
1. They're everywhere.
2. It's a very infrequent occurance to go into a gas station and not be able to buy gas.

The EV charging network needs to work the same way. The fact that EV charging stations are not yet everywhere coupled with the small "fuel tank" and long fill time of an EV only makes it more necessary to be able to rely on being able to get a charge at any published charging location.

IMHO charging at the Nissan dealer is a stopgap measure so that Nissan can put charging points into carwings until the public charging infrastructure is built out better. Do Nissan dealers need to provide gas for their ICE cars? No, because there's likely one or more nearby gas stations convenient to just about every Nissan dealer. In a few years, getting an EV charge at the Nissan dealer may be a lot less important.

On a side note, I have to feel that, just as there are plenty of EV haters in the public-at-large who potificate about how the government is using incentives to ram EV's down consumer's throats, I suspect there are some at Nissan dealers who convertly (or even openly) think of Nissan as ramming the LEAF down their throats. This is likely the major seed which causes problems at Nissan dealers who are uncooperative regarding Nissan's charging guidelines.
 
Every dealer that is listed on the Leaf nav is currently obliged [sic] to charge a Leaf at no cost. It is indeed our right as Leaf owners.

There is no such right.
 
Nissan dealerships can only eventually realize that refusing to let a Leaf owner charge for no real reason only allows an unhappy owner to tell 10 of his friends...yada yada.

will Mitsubishi, Ford, Coda, Tesla etc have the same issue? well, if they do then EVs in general will be on even footing. but if a few Nissan Dealers create a rep that Leaf charging is not available at any dealer, then i think we all know where this is going.

now, how many buyers will be encouraged to go elsewhere due to this possible problem, even if not an issue in the buyers local area? there will always be unhappy customers and some cannot be pleased and any solution that helps, especially one as ultimately cheap as allowing charging (the charge station is already there, so its cost is not a factor, only the juice!) to any Leaf Owner, especially at this early stage of product release is simply a very very stupid marketing decision

i think we should do what we can to publicize any kind of flak received from any dealer when getting a charge. it should not be combined into this post. each separate incident should be trumpeted to the rafters of the world wide web as loudly as we can.
 
davewill said:
johnr said:
... Every dealer that is listed on the Leaf nav is currently obliged to charge a Leaf at no cost. It is indeed our right as Leaf owners.
I sincerely hope you simply have a very dry sense of humor that I'm missing, because that is absolutely not true.
Sorry, but that's what Nissan has led me to believe. They have required all dealers that would sell the Leaf to install charging stations (am I right?). The idea is, to help sell the car they provide infrastructure. Besides, the nav screen lists these dealers as charging locations. So unless you have some information I don't, I'm not sure why you say this?
 
johnr said:
davewill said:
johnr said:
... Every dealer that is listed on the Leaf nav is currently obliged to charge a Leaf at no cost. It is indeed our right as Leaf owners.
I sincerely hope you simply have a very dry sense of humor that I'm missing, because that is absolutely not true.
Sorry, but that's what Nissan has led me to believe. They have required all dealers that would sell the Leaf to install charging stations (am I right?).
True. Otherwise how could they start a customer off with a "full tank"?

johnr said:
The idea is, to help sell the car they provide infrastructure.
False, the infrastructure they have been pushing for is not at the dealers.

johnr said:
Besides, the nav screen lists these dealers as charging locations.
True, but the current state of the nav system falls so far short of being useful that it is laughable. They have a few stations there that shouldn't be, and many, many, stations missing that should be present. As the navigation manual itself says:
Charging station information may not be detailed in all areas or reflect current charging station locations. For up to date information about charging stations, such as business hours or charging equipment, NISSAN recommends that you directly access the information on your own.
No commitment there, for sure.

Ray
 
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