Loooong story, but I hope someone can offer me some advise.
About one month ago, my wife was driving my one month old 07 LE with 2800 miles on it. She was stopped at a light and the light turned green. She went ahead. A 1992 coversion van ran a red light going perpindicular to my wife. The van hit my wife in the front of the Titan. The woman admitted (along with witnesses) that she was on the phone and not paying attention. She saw the red light and floored the van. My wife hit her head on the drivers side door where the seatbelt attaches. She had a concussion and shoulder pain.
Had the truck towed to a body shop attached to the Nissan dealership where I bought the truck. After taking my wife to the hospital, she started pukeing, I saw the truck, the entire front was smashed and the tow hooks severly bent. the body shop told me the repairs were mostly surface cosmetic(bumper, grill etc) and the repairs would take 5 days. I recieved a call 2 days later from the body shop and was told that there was some frame damage. They also told me that they were closing that location of the body shop due to location and lack of the town letting them put up signs. They have 3 other locations and they said they would flatbed the truck to another shop and them back when it is done. I was okay with that.
One month and several promised (but failed) delivery days later, I finaly recieved the truck back at 8:00 on Friday night. It was dark and I could not inspect the work. The manager of the body shop delivered my truck to me and told me that the steering felt a little stiff to him, but he did not know how it drove before. He said to drive it and look better in the daylight. He took off and I started her up, when I turned the steering wheel, there was a severe noise and griding sensation. The suspension feels wrong and the body work was awfull. THere are huge gaps between panels, clearcoat drippings on the hood, trim pieces missing inside and the engine runs rough. Rough enough that the mirrors shake. The truck was filthy inside and out. I called the body shop back and I was told that they would make it right. I then contacted the other drivers insurance and told them I wanted a new truck since I was not comfortable with this one. You know the answer I got. They said it was no where near enough damage to total the truck. The damaged was around $7k. That was before the other issues (steering, suspension and engine) It looks like I am going to have to contact a lawyer to get anywhere with this insurance co. I have made 2 payments on this truck with one of those months being in the body shop. I have 58 more to go. I do not want this truck anymore. Who knows how severly damaged it really is and what will show in time. I had the Nissan dealership do a loss value for it and was told it is worth at leat $4k less due to the accident. The insurance told me I could try for diminished value, but I do not want the $ I want a new truck to replace mine. I will get a lawyer if needed, but I do not know what that will cost me and if it will even work. It just makes me sick that this beautiful truck is in such bad shape now.
Am I wrong in wanting a new truck out of the deal? That is fuzzy now also since I cannot get one just like I have now. There is no option for the offroad package on the 08 LE's. That means no locking differential OR tires etc. I think they should throw in nav and dvd to make up the difference. What do you guys think? THanks for listening to me rant and rave about the whole deal. It just consumes me every day when I think about it. It is such a shame to have a Titan in the shape mine is now, especially one that is 2 months old.
About one month ago, my wife was driving my one month old 07 LE with 2800 miles on it. She was stopped at a light and the light turned green. She went ahead. A 1992 coversion van ran a red light going perpindicular to my wife. The van hit my wife in the front of the Titan. The woman admitted (along with witnesses) that she was on the phone and not paying attention. She saw the red light and floored the van. My wife hit her head on the drivers side door where the seatbelt attaches. She had a concussion and shoulder pain.
Had the truck towed to a body shop attached to the Nissan dealership where I bought the truck. After taking my wife to the hospital, she started pukeing, I saw the truck, the entire front was smashed and the tow hooks severly bent. the body shop told me the repairs were mostly surface cosmetic(bumper, grill etc) and the repairs would take 5 days. I recieved a call 2 days later from the body shop and was told that there was some frame damage. They also told me that they were closing that location of the body shop due to location and lack of the town letting them put up signs. They have 3 other locations and they said they would flatbed the truck to another shop and them back when it is done. I was okay with that.
One month and several promised (but failed) delivery days later, I finaly recieved the truck back at 8:00 on Friday night. It was dark and I could not inspect the work. The manager of the body shop delivered my truck to me and told me that the steering felt a little stiff to him, but he did not know how it drove before. He said to drive it and look better in the daylight. He took off and I started her up, when I turned the steering wheel, there was a severe noise and griding sensation. The suspension feels wrong and the body work was awfull. THere are huge gaps between panels, clearcoat drippings on the hood, trim pieces missing inside and the engine runs rough. Rough enough that the mirrors shake. The truck was filthy inside and out. I called the body shop back and I was told that they would make it right. I then contacted the other drivers insurance and told them I wanted a new truck since I was not comfortable with this one. You know the answer I got. They said it was no where near enough damage to total the truck. The damaged was around $7k. That was before the other issues (steering, suspension and engine) It looks like I am going to have to contact a lawyer to get anywhere with this insurance co. I have made 2 payments on this truck with one of those months being in the body shop. I have 58 more to go. I do not want this truck anymore. Who knows how severly damaged it really is and what will show in time. I had the Nissan dealership do a loss value for it and was told it is worth at leat $4k less due to the accident. The insurance told me I could try for diminished value, but I do not want the $ I want a new truck to replace mine. I will get a lawyer if needed, but I do not know what that will cost me and if it will even work. It just makes me sick that this beautiful truck is in such bad shape now.
Am I wrong in wanting a new truck out of the deal? That is fuzzy now also since I cannot get one just like I have now. There is no option for the offroad package on the 08 LE's. That means no locking differential OR tires etc. I think they should throw in nav and dvd to make up the difference. What do you guys think? THanks for listening to me rant and rave about the whole deal. It just consumes me every day when I think about it. It is such a shame to have a Titan in the shape mine is now, especially one that is 2 months old.
