Sheehy Nissan Manassas

Two Altimas later -- one bought FROM them and they dare to try to rip us off on service. We came to them for a problem that had stumped our local mechanics since Nov -- a noise coming from the front right wheel. Instead of diagnosing it, Sheehy's mechanic and service rep (Javier) played a routine on us worthy of a SNL skit. And, THREE HOURS in, still did not diagnose the wheel problem correctly. 1) They asked us to PET the tires b/c they were "cupping" on BOTH edges! (Cupping is feathering/scalloping that normally occurs on one edge or the other and is clearly visible to the eye -- why would we need to "pet" the tread?) When we told them these were BRAND NEW Michelin Primacy tires from Costco, they told us Costco had obviously sold us "fakes." (No. No. No.) 2) They showed us the oil pan - dripping big golden drops of oil that was also smeared all over the bottom of the pan -- failed seal they said. EXCEPT a 10 yr old car with 118K on it and 6 weeks into an oil change would leak DIRTY oil; 3) They showed us the ceramic brake pads on the front and said they'd been installed upside down. (They were fine every time the other shops (two) inspected the brakes while trying to diagnosis the wheel noise.) 4) They showed us the "steering rack" and said it was "old and wobbly" -- so why does the car track perfectly and steers like it is on rails? 5) They mentioned -- in passing -- the wheel bearing on the DRIVERS side was "beginning to make a noise". OHHH GREAT -- except our noise had been CONSISTENTLY on the Passenger side since Nov when we FIRST heard it. And, 6) They told us our entire strut assembly -- less than a year old -- were "bad and broken" and had to be replaced b/c they were not OEM... 7) And, when we balked at all this nonsense, and asked for the "diagnosis bill" told us it had suddenly gone UP from the initial $50 quoted when we signed in 3 hours earlier to $150! And, when we balked at that, the mechanic had the good sense to tell Javier the Service Rep, "waive the fee." Seemingly THAT was the ONLY honest thing that happened in the three hours we were there. We were sent back to the waiting room for another 45 minutes to wait for them to take if off the lift and write up the "bill." Meanwhile, we took the car almost across the street immediately -- to one of our trusted shops who began trying to diagnose the problem in December. And, the TRUSTED Shop told us: 1) our tires were fine - of course; 2) no engine oil leak -- seals are STILL tight; 3) ODDLY the front brake pads (that they didn't install) -- that had been FINE three weeks earlier -- were now installed UPSIDE down with the wear bar rubbing; 4) the steering rack is STILL within spec and the new strut assemblies are STILL fine (they didn't install them, either); and, 5) The Drivers side wheel bearing is fine. The BEARING that had gone bad was in the passenger side axle assembly -- they replaced it and miraculously, the noise is gone! Oh, and one other weird thing was noticed -- the same rear rotors that were "fine" three weeks ago when they evaluated the brake pad as being on the verge of need replacement but the rear rotors were fine, were now RUSTED to the brake shoe on the passenger side -- somehow the whole assembly had magically rusted and become "frozen" while sitting for most of three weeks in a dry garage. In other words, not ONE of the things Javier wrote on the Sheehy Nissan bill as unresolved problems were, in fact, problems. AND, TWO other serious changes had occurred with my brakes in the three weeks between our visits to them. They saw the car AFTER the tires were installed -- and so did Brown's Hyundai who did the alignment (and never reported the very OBVIOUS brake issues). It really makes you wonder if the three hours it sat at Sheehy waiting to be "diagnosed" somehow created the opportunity for mischief. And, worse. So, as much as I have LOVED owning both a 2.5 AND 3.5 Altima, these are our last b/c this trip to this dealer showed us EXACTLY who Nissan is letting represent them in the service area. And, we OBVIOUSLY can't trust them anymore. Upside down brake pads and rusted (frozen) brake assemblies seem to happen on their watch. It is downright shameful.