JIMSON

Thanks for the information lamby - I'm waiting for Nissan GB to come back to me...... I also had the car professionally detailed today, and the detailer thought they were new and not refurbs. After reading the post from loafer77, I'm thinking they are new, and that the guy who paints the blue dots just had a day off that day.

The service department were adamant that they weren't refurbs though - I think I'll get a case number or something from them, then give Nissan GB Customer Services a ring to see what they say. I suppose it's possible that a particular batch of wheels didn't have the blue spot treatment! - Well that's what I'm hoping anyway - just not sure how I can prove that they are brand new or someone elses refurbed wheels. As I said in the original post, the 370z wheels don't have the dots on them, so maybe it's something they don't do anymore - I'll let you know what Nissan GB says after I give them a call.

thanks lamby

Thanks for your responses so far. What do you think the sure signs of a refurbed wheel are?, because they all look exactly like the old ones, minus dots and corrosion !!! As stated in the original post, when I go back to get the other part fitted, I'll ask for some documentation to confirm they were brand new, and hopefully that will list the price as well. The people who work at the dealership gave me a blank expression when I mentioned the blue dots last time, which I would have hoped they might have had an opinion on - maybe they don't see many 350z's being worked on.

Hi, I got my Black 350z in June, and have been enjoying it ever since. It is a Jan 2007 56 plate, so the manufacturer's warranty is up in Jan 2010. I had a few issues which I thought I would bring to my local Nissan dealer's attention - 1. Peeling on button of cubby door, 2. Peeling on side door duct, and 3. Small bubble of corrosion on every wheel (otherwise they were in mint condition). Anyway, I was amazed that they agreed to replace both interior parts there and then, and would take photos of the wheels to send off to Nissan GB, or whatever it is called. They did however say something like "I'm pretty sure they will only refurb the alloys, and not replace them - if they were only a year old, then you would probably get replacements". I called up a week later for an update on all items I had previously reported, and to my astonishment they informed me that 4 brand new rays had been authorised, and that they would be in the following week - at a cost of £3340 for all four !!!! I nearly dropped the phone in shock - I thought I was going to have a battle on my hands, and at the best they were only going to refurbish them - something I insisted that I didn't want, as it was clearly a defect on each wheel. I've since been back to have one interior part fitted, and all the wheels - they typically ordered the wrong part for the door duct, so I'll have to go back for the last part. When I inspected the car outside the dealership I noticed that the blue dot which was on each of the original wheels, was not now on the new replacement wheels. I then went back into the dealership and asked them to confirm that they weren't someone elses refurbed wheels, to which they replied "I shouldn't think so at £800 odd quid each". Also I looked at the 370z wheels in the showroom, and they didn't have blue dots, or any other colour dots on them - so I left convinced that they were indeed brand new wheels, and that they don't now put a blue dot on these wheels. I was just wondering if anyone else had heard of any brand new rays not having a blue dot on them - maybe it is something they don't do anymore?? Thinking about it, I am going to go back to the dealer and request some documentation confirming that they are new wheels, just in case anything should go wrong with them in the future, or even if someone questions me when I eventually come to sell the car. So in summary I was really pleased with the service provided by Toomey Nissan, Southend, Essex, but have a few lingering doubts about the wheels being brand new - although I'm sure that they can't get away with saying they are new, when they aren't - can they??