FORMAL COMPLAINT – NISSAN MIDRAND: VEHICLE DAMAGED BY DEALERSHIP STAFF AND MATTER UNRESOLVED FOR ALMOST ONE YEAR

I am lodging this complaint in the hope that it will finally receive the attention of senior management at Nissan Midrand and that this matter can be resolved urgently.

On 24 October 2025, I took my vehicle to Nissan Midrand, 451 New Road, Midrand, for a diagnostic assessment.

During the day, I received a call from the dealership informing me that one of their mechanics had accidentally locked my vehicle keys inside the car. I was asked whether I had a spare key, to which I advised that I did not. I was then informed that they would make alternative arrangements to access the vehicle and retrieve the keys.

When I collected my vehicle later that day, I was handed my keys and left the dealership. I was not informed that my vehicle had been damaged in the process of gaining access to it.

It was only the following day that I noticed that my vehicle window and door had been forcefully damaged. It appeared that, instead of using a professional locksmith service or another appropriate method, equipment had been used to force entry into my vehicle, resulting in significant damage.

I immediately contacted Nissan Midrand and raised my concerns. An employee named Jaques instructed me to bring the vehicle back to the dealership so that the damage could be inspected. Upon my arrival, Jaques contacted the Service Department supervisor, who inspected the vehicle.

I was then advised that the Service Department was fully booked for that week and that I would be contacted once a slot became available for my vehicle to be repaired.

This is where my ongoing frustration began.

Despite repeatedly following up, I have been passed from one person to another and have received repeated assurances that the matter would be attended to, only for those promises not to materialize.

Timeline of my attempts to resolve this matter:

- 5 December 2025: I followed up via WhatsApp using the contact number provided to me. I received no response. - 8 December 2025: I followed up again and was again ignored. - 9 December 2025: I sent another follow-up, including photographs and a video of the damage, to ensure that whoever was handling the matter had all the relevant evidence. I received no response. - 17 & 18 February 2026: I followed up again and re-sent all supporting evidence. Still no response. - 9 March 2026: I followed up again. There was still no response from Nissan Midrand. - 20 May 2026: I followed up yet again. Once again, there was no response. - 15 June 2026: I finally received a response via the WhatsApp number provided by the dealership. I was asked which Nissan dealership the incident had occurred at so that they could assist with booking my vehicle in. I provided the requested information, after which there was once again no communication. - 17 June 2026: I received a message stating that they had apparently been trying to contact me but that my number was not going through. I dispute this, as my phone has consistently been active and available, and call records can be used to verify this. - 24 June 2026: I contacted them again and received no response. I subsequently decided to contact the dealership directly. - 13 July 2026: Jaques contacted me and asked me to come to the dealership to discuss the matter. - 16 July 2026: I brought my vehicle to the dealership as requested. I was advised that the vehicle needed to remain there for two days so that work could commence. I left the vehicle with the expectation that the damage would be addressed. - After the two days, I was informed that the required part had not yet arrived and that I would be contacted once it was available. I was then told that I would have to wait approximately another six weeks for the part to arrive. - After waiting the six weeks, I followed up and spoke to Nomvula, who informed me that Jaques was off sick and would only return on 15 September 2026. - 14 September 2026: I contacted the dealership again and was transferred to Elizabeth, who advised that she was not fami**** with the matter and that only Jaques had knowledge of the query. She promised to inform him and have him contact me. That call-back never happened.

I am now extremely disappointed and disheartened by the way this matter has been handled.

What should have been a straightforward matter of addressing damage caused to my vehicle while it was in the dealership's care has turned into almost a full year of repeated follow-ups, unanswered messages, delays and broken promises.

Most importantly, I have documentation from the dealership, including a quote confirming that Nissan would be liable for the cost of the required part and the labour costs. I therefore cannot understand why I am still struggling to have this matter resolved.

I am not asking Nissan to accept responsibility for damage caused by me. This damage occurred while my vehicle was in the care of Nissan Midrand and resulted from the actions taken by their staff to access my vehicle after the keys were accidentally locked inside.

My request to Nissan management

I am respectfully requesting that this complaint be escalated to senior management at Nissan Midrand/Nissan South Africa and that someone with the authority to resolve the matter take ownership of it.

I would like:

1. Confirmation of who is now responsible for resolving my complaint. 2. A clear explanation as to why this matter has remained unresolved for almost one year despite my numerous attempts to obtain assistance. 3. Confirmation of the status of the outstanding vehicle part. 4. A firm date on which my vehicle will be booked in and the outstanding damage will be repaired. 5. Confirmation that Nissan will honour the commitment documented in the dealership's quote regarding the cost of the part and labour.

I have retained photographs, videos, WhatsApp correspondence, the dealership's quotation and other supporting evidence relating to this matter.

I sincerely hope that this complaint will finally receive the attention it deserves and that I will not have to continue repeatedly contacting the dealership to resolve an issue that was caused while my vehicle was in their care.

I am asking Nissan's senior management to please intervene and bring this matter to a proper and satisfactory resolution.