Fixed Ops Journal - April 2018 - F12

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

 Make auto repair a fouryear degree, Nissan execs
say I PAGE 36 I
 Nissan's systems quality
improvement leader talks
recalls I PAGE 37 I

Nissan master technician Tim
Burgin prepares for testing a Titan
pickup V-8 engine that was
returned for a warranty claim.

A&M PORTRAITS

DEFENSIVE LINE

 Nissan's repair ninjas help dealership techs solve the toughest problems

RICHARD TRUETT
rtruett@crain.com

MYRNA, Tenn. - The owner of a
2014 Nissan Pathfinder hybrid in
Puerto Rico will likely never know of
the high-level attention that fixed a
vexing problem with his crossover.
The gasoline-electric Pathfinder's engine
would start, but stall after about 10 seconds. A
service technician at the dealership in San
Juan couldn't figure out why. Neither could a
master tech he consulted at Nissan North
America's Tech Line.
So the automaker summoned its last line of
defense. Four of Nissan's most experienced
technicians huddled here, 1,750 miles from
the dealership, and worked in real time with
the shop tech to find and repair the cause of
the stalling.
As part of a new program called "Fixed Right
First Time," Nissan has created what it calls its
Last Line Defense Team. When a dealership
shop can't fix a vehicle, even after checking
with experts who staff Nissan's Tech Line, the
last line goes into action.
Vehicle complexity continues to grow be-

PAGE 12

APRIL 2018

Front line to last line
How Nissan North America helps its
Nissan and Infiniti dealerships solve
the hardest repair problems
 Dealership tech follows Nissan's
repair flow chart but can't find the
root cause of the problem.
 Tech sends electronic request for
help to Nissan Tech Line in Smyrna,
Tenn. A master technician reviews
repair tech's work, checks for similar
problems with other vehicles and
recommends a remedy.
 If that effort fails, the Last Line
Defense Team - composed of
Nissan's most experienced master
techs - investigates the case, part
by part if necessary, to identify the
problem and define a repair.
 The rare vehicle that can't be fixed
through this process is repurchased
by Nissan.

cause of such things as electrified drivetrains
and advanced safety and self-driving features.
Nissan, like other car companies, is working
to ensure that its dealerships can solve increasingly tough repair problems with a minimum of customer inconvenience.
In March, the automaker gave Fixed Ops
Journal a rare behind-the-scenes look at how
it is helping Nissan and Infiniti techs troubleshoot the kind of challenges that can defy factory-recommended solutions.
Nissan staffs its Tech Line with 38 master
techs. They work six days a week in the automaker's Field Quality Center in Smyrna, next
to the sprawling Nissan assembly plant that
produces such top-selling vehicles as the
Rogue and Altima.
The most experienced Tech Line members,
Nissan's ninjas of auto repair, are assigned to
the last line team. On this day, members gather around a computer that enables dealerships to display vehicle diagnostics and trouble codes in real time. Use of a nearby blackboard encourages team members to think out

Source: Nissan North America

see NISSAN, Page 13

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Journal - April 2018