Dealers aren't able to order parts, cars or check on incentives offers for potential buyers.
Personnel at Nissan and Infiniti dealerships are having a rough week after a power outage on Sunday knocked out key systems used to perform essential tasks at each franchise.
According to an Automotive News report on Tuesday, the power outage happened in Denver, Colorado, where the Nissan data center resides. Since then, the outage has taken down what Nissan calls its NNA Net system that dealers use. Some systems were restored earlier this week, but as of Wednesday, the company said it's unsure when the whole network would be entirely back online.
What's affected? Nissan and Infiniti dealers were reportedly unable to order new cars or parts for vehicles, or even check incentives and rebates for vehicles. This last outage makes it rather difficult when a customer is ready to pull the trigger on a new car. Other problems dealers have dealt with include the inability to file warranty claims, check for recalls and even determine how much a customer owes on a current Nissan or Infiniti loan or lease.
Tim Hill, who owns a Nissan dealership in Winter Haven, Florida, told the website the situation will grow far worse if the system does not come back by the end of the week; typically, when dealers receive incentive payments. He also called NNA Net Nissan and Infiniti dealers' "lifeblood."
Most dealers in the United States, Canada and Mexico have been affected, and the automaker told Automotive News that it's continuing to restore the essential systems as quickly as possible. If your heart is set on a new Nissan, maybe it's best to call the dealer first before walking into a potentially difficult situation.