TO THE EDITOR:
"Nissan could end scorned stair-steps" (May 27) deals only with the sales-related issues that have come from stair-step incentives, and ignores the impact on fixed operations.
Stair-steps have created a substantial subprime owner population that cannot afford to service their vehicles; they can barely afford to change the oil!
The ratio between retail and warranty has flipped in favor of warranty, and the value of customer-pay repair orders has dropped dramatically.
Add to this that the pressure to sell more parts, without the demand from service, has pushed many dealers into wholesale, and with only a 2 percent return allowance, the obsolescence is piling up fast!
JIM RICHTER, Fixed operations consultant, Warwick InfoTech, Calera, Ala.
