Nissan forced to close down another dealership with customers told in onsite message sales have ‘concluded’ for good

NISSAN has been forced to close down another dealership amid the brand’s continuing financial struggles.

The past 18 months have been particularly challenging for the Japanese car giant, as it has faced a wave of closures driven by numerous issues.

Reuters

Nissan has faced numerous issues in recent months including declining sales, difficulties transitioning to EVs and increased competition from Chinese brands[/caption]

AFP

The company’s decision-makers have been forced to close factories and dealerships[/caption]

Google Maps

North Bay Nissan in in Petaluma, California, is the latest outlet to close its doors in the area[/caption]

Google Maps

Other showrooms in the area have recently closed too, including in Burlingame, Fresno and Antioch[/caption]

Earlier this week, a Nissan dealership in Petaluma, California, shut its doors for the final time, citing issues faced by its parent company, Nissan Motor Co.

The dealership announced its closure on July 25 with a note from employees on the North Bay dealership’s website that read: “As of 3 pm on July 25th, we have officially concluded our operations as North Bay Nissan.

“It has been a true honor serving the Petaluma and North Bay communities and we are deeply grateful for your loyalty over the years.”

This latest closure follows a worrying a trend that’s seen other outlets shut up shop in the area, including showrooms in Burlingame, Fresno and Antioch.

In recent times, Nissan has experienced declining sales, difficulties transitioning to electric vehicles and increased competition from Chinese automakers.

Furthermore, the company’s troubles have been compounded by scandals involving its former CEO, factory closures, job cuts and poor financial performance – including its worst results in 25 years.

Nissan has also faced external pressures, such as the threat of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported vehicles, which account for a large share of its US sales.

Earlier this month, Nissan also announced it was closing two factories in Mexico – its Civac plant in Morelos and the Cooperation Manufacturing Plant Aguascalientes (COMPAS) plant in Aguascalientes – as part of its “Re:Nissan” initiative to reduce global production sites.

Both are set to close by 2027, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

The Civac plant has been producing cars since 1966 and was the very first international manufacturing site that Nissan owned.

Nissan also announced plans to close its flagship factory in the Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.

The factory will close at the end of the 2027 fiscal year in March 2028.

Over 2,400 jobs will be lost in the closure, which Nissan says was a “tough but necessary decision”.

Chief Executive Ivan Espinosa, who took on the job in April, said the decision was extremely difficult, calling the Oppama plant an icon for Nissan.

Nissan also recently revealed dwindling demand for the Versa model – which holds the title of America’s last new car priced at under $20,000 – will see it taken off the market by 2026.

The car maker cited low profit margins and declining customer demand for budget sedans as their primary reasons, with the phase-out occurring in two steps.

For the 2025 model year, Nissan will stop production of the Versa’s five-speed manual transmission.

After that, the entire Versa lineup is expected to be retired as part of a broader strategic shift – with the company focusing on more profitable vehicles such as SUVs and electric cars.

This will leave the Sentra as Nissan’s sole remaining sedan in the US, which is positioned to attract first-time new car buyers.