NHTSA Complaint #10047663 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

WHILE DRIVING IN SEVERE WIND GUSTS, WE HEARD A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE EMANATING FROM THE FRONT, LEFT POST AREA. SOMETIMES THE SOURCE WAS THE RIGHT FRONT. THE NOISE ERUPTED AS THE WIND GUSTED AT SHARP ANGLES AND THE CAR STEERED INTO OR AWAY FROM THE GUSTS. THE NOISE WAS HIGHLY PRONOUNCED. I RULED OUT ANYTHING MECHANICAL BECAUSE WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME NOISE WHENEVER THE GUSTS INCREASED AND THE CAR WAS THROWN LEFT OR RIGHT. TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL SEEMED TO CUT RIGHT INTO THE GUSTS AND THE SOUND WAS SO INTENSE THAT WE THOUGHT IT RESEMBLED A BUZZSAW TRYING TO CUT ITS WAY INTO THE WINDSHIELD/POST AREA. WE MENTIONED THIS PHENOMENON TO OUR CAR DEALER (HARBOR NISSAN, PORT CHARLOTTE, FL). THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD US HE HAS HAD THIS COMPLAINT FROM OTHER NISSAN OWNERS AND THAT HE, TOO, THOUGHT IT WAS THE WIND REACTING AGAINST THE CONFIGURATION OF THE VEHICLE. OUR VEHICLE IS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE NOISE LASTS ONLY A SPLIT SECOND, SOMETIMES AS LONG AS A SECOND. BUT IT IS PERSISTENT IN HIGH GUSTS. WE LEASED THIS VEHICLE IN JUNE 2002 AND HAD NEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. WE HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED SUCH HIGH GUSTS UNTIL THE PERIOD I REPORT HERE. WE WERE ON AN EXTENDED TRIP AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED OUTBOUND AND INBOUND. I'M CONFIDENT THERE IS NO MECHANICAL PROBLEM. BUT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OF SORTS. *LA