NHTSA Complaint #10054223 — 2002 NISSAN MAXIMA

I OWN A 2002 MAXIMA. RECENTLY WE HAD A COLD SNAP AND THE LINE FROM THE WINDSHIELD WASHER RO MY WIPERS FROZE UP. THE WASHER HAD THE CORRECT WASHER FLUID-RATED DOWN TO -25 DEGREES AND THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 11 DEGREES. MY DEALERSHIP REGULARLY MAINTAINS MY VEHICLES FLUIDS. I CALLED THE SULLIVAN BROS. NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN KINGSTON MASS. AND THEY SAID THEY HAD MANY REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM FROM OTHERR NISSAN OWNERS WITH MAXIMAS NEAR OR AT THE SAME AGE AS MINE. THE DEALER SUGGESTED RUNNING THE CAR FOR 20 MINUTES OR SO TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I HAD ALREADY WARMED UP THE CAR BEFORE DRIVING IT, BUT FOLLOWED THE DEALER'S DIRECTION. IN FACT ,I RAN THE CAR FOR 45 MINUTES MORE SINCER THE LINE WAS STILL FROZEN AFTER 20 MINUTES. DRIVING TO WORK UNDER THESE CONDITIONS WAS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE AND EXTREMLY DANGEROUS. I COULD BARELY SEE IN FRONT OF ME AND HAD TO DRIVE IN AN UNSAFE CONDTION AND STOP AS FREQUENTLY IN MANY UNSSAFE LOCATIONS TO TRY AND CLEAN OFF MY WINDSHIELD. I AND ANYYBODY DRIVING A MAXIMA OR ANY OTHER VEEHICLE WITH THIS PROBLEM IS PUTTING THEMSELVES AND OTHES IN INNINENT DANGER. THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM SEEM TO BE THAT THE WASHER LINE IS DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE FENDER AS IT RUNS UP TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IT IS EXPOSED, UNNESSASARILLY, TO WHEATHER TEMPERATURE VARIANCES AND IT IS SO FAR AWLAY FROM THE ENGINE THAT ANY HEAT THAT MIGHT HELP IS PREVENTED FRM HELPING BY DISTANCE. MY FEELING IS THAT IF THE LINE WERE CLOSER TO THE ENGINE OR OFF THE METAL OF THE FENDER ,OR EVEN INSULTED , IT COULD PREVENT THIS DANGEROS PROBLEM. ANY ARGUMENT THAT THESE WERE EXTEME CONDITIONS THAT WOULD EFFECT ANY CAR IS UNFOUNDED. NEIGBORS AND RELATIVES EASILY DROVE THEIR VEHICLES WITHOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY WERE IN THE SAME WEATHER CONDITIONS. I HOPE THAT NISSAN HAS A RECALL ON THEIR MAXIMA'S WITH THE SAME DESIGN FLAW. I HOPE THET I HAVE WRITTEN TO THE ORGANIZATION THAT CAN HELP ME AND PERHAPS THOUSANDS OF OTHER QUICKY RESOLVE THIS UNSAFE CONDITION.