NHTSA Complaint #10113928 — 1998 GMC JIMMY

I PURCHASED A USED 1998 GMC JIMMY WITH NO WARRANTY FROM FORT WAYNE NISSAN/INFINITI ON JANUARY 4, 2005 FOR MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. I HAD SURGURY ON MY RIGHT HAND AND COULD NOT DRIVE IT FOR ABOUT 5 WEEKS AFTERWARD. WHEN I DID DRIVE THE CAR,I TOLD HER IT NEEDED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND TO GET THE OIL CHANGED. OF COURSE, MOM (ME) ENDED UP TAKING IT INTO MONROE MUFFLER AND BRAKES, WHERE WE ALWAYS GET ARE CARS ROUTINE MAINTENENCE TAKEN CARE OF. THEY CALLED ME ABOUT AN HOUR LATER AND ASKED WHO I BOUGHT THIS CAR OFF OF. I TOLD THEM. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE THEY SOLD ME THIS DEATH TRAP. 3 OF THE 4 BALLJOINTS HOLDING THE FRONT UP WHERE BROKEN AND THE PIN CRACKED. PLUS HE THOUGHT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THEM. I CHECKED WITH GMC AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE BALL JOINTS FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC SAID THESE BALL JOINTS WERE WAY TO SMALL TO SUPPORT THIS KIND OF VEHICLE. I TOOK THE BALL JOINTS AND HAVE THENM NOW AS PROOF. MY DAUGHTER, SON OR I COULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR WORSE-WHICH WAS VERY POSSIBLE PROBABILITY IN THE SHAPE THE UNDER BODY OF THAT CAR WAS IN. WE WERE VERY LUCK WE DID NOT HAVE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I CALLED THE NISSAN COMPANY AND TALKED TO BRUCE BRIGHT. HE SOUNDED VERY CONCERNED AND WOULD CALL RIGHT BACK AFTER CHECKING INTO IT. HE NEVER CALLED AND IT HAS BEEN A WEEK. I CALLED TODAY AND LEFT A MESSAGE. STILL NO CALL. MY QUESTION AND COMPLAINT TO YOU, IS IT LEGAL FOR A CAR COMPANY(A MAJOR NAMED COMPANY) TO SELL A CAR THAT IS VERY UNSAFE TO A PERSON? I AM A WOMAN WHO DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT CARS, AND MY DAUGHTER DOESN'T. MY EX-HUSBAND CAME TO HELP, BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW EITHER. THAT IS THE REASON I DID NOT GO WITH SOME OFF THE WALL COMPANY. DO I HAVE ANY PROTECTION FROM THIS? THANK YOU. *AK