NHTSA Complaint #10114395 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

I OWNED THIS NISSAN ALTIMA FOR THREE MONTHS, AND DID NOT ENCOUNTER ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL THIS INCIDENT. OVEMBER 25, 2004 DROVE OVER 200 MILES TO MARYLAND. TRAFFIC WAS NOT BACKED-UP AT ALL. WEATHER WAS PERFECT. *AK NOVEMBER 28, 2004, APPROXIMATELY 4AM, I WAS DRIVING, AND A FRIEND WAS FOLLOWING ME (DRIVING), ON A WELL PAVED, TWO LANE (ONE LANE FOR EACH DIRECTION) ROAD WITH NO SIDEWALKS AND ABSOLUTELY ZERO POTHOLES. AFTER DRIVING LESS THAN 1 (ONE) MILE, THE ROAD BEGAN TO BEND TO THE LEFT. FOLLOWING THE ROAD AS IT WAS BENDING TO THE LEFT, I FELT A SLIGHT DROP/BUMP, THEN PROCEEDED TO SPIN AROUND, MORE THAN 360 DEGREES, TO THE LEFT. AS I STARTED TO SPIN, I HIT A MAILBOX ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STREET (LUCKILY THERE WASN?T ANY ONCOMING TRAFFIC) IN THE FRONT OF A HOUSE, WHICH CAUSED MINIMAL DAMAGE ON MY FRONT PASSENGER DOOR, THEN CONTINUED TO SPIN AND STOP IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO THE MAILBOX I HIT. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE BECAUSE THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE WAS LAYING ALMOST PARALLEL TO THE GROUND. TWO TOW TRUCK DRIVERS CAME AT SEPARATE TIMES. THE FIRST TOW TRUCK DRIVER DID NOT SEE THE ROAD I TRAVELED AND COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM, OR WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE SECOND TOW TRUCK DRIVER DID SEE EXACTLY WHERE I DROVE (HE TOWED THE CAR BACK TO WHERE I LEFT FROM), AND COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE THE CAR WAS TOWED TO TOLD ME THE SUSPENSION BROKE DUE TO ME HITTING A POT HOLE OR A CURB. THE ROAD I WAS TRAVELING ON DID NOT HAVE ANY POT HOLES OR CURBS. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERS SUSPENSION DAMAGE AND THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT PAY FOR ANY OF THE REPAIRS. THE WHEEL, FRONT SUSPENSION, FRONT DRIVER AXLE, FRONT STEERING LINKAGE/GEAR, AND ROCKER/PILLARS/FLOOR WERE REPLACED, AND MY FRONT DOOR WAS REPAIRED. PORTIONS OF THE CAR WAS PAINTED. I AM NOT SURE IF THE OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE.