NHTSA Complaint #10120608 — 2004 NISSAN MURANO

MY 2004 NISSAN MURANO BEGAN HAVING A "TINNY" NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS THE INSULATION HAD FALLEN DOWN, AND TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICING ON 1-13-05 TO FERMAN NISSAN IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. I WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPAIR THE DOOR, AS THE DOOR BEAM WAS BROKEN, AND THAT THE BODY SHOP WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE A DOOR BEAM. IN DECEMBER 2004, THE CAR HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN MINOR VANDALISM. A BRICK HAD BEEN THROWN AT THE REAR OF THE CAR, AND THERE WAS SAND ON THE PASSENGER DOOR. THERE WAS BARELY A DIMPLE ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE DOOR, BUT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SURMISED THAT SOMEONE KICKED THE DOOR, WHICH WAS WHY THERE WAS SAND, AND THAT THE DOOR BEAM WAS BROKEN IN THE PROCESS. I TOOK THE CAR TO A BODY SHOP FOR AN ESTIMATE IN APRIL 2004, AND THEY WERE SURPRISED THAT THE DOOR BEAM COULD HAVE BEEN SO EASILY BROKEN, AS THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SAFETY FEATURE OF THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY FEATURE, A DOOR BEAM CANNOT BE REPAIRED, AND THAT THE DOOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I CONTACTED NISSAN USA IN ON APRIL 7, 2005, AND EXPLAINED MY CONCERNS THAT THE DOOR BEAM COULD BE SO EASILY BROKEN, WITH BARELY A MARK ON THE EXTERIOR, AND THIS WOULD NOT PROTECT PASSENGERS IN A CRASH SITUATION. I OFFERED THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO INSPECT THE DOOR, AS A POSSIBLE MANUFACTURING DEFECT, AND POSSIBLY PAY TO REPLACE IT, BUT, PER COLLETTE, THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN INSPECTING THE DOOR. NEITHER WAS THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, FERMAN NISSAN IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. HOWEVER, I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS RECORDED SOMEWHERE, AS I AM STILL CONCERNED THAT THE DOOR BEAM COULD BE SO EASILY BROKEN, CAUSING A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE SINCE HAD THE DOOR REPLACED, AND THE EXPENSE WAS COVERED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY.