NHTSA Complaint #10130531 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT FROM A LETTER ADDRESSED TO NISSAN USA CONCERNING THE GENERAL TIRES ON MY 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S. NISSAN USA IS UNRESPONSIVE. I ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR WHAT THE FAILURE WAS REGARDING THE WHEEL BEARING BUT, HE DID NOT PRODUCE THE PART. NISSAN USA REFERENCE # 4966952, GENERAL TIRE FILE # [XXX], 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S, VIN # [XXX], NISSAN MEMBER # [XXX], CONTINENTAL [XXX] 94T TOURING CONTACT AS [XXX], [XXX], [XXX], [XXX] MY INITIAL TRIP TO THORNHILL NISSAN (FORT WORTH) ON JUNE 09, 2005, WAS FOR A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING AND A GRINDING / HUMMING NOISE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. AS A TRANSMISSION REPAIR HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DONE BY NISSAN, I WAS NOT SURE IF THESE TWO EVENTS WERE RELATED OR NOT. I TOLD THE SERVICE ADVISOR, RON ABRAHMSON (3193) THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE A DRIVER'S SIDE BEARING TO ME. INDEED, THAT WAS WHAT WAS FOUND TO BE THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN, WHO DID THE REPAIR, NOTED THAT MY ALTIMA SHOULD HAVE AN ALIGNMENT DONE. RON CALLED ME AND I TOLD HIM TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE IT DONE WHILE IT WAS THERE. WHEN I WENT IN TO PICK UP THE CAR, I WAS TOLD THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL BEARING HAUPON HEADING OUT FOR HOME, I NOTICED THE GRINDING NOISE AND VIBRATION WERE IMMEDIATELY GONE BUT, THERE WAS STILL A VERY NOTICEABLE HUM OR DRONE WHILE DRIVING. I TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. I SPOKE WITH RON, TOLD HIM OF MY CONCERNS AND ASKED HIM TO TAKE A RIDE WITH ME. WE DROVE SEVERAL MILES AND AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. HIS CONCLUSION, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES. HE SAID THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON ISSUE/COMPLAINT FROM OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS WITH THIS BRAND OF TIRE AND SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE ROTATING THEM WOULD HELP. I TOLD RON THAT I WOULD ROTATE THE TIRES AND SEE IF IT HELPED. ON, SATURDAY, JUNE 11TH, I DID JUST THAT. DRIVING THE CAR OVER THE WEEKEND SHOWED NO IMPROVEMENT. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)