NHTSA Complaint #10131037 — 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA

BOUGHT THE NISSAN MAXIMA ON AUGUST 10, 2004 FROM VOB NISSAN IN ROCKVILLE, MD. UNDER 100 MILES, TOOK BACK TO DEALER DUE TO UNACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF VIBRATION IN THE FRONT WHEELS FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL GENERALLY BETWEEN 40 AND 70 MPH ON SMOOTH SURFACED HIGHWAY DRIVING. INITIALLY I WAS TOLD THIS IS PROBABLY DUE TO FLAT SPOTS ON THE TIRES PER CAR SITTING IN THE LOT FOR AN EXTENDED TIME. BUT THE VIBRATION CONTINUED. WHEN CRUISING MORE PRONOUNCED. DEALER INITIALLY PERFORMED WHEEL BALANCING WHICH DIDN'T WORK. THEN THEY REPLACED THE FRONT TWO CONTINENTAL TIRES WHICH STILL DIDN'T WORK. THEY PERFORMED ??ROAD FORCE BALANCING?? CHECK. THE TIRES HAD READINGS OF CLOSE TO 40 WHERE THE ACCEPTABLE READING SHOULD BE BELOW 10. THERE WAS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES. WHEN DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE STEERING WAS VISIBLY VIBRATING. VOB ALSO NOTICED THE WARPED ROTORS IN FRONT AND RE-SURFACED THEM. DEALER REPLACED THE CONTINENTAL TIRES WITH MICHELIN MXV4. NOTICEABLE IMPROVEMENT IN HANDLING BUT NOT QUITE. DEALER DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE PER WRITTEN TSBS, ETC. AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING ELSE HE COULD DO, THEREFORE CALL THE MANUFACTURER. 3/22/05 I CONTACTED DARCARS OF ROCKVILLE. THEY REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS WHICH WERE UNEVENLY WORN AND ALSO RE-SURFACED THE ROTORS IN A SPECIAL MACHINE WHILE THEY WERE ATTACHED TO THE CAR AS RECOMMENDED BY NISSAN. VIBRATION PROBLEM WAS MARKEDLY BETTER AFTER THAT. HOWEVER, I STILL FEEL THE PROBLEMS WHEN PRESSING THE BREAK PEDAL LIGHTLY GOING AT SPEED. ALSO WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 60 MPH ON STRAIGHT ROADS. I AM DEBATING WHETHER TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER NOW OR WAIT FOR IT TO GET WORSE. IT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT FRUSTRATION.