NHTSA Complaint #10135340 — 1994 NISSAN D21

NHTSA NEEDS TO TAKE A VERY HARD LOOK AT THE FRAMES ON NISSAN TRUCKS FROM THE EARLY/MID 90'S BECAUSE THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM COULD CAUSE A FATALITY. MY 1994 NISSAN PICKUP HAS FAILED VIRGINIA STATE INSPECTION DUE TO A SEVERELY RUSTED SECTION OF FRAME. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, THE FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH FROM THE INSIDE AND AS A RESULT AN 8 INCH CRACK HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL AREA. THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR WHEEL AREA APPEARS TO BE FORMING A SIMILAR CRACK AS WELL. I LIVE JUST OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON DC (NOT A SALT WATER CLIMATE) AND I PURCHASED THE TRUCK NEW IN 1994. THE TRUCK HAS ALWAYS BEEN LOCATED IN THIS AREA. OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS I FOUND SEVERAL OTHER INSTANCES ON THE INTERNET WHERE INDIVIDUALS HAVE SIMILAR EXPERIENCES WITH THE PATHFINDER FRAMES MANUFACTURED IN THIS TIME PERIOD. CLEARLY, A 12 YEAR OLD TRUCK SHOULDN'T HAVE THIS KIND OF PROBLEM. I HAVE NO CHOICE AT THIS TIME BUT TO SCRAP THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THE REPAIR COSTS WOULD BE PROHIBITIVE AND THERE IS A QUESTION OF EVEN GETTING SOMEONE TO REPAIR THE RUSTED FRAME DUE TO LIABILITY ON THE PART OF REPAIRER. I HAVE TAKEN SOME PICTURES OF THE PROBLEM AREA(S). IF NHTSA WOULD LIKE COPIES OF THESE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.*JB