NHTSA Complaint #10159797 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

NEW 2005 ALTIMA 3.5 SE BOUGHT AUGUST 2005 1ST MONTH I HAD NOTICED A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING AT HIGH SPEEDS, AND THE VEHICLE PULLING/DRIFTING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THIS CONCERN MAKES THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE A SENSE OF CONTROL WHEN DRIVING, IN ADDITION WHEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME THE VIBRATION IN THE WHEEL MAKES YOUR HANDS AND ARMS FALL ASLEEP. IT IS ALWAYS NECESSARY AFTER AN HOUR OR HOUR AND A HALF TO PULL OVER AND GIVE YOUR ARMS/ HANDS A REST. THE DEALER ADDRESSED THIS CONCERN BY BALANCING THE WHEELS BY ROAD FORCE BALANCE (CORRECTED SPECS - 21LBS ROAD FORCE DOWN TO 7LBS) NO ALIGNMENT ISSUES WERE NOTICED. AFTER 3 TIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE VIBRATIONS I HAD NOTICED A CLUNK IN THE FRONT END, IT ENDED UP BEING A STRUT THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WITH THE NEXT TRIP THE DEALERSHIP THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WAS NOW EVIDENT AT ALL SPEEDS, IT WAS STILL DRIFTING, AND A NEW "HUM" HAD DEVELOPED AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER UNABLE TO VERIFY ANY OF MY CONCERNS SUGGESTED THAT I GO FOR A RIDE WITH THE SERVICE MANGER. AFTER THAT RIDE HE SUGGESTED THAT I HAVE MY TIRES SWAPPED FOR NEW ONES OF ANOTHER BRAND. ON MY NEXT TRIP TO THE DEALER THEY SWAPPED ALL 4 OF MY TIRES FOR ANOTHER BRAND NAME AND RE-ALIGNED THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND FRONT END. THROUGHOUT THE WINTER THE CAR RAN OK OTHER THAN SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT WOULD KILL MY BATTERY AND THE REAR PILLAR AIRBAGS COMING OUT. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE SPRING THAT I WAS FORCED TO BRING MY CAR DOWN AGAIN FOR THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE CLUNK IN THE FRONT END. THE DEALER COULD NOT VERIFY ANY CLUNK IN THE FRONT END BUT AGREED THAT THERE IS AGAIN A VIBRATION AND REMEDIED THE PROBLEM BY ADJUSTING THE STEERING RACK PRE-LOAD. INITIALLY THE VIBRATION WAS REDUCED, BUT WITHIN A MONTH IT WAS BACK. THE SERVICE MANAGER ADMITTED THAT ADJUSTING THE STEERING RACK PRE-LOAD WAS ONLY A "TEMPORARY FIX" A "BANDAID FOR THE PROBLEM". *JB