NHTSA Complaint #10162727 — 2005 NISSAN FRONTIER

PURCHASED MATERIALS AT HOME DEPOT AND LOADED THEM IN MY 2005 NISSAN FRONTIER. CLOSED THE TAILGATE AND AS I GOT ON TO THE INTERSTATE (APPROX. 1 MILE), I HEARD A LOUD SLAMMING NOISE-LOOKED BACK AND MY TAILGATE WAS BEING DRAGGED, DISATTACHED AND ALL MY SUPPLIES SCATTERED THROUGH OUT. WHAT CAUSED THE INCIDENT WAS NISSAN HAS SECURED THERE TAILGATE CABLES TO THE BOTTOM BOLT OF THE LATCHING/LOCK MECHANISM. I ASSUME EACH TIME YOU OPEN AND CLOSE THE TAILGATE-FRICTION BETWEEN THE PARTS HAD CONTINUALLY LOOSENED THE BOLT. THE BOLT WAS MISSING-BUT LOOKING AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TAILGATE YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE IT IS JUST A POOR DESIGN. NISSAN COULD SECURE THE CABLE TO ITS OWN BOLT. THE RESULT WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE LATCH PUSHED FORWARD RATHER THAN LATCHED ON TO THE TAILGATE, AND BECAUSE THE OTHER SIDE LATCH WAS SECURE IT GAVE A FALSE IMPRESSION OF IT BEING SECURE. THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE TAILGATE HAS A CUTOUT ON THE BOTTOM SO WHEN NEEDED YOU CAN REMOVE IT BY PULLING IT OUT, AS THE DRIVER SIDE HAS A PIN THE STICKS INTO A CYLINDER. THE RESULT WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE OF TAILGATE CAME UNDONE, AND BECAUSE IT WAS THE OPEN END- DROPPED AND PULLED OUT OF THE DRIVER SIDE SENDING IT ONTO THE ROAD, AND THANKFULLY NOT INJURING ANYONE. IT IS VISIBLY A POOR DESIGN. I HAVE E-MAILED THIS TO THEM, BUT TO NO RESPONSE AS OF YET. *NM