NHTSA Complaint #10204733 — 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER

1. THE EVENT WAS DRIVING NORTHWEST OUT OF TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI, APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON ROUTE 78 WHICH IS A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY. 2. THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC & ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITHOUT COLLISION OR INJURY TO OURSELVES OR OTHERS. UPON INSPECTION THE WHEEL HAD SPLIT IN HALF AND SOME OF THE LUG BOLTS HAD ACTUALLY SHEARED OFF. THE VEHICLE IS A NEW NISSAN FRONTIER PICKUP TRUCK WHICH WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY, 2007. IT HAD LESS THAN 17,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD RECEIVED ROUTINE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE SERVICE PERFORMED BY NISSAN DEALERS/SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. THE LAST SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AT APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES AND INCLUDED TIRE ROTATION. 3. NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS WAS CONTACTED, CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION & DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NOT MECHANICAL FAILURE. THEY DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE & COULD NOT HAVE HAD TIME TO DO METALLURGICAL TESTS ON THE COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NISSAN DEALER IN TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI, AND THEY WERE ADVISED TO SAVE ALL OLD PARTS. I WAS ABLE TO FIND ONE HALF OF THE SPLIT WHEEL WHICH IS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE DEALER AT THIS TIME. NISSAN HAS SAID THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WILL NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR EXPENSE OF PARTS & REPAIRS. *TR