NHTSA Complaint #10210989 — 1995 NISSAN QUEST

WE HAVE A 1995 NISSAN QUEST AT 75,000 MILEAGES THAT IS WELL MAINTAINED AND RUNS VERY SMOOTHLY. WE DROPPED OFF THE CAR TO APPLE NISSAN IN YORK PA ON 11/26 FOR A PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE (CHANGE OF TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, ALL DRIVING BELTS) OF ITS ENGINE. AFTER WE PAID $848 AND DROVE IT HOME, I FOUND THE COOLANT IN THE RESERVOIR WAS TOTALLY EMPTY SO I ADDED COOLANT ON THE FOLLOWING TWO DAYS TO MAINTAIN IT AT A PROPER LEVEL. ON THE THIRD DAY (11/28) WHEN I DROVE THE CAR TO WORK, ITS CRANKSHAFT BROKE AND THE WHOLE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED. THE TOTAL DRIVING DISTANCE IS LESS THAN 50 MILES AFTER THE SERVICE. THE NISSAN DEALER BLAMED NISSAN INC. HAD DESIGNED THE CRANKSHAFT TOO SMALL SO THE SHAFT IS EASY TO BREAK AND COULD BE BROKEN ANYTIME LIKE A TV AND MINE WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE, WHILE NISSAN USA SAID THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED SO IT COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. NONE OF THEM WOULD TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY, WHETHER THE BROKEN SHAFT WAS DUE TO IMPROPER SERVICE OR IMPROPER DESIGN BY NISSAN. AS A RESULT, WE BECAME A VICTIM WHO HAD TO DECIDE EITHER PAYING ADDITIONAL $4,670+TAX FOR THE REPAIR OR LETTING THE CAR ($4500 VALUE BEFORE THE SERVICE) TOWED TO A JUNK YARD. ASSUMING A DESIGN FATIGUE LIFE OF A CRANKSHAFT IS 150,000 MILE, THE PROBABILITY OF THE EVENT OCCURS AT 75,000 MILES WITHIN 50 MILES DRIVING IS LESS THAN 0.1%. WITHOUT THE SERVICE, WE MIGHT STILL DRIVE THE CAR SMOOTHLY. ON THE NISSAN USA SIDE, THEY WERE AWARE THAT THE CRANKSHAFT WAS TOO SMALL SO THEY INCREASED THE DIAMETER IN 1996 MODELS. WHY DIDN'T THEY WARN THE FIRST OWNERS SO THAT I COULD HAVE A CHOICE TO EITHER TRADE IN THE CAR OR LET THE CAR NATURALLY DIE WITHOUT SPENDING ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR NEW TIRES (3 WEEKS AGO) AND THE ENGINE SERVICE? THE OTHER FAULTY CRANKSHAFT CASES CAN BE FOUND AT HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.EE93B52/1938 HTTP://WWW1.EPINIONS.COM/AUTO-REVIEW-CCC-AD8A28C-396533D0-PROD2. *TR