NHTSA Complaint #10211842 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT A SITUATION I HAD WITH MY LEASED 2005 ALTIMA THAT COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR DRIVERS AND I THINK YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO FOR A POSSIBLE CALL BACK. SEVEN (7) OF THE CLIPS ( PART 01553-09321) CAME OFF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING THE LOWER ENGINE COVER TO FALL DOWN AND HANGING BY THE REMAINING CLIPS. NOT KNOWING THE PROBLEM, I WAS STARTLED AND HAD TO QUICKLY PULL OVER TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I HAD TO TAPE THE LOWER ENGINE COVER WITH DUCT TAPE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR. THE COVER IS BEING HELD ON BY CLIPS RATHER THAN BOLTS. IF BOLTS OR SCREWS WERE IN IT, IT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY REPLACES A LOT OF THESE CLIPS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF YOU ARE REPLACING A LOT OF CLIPS, THEY ARE NOT DOING THE JOB. IF LOWER ENGINE COVER FALLS DOWN, IT COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF THE CAR IS GOING AT A HIGH SPEED. I THINK IT IS INCUMBENT ON YOU TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER, BEFORE THERE IS A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I AM NOW VERY NERVOUS ABOUT USING THE CAR, BECAUSE IF IT HAPPENED ONCE, IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. THE DEALER IS STATEN ISLAND NISSAN 222 PARKINSON AVE, STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK 10305 (718) 447-3878. I SPOKE TO NISSAN AND THEY CLAIM THAT THERE WAS A SCRAPE ON THE BOTTOM AND THAT IT WAS MY FAULT THAT IT HAPPENED. IF CLIPS CAN POP THAT EASY, THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG. IT COULD NOT HAPPEN IF THEY USED BOLTS. *TR