NHTSA Complaint #10278846 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

THE MOTORIST AND LAWFUL OWNER OF NISSAN ALTIMA 2005 (29K MILES) WAS DRIVING ON CLOUDY BUT DRY JULY 21 '09, AT 9:50AM, 4.5 MILES FROM HOME TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK. MOTORIST PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT ADJACENT TO THE STUDENT CENTER, AND DROVE AROUND LOOKING FOR SUITABLE PARKING SPOT. AFTER ONE LAP AT CREEPING SPEED OF 5 MPH, MOTORIST FOUND AN UNOCCUPIED PARKING SPOT FACING THE WOODS. MOTORIST PULLED INTO AVAILABLE PARKING SPOT, NOSE FIRST, AND SLOWED DOWN. WHEN AFOREMENTIONED VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STILL STAND, MOTORIST THEN INTENDED TO SHIFT THE GEARSHIFT FROM THE 'D' INTO THE 'P' POSITION, GOING THROUGH 'N, R'. WITH RIGHT FOOT ON BREAK PEDAL, MOTORIST SHIFTED GEARSHIFT FORWARDS, WHEN THE GEARSHIFT SUDDENLY GOT STUCK IN THE 'N' POSITION. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE, HOWEVER, UNEXPECTEDLY REVVED LOUDLY. THE VEHICLE SIMULTANEOUSLY ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY FORWARDS, RUNNING OVER A 4-FOOT LONG, 8-INCH TALL CONCRETE STOPPER BLOCK, THEN GOING OVER THE 6-INCH HIGH SIDEWALK, AND INEVITABLY MOVING INTO THE WOODS, WHERE VEHICLE HIT A TREE AND FINALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE HALT, WITH GEARSHIFT STILL BEING IN 'N' POSITION. SHAKEN BY THIS STARTLING EXPERIENCE AND BY DRIVER'S AIRBAG, MOTORIST INSTANTANEOUSLY TURNED CAR'S ENGINE OFF BY TURNING THE IGNITION KEYS COUNTERCLOCKWISE. THE TRAUMATIZED AND BRUISED MOTORIST NOTICED SMOKE EMANATING FROM STEERING WHEEL, THUS DECIDED TO STEP OUT OF VEHICLE. AT 1ST GLANCE, THE COLLISION DAMAGED RIGHT FENDER, BOTTOM METAL FRAME, HOOD, RIGHT HEADLIGHT AS WELL AS BUMPER. WITNESSES ASSISTED MOTORIST IN ARRANGING TOW-TRUCK TO PICK-UP INCAPACITATED VEHICLE. IT APPEARS THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT LIES IN MECHANICAL FAILURE: A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE A VEHICLE WITH AN UNDEPENDABLE TRANSMISSION. LUCKILY, NO PEDESTRIANS WERE IN THE WAY OF THE UNCONTROLLABLE VEHICLE. A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT, AND A REPLACEMENT OF ALL FAULTY PARTS OR VEHICLE, IS HIGHLY ADVISABLE. *TR