NHTSA Complaint #10286104 — 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER

THIS COMPLAINT RELATES TO A WIDESPREAD MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN NISSAN PATHFINDER AND FRONTIER MODELS IN PRODUCTION AND SALE PRIOR TO 2008. THE ISSUE IS THE FAILURE OF TIMING CHAIN MECHANISMS DUE TO INFERIOR QUALITY PLASTIC GUIDES THAT HAVE FAILED ON A HUGE SCALE WORLDWIDE. NISSAN'S RECOGNITION OF THIS PROBLEM WAS REFLECTED IN TSB NOS. NTB07-042 AND NTB07-042A. RECOGNIZING THE DESIGN FLAW, NISSAN CHANGED THE PARTS IN 2008 AND FORWARD. OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY TIMES, NISSAN REFUSES TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE RELEVANT PARTS AND, APPARENTLY, HAS NOT NOTIFIED CUSTOMERS OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM OF CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN ACCIDENTS INVOLVING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH AS A RESULT OF SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE. AS DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET, MANY FAILURES OF THESE COMPONENTS ARE OCCURRING POST-WARRANTY AND MOST CONSUMERS HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE IMPENDING DANGERS BECAUSE NISSAN APPEARS TO HAVE NOT PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM. FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO DO BECOME AWARE OF THE PROBLEM POST-WARRANTY, THEY ARE FACING REPAIR COSTS OF APPROXIMATELY $2500.00 WHICH IS AN ECONOMIC BURDEN PLACED UPON THEM BY NISSAN EMANATING FROM NISSAN'S OWN INTERNALLY-RECOGNIZED DESIGN FLAW. REQUEST IS HEREBY MADE THAT THIS SITUATION BE INVESTIGATED AND THAT NISSAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE ECONOMIC AND SAFETY DANGERS IT HAS PERPETRATED BY ITS ADMITTED DESIGN FLAWS. OUR OWN 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER IS FACING THIS PROBLEM AT THE PRESENT TIME. AT A MINIMUM, NISSAN SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ADVISE ALL OWNERS OF THE RELEVANT VEHICLES ABOUT THE NEED TO AVOID ENGINE FAILURE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGE NUMBER OF AFFECTED PARTIES WHO ARE POST-WARRANTY AND UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE NHTSA SHOULD ALSO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF PARTS FAILURES PRE- AND POST-WARRANTY. *TR