NHTSA Complaint #10296632 — 1990 NISSAN 300ZX

IN DECEMBER 2008 I BOUGHT A WATER PUMP FOR MY 1990 NISSAN 300ZX FROM ADVANCE AUTO PARTS IN MAULDIN, SC. IT FAILED WITHIN FOUR WEEKS, CAUSING MY ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. I HANDED THE DEFECTIVE PUMP BACK TO THE STORE PERSONNEL. A WEEP HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE PUMP WAS SPURTING OUT WATER, AND THE SPINNING PART WAS CHEWED UP. THE STORE PERSONNEL TOLD ME THE PUMP WAS VISIBLE DEFECTIVE. THE STORE GAVE ME A RECEIPT FOR A REPLACEMENT PUMP, WHICH I PICKED UP FROM AN ADVANCE AUTO STORE/PARTS WAREHOUSE IN SPARTANBURG, SC. WITHIN THREE WEEKS THAT PART FAILED, MY ENGINE OVERHEATED, AND WAS DESTROYED. INCREDIBLY, THE STORE AND THE REGIONAL MANAGER TOLD ME THEIR SYSTEM HAD LOST THE FIRST PUMP, WHICH THEY HAD SENT BACK TO A REGIONAL PARTS RETURN WAREHOUSE IN GEORGIA. THEY WANTED THE SECOND PUMP, BUT COULD NOT GIVE ME A NAME, POSITION, OR DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY RECEIVE THE PUMP, OR A TRACKING NUMBER OR METHOD. I WAS LUCKY THAT THE PUMP FAILURES HAD NOT PUT ME IN A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION ON A HIGHWAY MEDIAN, OR FAILED ME DURING A FREEZING RAINSTORM. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TWO FAILURES DESTROYED MY CAR ENGINE. I WAS SHOCKED THAT NO TECHNICAL INVESTIGATION HAD BEEN DONE OF THE FIRST PART, NO DOCUMENT HOLD HAD BEEN ISSUED, AND THEY SEEMED UNCONCERNED ABOUT THEIR INABILITY TO TRACK DEFECTIVE PARTS WHICH HAD BEEN RETURNED TO THEM. IN FACT THE STORE MANAGER, AND REGIONAL MANAGER, DID NOT SEEM TO TAKE SERIOUSLY THE FAILURE OF TWO PUMPS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WEEKS APART. I EXPECT A COMPANY TO STAND BEHIND ITS PRODUCTS, AND TO TAKE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC SERIOUSLY. *TR