NHTSA Complaint #10340435 — 2004 NISSAN ARMADA

TODAY, MY FAMILY & I ALMOST BOUGHT THE FARM WHEN THE BRAKES WENT OUT ON A FREEWAY OFF RAMP ON OUR WAY BACK FROM PHOENIX. WE EXITED THE FREEWAY AT 70 MPH AND I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP AT THE LIGHT. THE BRAKES MADE A LOUD SCRAPING NOISE, WERE NON-FUNCTIONAL AND WE WERE APPROACHING CROSS TRAFFIC AT 60 - 70 MPH. I IMMEDIATELY DROPPED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, STARTED TO APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE AND HEADED FOR THE DIRT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, FIGURING I WOULD RATHER HIT A TREE OR FENCE THAN T-BONE A VEHICLE IN THE CROSS TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY RUBBING THE PASSENGER TIRES ON THE CURB TO CREATE FRICTION TO STOP. THE VEHICLE MILEAGE TODAY IS 61,707. THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AS WE HAD TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF & APPARENTLY WHEN RESTARTED, IT REBOOTED A SENSOR THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. (INFO FROM NISSAN DEALER). THIS IS THE 3RD TIME IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. IT IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE AND SOMEONE WILL END UP DEAD DUE TO THIS PROBLEM IF NISSAN DOES NOT FIX IT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED A TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES WITHIN A YEARS TIME. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THE PROBLEM WAS A MALFUNCTIONING SENSOR IN THE MASTER CYLINDER OR THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER. THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FAILED AND THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE FELL DOWN WHILE DRIVING. UPDATED IVOQ 07/15/10.*JB *TR THE CONSUMER STATED THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED AND HAS BECOME WORSE. THE CONSUMER STATED HIS WIFE RECEIVED A TRAFFIC CITATION FOR GOING THROUGH A STOP SIGN BECAUSE THE BRAKES FAILED AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO STOP. OFTEN, WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THE PEDAL WOULD GO STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND A LOUD METALLIC SCRAPING SOUND COULD BE HEARD AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHAKES. THE ONLY WAY TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, PER A TECHNICIAN AT A LOCAL NISSAN DEALER WAS TO COAST TO A STOP AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF, WAIT 15 SECONDS, THEN START IT AGAIN. THE TECHNICIAN STATED IT RESETS A SENSOR IN THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND THE BRAKES WILL WORK FINE FOR A SHORT TIME. UPDATED IVOQ 09/15/11