NHTSA Complaint #10351569 — 2000 NISSAN PATHFINDER

MY 2000 NISSAN PATHFINDER SEEMED EXCESSIVELY BUMPY AND THE STEERING SEEMED VERY STIFF AT TIMES AFTER HITTING A POTHOLE. I TOOK IT INTO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH WHERE THE WHEELWELL IS ATTACHED TO A STRUT MOUNT. THE STRUT IS LOOSE (CAUSING THE BUMPY RIDE) AND THE STRUT IS PRESSING AGAINST THE STEERING SYSTEM CAUSING THE STEERING TO BE STIFF. THE NISSAN SHOP TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT FIX IT AND REFERRED ME TO A BODY SHOP FOR AN ESTIMATE. THE BODY SHOP TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL NISSAN AND/OR LEXUSES (LEXUS PATHFINDER MODEL - I THINK IT IS THE RX330). I WAS TOLD THAT IF I CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT AND WENT OVER A BUMP, THE STRUT COULD PLUNGE THROUGH THE HOOD. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT IF I WERE TO HIT A POTHOLE AT ON A HIGHWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY (STATE FARM) AND WAS TOLD THAT IF A POTHOLE CAUSED THE DAMAGE THEY WOULD PAY FOR IT. HOWEVER, AFTER INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A STRUCTURAL DEFECT ISSUE WITH PATHFINDERS AND THE LEXUS RX330 AND THE CAUSE WAS THAT THE FRAME RUSTED THROUGH AND THE POTHOLE WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THIS DAMAGE TO A NON-DEFECTIVE FRAME. I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN THE PATHFINDER "OFF-ROAD." I CONTACTED NISSAN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH ANY REPAIRS DUE TO THE AGE OF THE CAR. THE ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS IS ABOUT $1,800. I AM HAVING IT REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE. *TR