NHTSA Complaint #10354968 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR ALMOST 8 YEARS AND HAVE CLOSE TO 42,000 MILES ON IT. I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW IN 2002 FROM A NISSAN DEALERSHIP. JUST RECENTLY I HAD A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE DONE IN MY CAR AND MY MECHANIC NOTICED AN ENORMOUS RUSTED HOLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE FLOOR PANEL UNDERNEATH THE CAR, THE PASSENGER SIDE ALSO HAD A BIG RUSTED SPOT WHERE ANOTHER HOLE IS DEVELOPING. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL NISSAN BODYWORKS REPAIR SHOP WHERE I WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FLOOR PANEL, SINCE IT WAS SO BADLY RUSTED, YOU CAN SEE THE CARPETING THROUGH THE HOLE. THE ESTIMATE CAME OUT TO A TOTAL OVER $2,000. THIS COMES AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO ME, SINCE I HARDLY DRIVE MY VEHICLE AND TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF IT. IT IS KEPT IN A SEALED GARAGE OF A PRIVATE HOUSE. THE VEHICLE ALSO GETS WASHED REGULARLY, ESPECIALLY DURING WINTER MONTHS. THE UNDERBODY IS CLEANED PERIODICALLY (AT THE VERY LEAST ONCE A WEEK IN WINTER) TO MAKE SURE THE SALT AND SAND/DIRT DOES NOT CAUSE DETERIORATION, IT ALSO GETS WAXED EVERY SO OFTEN. WHEN THE FLOOR COVERINGS GET WET DURING THE COLD MONTHS, I TAKE THEM OUT AND DRY THEM BEFORE PLACING THEM BACK IN. I AM JUST IN A TOTAL STATE OF SHOCK, HOW A VEHICLE WITH 42,000 MILES DURING A SPAN OF 8 YEARS, WHICH WAS KEPT INSIDE A GARAGE AND CONSTANTLY MAINTAINED HAVE SUCH AN ISSUE WITH THE FLOOR PANEL. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE WAY THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. *TR