NHTSA Complaint #10378345 — 2004 NISSAN XTERRA

FIRST -MY STEERING WAS GETTING HARD - I ASKED A TECH AT NISSAN WHAT POSSIBLY COULD BE THE PROBLEM. THEY SUGGESTED CHANGE THE STEERING FLUID FIRST. I DID AND THEN I LEARNED THERE WAS A RECALL - I WOULD LIKE A REIMBURSEMENT OF $96.25 FOR THE STEERING POWER FLUID FLUSH THAT I DID NOT NEED. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AND FOUND OUT BY CALLING NISSAN BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS STILL HAPPENING. I TOOK THE SUV INTO NISSAN SERVICE TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR - IT WAS DONE HOWEVER, I STILL HAD A HARD STEERING PROBLEM. THEY LOOKED AT IT AGAIN AND THEY NOW SAID I NEEDED A GEAR BOX WHICH I RECORDED EARILIER WITH YOU IN A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT . IF I DO IN FACT NEED A GEAR BOX I FEEL THAT IT GOT DEFECTIVE DUE TO THE RECALL - THIS IS OVER A $2,000 REPAIR. A VERY SHORT TIME AFTER MY CAR LEFT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT (AFTER THEY SAID I MAY NEED A GEAR BOX) I ALMOST HAD A VERY BAD CAR ACCIDENT - MY FRONT TIRES AND STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE WHEEL FELT LIKE IT WAS COMING OFF - I TOWED THE SUV TO NISSAN SERVICE AND I AM NOW TOLD THAT THE TIE ROD ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $700.00. WHY DID THEY NOT SEE THE PROBLEM THE WEEK BEFORE? I WANT TO BE REIMBURSED FOR $96.25 STEERING POWER FLUSH, TOWING CHARGE OF $120.00 AND THE TIE ROD ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT APPROX. $800.00 AND I WANT THIS INVESTIGATED. DO I REALLY NEED A GEAR BOX? I COULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO A VERY BAD ACCIDENT IF THAT WHEEL TO FLY OFF. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU - NISSAN XTERRA 2004 YOUR DEPARTMENT AND NISSAN NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM - I COULD HAVE DIED. DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE? *TR