NHTSA Complaint #10397515 — 2004 NISSAN TITAN

2004 TITAN. CONNECTION FAILED AT THE FLANGES WELDED TO THE EXHAUST PIPE AND THE MUFFLER EXTENSION AT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL AREA. THE EXHAUST PIPE AND THE MUFFLER EXTENSION ARE IN GOOD CONDITION. THE FAILURE WAS CONFINED TO THE FLANGE ATTACHMENTS. FAILURE RESULTED IN HOT AIR/GASES MELTING A CRITICAL WIRE HARNESS THAT IS ATTACHED ALONG THE FRAME BEAM TO CARRY ELECTRICS TO THE REAR OF VEHICLE. THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WAS DAMAGED. THE WIRES SHORTED, CAUSING THE FAILURE OF UNDERHOOD ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCE WAS THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITH LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES AND ALL OTHER COMPONENTS RELYING ON POWER FROM THE ALTERNATOR. THE EXPERIENCED DRIVER WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO A STOP ALONG A BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. LONG RANGE CONSEQUENCES WERE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TITAN'S WIRE BUNDLES AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AT CONSIDERABLE COST. NISSAN HAS NOT, TO DATE, EXPLAINED WHY THIS SIMPLE CONNECTION FAILED, WHY A WIRE HARNESS WAS LOCATED CLOSE TO THIS HEAT SOURCE, WHY THE WIRE HARNESS WAS NOT PROTECTED AGAINST HEAT DAMAGE, WHY THE ELECTRICAL DAMAGE WAS NOT LIMITED BY A FUSE, WHY TITAN OWNERS WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS POTENTIAL CATASTROPHIC PROBLEM AND WHY NISSAN DEALERS DID NOT INSPECT AND NOTIFY TITAN OWNERS OF THIS ISSUE DURING OTHER ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT THEIR FACILITIES. *TR