NHTSA Complaint #10407643 — 2008 NISSAN TITAN

THIS IS A 2-PART INCIDENT, THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED LAST FALL, 2010. DURING A SERVICE VISIT TO A REPUTABLE LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE SHOP, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A LUG STUD ON THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WAS MISSING. THE STUD WAS BROKEN OFF. IT WAS REPLACED AND CONSIDERED A MYSTERIOUS BUT BENIGN INCIDENT. RETURNING FROM AN 1200 MILE ROAD TRIP LAST WEEK, I TOOK MY TITAN IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE TO THE SAME AUTOMOTIVE SHOP. THEY INFORMED ME THAT 4 OF THE 6 LUG NUTS WERE MISSING. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THEY WERE ALL BROKEN OFF ABOUT A 1/4" FROM THE AXLE WHEEL MOUNT - ON THE SAME RIGHT REAR WHEEL. THE MISSING STUDS WERE IN THE 10, 12, 2 AND 6 O'CLOCK POSITIONS - THE ONLY 2 REMAINING STUDS THAT PREVENTED A CATASTROPIC ACCIDENT INVOLVING MY SON AND ME WERE IN THE 4 AND 8 O'CLOCK POSITIONS! IT IS NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE THAT WE WERE NOT INVOLVED IN A DEADLY CRASH!! ONE OF THE TWO REMAINING STUDS HOLDING THE WHEEL ON THE AXLE WAS ONE REPLACED PREVIOUSLY LAST FALL. I HAD AIRED UP THE TIRES THE NIGHT BEFORE I LEFT ON THIS TRIP AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY MISSING LUG NUTS. CLEARLY THIS WAS NOT A THEFT ATTEMPT FOR TWO REASONS: A) WHY WOULD SOMEONE WHO COULD SIMPLY UNSCREW THE LUGS NUTS INSTEAD, WITH GREAT EFFORT, TWIST THEM OFF THE WRONG DIRECTION...AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE? AND B) TWICE IN SIX MONTHS ON THE SAME WHEEL? INTERNET RESEARCH REVEALS SEVERAL OTHER INCIDENTS OF BROKEN LUG STUDS, EVERYONE SEEMING TO ATTRIBUTE IT TO AN ODD, ONE-OFF INCIDENT. IT IS MY OPTION THAT THE STUDS ARE DEFECTIVE AND A RESULT OF STRESS FATIGUE. ONE POST ON A NISSAN FORUM SITED SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY FOUND A CRACK IN ONE OF THE STUDS THAT HAD NOT YET BROKEN OFF. I STRONGLY URGE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS SITUATION - SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE AS A RESULT OF IT. I AM ALSO GOING TO SEEK TO HAVE NISSAN REPLACE ALL THE STUDS ON MY TRUCK ALTHOUGH I EXPECT THEY WILL REFUSE LEAVING IT TO ME TO DO IT AT MY OWN COST. *TT