NHTSA Complaint #10410560 — 2004 NISSAN TITAN

I JUST PURCHASED A 2004 NISSAN TITAN LE 4X4 ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO. I AM THE 2ND OWNER AND BOUGHT IT FROM A GUY WHO BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW IN 2004 AND TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF IT. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 55K MILES. JUST LAST WEEKEND, 6/19/2011, IT STARTED MAKING BANGING AND GRINDING NOISES IN THE BACK WHEEL. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT I RAN OVER SOMETHING AND IT WAS STUCK IN THE BACK WHEELS. AFTER EXAMINING THE REAR WHEEL AREA AND THE BRAKE PADS, EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL. HOWEVER, THE NOISE GOT LOUDER AND LOUDER. IT SOUNDED LIKE I WAS DRAGGING A REFRIGERATOR. I FELT A STUTTER IN THE VEHICLE AND IT STARTED TO STRUGGLE TO GO WHEN I WOULD PUT THE TRUCK INTO DRIVE. I ASSUMED THE BRAKE CALIPERS MAY HAVE BEEN JAMMED AND BROUGHT IT INTO AN AUTO SERVICE CENTER TO BE EXAMINED. ABOUT 2 HOURS LATER, I WENT BACK TO THE SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN TOOK ME TO GO SEE THE PROBLEM. THEY EXAMINED THE REAR BRAKES AND DIFFERENTIAL AND FOUND NUMEROUS LARGE CHUNKS OF BROKEN METAL INSIDE, WHICH SHE SAID WERE PIECES OF SHOES, HARDWARE, AND GEARS. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND THAT THE GEAR DAMAGE HAD LIKELY CAUSED A CHAIN REACTION DAMAGING THE ENTIRE LEFT REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY AND E-BRAKES. THE REAR AXLE SEALS WERE LEAKING TOO ONTO THE WHEELS. ALL THESE PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE REAR AXLE. THE SERVICE SHOP QUOTED ME $3800 TO GET THIS FIXED! I WAS IN SHOCK AS I JUST BOUGHT THE TRUCK. OF COURSE, I COULD NO LONGER DRIVE THE TRUCK EITHER AS IT WAS IN PIECES AND NOT DRIVABLE. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? I DON'T HAVE THIS MONEY. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TELL THE SERVICE SHOP TO GO AHEAD WITH THE REPAIRS AND I WILL JUST HAVE TO PUT IT ON A CREDIT CARD. I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND WENT ON TO SEVERAL INTERNET SITES FOR NISSAN TITAN OWNERS TO SEE IF OTHERS WERE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS OR IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS. AFTER READING PAGES OF ENTRIES POSTED BY OTHER TITAN OWNERS, I FOUND OUT I WAS NOT ALONE. NISSAN NEEDS TO HELP PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS! *KB