NHTSA Complaint #10417865 — 2009 NISSAN MURANO

ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2011, I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR EXPRESSWAY. WHILE TRYING TO EXIT FROM THE EXPRESSWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2009 NISSAN MURANO LOCKED, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO TURN IT. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY AN 18-WHEEL SEMI-TRAILER TRUCK. THE INCIDENT RESULTED IN BLACK SKID/TIRE MARKS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BY MY CAR AND THE TRUCK THAT WAS TRYING TO AVOID FROM HITTING ME. NISSAN'S CONTRACTED TOWING SERVICE HAD TO TOW MY VEHICLE INTO NISSAN'S SHOP SINCE THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY AFTER THE INCIDENT. ON AUGUST 3, THE SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED TO SAY THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL HAD BEEN FIXED. HE INDICATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN BECAUSE OF A FAULTY SERPENTINE BELT. HE SAID THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED, THAT THEY HAD TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE BEFORE ITS RELEASE TO ME, AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOW SAFE TO DRIVE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT MY NISSAN HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN IN NISSAN'S SHOP BARELY A WEEK BEFORE THE AUGUST 2ND INCIDENT, ON JULY 21ST, FOR OTHER DEFECT ISSUES WHICH WERE COVERED BY WARRANTY. WHEN THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR THE JULY REPAIRS, THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES HAD INDICATED THAT THEY HAD DONE A FULL INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE. WHAT IS INTERESTING TO ME IS THAT DURING THE FULL INSPECTION, NISSAN DID NOT DISCOVER ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE SERPENTINE BELT THEN. IF THE BELT WERE WEARING AWAY, NISSAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DISCOVER AND DISCLOSE THE WEAR AND TEAR DURING THE FULL INSPECTION IN LATE JULY. EVEN AFTER THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED ON AUGUST 3, 2011, THE STEERING WHEEL IS STILL DIFFICULT TO STEER. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THIS IS A MANUFACTURING/DESIGN DEFECT, BUT I THINK THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO CAREFULLY SINCE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IF A DRIVER IS SLOWING DOWN TO GET READY TO TURN BUT SUDDENLY CANNOT TURN BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL, ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING BEHIND COULD EASILY HIT THE DRIVER IN FRONT. THIS COULD RESULT IN A TRAGIC ACCIDENT. *TT