NHTSA Complaint #10430742 — 2004 NISSAN TITAN

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 65 MPH. I WAS GOING THAT SPEED WHEN, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY DRIVE SHAFT, BASICALLY EXPLODED AND FELL APART WHILST I WAS IN MOTION. I HAVE KEPT UP ONE ALL MANDATORY AND BASIC MAINTENANCE WORK AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT BEFORE. PARTS FLEW OUT FROM ALL AROUND MY TRUCK AND IT SLAMMED INTO A COMPLETE STOP AS IF I HAD MADE IMPACT INTO SOMETHING. PASSING VEHICLES HAD TO STAY CLEAR OF THE DEBRIS AN I HAD TO PUSH MY TRUCK INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. HIGHWAY PATROL ASKED IF I WAS ALRIGHT AND I STATED TO HAVE ALREADY HAD A TOW TRUCK ON ITS WAY. WHEN MY TRUCK WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP THEY SAID THE REAR END ACTUALLY GAVE WAY AND BROKE, INCLUDING THE DRIVE SHAFT WHICH SNAPPED INTO TWO PIECES, ONE OF WHICH WAS LAUNCHED INTO TRAFFIC. LUCKILY NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED NOR PEOPLE HURT. THE MECHANICS SAID THEY'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 57 YEARS AND I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE COME OUT OF THAT THE WAY I DID, BECAUSE IN MOST CASES THE TRUCK WOULD HAVE FLIPPED AND ROLLED. THE DAMAGES WERE EXTENSIVE AND EXTREME FOR SOMETHING I HAD NO CONTROL OVER. THE SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WAY I WAS DRIVING IT OR ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE, AND THEY FOUND IT "WEIRD" THAT IT HAPPENED THE WAY IT DID. VERY DANGEROUS AND NEAR TRAUMATIZING. I WAS UNABLE TO SELECT THE CORRECT COMPONENTS ABOVE SO I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT IT HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH MY DRIVE SHAFT, REAR DIFFERENTIAL, AND POWER LINE. *TR