NHTSA Complaint #10446340 — 2006 NISSAN TITAN

DRIVING AT NIGHT AND THE CABIN HEATER WOULDN'T GET WARM. DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT IT AS I WAS DRIVING LESS THAN 5 MILES. THE NEXT MORNING NOTICED A LARGE POOL OF ANTIFREEZE UNDER THE TRUCK. TOPPED THE COOLANT OFF, FIRED THE TRUCK UP AND LET IT IDLE IN THE DRIVEWAY UNTIL IT CAME UP TO NORMAL TO WARM WATER TEMPERATURE AND ANTIFREEZE BEGAN DRIPPING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE RADIATOR. RESEARCHED THE RADIATOR ISSUE AND FOUND SOME TITAN OWNERS HAVE HAD TO REPLACE CRACKED/SPLIT RADIATORS MORE THAN ONCE. TO AVOID MULTIPLE RADIATOR REPLACEMENTS I WILL BE PURCHASING A HIGH PERFORMANCE ALUMINUM RADIATOR AT A SIGNIFICANT COST DIFFERENCE. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE PLASTIC RADIATORS MAY CUT DOWN THE VEHICLES WEIGHT, MAKING IT EASIER TO ATTAIN FEDERAL MPG STANDARDS BUT THE ALL METAL ONES JUST LAST LONGER AND ARE EASILY REPAIRED. HOW MANY TITAN RADIATORS HAVE DRAINED THEIR ANTIFREEZE INTO THE STREET AND THEN THE STORM DRAIN? MAYBE THE EPA SHOULD BE INFORMED SINCE; "ANTIFREEZE IS TOXIC TO HUMANS AND ANIMALS. WASTE ANTIFREEZE CONTAINS HEAVY METALS SUCH AS LEAD, CADMIUM, AND CHROMIUM IN HIGH ENOUGH LEVELS TO POTENTIALLY MAKE IT A REGULATED HAZARDOUS WASTE, SO MOST STATES STRICTLY REGULATE ANTIFREEZE DISPOSAL. ANTIFREEZE GENERATORS AND STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS SHOULD NOT DUMP SPENT ANTIFREEZE ON LAND OR DISCHARGE IT INTO A SANITARY SEWER, STORM DRAIN, DITCH, DRY WELL, OR SEPTIC SYSTEM; DUMPING ANTIFREEZE CAN CAUSE SERIOUS WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS AND MIGHT HARM PEOPLE, PETS, OR WILDLIFE". *TR *KB