NHTSA Complaint #10453063 — 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA

ON 3/5/2012, I HAD A VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION. EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE FRONT END WAS NOTED. I TOOK MY CAR TO MONRO MUFFLER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON A LIFT AND THE UNDERSIDE INSPECTED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS SO BADLY CORRODED BY RUST THAT THE FRAME HAD PERFORATED AND BROKEN AWAY FROM THE SUSPENSION. THERE ARE HOLES THROUGHOUT AS WELL AS BREAKAGE AND WEAKENING. MONRO MUFFLER RECOMMENDED I CONTACT NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS WHICH I DID. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO NISSAN STATING THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. I WAS DIRECTED BY NISSAN TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A NISSAN DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS WHICH I DID. NISSAN OF DARTMOUTH, MA CONFIRMED MONRO MUFFLER'S DIAGNOSIS AND QUOTED A MINIMUM $2,300 TO REPAIR BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR SUBFRAMES. BEVERLY BANSEK OF NISSAN CALLED ME BACK TO INFORM ME THAT NISSAN WOULD DO NOTHING FOR THE REPAIR. I ASKED FOR A SUPERVISOR AND I WAS THEN CONTACTED BY THE REGIONAL SUPERVISOR OF NISSAN, VAUGHN FRANCIS WHO, AFTER REVIEWING MY CLAIM AGAIN, STATED THAT NISSAN WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME AND THAT THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE SUBFRAMES WAS DUE TO A LACK OF OWNER MAINTENANCE RATHER THAN A DEFECT IN WORKMANSHIP. VAUGHN FRANCIS THEN STATED THAT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ME TO CALL NISSAN AGAIN AS I WOULD ONLY GET HIM AND THE ANSWER WOULD BE THE SAME AND THAT MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO CONTACT THE BBB AUTOLINE DISPUTE RESOLUTION DIVISION AT 1-800-955-5100 WHICH I HAVE DONE. TWO NISSAN DEALERSHIPS STATE THERE IS NO OWNER MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDED ON THE SUBFRAMES OF NISSAN'S VEHICLES. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE FAILURE OF THE SUBFRAMES IS DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION OF THE SUBFRAME WHICH HAS LEAD TO PERFORATION POSSIBLY FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND BECAUSE THIS IS AN ISSUE OF WORKMANSHIP, NISSAN SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR A POSSIBLE SAFETY RELATED DEFECT RESULTING FROM INADEQUATE MANUFACTURER'S CORROSIVE RESISTANT PROTECTION AND/OR SUBFRAME DESIGN.