NHTSA Complaint #10465297 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

AFTER JACKING UP MY MOTHER'S CAR FOR AN OIL CHANGE, WHILE I WAS PLACING JACK STANDS BEHIND THE FRONT WHEELS IN THE APPROPRIATE JACKING POINTS, I NOTICED THAT THE FLOOR PANELS LOOKED SWOLLEN UNDERNEATH THE RUST PROOFING MATERIAL. I BEGAN TO POKE AT IT WITH MY FINGER, AND MY FINGER PUSHED THROUGH THE RUST PROOFING AND ALL KINDS OF SEVERELY RUSTED METAL BEGAN TO FALL OUT ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. THE STEEL FLOOR PANEL, HAD BASICALLY TURNED TO RUSTED DUST. I WAS ABLE TO PUSH MY FINGER UP THROUGH THE FLOOR PANEL UNTIL I COULD FEEL THE BOTTOM OF THE CARPET. NOTICING NO OTHER RUST ANYWHERE ELSE NEAR BY, I FIGURED IT HAD TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, SO I DECIDED TO CHECK THE DRIVER'S SIDE SAME LOCATION, AND SURE ENOUGH, WAS ABLE TO PUSH MY FINGER THROUGH THE RUST PROOFING AND THROUGH ROTTED STEEL LIKE IT WAS NOTHING. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AS THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO RUST ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE CAR. THE CAR HAS VERY LOW MILEAGE, AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED, AS WELL AS GARAGE KEPT. NISSAN NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, AND A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR