NHTSA Complaint #10475938 — 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA

WE BOUGHT OUR MAXIMA BRANDNEW IN JULY OF 2009. LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT UNTIL THIS PAST JUNE OF 2012. OUR FIRST PROBLEM WAS SOME CLITCHING ELECTRICAL WIRING. THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS WOULDN'T MOVE UP AND DOWN WHEN WE PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. THIS WOULD HAPPEN OFF AND ON WHILE WE TOOK OUR TRIP OUT OF TOWN IN JUNE. AFTER WE CAME BACK MY HUSBAND MADE A APPOINTMENT TO GET IT CHECKED OUT, BUT BECAUSE THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS WERE WORKING AGAIN WE JUST LET IT BE AND DIDN'T FOLLOW UP WITH THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT. IN JULY OF 2012 I WAS SITTING IN MY PARKED CAR WHEN I WAS READY TO LEAVE, I STARTED MY CAR ONLY TO HEAR THIS AWFUL SORT OF GRINDING NOISE. I HAD A TOW COMPANY COME TO TELL THAT MY BATTERY WAS "DEAD". WHICH I WAS SURPRISED, BECAUSE MY CAR IS JUST 3 YEARS OLD AND I ONLY HAD 24577 MILES ON IT. THE TOWING COMPANY CHARGED MY BATTERY FOR ME TO MAKE IT ACROSS THE STREET TO AUTOZONE, WHERE I GOT A NEW BATTERY. I REMEMBER THE LAST TIME WHEN I BROUGHT IN THE CAR FOR SERVICE, THE LADY WAS TELLING ME THAT I NEEDED TO DRIVE MY CAR MORE OFTEN DUE TO THE BATTERY BEING "LOW". WHICH I THOUGHT WAS STRANGE, I MEAN HOW INCONVENIENT IS THAT TO HAVE TO DRIVE YOU'RE CAR EVERY DAY, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T THE BATTERY JUST "DIES" ON YOU?! MY LAST INCIDENT WITH MY CAR HAPPENED THIS PAST MONDAY 09/17/2012 WHEN I TURN MY CAR OFF, SUDDENLY I HEAR AGAIN THIS AWFUL GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE PANEL. COME TO FIND OUT AFTER I CALLED THE NISSAN DEALER THAT IT WAS THE STEERING COLUMN AND THAT THE MOTOR NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THIS IS HAPPENING 2 MONTHS AFTER MY WARRANTY RAN OUT! I CALLED NISSAN DEALER, THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT IN. SEEING MY CAR IS 3 YEARS OLD..TO ME IT SHOULD BE A RECALL FACTORY ISSUE! AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT! THEY SAY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM? I DON'T THINK SO! NISSAN NEED TO MAKE THIS STEERING COLUMN A RECALL ISSUE! BECAUSE IT IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT. *TR