NHTSA Complaint #10476381 — 2005 NISSAN ARMADA

ON THE LISTED DATE ABOVE OUR FAMILY WAS ON EN ROUTE TO OUR VACATION DESTINATION, TRAVELING IN OUR ARMADA WITH CAMPER IN TOW. WHILE GOING THRU THE MOUNTAINS IN VIRGINIA WE HAD LOST ALL POWER TO OUR TRANSMISSION CAUSING US TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE EXPRESSWAY. AFTER SOME TIME WE WHERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP IN COVINGTON. AS SOON AS THE SERVICE MANAGER LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE HE NEW EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE TAIL PIPE HAD DISCONNECTED FROM THE MUFFLER AND THAT THE HOT EXHAUST BURNED UP THE WIRE HARNESS THAT CONTROLLED ALL THE POWER TO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS THEY HAD SEEN AND FIXED 4 TO 5 TIMES AT THIS DEALERSHIP. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE PIPING FROM THE MUFFLER SOME HOW ERODED AWAY AND DISCONNECTED ALLOWING THE EXHAUST TO BURN UP THE WIRE HARNESS, AS WELL AS THE HOSE THAT SUPPLIES THE COMPRESSED AIR TO THE AIR SHOCKS. THIS TO ME IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. FORTUNATELY WE WERE IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE NEAR TO CAUSE A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. WE WERE ABLE TO GET OVER SAFELY ALTHOUGH WE HAD LOST ALL TRANSMISSION POWER GOING UP THIS MOUNTAIN. NOT SURE IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS REPORTED THIS SAFETY ISSUE. BUT NISSAN MUST KNOW ABOUT IT BASED ON THE SERVICE MANAGER SEEING THIS THAT MANY TIMES. WHY WOULD ONE HAVE YOUR ELECTRIC WIRING RUNNING SO CLOSE TO A POTENTIAL HOT SOURCE THAT COULD DISABLE YOUR VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING? I RECENTLY WAS TALKING TO A COWORKER WHO HAS A 2004 ARMADA AND TOLD HIM ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO US. HE HAD SAID THAT HE JUST HAD HIS TAIL PIPE WELDED BACK ON BUT HAD IT DONE AT A MUFFLER SHOP SO THIS WAS NOT DOCUMENTED AT A DEALERSHIP. HE HAD SAID THAT HE COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING BUT HE HAD NO OTHER ISSUES. HE WAS LUCKY AND HE MAY WANT TO CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAD. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE I FEEL IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.