NHTSA Complaint #10483316 — 2009 NISSAN QUEST

WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE I HAVE BEEN HAVING SEVERE SAFETY ISSUES ON THIS VEHICLE. IT INITIALLY STARTED OUT AS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WHICH TOOK QUITE SOME TIME TO REPLICATE SINCE A SPECIFIC CHAIN OF EVENTS HAD TO BE FOLLOWED. BUT SINCE THEN, THE PROBLEM CAN BE REPLICATED AT WILL BUT AGAIN ITS BASED ON A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND ROAD CONDITIONS. THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES HORRIBLY AND THERE IS A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE. THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO HANDLE ONCE THIS VIBRATION STARTS. IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR HAS A FLAT TIRE OR THE AXLE HAS BEEN SEVERELY DAMAGED THUS IMPAIRING STEERING CONTROL. MAY 20TH 2010 WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD THE ISSUE WITH THE QUEST WHILE I WAS ON IL INTERSTATE 57. SEPT, 11 2010 IS WHEN THIS HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE I WAS HEADED TO FLORIDA. OCT. 4TH, 2010 IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON FLORIDA INTERSTATE 275. IT CONTINUED TO OCCUR REPEATEDLY. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO NISSAN ON JULY,18TH, 2011 WITH 31,573 MILES ON THE VAN. THE NISSAN FOLKS DROVE 189 MILES BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE ISSUE. ON JAN. 2, THEY TRIED BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE ISSUE FEB. 1ST, 2012 THE SERVICE MANAGER AND I DROVE 200 MILES IN ORDER TO REPLICATE IT. WE NOTICED THAT THE VDC LIGHT CAME ON. THE GUESSING GAME ON THE NISSAN SIDE CONTINUED. THEY REPLACED THE ABS SYSTEM STOP LAMP SWITCH, AND OTHER ABS RELATED ITEMS. ONCE THEY HANDED US THE VEHICLE STATING THAT THE ISSUE WAS FIXED, WE TOOK IT ON A TEST DRIVE AND WERE ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM. MAY 29, 2012 I TOOK QUEST BACK IN BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE ISSUE WHILE THE NISSAN FOLKS TOOK IT OUT ON A TEST DRIVE. ON JUNE 18, THE SERVICE MANAGER AND I WENT ON ANOTHER 200 MILES ROAD TRIP AND I WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THIS TIME THEY BLAMED THE WHEEL BEARINGS TO BE THE CAUSE SO THEY REPLACED THAT BUT AGAIN THAT WAS NOT THE CULPRIT AS I WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM WHEN I TOOK IT ON A TEST DRIVE ONCE NISSAN HANDED ME THE VEHICLE. *TR