NHTSA Complaint #10488945 — 2009 NISSAN CUBE

PERSONAL RESEARCH WAS DONE ON THE INTERNET TO FIND HOW THIS HAPPENED ON OTHER NISSANS, THE VERSA, THE ALTIMA, AND NOW THE CUBE. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS CAN CAUSE A WRECK BECAUSE THE PARTS CAN FALL ONTO THE ROAD FROM A SPEEDING CAR, AND HIT ANOTHER CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ISSUE IS WITH THE WELD, AND THE BEAD OF THE FACTORY MUFFLER BEING CONNECTED TO THE EXHAUST PIPE BY A FLANGE IT IS WELDED TO. THE FLANGE BECOMES UNWELDED TO THE PIPE BY EITHER RUST PERFORATION THROUGH SALT ON THE ROAD IN SNOW AREAS, BY A CHEAP WELD, OR INSUFFICIENT BRACING OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM COMPONENTS. IT HAS BEEN READ THAT NISSAN CANADA FIXES THESE FREE BASED ON A GOOD WILL EFFORT TO KEEP CUSTOMERS. HOWEVER, IT IS UNSEEN AND UNKNOWN IF THIS PROBLEM WILL BE ADDRESSED BY ANY RECALL IN THE USA. A SIMPLE FIX COULD BE APPLIED IF IT IS DUE TO RUST PERFORATION, PUT A SEAL OVER THE FLANGE TO KEEP SALT OUT. OR MAKE IT A ONE PIPE SYSTEM. OR BRACE IT MORE SUFFICIENTLY SO THAT IT DOESN'T FALL APART SO EASILY AS THE PRESSURE AND WEIGHT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE SYSTEM IS SUPPORTED. THEREFORE, THIS SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AND OWNERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED SO THAT THE DRIVER DOESN'T CAUSE AN UNNECESSARY WRECK IN THE SNOW, OR OTHER NORMAL OPERATION AS THE PIPE COULD FALL OFF. IN SUMMARY, THE WELD OF THE MUFFLER TO THE EXHAUST PIPE FLANGE BREAKS APART TOO EASILY AS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN IN VERSA AND NOW THE CUBE. *TR