NHTSA Complaint #10496526 — 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA

I AM WRITING TO YOU IN THE HOPE THAT SOMEONE WILL LOOK INTO MY COMPLAINT AND SAFETY CONCERN WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP OF THE NEW 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT TO DATE. THIS COMPLAINT CONCERNS THE NEWLY DESIGNED 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA THAT WHEN DRIVEN HAS A CONSTANT, ANNOYING NOISE THAT SOUNDS LIKE MORSE CODE. THIS NOISE PROBLEM HAS APPARENTLY BEEN IDENTIFIED BY NISSAN AS COMING FROM THE POWER STEERING PUMP DUE TO OTHER OWNER?S COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE NOISE. NISSAN CLAIMS THIS IS A ?NORMAL NOISE? AND BOTH THE DEALER AND THE NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER ARE AWARE OF THE MULTIPLE OWNER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS NOISE, YET WILL OFFER NO CORRECTIVE SERVICE TO ELIMINATE THIS DISTURBING NOISE EMANATING FROM AN APPARENT DEFECTIVE POWER STEERING PUMP. 2013 ALTIMA DRIVERS NEED TO BE WARNED OF THE POSSIBLE DEFECT OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND TO BE ALERT AND REPORT ANY PROBLEMS IN STEERING WHILE DRIVING. AS AN OWNER OF A 2013 ALTIMA, I AM EXTREMELY DISTURBED ABOUT THE DEALER?S AND NISSAN?S RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE POWER STEERING PUMP THAT IT IS JUST NORMAL NOISE. I HAVE OWNED 7 NEW CARS OVER MY LIFETIME, THE LAST 2 BEING 2009 ALTIMAS, AND HAVE NEVER HAD SUCH A NOISE FROM THE POWER STEERING PUMP. MY CAR AND WORK EXPERIENCE IS THAT UNUSUAL NOISE FROM A PUMP MEANS THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE PUMP; AND USUALLY THE PUMP HAS TO BE REPLACED BEFORE ITS TRAGIC FAILURE. NISSAN'S NON-RESPONSE TO FIX OR REPLACE THIS POWER STEERING PUMP IN THE 2013 ALTIMA IS UNCONSCIONABLE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONDONED AS AN ACCEPTABLE BUSINESS PRACTICE REGARDING THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THIS ISSUE BE INVESTIGATED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS DEFECTIVE OR NOT - BEFORE THERE ARE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THE PUMP FAILURE. *TR