NHTSA Complaint #10500989 — 2007 NISSAN QUEST

THE TIMING CHAIN ISSUE WAS OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED. WE WERE ASSURED BY THE TECHNICIAN AT NISSAN SANTA ROSA THAT UPON INVESTIGATION WE WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WEAR AND DAMAGE OF THE PARTS. I HAVE A CONCERN THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT FRAUD AND DECEPTION WAS COMMITTED WHICH IS A VIOLATION OF THE DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES ACT (DTPA). AS PER THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA), THE UNITED STATES CODE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY (TITLE 49, CHAPTER 301) DEFINES MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY AS 'THE PERFORMANCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE OR MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT IN A WAY THAT PROTECTS THE PUBLIC AGAINST UNREASONABLE RISK OF ACCIDENTS OCCURRING BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, OR PERFORMANCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND AGAINST UNREASONABLE RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY IN AN ACCIDENT, AND INCLUDES NONOPERATIONAL SAFETY OF A MOTOR VEHICLE. GENERALLY, A SAFETY DEFECT IS DEFINED AS A PROBLEM THAT EXISTS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE OR ITEM OF MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT THAT: POSES AN RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY, AND MAY EXIST IN A GROUP OF VEHICLES OF THE SAME DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE, OR ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT OF THE SAME TYPE AND MANUFACTURE. A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF PROBLEMS WITH TIMING CHAINS. TIMING CHAINS WERE USED IN PLACE OF BELTS BECAUSE OF THE SUPPOSED MAINTENANCE FREE QUALITY THEY PROVIDED. UNLIKE BELTS, TIMING CHAINS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, NISSAN WAS USING NYLON GEARS. METAL ON NYLON WILL WEAR OUT AND SHOULD NOT BE BOASTED AS 'GOOD FOR LIFETIME OF VEHICLE.' MULTIPLE WEBSITES AND FORUMS HAVE POSTED THE PROBLEMS AND EXPENSES INCURRED WITH THEIR NISSAN TIMING CHAIN ISSUES. THE NISSAN TECHNICIAN AT NISSAN SANTA ROSA STATED THAT THIS IS WHY NISSAN SWITCHED BACK TO USING BELTS BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE WERE HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR 'LIFETIME CHAINS. *TR