NHTSA Complaint #10538170 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

RECENTLY WHILE GETTING NEW TIRES INSTALLED AT A TIRE SHOP, I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT THERE WAS FLOOR PAN RUST ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR. THIS RUST COULDN'T OF HAPPENED OVERNIGHT SINCE THE RUST IS ABOUT TO BREAK THROUGH THE CARPET AS IF IT WERE A 15-20 YR. OLD CAR. THE RUST IS LOCATED IN THE SAME SPOT ON EACH SIDE BY THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FLOOR MATS. ON A SHOP LIFT YOU CAN SEE THAT THE RUST INITIALLY FORMED ON EACH SIDE WHERE THE DRAIN HOLES WERE INSTALLED. AT NISSAN'S REQUEST, I TOOK MY CAR (BOUGHT NEW) TO THE NEAREST NISSAN FOR INSPECTION. MY COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN CORPORATE WAS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON FLOOR PAN RUST AS IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN I.E THE SEAT CAN MALFUNCTION AND ALSO CARBON DIOXIDE COULD GET INSIDE THE CAR. I ALSO MENTIONED THAT I WAS AWARE ANY KIND OF RUST WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THE REASON FOR THE RUST HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LIVING IN HIGH SALT STATE. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THIS HAS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW BY NISSAN AND THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON MAINLY 2ND GEN. ALTIMAS HAVING THIS ADV. FLOOR PAN RUST IN THE EXACT SAME AREAS!! IF THE RUST WAS SPORADIC, THEN SALT WOULD MOST LIKELY BE A CAUSE, AND IF WET SNOWY SHOES WAS THE PROBLEM THEN THERE WOULD BE RUST UNDER THE REAR FLOOR PANS. AS A RESULT, AS NOTED ON THE NISSAN FORUM WEBSITE, A MORE VALID CAUSE IS DESIGN FLAW, DRAIN HOLES WERE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED ALLOWING WATER TO CONGREGATE AND RUST TO FORM. AFTER NISSAN INVESTIGATED MY FILE,THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO HELP. NOT EVEN PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT. I FIND THIS UNBELIEVABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE.THIS 2ND GENERATION ALTIMA FLOOR PAN RUST IS SO COMMON THAT EVEN MY NEIGHBOR'S 05 ALTIMA HAS THE SAME RUST SPOTS AS WELL. WHAT ALSO DISAPPOINTS ME IS THAT I HAVE HAD ALL OF MY OIL CHANGES DONE BY NISSAN AND RUST WAS NEVER MENTIONED ONCE.