NHTSA Complaint #10548159 — 2008 NISSAN ARMADA

I PURCHASED THE 2008 NISSAN ARMADA BRAND NEW. AROUND MID SUMMER OF 2011 I NOTICED SMALL GAPS IN MY OVERHEAD REAR OEM CONSOLE. I CAME OUT FROM WORK STILL DURING THIS SAME TIME FRAME AND NOTICED THAT MY ENTIRE OVERHEAD REAR OEM CONSOLE HAD FALLEN. IT WAS ONLY HANGING BY A FRONT SCREW AND A REAR SCREW. I WENT TO THE NISSAN DEALER IN TOWN ONLY TO BE TOLD LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE HAD BEEN HANGING ON IT AND PULLED IT DOWN. THE NISSAN MECHANICS UNPLUGGED AND UNHOOKED EVERYTHING CONNECTED TO THE CONSOLE AND TOOK IT DOWN. I CALLED NISSAN CORPORATE AND EXPLAINED THAT THEY HAD USED SUBSTANDARD MATERIALS. NISSAN TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. I CALLED MY INSURANCE AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. MY INSURANCE TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD RESEARCH IT TO SEE IF ANY OTHER ARMADA OWNERS HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THEY CLAIMED NOT TO BE ABLE TO FIND ANY. A FEW WEEKS LATER I STARTED NOTICING CRACKS IN THE FRONT OVERHEAD CONSOLE. IT ALSO FELL WITHIN A FEW DAYS. WHEN THE REAR CONSOLE FELL I PRICED THE PART AND IT WAS OVER $900. I DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER PRICING THE FRONT. I DID IN TURN DO RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND AN ENTIRE SITE DEDICATED TO 2008 AND OTHER ARMADA OWNERS THAT EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. NISSAN SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR USING SUBSTANDARD MATERIALS WHEN CONSTRUCTING THEIR VEHICLES. THE PAINT ON THE HOOD IS ALSO STARTING TO WEAR AWAY ON THE HOOD. AFTER PAYING MY HARD EARNED MONEY FOR THIS VEHICLE I THINK NISSAN SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A VEHICLE THAT WASN'T GOING TO CRASH IN AROUND ME. I OWN A SECOND 06 NISSAN AND THE PAINT IS WEARING AWAY ON THE TOP OF IT ALSO. I WILL NOT BE BUYING ANOTHER NISSAN UNTIL THEY CAN IMPROVE ON THEIR MATERIALS AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. *TR