NHTSA Complaint #10556197 — 2009 NISSAN GT-R

ABOUT A YEAR AGO, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT WITH THE CAR IDLING, WE WOULD HEAR A SLIGHT RATTLING NOISE. BUT EVERY TIME WE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER, WHICH IS ONLY A FEW MILES FROM OUR HOUSE, THE NOISE WAS NOT THERE OR NOT ENOUGH TO BRING IT INTO SHOP TO BE CHECKED OUT SO NOTHING WAS EVER DOCUMENTED. THE NOISE WAS INTERMITTENT BECAUSE IT WAS THE EARLY STAGES OF THE "RATTLE FROM THE FLYWHEEL HOUSING" CONDITION. ONE TIME MY HUSBAND BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WITHOUT CHECKING IT IN LET THE GTR TECH HEAR A RECORDING HE MADE OF THE NOISE WHEN IT WAS HAPPENING. THE TECH RESPONSE WAS THAT THE SOUND DID APPEAR TO BE THE INFAMOUS "FLY WHEEL HOUSING RATTLE," BUT WHEN HE HEARD THE CAR RUNNING AT THAT TIME, THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WAS NOT OCCURRING AND HE REPLIED TO THE SLIGHT NOISES WE WERE HEARING AS NORMAL TO THIS CARS DESIGN. NOW THE NOISE IS WORSE BECAUSE THIS CONDITION DEVELOPED TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS NO LONGER INTERMITTENT. ON 11/25/13 MY HUSBAND TOOK THE CAR TO NISSAN OF SMITHTOWN AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND COULD BRING IT IN AT OUR COST. NISSAN'S SERVICE BULLETIN IS AT09-010 NTB09-147 2009-2010 GT-R RATTLE FROM FLYWHEEL HOUSING DECEMBER 18, 2009. THIS IS A CONDITION THAT DEVELOPS OVER TIME, NOT ONE THAT ONE MOMENT IT WORKS AND THE NEXT IT DOESN'T. IT'S NOT THAT MY HUSBAND DID NOT DOCUMENT THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED OR THAT THE CONDITION PROGRESSED TO THE POINT OF NEEDING ATTENTION TWO MONTHS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, BUT THAT NISSAN IS TRANSFERRING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THEIR DESIGN FLAW, WHICH THEY HAVE DOCUMENTED WITH THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN, TO THE UNSUSPECTING OWNER WHO MAY HAVE A SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE THIS FLYWHEEL RATTLE HAPPENS TO THEM OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY. BUYER BEWARE! WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM! WE ARE URGENTLY REQUESTING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS ISSUE. *TR