NHTSA Complaint #10559350 — 1999 INFINITI QX4

ON NOV. 4TH, 2013, I WAS DRIVING MY CHILD TO SCHOOL. I BEGAN TO TURN LEFT & THE CAR SUDDENLY JERKED US TO THE LEFT & THEN WENT OUT OF CONTROL. AS WE WERE JERKED TO THE LEFT, I FELT THE STEERING WHEEL JERK AND THEN IT STARTED SPINNING LIKE A TOP. THERE WAS NO WAY TO CONTROL THE STEERING. WE SLAMMED INTO AN EMBANKMENT AND MY 7 YR OLD DAUGHTER HIT HER HEAD. ONCE WE GOT HOME, I CONTACTED A MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS A RECALL SO I CONTACTED NISSAN. THEY SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ON "SOME" OF THE 1999 NISSAN INFINITIS, BUT HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING IF MINE WAS ONE OF THEM. I CONTACTED THE MECHANIC WHO SAID TO GIVE NISSAN MY VIN AND THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE ME MORE INFO. CALLED NISSAN BACK AND THEY WERE EXTREMELY RUDE AND SAID THEY HAD ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS WITH ME THE PREVIOUS DAY. I TOLD THEM THAT A MECHANIC HAD TOLD ME TO CALL BACK & GIVE THEM MY VIN, SO I DID. SHE STILL WOULD NOT HELP. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO A MANAGER AND SHE SAID THAT I WAS NOT A "CASE" SO I WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO ONE & SHE WOULD NOT GIVE ME A NAME. I STATED THAT WE WERE IN ACCIDENT, & JUST BECAUSE WE LIVED THROUGH IT, DID NOT MEAN THAT WE DID NOT DESERVE ANSWERS. ONCE SHE HEARD THAT THERE WAS ACCIDENT, SHE SAID THAT THEY HANDLE THAT DIFFERENTLY & HAVE TO ASSIGN A CASE NUMBER TO IT THEN. THEY TOOK MY INFO AND THE PROCESS BEGAN. I DID NOT RECEIVE A RENTAL FROM THEM UNTIL THE END OF NOV, SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. I HAD PICTURES OF MY OWN, & THE STEERING COLUMN IS BROKE IN HALF, WHICH I PROVIDED THEM AS WELL. A CLEAN BREAK ALL THE WAY THROUGH. ON DEC 4TH I RECEIVED AN OFFER LETTER TELLING ME THAT I HAD 7 DAYS TO ACCEPT, OR THEY WOULD TAKE MY RENTAL AND I WOULD HAVE TO CLAIM MY CAR, WHICH HAD BEEN DEEMED UN-DRIVABLE AND UN-INSURABLE. BASICALLY TAKE THIS RIDICULOUS OFFER, WHICH WAS LOW, OR YOU GET NOTHING & HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR RENTAL, HAVE NO CAR AND AN INJURED DAUGHTER. *TR