NHTSA Complaint #10629748 — 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA

IN FEBRUARY 2009 I PURCHASED A NEW 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE PURCHASE WAS MADE AT MAROONE NISSAN (NOW AUTONATION) OF PEMBROKE PINES, FLORIDA. THE VEHICLE WAS A GIFT TO MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER. THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING CAUSING A DANGEROUS GLARE, AND MAKING IT HAZARDOUS TO DRIVE. THE ISSUE OF THE MELTING DASHBOARD STARTED IN ABOUT SEPTEMBER OF 2012 WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS AWAY AT COLLEGE. THE MELTING DASHBOARD CAUSED A SHINY GLARE IN THE WINDSHIELD MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. SHE PUT A BLANKET ON THE DASHBOARD SO SHE COULD SEE OUT THE WINDSHIELD. IN AUGUST 2013 WHEN SHE WAS HOME FROM COLLEGE SHE BROUGHT THE MELTING DASHBOARD TO THE ATTENTION OF NISSAN AUTONATION IN PEMBROKE PINES, FLORIDA. THE VEHICLE HAD 25,390 MILES AT THAT TIME. WE HAVE AN INVOICE DOCUMENTING THIS COMPLAINT. MY DAUGHTER WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER TO CONTACT NISSAN DIRECTLY ABOUT THE ISSUE. BECAUSE SHE WAS UNCERTAIN WHAT TO DO AND WAS RETURNING TO COLLEGE, THE CONCERN WAS NOT ADDRESSED. ON JANUARY 18, 2014, AFTER SEEING HOW BAD THE DASHBOARD WAS MYSELF; I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO AUTONATION AND SPOKE WITH THE CUSTOMER CARE MANAGER. HE INDICATED THAT OUR DASHBOARD WAS THE WORST HE HAD EVER SEEN. HE GAVE US THE NUMBER TO CONTACT NISSAN DIRECTLY AND INITIATE A CASE. I MADE CONTACT WITH NISSAN BY CALLING 800-NISSAN-1 NUMBER AND INITIATED A CASE. UNFORTUNATELY, ON JANUARY 22, 2014, I RECEIVED AN UNFAVORABLE RESPONSE FROM NISSAN, WHO DENIED THE CLAIM, WITHOUT EVER HAVING SEEN THE VEHICLE OR ASKING FOR PHOTOS. I ASKED NISSAN WHAT APPEAL OPTIONS MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO ME AND THE COMPANY INDICATED THERE WERE NONE. I FIND IT CHALLENGING TO BELIEVE THAT NISSAN WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES, PARTICULARLY WHEN THERE IS KNOWLEDGE THAT A WIDE-SPREAD SAFETY HAZARD EXISTS WITH A PARTICULAR MODEL. THIS SPECIFIC NISSAN ALTIMA'S DASHBOARD STARTED MELTING IN LESS THAN FOUR YEARS. *TR