NHTSA Complaint #10715049 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

TOOK CAR IN FOR OIL CHANGE AT AN INDEPENDENT SHOP. TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT FLOOR PANS WERE RUSTED ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. IN THE 7-8 YEARS CAR WAS BEING SERVICED AT DEALERSHIP THERE WAS NEVER ANY MENTION OF RUST. RESEARCHED ON INTERNET AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH NISSAN ALTIMA MODEL YEARS 2002-2005. CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS 4-13-15 TO REPORT THE ISSUE AND REQUEST THEY REPAIR IT SINCE I REMEMBERED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, I HAD RECEIVED A NOTICE REGARDING POSSIBLE CORROSION OF THE REAR SUB-FRAME [NOT SAME PART BUT STILL UNDERCARRIAGE RELATED AND PERHAPS MANUFACTURED BY THE SAME COMPANY]. WAS ADVISED BY 1ST REPRESENTATIVE TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT EVALUATED. DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THE RUST AND TOOK PICTURES [I ASKED FOR A COPIES OF THE PICTURES BUT NEVER GOT THEM]. CALLED CONSUMER AFFAIRS BACK [SAME DAY] AND CASE WAS ASSIGNED TO A REPRESENTATIVE. REP CALLED 4-14-15 AND TOLD ME TO GET AN ESTIMATE [THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT PERFORM THIS TYPE OF REPAIR SO THEY COULD NOT GIVE AN ESTIMATE]. TOOK CAR TO A BODY SHOP AND GOT AN ESTIMATE OF APPROXIMATELY $2,000.00. RECEIVED DECISION FROM NISSAN REP 5-5-15. THEY WOULD NOT BE REPAIRING DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE ON THE CAR AS WELL AS THE ENVIRONMENT. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET, IT SEEMS TO BE MORE OF A DESIGN FLAW AND FROM WHAT I'VE READ A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ONE AT THAT. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE A LOOK INTO NISSAN'S STANCE ON THIS ISSUE? IT SEEMS QUITE RIDICULOUS TO ASK THE OWNER TO PAY FOR A REPAIR THAT THE MANUFACTURER PROBABLY KNEW WAS FAULTY IN THE FIRST PLACE [AND IF THEY DIDN'T SURELY THEY KNOW BY NOW]. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR