NHTSA Complaint #10936573 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

AFTER HEARING A SCRAPING NOISE, WHILE PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A 6-INCH SECTION (APPROX.) OF METAL WAS HANGING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER LOOKING AT THE AREA, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE FLOOR PAN UNDER THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS CORRODED/RUSTED/ROTTED. AFTER CALLING MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP, I WAS DIRECTED TO NISSAN CORPORATE, WHO THEN PASSED ME ALONG TO A REGIONAL CONSUMER AFFAIRS REP. THE BULLETIN NUMBER PROVIDED BY THAT REP WAS NTB15-059 (FLOOR PAN REPAIR). I WAS TOLD THAT THEY KNEW OF OTHERS ALSO HAVING THIS PROBLEM, BUT THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT I SHOULD CALL AROUND FOR REPAIR ESTIMATES. AFTER GETTING SEVERAL ESTIMATES, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FLOOR PAN UNDER THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WAS EVEN MORE ROTTED OUT THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT CARPETING IN MY VEHICLE WAS ALREADY SLIGHTLY DAMP, DUE TO THE HOLES IN THE FLOOR PAN AND THAT THERE MAY BE A FUTURE ISSUE WITH MOLD. FLAKES OF RUSTED METAL CONTINUE TO FALL FROM UNDERNEATH MY VEHICLE. ONE AUTOBODY SHOP EVEN STATED THAT THEY HAD ALREADY FIXED APPROXIMATELY 2 DOZEN OTHER 2002 NISSAN ALTIMAS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR