NHTSA Complaint #10970047 — 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA

BRAKE ABS SYSTEM FAILURE. SUBFRAME RUST BREAKS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) AND RENDERS THE ABS BRAKE, TRACTION CONTROL, AND VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL SYSTEMS INOPERABLE. THE SLIP, BRAKE, VDC OFF (TCS OFF) LIGHTS ALL ILLUMINATE ON THE VEHICLE DASHBOARD, NOTIFYING THE DRIVER OF THIS PROBLEM. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THE PROBLEM DEMONSTRATES THAT THE ABS SENSORS AND/OR ABS ACTUATOR FAIL ON THE VEHICLE DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT THAT PROMOTES EXCESSIVE RUST ACCUMULATION ON ABS COMPONENTS. THE ABS SENSOR FAILURES DISABLE ALL ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL SYSTEMS. DRIVER AND OCCUPANT SAFETY IS SEVERELY COMPROMISED DUE TO THE VEHICLE'S SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHED STEERING AND ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE CAPABILITY DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING AND CRASH AVOIDANCE SITUATIONS (ESPECIALLY SKID SITUATIONS) DUE TO THE NON-FUNCTIONING ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL SYSTEMS. NISSAN IS AWARE OF THE ABS BRAKE, TRACTION CONTROL, AND VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURES AND THE CAUSE, BUT REQUESTS TO NISSAN TO FIX THE SYSTEMS ARE DENIED. NISSAN HAS DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM IN TSB NTB07-016(B) WHICH SHOWS NISSAN HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM SINCE AT LEAST MARCH 16, 2007. NISSAN'S TSB DOCUMENTATION SHOWS HOW TO CORRECT THE DESIGN DEFECT ON THE VEHICLE BY GRINDING THE SUBFRAME AND REPLACING DEFECTIVE PARTS WITH NISSAN REDESIGNED PARTS.