NHTSA Complaint #11055322 — 2003 NISSAN MURANO

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE BECAME SHAKY AND WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL NEARLY CAUSING THE DRIVER TO GO OFF THE ROAD. DRIVER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO, UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME HAD NEARLY RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH. THE VEHICLE IS A 2003 WITH AROUND 130,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE IS USED PRIMARILY TO DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK ON PAVED HIGHWAYS. WHEN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE FURTHER, I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE OTHER OWNERS OF FIRST GENERATION NISSAN MURANOS WHO EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ISSUES, INCLUDING ONE WHOSE FRAME ACTUALLY BROKE IN HALF WHILE DRIVING (THANKFULLY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN OUR CASE). THE ISSUE APPEARS TO RELATE TO THE FRAME AND/OR SEALANT ON THE FRAME CORRODING DUE TO THE SALT USED ON THE ROADS DURING THE WINTER TIME IN THE NORTHERN US. OUR VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN MICHIGAN. NISSAN CONDUCTED RECALLS FOR SIMILAR ISSUES WITH OTHER MODELS (ALTIMA, PATHFINDER AND INFINITY QX4) WHICH SHOWS THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT. AS SUCH, I FEEL THIS ISSUE IS PRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK TO THE DRIVER, PASSENGERS AND OTHER MOTORISTS. I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOT RECALL AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP FOR THE REPAIR AND THEN SUBMIT A COMPLAINT WHICH WOULD BE ESCALATED TO THE REGIONAL TEAM BUT, THAT THEY WERE UNLIKELY TO PROVIDE ANY SUPPORT. HOWEVER, AS THE CAR IS CURRENTLY INOPERABLE, THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE SO THE REPAIR WILL NEED TO BE DONE BY THE LOCAL, CERTIFIED MECHANIC. IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I CAN BE REACHED AT [XXX] OR BY PHONE AT [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR