NHTSA Complaint #11074262 — 2017 NISSAN TITAN

ON FEB 16 2018 I WAS DRIVING MY 2017 NISSAN TITAN TRUCK WITH 5000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER ALONG A RURAL TWO LANE ROAD IN MISSOURI WITH THREE OTHER PASSENGERS RIDING WITH ME. WE HEARD A NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING OF THE VEHICLE CEASED TO OPERATE AND THE TRUCK DRIFTED ACROSS THE DOUBLE YELLOW LINES OF THE HIGHWAY. LUCKILY NO CARS WERE COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND I STEERED HARD TO THE RIGHT AND SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN RAPIDLY. I DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE TO A GRAVEL PARKING LOT OF A CHURCH AND WE EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND COULD SEE THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS NO LONGER IN PLACE. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP 55 MILES AWAY AND WE AWAITED THEIR REPORT. SEVERAL DAYS LATER I WAS INFORMED THAT THE BELT TENSIONER BRACKET HAD BROKEN IN HALF AND NISSAN WAS GOING TO ORDER PARTS AS THEY WERE NOT IN STOCK AT THE DEALER. REMEMBER THIS IS A NEW 2017 TRUCK WITH ONLY 5000 MILES ON IT. THE SERPENTINE BELT RUNS ALL ASPECTS OF THE VEHICLE AND WITHOUT IT ENGAGED THE VEHICLE BECOMES UNDRIVEABLE. THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY STOCK WITH NO MODIFICATIONS OF ANY KIND. THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME THAT I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE U.S. WITH THIS MALFUNCTION TO DATE. THIS PROBLEM COULD POTENTIALLY KILL.