NHTSA Complaint #11256630 — 2002 NISSAN PATHFINDER

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 PATHFINDER TO WORK ON MONDAY OF THIS WEEK WHEN I STARTED TO FEEL A SLIGHT SHAKING IN MY STEERING WHEEL AND CHATTER IN MY BRAKE PEDAL WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. AFTER I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY I COULD BARELY MAKE A RIGHT TURN AS THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY STIFF. I CHECKED MY FRONT END AND WHAT I FOUND WAS FRIGHTENING. THE DRIVERS SIDE STRUT TOWER HAD TORN FROM THE FRAME AND BODY AND WAS NOW PUSHING AGAINST BOTH THE STEERING SHAFT AND MASTER CYLINDER WHICH WAS BENT UP AT AN ANGLE. MY MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER IS NOW SUPPORTING THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL! THANK GOD THE STRUT DID NOT SNAP THE STEERING SHAFT OR MASTER CYLINDER WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I MIGHT BE IN A HOSPITAL BED OR DEAD. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHO TOLD ME THAT IT RECEIVED A LEVEL 1 REPAIR BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER (I AM THE SECOND OWNER) IN 2011 AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE EXCEPT TO CALL CORPORATE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE RECALL HAS TWO LEVELS: 1 AND 2. LEVEL 1 IS A SIMPLE INSPECTION, CLEANING AND COATING. LEVEL 2 REQUIRES A BOLTED IN METAL BRACE BE INSTALLED TO REINFORCE THE STRUT TOWER. NISSAN CORPORATE TOLD ME THE LEVEL 1 REPAIR WAS ALREADY COMPLETED AND NOTHING FURTHER COULD BE DONE EVEN THOUGH THE REPAIR DID NOTHING TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM AND NOW I AM IN NEED OF A LEVEL 2 REPAIR. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT NISSAN CAN WALK AWAY FROM THIS AFTER THEIR LEVEL 1 FIX FAILS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE LEVEL 1 REPAIR IS A TICKING TIME BOMB AS THE SO CALLED "FIX" DOES NOTHING TO STOP THE TOWER FROM FAILING. I HONESTLY FEEL THAT NISSAN HAS NOT DONE ENOUGH TO REMEDY THE ISSUE AND THERE COULD STILL BE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF PATHFINDERS WITH BOGUS LEVEL 1 REPAIRS ON OUR ROADS RIGHT THIS MINUTE. NISSAN SHOULD PROVIDE THE LEVEL 2 RECALL EVEN IF LEVEL 1 HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED.