NHTSA Complaint #11520074 — 2014 NISSAN ALTIMA

On our 2014 Nissan Altima, the left rear lower control arm broke apart and the right rear lower control arm was badly cracked; both are integral parts of the suspension.  This happened on a 350 mile trip to visit my father, driving at top speeds of 70 mph, 80 miles of which were on a two-lane highway.  I was fortunate to be driving only 15 mph and just a few blocks from my destination when the rear end "fish-tailed" with no ice or rain on the road (it didn't totally break through until I was in my dad's driveway and backed up to put the car into his garage on a flat surface in order to jack it up to see what the problem was).  I had heard no unusual noises, nor did any warning lights appear.  The car was towed using a dolly system, since it was no longer drivable, to an auto mechanic shop.  If I had been driving any faster and this part gave way I (and my dog who was not restrained in any way) could have veered into oncoming traffic, or gone into one of the many deep ditches where the highway is built up through a large bog, or off a 120 foot high bridge into the Duluth Harbor, which could have resulted in severe injury or death to myself, my dog and others.  The mechanic verified that Nissan has a "service agreement" instead of a full-on recall of these defective parts for cars driven in the "salt-belt" regions of the USA, WI and MN being two of those states.  Because of this issue, I had to stay an additional week in order to have our car completed for driving. As of today, we have sent a reimbursement form and all pertinent information to Nissan.  My husband and I strongly feel that Nissan should have sent out notices to all owners of these vehicles with this potentially deadly defect.  We do not understand why there has not been a full recall!