NHTSA Complaint #730586 — 1998 NISSAN PATHFINDER

ON A CLEAR DAY WITH ONLY ONE OTHER CAR WITHIN SIGHT , IN THE AFTERNOON OUR PATHFINDER WAS INEXPLICABLY DRAWN SIDEWAYS OFF THE HIGHWAY AND WAS OUT OF CONTROL. WE TRAVELED FOR QUITE A DISTANCE ON THE GRASSED AREA WHICH WAS LIGHTLY SNOW COVERED AND CONTINUED CLOSELY BY THE TREE LINE. MY HUSBAND WAS A TRUCK DRIVER AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP US FROM HITTING THE TREES BUT WE SLID OVER A DIP IN THE TERRAIN THAT SENT OUR VEHICLE FLYING THROUGH THE AIR AND AFTER LANDING MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO BRING IT TO REST IN A DITCH AFTER HITTING A CEMENT CULVERT. WE FOUND WE HAD A BLOWN TIRE IN THE REAR AND THE FRONT TIRE EXPLODED ON IMPACT WITH THE CULVERT. THE FRONT RIGHT OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE. ALL OF US WERE IN SEATBELTS. OUR SON DID NOT GET HURT(HE WAS IN THE BACK SEAT AND I HAD MY BODY TURNED TRYING TO HOLD HIM DOWN. THE IMPACT SENT MY RIGHT HAND SIDE FLYING INTO THE FRONT DASH AND DOOR. I SUSTAINED CONSIDERABLE INJURY TO MY RIGHT HAND SHOULDER AND ARM AND WAS OUT OF WORK AND IN PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR MONTHS. MY HUSBAND WAS ALSO THROWN AROUND CONSIDERABLY. TO THIS DAY WE HAVE NO IDEA AND THE POLICE COULD NOT PINPOINT ANY REASON FOR THIS CRASH OTHER THAN A DEFECTIVE TIRE. WE THOUGHT THE DESIGN IN THE PATHFINDER MIGHT BE FAULTY AND I DID REPORT THIS INCIDENT TO THE NHTSA IN FEB/MARCH OF THAT YEAR. WE HAVE SINCE GOTTEN RID OF THE PATHFINDER AS OUR SON WAS TERRIFIED TO TRAVEL IN IT. THE VEHICLE ITSELF HELD UP WELL IN THE CRASH AND WE CONSIDER OURSELVES LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN IN SUCH A WELL MADE VEHICLE. WE HAVE SINCE PURCHASED A NEWER PATHFINDER AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS. HOWEVER THE TIRES FROM THE PREVIOUS PATHFINDER ARE ON MY FATHER-IN-LAWS CHEVY TRUCK AND WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE TIRE. THIS RECENT RECALL HAS CAUSED US TO THINK ABOUT THAT ACCIDENT AND WE FIRMLY BELIEVE WE HAD DEFECTIVE TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: ATXP70 )