NHTSA Complaint #745556 — 1995 NISSAN D21

I WAS MAKING A SLOW TURN, AND HEARD A LOUD `THUNK'. AFTER THE TURN, I ACCELERATED SLOWLY, NOT KNOWING WHAT HAD HAPPEND, AND WHEN ABOVE 15 MPH., THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED VIOLENTLY, APPARENTLY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FRONT WHEELS. WE TRIED TO MAKE A U-TURN JUST UP THE ROAD, AND THE FRONT WHEELS WERE POINTING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS! THE REPAIR FACILITY WHICH WE WERE TOWED TO SAID THE TIE RODS BECAME UNSCREWED, RATHER THAN BREAKING, AND THEY'D NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN BEFORE. HAD WE BEEN GOING AT ANY SPEED WHEN IT HAPPENED, THE VEHICLE MIGHT EASILY HAVE FLIPPED OVER, AND WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I WROTE TO NISSAN IN MARCH, WHEN WE RETURNED HOME, BUT HAVE HAD NO REPLY TO DATE.