1996 NISSAN 200SX — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 NISSAN 200SX. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS OR EXCEED 20 MPH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 92,000.

WIPER ARM LINKAGE POPS OFF AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL SECTION, BOTH WIPERS BECOME NON-FUNCTIONAL. LOCAL NISSAN DEALER WILL NOT HONOR THE RECALL, STATING THAT MY CAR DOES NOT HAVE THE DEFECTIVE PART - NO RECORD OF THIS RECALL BEING PERFORMED LINKED TO THIS VIN. *TR

ENTERING A RIGHT TURN ON A CLOVER LEAF THE CAR MADE A SUDDEN SIDEWAYS MOVEMENT. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 20 MPH AND WAS FORCED TO THE SHOULDER. INITIAL ROADSIDE INSPECTION FOUND LEFT REAR TIRE TOUCHING LEFT REAR FENDER WELL. CAR WAS TAKEN BY FLATBED CARRIER FROM ROADSIDE. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION FOUND THAT THE BRACKET THAT CONNECTS THE REAR LEFT TRAILING-LINK ARM TO THE REAR AXLE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CHASSIS. NISSAN DEALERSHIP INSPECTED CAR AND BRACKET AND FOUND THAT THE BRACKET WAS NOT WELDED TO THE CHASSIS WITH THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF SPOT WELDS. IN FACT, SIX TO SEVEN SPOT WELDS WERE MISSED COMPARED TO THE RIGHT SIDE. NISSAN HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR THIS QUITE OBVIOUS MANUFACTURERS DEFECT ACCOUNT HIGH MILEAGE AND UNKNOWN MAINTENANCE RECORDS ON CAR. I WONDER IF ROBOT MISSED OTHER WELDS ON OTHER CARS? *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE WIPER ARM LINKAGE DISENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING, WHILE THE WINDSHIELD WASHER/WIPERS WERE ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 98V093000, REGARDING THE WINDSHIELD WASHER/WIPER ARM LINKAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED.

I OWN A 1996 NISSAN 200SX WITH . I PURCHASED THE CAR IN LATE SUMMER OF 2005. ON JULY 5 2006 MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR IN A RAIN STORM AND THE WIPERS STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE NEXT DAY HE ASKED ME TO LOOK AT THE CAR AND I DISCOVERED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE HAD FAILED AT THE BALL JOINT WHERE THE CONNECTING ROD FROM THE MOTOR JOINS THE PIVOT ROD FOR THE WIPER BLADES. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED IN NHTSA RECALL 98V093000. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER AND I WAS TOLD MY VIN HAD NO OUTSTANDING RECALLS. I CALLED NISSAN CORP. AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. HOWEVER, NISSAN IS GOING TO PULL THE ARCHIVES ON MY VEHICLE TO SEE IF IT HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR THIS RECALL. THIS PROCESS WILL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS. EVEN IF THIS CAR WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED FOR RECALL 98V093000, WHATEVER FIX WAS DONE OBVIOUSLY WASN'T SUFFICIENT BECAUSE THE PROBLEM RECURRED. I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT. IF MY VIN NUMBER TURNS OUT NOT TO BE PART OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL GROUP THEN I BELIEVE NISSAN SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO EXPAND THE LIST OF VEHICLES COVERED BY THIS RECALL. *JB