2005 Nissan Altima

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH A STEERING DEFECT. SHE NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO COLLISION REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT CUPLER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM A PRIVATE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 03/12/09. *LJ THE INNER TIE ROD WAS REPLACED AND THE FRONT END WAS ALIGNED. UPDATED 03/16/09.*JB

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN MY STEERING WHEEL RACK FAILED, CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO DRIFT INTO OTHER LANES. AT THAT SAME MOMENT I SMELLED THIS HORRIBLE BURNING. I WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE A BLOCK TO THE NEAREST NISSAN DEALERSHIP. THERE IS WHERE I FOUND OUT THAT MY STEERING WHEEL RACK WENT OUT AND THE COST TO REPLACE IT WOULD BE $1700 FOR NISSAN PARTS AND $1296 FOR I BELIEVE REFURBISHED PARTS. *TR

NISSAN PART #480808J000 CALLED THE COUPLING SHAFT & COLUMN LOCKED UP ON ME, CAUSING MY STEERING TO GO OUT IN MY VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AS IT WAS, TRIED TO DO A U-TURN, STEERING WENT AND ALL MOST HIT A BUILDING. I WAS TOLD THIS PART WAS ON BACK ORDER NATION WIDE AND THEY HAD NO IDEA WHEN THE PART WOULD BE IN. I DO HAVE THE NEW PART, KEPT THE OLD PART AND IF YOU TRY TO MOVE THE BOTTOM SHAFT PORTION, THAT SHOULD MOVE FREELY, YOU HAVE TO WRENCH ON IT TO MOVE THE PART, IT IS RUSTED. IF YOU ARE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE IT MIGHT GO AT 21,000 OR 50,000 MILES, I HAVE 51,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE AND IT WENT, THE SHOP HAD A VEHICLE THAT MATCHED MINE EXCEPT FOR MILEAGE 21,000 AND THE PART WENT OUT 6 WEEKS BEFORE MINE DID AND THAT OWNER WAS STILL WAITING ON THE PART. *TR

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GIVE MY VEHICLE GAS AFTER STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT, I HEARD A HISSING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I BEGAN TO GIVE THE VEHICLE GAS, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS INCREDIBLY HARD TO TURN. I TRIED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT AND AS A RESULT, I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE STEERING COLUMN FELT AS THOUGH IT DID NOT HAVE POWER STEERING AT THE TIME. WHEN MY VEHICLE CAME TO REST, I WAS FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEDIAN AND HAD ADDITIONALLY TAKEN OUT SEVERAL ROADS SIGNS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY AND INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC FOR THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE RIGHT TIE ROD HAD BROKEN. AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE, THE RADIATOR WAS BUSTED, HEADLIGHT BUSTED AND MANY OTHER COSTLY EXPENSES. AT PRESENT TIME, MY VEHICLE REMAINS IN THE BODY SHOP AWAITING REPAIRS. THIS HAS ENDED UP A VERY COSTLY DEFECT IN MY VEHICLE AND I AM IN THE PROCESS OF CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER FOR SOME REIMBURSEMENT! THIS ACCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE POLICE. *JB

NEW 2005 ALTIMA 3.5 SE BOUGHT AUGUST 2005 1ST MONTH I HAD NOTICED A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING AT HIGH SPEEDS, AND THE VEHICLE PULLING/DRIFTING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THIS CONCERN MAKES THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE A SENSE OF CONTROL WHEN DRIVING, IN ADDITION WHEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME THE VIBRATION IN THE WHEEL MAKES YOUR HANDS AND ARMS FALL ASLEEP. IT IS ALWAYS NECESSARY AFTER AN HOUR OR HOUR AND A HALF TO PULL OVER AND GIVE YOUR ARMS/ HANDS A REST. THE DEALER ADDRESSED THIS CONCERN BY BALANCING THE WHEELS BY ROAD FORCE BALANCE (CORRECTED SPECS - 21LBS ROAD FORCE DOWN TO 7LBS) NO ALIGNMENT ISSUES WERE NOTICED. AFTER 3 TIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE VIBRATIONS I HAD NOTICED A CLUNK IN THE FRONT END, IT ENDED UP BEING A STRUT THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WITH THE NEXT TRIP THE DEALERSHIP THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WAS NOW EVIDENT AT ALL SPEEDS, IT WAS STILL DRIFTING, AND A NEW "HUM" HAD DEVELOPED AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER UNABLE TO VERIFY ANY OF MY CONCERNS SUGGESTED THAT I GO FOR A RIDE WITH THE SERVICE MANGER. AFTER THAT RIDE HE SUGGESTED THAT I HAVE MY TIRES SWAPPED FOR NEW ONES OF ANOTHER BRAND. ON MY NEXT TRIP TO THE DEALER THEY SWAPPED ALL 4 OF MY TIRES FOR ANOTHER BRAND NAME AND RE-ALIGNED THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND FRONT END. THROUGHOUT THE WINTER THE CAR RAN OK OTHER THAN SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT WOULD KILL MY BATTERY AND THE REAR PILLAR AIRBAGS COMING OUT. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE SPRING THAT I WAS FORCED TO BRING MY CAR DOWN AGAIN FOR THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE CLUNK IN THE FRONT END. THE DEALER COULD NOT VERIFY ANY CLUNK IN THE FRONT END BUT AGREED THAT THERE IS AGAIN A VIBRATION AND REMEDIED THE PROBLEM BY ADJUSTING THE STEERING RACK PRE-LOAD. INITIALLY THE VIBRATION WAS REDUCED, BUT WITHIN A MONTH IT WAS BACK. THE SERVICE MANAGER ADMITTED THAT ADJUSTING THE STEERING RACK PRE-LOAD WAS ONLY A "TEMPORARY FIX" A "BANDAID FOR THE PROBLEM". *JB

PURCHASED A 05 ALTIMA IN JUNE OF 2004. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE CAR IN AT 19,000 AND TOLD THEM MY CAR SHAKES AND THERE IS A TICKING IN THE FRONT END. SOUNDS LIKE IT IS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. YOU CAN FEEL THE SHAKING IN THE SEATS, GEAR SHIFT AND STEERING WHEEL. NOT TO MENTION THE SHAKING CONTINUES TO KNOCK MY WINDOWS OUT OF PLACE. THE SHAKING HAPPENS WHEN YOUR ARE SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHILE DRIVING. THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE TIRES AND ALIGNMENT. I DID THE ALIGNMENT. THEY THEN SAID THAT THE TICKING WAS NORMAL AND THE SHAKING WAS NORMAL. SO BEING A YOUNG FEMALE I WAS TOOK THEM FOR THERE WORD. I THEN WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH AND THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, NO ONE WAS HURT. CALLED NISSAN SAID TIRES WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. SO I WENT TO AN OUTSIDE TIRE DEALER TO HAVE REPLACED, WAS TOLD RIM WAS BENT. AGAIN CALLED NISSAN WAS TOLD THAT WAS MY PROBLEM. SO I PURCHASED A NEW SET OF RIMS. JUST STARTED TO FACE THE FACT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SHAKING AND NOISE. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO RETURNED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE ALONG WITH THE SHAKING AND NOISE NOW THERE IS A LOUD CLUNKING ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE. WAS TOLD TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACE, ALIGNMENT AND BALANCE. ALSO GET THIS RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER RIM BENT. AGAIN! SAID IT WAS THE ROADS. TOOK TO TIRE DEALER. RIM WAS BENT. HE DID HIS PART, TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR MORE TIMES IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS THEN I CARE TO REMIND MYSELF. BUT HAS BEEN NO FIX TO ANY OF MY ISSUES. AT CLOSING OF REPAIR TICKET WAS TOLD TICKING NOISE THEY DID NOT KNOW WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM BUT THEY WERE PRETTY SURE IT WAS NOT THE ENGINE. THE SHAKING WAS FROM A BROKE RACK AND PINION. SO NOW THAT I AM OVER MY 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. I NEED TO PAY OVER 1300.00 TO HAVE REPAIRED. I FEEL LIKE THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND I AM NOW STUCK. I AM VERY UPSET WITH THIS LACK OF CONCERN NISSAN HAS WITH MY ISSUES. I NEED HELP GETTING MY CAR REPAIRED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT AT SPEEDS ABOVE 35 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TRANSFER LINKS, SPINDLES, AND BUSHINGS, IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ALIGNED BY 2 DEALERSHIPS. THE DISTRICT MANAGER DETERMINED IT TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING, BUT AN ENGINEER FOR THE MANUFACTURER DETERMINED THIS IS NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS.