2008 Nissan Altima

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS ILLUMINATED SO THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN MANUFACTURER'S RECALL THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED BUT THE CONTACT DID NOT CONFIRM WITH THE MANUFACTURER IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID OUT THE BACK OF THE CYLINDER INTO THE VACUUM HOUSING. THE LEAK WAS NOT NOTICEABLE ON THE GROUND OR ON THE MOTOR. HADN'T NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS GETTING LOWER AND LOWER. THERE IS A SMALL BRAKE LIGHT ON THE DASH. THE LIGHT WAS ON AND HAD BEEN ON FOR SOME TIME. IT'S THE SAME LIGHT THAT COMES ON WHEN YOU APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE. THIS MASKED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM AS WE THOUGHT THERE WAS AN ADJUSTMENT NEEDED TO THE PARKING BRAKE PEDAL AND INSTEAD THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, AND EVEN A FEW SECONDS RIGHT AFTER STOPPING, THE BRAKE LIGHT CONTINUES TO STAY ON, SOMETIMES BLINKING. AFTER CHECKING THAT MY PADS WERE STILL IN GOOD SHAPE, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND A LOT OF ALTIMA OWNERS THAT WERE HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS. I CHECKED MY MC BUT FOUND NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. HOWEVER, I NOTICED THAT MY FLUID LEVEL WAS ON THE MINIMUM LINE. AFTER HAVING A CERTIFIED MECHANIC LOOK AT IT, HE ADVISED ME THAT THE MC WAS FAULTY AND WAS LEAKING INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER. AFTER READING THAT ARE MORE THAN HUNDREDS OF DOCUMENTED CASES, AND POSSIBLY THOUSANDS OF UNDOCUMENTED CASES, I FEEL THAT NISSAN HAS AN OBLIGATION TO INFORM THEIR CUSTOMERS ABOUT THE FAULTY BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND REPLACE THE FAULTY PART FREE OF CHARGE. *TR

PURCHASED USED NISSAN ALTIMA 3.5 V6 ENGINE VEHICLE WITH 18K MILES ON 10/29/11. ON A COUPLE TIMES BEFORE WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO BRAKE THE CAR FELT AS IF I WAS NO LONGER IN CONTROL OF IT AND ACCELERATED. HOWEVER ON 11/14/2011, I SLOWED DOWN TO STOP AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. I APPLIED THE BRAKE AS USUAL SLOWLY TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV UP AND MADE AN INCREASINGLY LOUD NOISE. THE VEHICLE FELT AS THOUGH IT WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD IN TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE HARDER I PRESSED THE BRAKE THE MORE IT REVVED UP. MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AT ANY POINT. AFTER THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, IT LURCHED FORWARD AND I IMMEDIATELY DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED LESS THAN A BLOCK AWAY. THE SERVICE MAN PLACED IT ON THE COMPUTER AND ALL KINDS OF RED LIGHTS FLICKERED. HE SAID SOMETHING IS WRONG BUT WE DON'T NO WHAT. THEY SEEMED TO BE AT A LOST. FINALLY I WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED TO DRIVE IT TO TRY TO RECREATE THE OCCURRENCE. CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP AFTER 3 DAYS. THEY HAVE GIVEN ME A CAR TO DRIVE. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN THIS PURCHASE. CERTIFIED VEHICLE WITH A WRAP AROUND SERVICE WARRANTY WILL HOPEFULLY SAVE US EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILLS. IN ANY CASE I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE IT ANYMORE BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL SAFE AT ALL. I WANT TO TRADE IT AND REQUEST A BUY BACK IF THIS MATTER IS NOT RESOLVED. HAVING THE MECHANIC TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IS JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE LOST OUR LIVES. OUR 11 YEAR OLD SON WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME AND WAS VERY FRIGHTENED. NO CAR IS WORTH THE RISK OF DRIVING DANGEROUSLY. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S. AT AROUND 33,500 MILES I NOTICED MY BRAKE LIGHT COMING ON. I PROMPTLY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THAT MY MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER HAD A LEAK IN IT. I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE WARRANTY ON IT EXPIRED AT 30,000 MILES. I WAS QUOTED A PRICE AROUND $450. BEWILDERED BY THE COST AND UPSET THAT THEY WOULDN'T COVER IT SO CLOSE PAST WARRANTY I LEFT AND HAD A FRIEND WHO WORKS AT A AUTO REPAIR SHOP REPLACE IT W/ A GENUINE NISSAN PART FOR $240. I ATE THE COST OF REPAIR THINKING IT WAS BAD LUCK AND MOVED ON. MY ALTIMA IS NOW AT 78,000 MILES AND ONCE AGAIN THE BRAKE LIGHT IS COMING ON. I'M POSITIVE THAT ONCE AGAIN THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE VISITED THE WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM/FORUMS/2007-NISSAN-ALTIMA-DISCUSSION-2-5-3-5/298430-WARNING-MASTER-CYLINDER-PROBLEM-MUST-READ-10.HTML AND ALSO SAW THAT NHTSA HAS OPENED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS. I WOULD LIKE MY ALTIMA RECALLED OR TO BE COMPENSATED FOR BOTH REPAIRS. (THIS LETTER HAS ALSO BEEN SENT TO NISSAN USA. AWAITING FEEDBACK). *TR

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC-FOUNDATION COMPONENTS-MASTER CYLINDER : AFTER A FEW DAYS OF DRIVING WITH A BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT COMING ON, CROWN NISSAN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING INTO THE POWER BOOSTER, LOWERING THE BRAKE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR. TOTAL CHARGES WERE $684.55 TO REPAIR. THIS IS A 3 YEAR OLD CAR WITH 41,321 HIGHWAY MILES DRIVEN LIGHTLY. IT APPEARS TO BE A SIMILAR SITUATION AS THE 2007 AND 2008 NISSAN SENTRA AND ALTHOUGH THE TWO MODELS DO NOT SHARE THE SAME PARTS, THE MANUFACTURER IS LIKELY TO BE THE SAME. THIS SHOULD BE A FACTORY RECALL ISSUE.

MY BRAKE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP THEY IMMEDIATELY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THAT THIS WAS A FREQUENT AND RECURRING ISSUE WITH THE 2008 ALTIMA. THEY CHECKED THE CAR OUT AND CONFIRMED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IF THEY KNOW ABOUT THE FAULTY PART THEN WHY NOT A RECALL AS WITH THE SENTRA?? $550 TO REPAIR AN ISSUE KNOWN BY NISSAN TO BE A FAULTY PART. THAT IS JUST CROOKED. *TR

THIS WAS A ONE VEHICLE CRASH (TOTAL LOSS) THAT OCCURRED WHEN THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK CAUSING OUR CAR TO STRIKE A BRICK WALL (ALSO EMERGENCY BRAKES DID NOT WORK). NONE OF THE VEHICLE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED EXCEPT FOR THE DRIVERS STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG WHICH DEPLOYED ONCE THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROX. 11:45 PM, 22 OCTOBER 2011. NO DRUGS AND OR ALCOHOL WERE INVOLVED. THE CAR WAS RECENTLY PURCHASED FROM A LEXUS DEALER AND THE SAME COMPANY OWNS A NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHICH CONFIRMED THAT ALL NISSAN RECALL ITEMS WERE COMPLIED WITH. WE HAVE SEVERAL PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS TO PROVE THAT THERE IS STILL SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THE NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 BRAKES AND AIR BAGS TO ALLOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN. I HAVE PERSONALLY TALKED WITH[XXX] ABOUT THIS AND LEFT A VOICE MAIL WITH [XXX] AT THEIR NHTSA OFFICE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY CONFIRMED THAT THIS CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN NOW BEEN REMOVED FROM THE TOWING AND COLLISION FACILITY HERE IN INDIANA AND SOLD TO A PARTS SALVAGE COMPANY. I WAS TRYING TO HAVE SOMEONE INSPECT THIS CAR BEFORE IT WAS DESTROYED, BUT IT APPEARS THAT IT IS NOW TO LATE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR