2008 Nissan Altima

I HAD NOTICED FOR ABOUT A WEEK THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT INDICATOR ON MY DASH BOARD KEPT COMING ON. ON MONDAY 6/27/2011 I TOOK MY CAR TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER. THERE THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM'S MASTER CYLINDER AND BOOSTER ASSEMBLY HAD LEAKED BRAKE FLUID MAKING THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THEY REPLACED WITH A NEW BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER, BOOSTER ASSEMBLY, AND OTHER PARTS. THE DEALER MADE THE REPAIR AND I RETURNED TO DRIVE MY CAR AWAY ON 6/29/2011. TOTAL COST WITH PARTS, LABOR, AND TAX WAS $608.62 . I HAVE KEPT THE RECEIPT IN MY RECORDS. I HAD THE BRAKE LIGHT INDICATOR GO OFF SEVERAL TIMES FROM WHEN I PURCHASED IT NEW TO WHEN THIS LAST INCIDENT HAPPENED. I"M ASSUMING IN THE PAST THEY JUST TOPPED OFF THE BRAKE FLUID DURING REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. THE BRAKES HAD ALWAYS BEEN VERY TOUCHY AND OVERLY TIGHT TO THE TOUCH. WITH THE REPAIR THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS NOT AS TIGHT BUT STILL VERY RESPONSIVE. AS A RESULT OF THIS SLOW LEAK OVER THE YEARS I ALWAYS NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WOULD BE LOW AS WELL AND THAT DID NOT SEEM CORRECT FOR A NEW CAR. I PURCHASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW AND I AM THE ONLY OWNER. SINCE THE BREAKING LIGHT INDICATOR HAD BEEN A NORMAL OCCURRENCE MANY TIMES I AM SURPRISED THAT MY NISSAN TECHNICIAN DID NOT THOROUGHLY INSPECT THE BREAKING SYSTEM AT SOME POINT IN THE PAST YEARS. I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO THE MILEAGE AND PAID FOR THE COST OUT OF MY PERSONAL FUNDS. I AM HOPING IF THERE IS A RECALL I WILL BE COMPENSATED FOR THIS REPAIR SINCE I AM CLAIMING THIS AS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CAR MANUFACTURER NISSAN AND/OR ANY OTHER ASSOCIATED ENTITIES. THANK YOU,

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE PROGRESSED OVER TIME UNTIL IT OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. CURRENTLY THERE WAS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE11020 (HYDRAULIC: FOUNDATION COMPONENTS: MASTER CYLINDER). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.

I OWN A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA THAT WAS HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS. I HAD IT CHECKED OUT BY A MECHANIC AND HE FOUND THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD BEEN LEAKING FLUID INTERNALLY. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM WITH YOUR AGENCY IF NEEDED. MY NAME IS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

"BRAKE" INDICATOR LIGHT BEGAN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE, FOUND OUT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER IS LEAKING AND NEEDS REPLACED. VEHICLE IS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA AND ONLY HAS 41,000 MILES ON IT. VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY IN FOR MAINTENANCE SERVICE IN DECEMBER 2010, NO INDICATION OF PROBLEM WAS GIVEN FOLLOWING INSPECTION. *TR

THE DASHBOARD WARNING LAMPS "DSC OFF", "SLIP" AND "BRAKE" INDICATOR SPORADICALLY WERE COMING ON. THE WARNING INDICATIONS BECAME MORE FREQUENT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT IS THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER LEAKING BRAKE FLUID INTO THE VACUUM BOOSTER. SINCE THE LEAK IS CONTAINED IN THE VEHICLE, THE LEAK IS NOT APPARENT ON THE GROUND. IF BRAKE FLUID GETS TOO LOW, TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. THE REPLACEMENT MASTER CYLINDER IS BACK ORDERED, AND MAY TAKE WEEKS TO ARRIVE. INTERNET RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE LEAKING MASTER CYLINDER IS A VERY COMMON DEFECT. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 30K MILES.

REQUIRED TO REPLACE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER DUE TO LEAKAGE OF FLUID. THE BRAKES BEGAN NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THE BAKE ALERT LIGHT CAME ON. THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT A COMPONENT THAT SHOULD MALFUNCTION AT THIS LOW MILEAGE! THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET(FORUMS-BLOGS) AND WARNINGS ABOUT BUYING THE 08 ALTIMA. NISSAN HAS RECALLED OTHER MODELS FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THE ALTIMA IS NOT INCLUDED. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING FAILURE AND NISSAN SHOULD BE STANDING BACK OF THEIR PRODUCT!! BRAKE PROBLEMS POSE A GREAT DANGER TO PEOPLES LIVES. THERE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ANY DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM, BUT IS THAT WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN? IN THIS ECONOMY WOUNDING OUR WALLETS IS HARMFUL. BETWEEN THE INTERNET AND CONSUMER REPORTS NISSAN WILL HOPEFULLY PAY FOR NOT VOLUNTARILY STEPPING UP AND TAKING CARE OF THEIR INFERIOR MANUFACTURING IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET.