2004 Nissan Xterra

THERE WERE NO INDICATORS OR EVENTS TO LEAD UP TO A CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE IN MY 2004 NISSAN XTERRA. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM DEALER, HAS ONLY 55,000 MI OF USAGE, FOR LOCAL DRIVING/ROUND TRIP TO WORK. BRAKE LINE CRACKED, FLUID LEAKED WHICH WAS AN EXTREMELY UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE. I DO NOT DRIVE ON LUNAR LANDSCAPE, I.E. POT HOLES, CAMPING, OR RECKLESSLY. THIS WAS SUDDEN. DEALER ORDERED PART, MECHANIC REPLACED PART, ENTIRE BRAKE LINE COULD NOT WITHSTAND PRESSURE AND MORE LEAKAGE ENSUED. DEALER WANTED TO 'SEAL" THE LEAK, NOT REPLACE PART, WHICH OF COURSE I FEEL IS AN INADEQUATE REPAIR. 2004 REPLACEMENT PART WERE NOT AVAILABLE AT TIME OF THIS WRITING. CAR WAS INSPECTED APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS AGO AND PASSED INSPECTION. AS OF THIS WRITING VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND DEALER IS NOT FORTHCOMING CONCERNING BREAKAGE OF BRAKELINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE FAILURES WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON HER VEHICLE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE JERKS AND CONTINUES TO PROCEED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES MAKE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND A TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE ABS WAS FAILING AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURES COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AGAIN. WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE IN THE CONTACT'S YARD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ABS FAILED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

NISSAN USES FAULTY EQUIPMENT IN THEIR VEHICLES AND ASHLY AT THEIR CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPT ACTUALLY TOLD ME THAT NISSAN ONLY EXPECTS THEIR VEHICLES TO LAST THE 3 YRS OR 36K MILES!! SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE I HAVE HAD THE A/C COMPRESSOR REPLACES, ALL HEATER HOSSES REPLACED, OIL LEAKS, COOLANT LEAKS, DRIVE BELTS REPLACED AND THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED. MY CAR LITERALLY BROKE DOWN IN MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS RETURNING FROM VACATION WITH MY SON, MY DOG AND MY CAT-IF MY TRIP WOULD HAVE 15 MINS. LONGER I WOULD HAVE BROKE DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NISSAN DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS AT ALL AND DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE CONSUMER OR THEIR SAFETY!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH THE PASSENGER SIDE TIE ROD FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE COMPONENT. 5 MONTHS LATER, THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIE ROD FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,070 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 152,150. UPDATED 06/17/09 *BF THE THREADS ON THE OUTER END OF THE TIE ROD ADJUSTING BAR AND THE INTERNAL THREADS OF THE OUTER TIE ROD ASSEMBLY CORRODED TO THE POINT THAT THERE WAS NO THREAD ENGAGEMENT AND THE ADJUSTING BAR SIMPLY PULLED OUT OF THE TIE ROD ASSEMBLY. THE CONSUMER STATED 5 MONTHS LATER THE DRIVERS SIDE DID THE EXACT SAME THING. UPDATED 06/17/09*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS CONSTANTLY EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE HUD DRUMS, LOCATED IN THE GEARS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE HESITATES, SHIMMIES, AND MAKES A LOT OF NOISE IN THE REAR. THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE FEELS AS IF IT WILL FALL OFF OR DROP AT ANY MOMENT. THE CONTACT IS NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE HER VEHICLE TO A NISSAN DEALER FOR INSPECTION BECAUSE IT WAS PURCHASED FROM A PRIVATE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

APRIL 9,2009 THANKS FOR TALKING WITH ME ABOUT MY ISSUE. RE: MAINE'S EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRANTY LAWS: AS WE DISCUSSED PLEASE FIND ENCLOSED MAINE LAW THAT BASICALLY EXTENDED ANY EXPRESS WARRANTY FROM A CAR DEALER BASED ON THE ENCLOSED CRITERIA. SINCE THE NISSAN XTERRA HAS A 6 YEAR POWER TRAIN WARRANTY I HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASSERT THAT THE DEFECTIVE PART, WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR ME AND FAMILY, SHOULD HAVE LASTED WELL BEYOND 4 1/2 YEARS OR 46,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I AM REQUESTING THAT YOU AUTHORIZED BERLIN CITY NISSAN TO REPAIR THIS PART (NUMBER: 497109Z400) WHICH CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED THROUGH THE DEALER. THIS PART SIMPLY WAS DEFECTIVE AND FAULTY AND WAS NOT IN ANY WAY ABUSED PURSUANT TO MAINE LAW. THE PART CLEARLY DID NOT MEET THE MAINE WARRANTY LAW OF FIT FOR ORDINARY PURPOSES IN FACT THE DEALER TOLD MY WIFE AND ME THEY VERY RARELY IF EVER SEE THIS PART COME IN FOR REPAIR. IN SUMMARY, I REQUEST THAT NISSAN DOE THE RIGHT THING AND AUTHORIZED A FULL PAYMENT OF THE ABOVE MENTION PART ALONG WITH THE $96.50 CENTS WHICH I HAVE ALREADY PAID BERLIN CITY TO DIAGNOSE OF THE PROBLEM WITH PART NUMBER: 497109Z400. THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TAKING CARE OF THIS MATTER TO AVOID A FORMAL COMPLIANT TO MAINE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. HTTP://WWW.MAINE.GOV/AG/DYNLD/DOCUMENTS/CLG4.PDF HTTP://WWW.MAINE.GOV/TOOLS/WHATSNEW/ATTACH.PHP?ID=27919&AN=1. *TR

1. FRONT RIGHT LOWER A-FRAME (SWING ARM) FRACTURED AND RELEASED BALL JOINT RESULTING IN CAR COLLAPSING ONTO THE TIRE. FAILURE APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY METAL FATIGUE DUE TO ROUGH EDGES OF BROKEN AREAS. BALL JOINT IS IN GOOD SHAPE AND STILL GRIPS A PIECE OF THE A-FRAME. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT DUE TO THE FACT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED AT A VERY LOW SPEED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. HAD IT HAPPENED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WOULD LIKELY HAVE CAUSED A ROLLOVER CRASH WITH FATALITIES POSSIBLE. VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED, ALL PARTS WILL BE RETAINED WHEN IT IS. 2. LEFT REAR ANTI SWAY BAR MOUNTING CLAMP FAILED DUE TO METAL FATIGUE JUST DAYS PRIOR TO THIS RESULTING IN THE ANTI SWAY BAR BAR PUMMELING THE STEEL BRAKE LINE UNTIL IT SPRANG A LEAK. THIS RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES. I REPLACED THE BROKEN CLAMP AND BRAKE LINE. AGAIN NO CRASH OCCURRED DUE TO LOW SPEED OPERATION. I HAVE THE PARTS AND PIECES IN MY POSSESSION. 3. PRIOR TO THIS BY A FEW WEEKS THE LEFT FRONT FREE WHEELING HUB DISINTEGRATED WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. I REPLACED THE HUB BUT HAVE SOME PIECES. I HAVE NO THEORY ABOUT WHAT CAUSED THIS FAILURE, BUT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENT ACCIDENT. WE LIVE IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SIERRA NEVADAS AND MANY ROADS ARE PERCHED ALONG STEEP ROCKY SLOPES. A LOSS OF CONTROL CAUSED BY ANY OF THESE INCIDENTS COULD HAVE PROVED FATAL. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 90206 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN GENTLY. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED ON A USER FORUM FOR XTERRA FANS THAT THE REAR SWAY BAR HAS BEEN A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THEM FOR QUITE A WHILE WITH THE RESULT THAT THEY RECOMMEND REMOVING THE SWAY BAR ALTOGETHER AND BEEFING UP THE REAR SHOCKS. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE XTERRAS SHOULD BE RECALLED ON THE REAR SWAY BAR ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN XTERRA. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES, THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. SHE THEN NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE SAME LOCATION UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 76,000.