2004 Nissan Altima

I HAVE TWO SAFETY RELATED ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE. 1) THE FRONT SUBFRAME HAS HOLES DUE TO RUST. 2) THE FRONT PASSENGER FLOOR BOARD IS RUSTED THROUGH WITH A HOLE APPROXIMATELY 10" X 20". I TOOK THAT CAR TO FRED MARTIN NISSAN FOR AN INSPECTION. THEY STATED THAT THESE ISSUES ARE NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, RECALL OR GOODWILL CAMPAIGN. THESE ISSUES APPEAR TO BE MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. *TR

DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF AS I WAS TRYING TO ENTER VEHICLE. ABOUT A YEAR LATER, ANOTHER BROKE OFF. THERE IS SHARP PLASTIC WHERE IT WAS BROKEN AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO ENTER THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT CUTTING YOURSELF. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT IS NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO ENTER THE VEHICLE QUICKLY AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. IT IS NOT SAFE. *TR

EXCESSIVE PREMATURE RUST ON FRONT PASSENGER FLOOR PAN. ABOUT 5"X10" IN SIZE AND CONSISTENT WITH MOST OTHER NISSAN ALTIMA RUST COMPLAINTS FOR CARS OF SIMILAR AGE. SINCE NOTICING THE RUST I HAVE LOOKED AT DOZENS OF SIMILAR NISSAN ALTIMAS IN STORE PARKING LOTS ALL WITH THE SAME PREMATURE RUST PATTERN. IT APPEARS THAT NISSAN DESIGNED THE FLOOR PANS WITH A DRAIN PLUG WHICH ALLOWS WATER PENETRATION ABOVE THE FLOOR PAN WHERE IT CAUSES RUST. THE REST OF THE FLOOR PAN ON THE ENTIRE VEHICLE IS IN EXCEPTIONALLY PRISTINE SHAPE, BUT DUE TO THE IMPROPERLY DESIGNED/INSTALLED FLOOR PLUGS THE RUST HAS CAUSED HOLES TO DEVELOP IN THE FLOOR PAN AROUND THE FRONT PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. UPON NOTICING THE RUST, I TALKED WITH A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED HE HASN'T SEEN A NISSAN ALTIMA OF SIMILAR AGE IN HIS SHOP THAT DID NOT HAVE IDENTICAL RUST PATTERNS IN THE SAME SPOT. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND THE RUST IN THIS ONE AREA AROUND THE DRAIN PLUGS IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE LACK OF RUST EVERYWHERE ELSE. HOLES IN FLOORBOARDS OF LATE MODEL CARS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE MOST CONSUMERS WOULD NEVER SUSPECT THIS WOULD BE AN ISSUE ON LATE MODEL CARS WHICH ARE OTHERWISE NOT SHOWING ANY SIGNS OF RUST. HOLES IN THE FLOORBOARDS CAN ALLOW PENETRATION OF DEADLY EXHAUST FUMES, ESPECIALLY IN STOP AND GO TYPE DRIVING AS WELL AS PERSONAL SAFETY RISK AS THIS WEAKENS THE OVERALL STRENGTH OF THE UNIBODY DESIGN IN A CRASH. ALSO IF UNDETECTED LONG ENOUGH IT CAN CAUSE SEATS TO LOOSEN AND FALL FROM THEIR MOUNTS. I STRONGLY URGE THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD TO ISSUE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL SINCE IT APPEARS THE MANUFACTURER IS UNWILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RISK IT IS PUTTING ON CONSUMERS. *TR

THREE OF THE FOUR EXTERIOR CAR-DOOR HANDLES HAVE BROKEN OFF IN THE PAST YEAR, INCLUDING TWO IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS. I'VE NOTICED THAT OTHER ALTIMA'S HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES. A TOW-TRUCK DRIVER TOLD ME THAT HE SEES THE SAME THING ON OTHER ALTIMA'S THAT HE TOWS ALL OF THE TIME. THESE THINGS SHOULD NOT BREAK. I'VE NOTICED NOW, THAT NISSAN HAS SINCE STARTED USING A TOTALLY DIFFERENT TYPE OF EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE ON THEIR NEWER MODEL ALTIMA'S IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. NISSAN NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL TO CORRECT THE FAULTY EQUIPMENT ON ALL OF THEIR ALTIMA CARS THAT HAVE THESE FAULTY DOOR HANDLES. THE COST TO REPLACE ONE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE IS IN EXCESS OF $140, BRINGING THE COST TO REPLACE TO REPLACE ALL FOUR EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES IN EXCESS OF $560!!!!!!! *TR

3 OUT OF 4 DOOR HANDLES ON MY 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA HAVE BROKEN OFF IN THE PAST 2 YEARS. I'VE SEEN MANY OTHER ALTIMA'S WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION. EACH OF MY HANDLES SNAPPED RIGHT OFF WITH THE NORMAL FORCE OF OPENING THE DOOR. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY DEFECTIVE WITH HOW THE HANDLES ARE MADE AND/OR ATTACHED TO THE CARS. I'D UNDERSTAND IF ONLY 1 HANDLE BROKE OFF AND I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IT HAPPENED TO BUT WHEN 3 OUT OF 4 BREAK AND I'VE SEEN OVER 20 OTHER CARS IN MY AREA WITH BROKEN HANDLES THEN THERE IS REASON TO BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR DEFECT AND SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL BY NISSAN. I'VE CALLED NISSAN DEALERSHIPS, CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THE MAIN CORPORATE OFFICE BUT THEY REFUSE TO HELP ME. THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS PERSON HUNG UP OF ME WHILE I WAS STILL SPEAKING. THEY ARE UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN ANY MANNER OR EVEN LISTEN TO MY COMPLAINT. *TR