2005 Nissan Altima

I HAVE A 2005 ALTIMA 3.5 SL. I STARTED NOTICING PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES WITHIN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS. I HAD THE CAR ALIGNED AND THE TIRES ROTATED AROUND 9,000 MILES. THIS DID NOT FIXED THE VIBRATION ISSUE. THE CAR FEELS LIKE I'M DRIVING ON MARBLES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THE RIGHT FRONT FENDER IS RATTLING. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR. THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TIRES. I TOOK IT TO A TIRE DEALER, ONE BY ONE HAD EACH OF THE 4 TIRES REPLACED. I AM STILL HAVING ISSUES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS-CAR STILL FEELS LIKE RIDING ON MARBLES. I AM CONTACTING THE SERVICE DIRECTOR AT THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN ON THIS PROBLEM NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS-I SUSPECT IS IT SOMETHING MECHANICAL.

PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT FROM A LETTER ADDRESSED TO NISSAN USA CONCERNING THE GENERAL TIRES ON MY 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S. NISSAN USA IS UNRESPONSIVE. I ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR WHAT THE FAILURE WAS REGARDING THE WHEEL BEARING BUT, HE DID NOT PRODUCE THE PART. NISSAN USA REFERENCE # 4966952, GENERAL TIRE FILE # [XXX], 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S, VIN # [XXX], NISSAN MEMBER # [XXX], CONTINENTAL [XXX] 94T TOURING CONTACT AS [XXX], [XXX], [XXX], [XXX] MY INITIAL TRIP TO THORNHILL NISSAN (FORT WORTH) ON JUNE 09, 2005, WAS FOR A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING AND A GRINDING / HUMMING NOISE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. AS A TRANSMISSION REPAIR HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DONE BY NISSAN, I WAS NOT SURE IF THESE TWO EVENTS WERE RELATED OR NOT. I TOLD THE SERVICE ADVISOR, RON ABRAHMSON (3193) THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE A DRIVER'S SIDE BEARING TO ME. INDEED, THAT WAS WHAT WAS FOUND TO BE THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN, WHO DID THE REPAIR, NOTED THAT MY ALTIMA SHOULD HAVE AN ALIGNMENT DONE. RON CALLED ME AND I TOLD HIM TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE IT DONE WHILE IT WAS THERE. WHEN I WENT IN TO PICK UP THE CAR, I WAS TOLD THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL BEARING HAUPON HEADING OUT FOR HOME, I NOTICED THE GRINDING NOISE AND VIBRATION WERE IMMEDIATELY GONE BUT, THERE WAS STILL A VERY NOTICEABLE HUM OR DRONE WHILE DRIVING. I TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. I SPOKE WITH RON, TOLD HIM OF MY CONCERNS AND ASKED HIM TO TAKE A RIDE WITH ME. WE DROVE SEVERAL MILES AND AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. HIS CONCLUSION, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES. HE SAID THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON ISSUE/COMPLAINT FROM OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS WITH THIS BRAND OF TIRE AND SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE ROTATING THEM WOULD HELP. I TOLD RON THAT I WOULD ROTATE THE TIRES AND SEE IF IT HELPED. ON, SATURDAY, JUNE 11TH, I DID JUST THAT. DRIVING THE CAR OVER THE WEEKEND SHOWED NO IMPROVEMENT. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DEALER ROTATED TIRES FOR NORMAL MAINTENANCE. RETURNED HOME WITH THE CAR AND THE NEXT DAY NOTICED A VIBRATION. ASSUMED DEALER DID NOT BALANCE, SO CALLED AND MADE APPOINTMENT TO RETURN CAR. DEALER CHECKED CAR AND FOUND THE TIRES TO BE "FEATHERING". WAS NOT TOLD THIS WHEN TIRES WERE ROTATED. DEALER FOUND MAINTENANCE BULLETIN ON THE SAME CONTINENTAL 16 IN TIRES ON 2005 ALTIMA'S, BUT THE VIN NUMBER OF MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE BULLETIN. DEALER TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TIRES TO GO TO A TIRE DEALER AND THE COMPANY WOULD PRO-RATE NEW TIRES. THE TIRE DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE CAR, NOT THE TIRES AND REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTION. NISSAN DEALER THEN REFERRED ME TO THE NISSAN CO. TALKED TO NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIR'S, THEY ALSO REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTION, STATING AGAIN THAT IT WAS A TIRE PROBLEM, NOT A CAR PROBLEM. THEN CALLED CONTINENTAL TIRE CO AND THEY REFUSE TO TAKE ANY ACTION, SATING AGAIN, IT WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE CAR...AS EVIDENCED BY THE MAINTENANCE NOTIFICATION PUBLISHED BY NISSAN. BASED ON THE FACT THAT NISSAN HAS DOCUMENTED THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS WITH 2005 ALTIMA'S REGARDING FEATHERING OF TIRES, I FEEL THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THESE TIRES. BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF IT IS A TIRE PROBLEM OR A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT IF I BUY NEW TIRES FOR THE CAR THAT I WON'T HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH TIRE FEATHERING IN THE NEAR FUTURE. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?. *JB

AT 8,000 MILE MARK TREAD IS COMPLETELY WORN ON BOTH FRONT TIRES OF 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA. CAR WAS PURCHASED JUST 9 MONTHS AGO AND ALL REQUIRED MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN KEPT UP TO DATE. TIRES HAVE NO DOT NUMBER ON THEM, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY IF THE PRODUCT HAS BEEN RECALLED OR NOT. CLAIM FILED WITH MANUFACTURER, INSPECTION CARRIED OUT BY TIRE RETAILER CONFIRMED UNUSAL LACK OF TREAD DEPTH. RETAILER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS EXTREMEMLY UNUSUAL FOR ANY TIRE TO SHOW THAT MUCH WEAR WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE, REGARDLESS OF PREVENTETIVE MAINTENANCE.

TRAVELING ON 95 NORTH FROM VA TO MD IN 2005 NISSIAN ALTIMA THAT WAS PURCHASED 06/06/05 REAR PASSENGER TIRE COMPLETELY SHREDED AFTER GAINING CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND PULLING CAR OVER, ONLY SIDEWALLS OF TIRE REMAINED. WE CHANGED THE TIRE TO THE DONUT THAT WAS PROVIDED WITH THE VEHICLE AND DROVE TO THE NEXT EXIT IN SEARCH FOR A PLACE TO REPLACE A TIRE ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSIAN ALONG WITH CONTINENTAL TIRES IN REFERENCE TO DEFECT HAVE ADVISED THAT I AM CONCERNED AND NO LONGER FEEL SAFE WITH THESE TIRES AND REQUESTED THEY ALL BE REPLACED FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND FAMILY. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 1385 MILES. AT THE TIME OF THE TIRE FAILURE THERE WERE 1268 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE WAS INSPECTED BY A AUTHORIZED CONTINENTIAL DEALER IN GLEN BURNINE MARYLAND STATED THAT THE BELTS HAD SEPERATED CAUSING ONLY THE SIDEWALLS TO BE LEFT. ALTHOUGH NO ONE IN MY FAMILY HAS BEEN PHYISCALLY HURT, THIS WAS A VERY EMOTIONALL INCIDENT. THIS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN ALOT WORSE AND NOT ONLY CAUSED INJURY TO US BUT OTHER TRAVELERS AS WELL. I FEEL THAT CONTINENTAL SHOULD BE HELD TO BACKING THERE PRODUCTS AND PROVIDING CUSTOMERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF ITS CONSUMERS

TIRE BLISTER ISSUE(TURANZA EL 42 P215/55R17 93H M+S)--- I NOTICED A TIRE BLISTER ON MY FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. I VISITED MY DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE BUT WAS ONLY REDIRECTED TO BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE. HOWEVER, BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE DID NOT ADDRESS THE MATTER AND SIMPLY IGNORED THE FAILURE OF THE TIRE INTEGRITY. I AM WORRIED AS BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE HAS A HISTOY OF IGNORING PROBLEMS WITH ITS PRODUCTS AND HAS SACRIFICED THE SAFETY OF THE CONSUMER IN ORDER TO GAIN A PROFIT. NO ONE ANSWERED THE PHONE WHEN I CONTACTED THE BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE WARRANTY NUMBER (800-847-3272). I EVENTUALLY LOCATED ANOTHER NUMBER VIA DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE (800-582-0962). HOWEVER THE SOLE TECH SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE SIMPLY DISMISSED THE MATTER. THE REPRESENTATIVE DID NOT COMPLETE A CLAIM FORM OR PROVIDE A CLAIM NUMBER. HE DIRECTED ME TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF A BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE RETAILER. HOWEVER, THE RETAILER COULD NOT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITHOUT A CLAIM NUMBER, WHICH THE MANUFACTURER TECH REPRESENTATIVE SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED TO ME. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE WAY BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE HANDLED THIS MATTER GIVEN ITS PREVIOUS HISTORY. I WISHED THAT NISSAN NEVER PLACED THIS BRAND OF TIRES ON ITS NEW VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY IF NISSAN DOES NOT PLAN TO PROTECT ITS CONSUMERS FROM BAD MANUFACTURERS. ***PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO INSERT THE CORRECT TIRE SIZE. MY TIRE SIZE IS P215/55R17 93H M. *AK