2005 Nissan Altima

WHAT ONCE WAS TWO DECENT SIZED RUST AREAS ON THE FLOORBOARD OF MY NISSAN ALTIMA IS NOW TWO GAPING HOLES IN WHICH YOU CAN SEE AND PUT YOUR HAND STRAIGHT THROUGH AND TOUCH THE GROUND OUTSIDE IF IT WASN'T FOR THE CARPET. I FIRST NOTICED IT WHEN I WAS GETTING AN OIL CHANGE AND MY MECHANIC POINTED OUT TO ME. THE IT ALL MADE SENSE BECAUSE WHEN EVER IT RAINED OR SNOWED BADLY IN MY AREA I WOULD ALWAYS HAVE WET FLOORS AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS LEAKING BUT I NOW KNOW IT'S THE TWO RUST CORROSION SPOT IN THE FLOORBOARD. AND SOME DAYS THE ODOR FROM THE WETNESS ON THE CARPET IS PUNGENT. ONE IS ON THE DRIVER SIDE AND THE OTHER IS RIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I WAS LOOKING THROUGH MY WARRANTY AND VEHICLE INFO BOOKS THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE AND IT DEFINITELY SHOWS THAT RUST WARRANTY IS LIFETIME OR SOMETHING TO THAT NATURE I AM GOING TO LOOK AT IT ONCE AGAIN AND ENSURE IF THAT INFORMATION IS CORRECT. *TR

I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN NORTH AMERICA REGARDING RUST DAMAGE ON MY 2005 ALTIMA 3.5 SE W/67,000 MI. AFTER BEING REFERRED TO MY DEALERSHIP FOR AN INVESTIGATION A REP WITH NISSAN REGIONAL CONSUMER AFFAIRS SAYS THAT UNFORTUNATELY MY WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER RUST AFTER 5 YEARS. I ASKED IF IT'''S NISSAN'''S POSITION THAT I WAS NEGLIGENT IN MAINTAINING MY VEHICLE. HOW ELSE WOULD YOU EXPLAIN A 6 YR LOW-MILEAGE CAR HAVING EXTENSIVE RUST ISSUES? WOULD THEY AT LEAST ADMIT TO PARTIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND HELP WITH THE COST OF REPAIRS? EVERYTHING ON MY CAR IS STILL LIKE NEW EXCEPT PREMATURE RUSTING THROUGH THE FLOORBOARDS ON BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE. I EXPLAINED I'VE DILIGENTLY MAINTAINED THIS VEHICLE WITH THE HOPES OF IT LASTING FOR YEARS BASED ON THE REPUTATION OF IMPORTED CARS. IT'S BEEN GARAGED DURING MOST INCLEMENT WEATHER. I EXPLAINED HOW SHOCKED I WAS WHEN I SAW ALL THE COMPLAINTS, FORUMS, AND BLOGS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM EITHER WITH THE MATERIAL (DURASTEEL) OR THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF ALL THE GEN 3 AND 4 ALTIMAS THAT ALLOWS WATER TO INFILTRATE BETWEEN THE METAL ON THE FLOORBOARDS CAUSING PREMATURE RUST THROUGH. THERE ARE PLASTIC PLUGS THAT BECOME DISLODGED OR ARE NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY. NISSAN WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND HELP WITH THE REPAIRS. NISSAN HAS BEEN REQUIRED TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THE REAR SUBFRAME SO THEY ARE AWARE OF ISSUE WITH THE METALS THEY'RE USING. REGARDLESS, I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER NISSAN. PLEASE CHECK AND IF YOU'RE FACING THE SAME EXPENSIVE REPAIR, CALL NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS @ 800-647-7261 AND ASK TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THEY WILL BE SURPRISED AND SAY "THIS IS THE FIRST WE'VE HEARD OF THIS."' DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME WAITING FOR A REPLY. IMMEDIATELY FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND NHTSA. YOUR NISSAN REP WILL CHEERFULLY GIVE YOU THE NUMBERS. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S USED IN NOVEMBER OF 2006. IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 33,000 MILES ON IT. FIVE YEARS LATER, THE CAR HAS 101,000 MILES ON IT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD HAS MAJOR RUST DAMAGE; SO MUCH THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY TOUCH THE INTERIOR RUBBER FLOORBOARD OF THE CAR FROM THE OUTSIDE. I HAVE YET TO TAKE IT TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP, SINCE I KNOW MY WARRANTY IS EXPIRED, BUT I HAVE HAD MANY PROFESSIONALS TAKE A LOOK AND THEY ARE RENDERED SPEECHLESS OVER THE DAMAGE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD NUMEROUS TIMES THAT THE DAMAGE IS OBVIOUSLY A FACTORY DEFECT, A CAR THAT'S ONLY A FEW YEARS OLD SHOULD NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF DAMAGE AND THAT IT WOULD COST WELL OVER $1000.00 TO REPAIR. I HAVE MAINTAINED MY VEHICLE WELL AND HAVEN'T HAD ANY OTHER MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IT; JUST THE USUAL REPLACEMENTS. I'VE PUT A NEW BATTERY IN IT RECENTLY, I'VE HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED TWICE, ROTORS ONCE; IT CURRENTLY NEEDS A NEW SERPENTINE BELT, LOWER BALL JOINT AND THE MUFFLER IS SHOWING RUST, SO THAT WILL BE A REPLACEMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I'VE READ ABOUT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN COLD, SNOWY AREAS HAVING THESE PROBLEMS AS WELL, DUE TO SALT AND CHEMICAL EXPOSURE. I WASH AND DRY MY CAR AFTER EVERY SNOW, INCLUDING THE UNDERCARRIAGE, TO REMOVE THESE CHEMICALS. I DO NOT PARK IN WET AREAS, GRASS OR DIRT. MY CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON CONCRETE. NOTHING IN MY CAR LEAKS, I'VE NEVER HAD STANDING WATER IN IT, I'VE NEVER HAD WET FLOORS. THIS IS A DEFECT THAT NISSAN NEEDS TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR. I AM BEYOND OVERWHELMED WITH THE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS I'VE READ IN REGARDS TO THIS PROBLEM; THIS AFFECTS SO MANY NISSAN OWNERS, SO IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT A PROBLEM CAUSED BY OWNER NEGLECT. THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY CAR LOOKS FANTASTIC; NO RUST DAMAGE WHATSOEVER, SO ONCE AGAIN, THAT PROVES THAT I AM NOT NEGLIGENT OR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RUST DAMAGE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE; NISSAN IS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE I-95 I BEGAN TO APPROACH SLOWER TRAFFIC. AS I PROCEEDED TO SLOW DOWN, ALL THE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON, MY STEERING GOT STIFF, AND THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY OFF. WHEN I PULLED OVER AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AGAIN IT HESITATED BUT EVENTUALLY IT STARTED. HOWEVER, THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT THAT HAS OCCUR, THE CAR NO LONGER STARTS AT ALL AND ONLY CRANKS BUT WON'T TURN OVER. *TR

THIS CAR WAS PART OF A RECALL DUE TO A ENGINE COOLING DEFECT, THEY CLAIMED IT WAS FIXED. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN LAST YEAR MY HEAT WOULDN'T WORK, INSTEAD THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULD JUST KICK ON, COULD NOT BE FIXED. I HAD NO HEAT LAST WINTER. I HAD A FRIEND WHO WAS A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT THIS YEAR TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND MADE A TEMP FIX AND I HAVE HEAT SOME OF THE TIME. HE DISCONNECTED THE A/C FOR NOW. THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN TO A 5 NOW 6 YEAR OLD CAR. TRY BEING IN 0 DEGREE WEATHER WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWING AT YOU AND BEING TOLD THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG. THIS HAS TO BE A DEFECT BECAUSE I HAVE HAD MANY 10-15 YEAR OLD CARS AND NEVER HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO THAT I CAN HAVE HEAT, AND NOW THAT MY A/C IS DISCONNECTED I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MY DEFROSTER WORKING, BUT A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR NOT GETTING FROST BITE IN THE FRIGID TEMPS. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING FROM DELAWARE TO NEW YORK, I HIT THE I-95 AROUND 5PM; TYPICAL RUSH OUR TIME. AS I BEGAN TO APPROACH HEAVY TRAFFIC I PROCEEDED TO SLOW DOWN. BY THE TIME MY SPEED DECREASED TO 25MPH, MY STEERING WHEEL GOT STIFF AND THE CAR FELT LIGHT AS IF THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY OFF AND LEFT IN NEUTRAL AND ROLLING DOWN A HILL. INDEED THE CAR HAD STALLED, AND ALL MY DASH LIGHTS SWITCHED ON (ALT, OIL, BRAKE AND BATTERY LIGHTS). I TRIED MY BEST TO STEER INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED WHO CAME AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES BUT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FIRE WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE INSPECTION WHEN HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS RUSTED AT THE FRONT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MECHANIC WOULD PERFORM REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 166,000.

I HAVE JUST DISCOVERED THAT MY 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA IS RUSTING UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE AND ALSO UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE. UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE THE RUSTING IS WORSE, I CAN JUST PEEL OFF THE THE RUSTING AREA WITH MY BARE HANDS. I KNOW THAT THIS TYPE IS PROBLEM IS COMMON WITH THESE VEHICLES, I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL PICTURES PUBLISHED BY OTHER NISSAN ALTIMA OWNERS ON THE INTERNET. MY CAR HAS 86000 MILES ON IT AND IT IS 6 YEARS OLD. I DID NOT EXPECT SUCH A SERIOUS DEFECT ON A RELATIVELY YOUNG CAR, WHICH WAS GARAGED A WELL CARED FOR EVER SINCE A BOUGHT IT NEW. *TT