2008 Nissan Altima

CURRENTLY, I LIVE IN FLORIDA AND AM AN OWNER OF 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THIS CAR IS USUALLY IN THE GARAGE AND RARELY IS IMPACTED BY THE SUN. I HAVE NOTICED IN THE LAST WEEK 3 CRACKS APPEARING ON THE DASHBOARD OF THE VEHICLE. I CALLED NISSAN AND THEY STATED TO ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I THEN LOOKED ON LINE AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A LAWSUIT FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH ALTIMA'S IN THE YEARS OF 2008 AND 2009. NISSAN KNOW S THAT THERE DASHBOARDS WERE MADE WITH A DEFECTIVE MATERIAL THAT WAS NOT ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE HUMIDITY OF FLORIDA. THE LAWSUIT HAD COME AND PAST. I WAS 6 MONTHS FROM THE DEADLINE OF APRIL 29TH 2017. THE ISSUE THOUGH WITH THIS DASHBOARD IS A VISABILITY WHILE DRIVING. THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING AND SHINES FROM THE GLARE OF THE SUN WHICH IMPEDES DRIVING.

MY DASHBOARD IS MELTING AND SEPARATING, AND IT HAS A CAUSTIC SMELL. I'VE BROUGHT IT INTO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DID INDEED CONFIRM THAT MY DASHBOARD IS MELTING, HAS AN ODOR AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. I HAVE ACTUALLY PUT MY FINGERNAIL INTO THE MELTING DASH BY ACCIDENT AND IT HAS LEFT A MARK! I TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF MY CAR, INCLUDING KEEPING IT QUITE CLEAN INSIDE AND OUT . I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH NISSAN VIA EMAIL AND PHONE, I WAS TOLD THAT MY 2008 ALTIMA SE IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND WAS GIVEN AN "OH WELL, NOT OUR PROBLEM" TYPE OF ATTITUDE AND RESPONSE. I AM BEYOND CONCERNED SINCE THE DASH IS DEGRADING AND SHINY CAUSING DECREASED VISIBILITY DUE TO A GLARE. MY GREATEST FEAR IS THAT THIS MELTING DASHBOARD WILL EFFECT THE MECHANICS OF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT IN AN ACCIDENT, AS WELL AS THE ELECTRONICS THAT THE DASHBOARD PROTECTS. I AM DISMAYED THAT NISSAN CAN TREAT CUSTOMERS WITH LEGITIMATE SAFETY ISSUES WITH A CARTE BLANCHE OR LAISSEZ-FAIRE ATTITUDE. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT IN FLORIDA BECAUSE THE DASHBOARD MELTING AFFECTED SO MANY ALTIMAS! COMPLAINTS ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FLORIDA CLASS ACTION SUIT, THERE ARE VARIOUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER NISSAN OWNERS IN MULTIPLE STATES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE MATERIALS ARE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE AND NOT MEANT TO LAST ANY CAR OWNER MORE THAN A FEW YEARS. I FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND ANY PASSENGERS IN MY CAR! MY CAR HAS 11,000 MILES ON IT, AND IS WELL MAINTAINED. I TAKE IT IN FOR OIL CHANGES AND OTHER ROUTINE MAINTENANCE; NO CONSUMER SHOULD EVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A MELTING DASHBOARD NO MATTER THE AGE OF THE CAR, OR HAVE MATERIALS IN IT THAT DEGRADE TO THE POINT THAT IT CAUSES MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES FOR ANY PERSON RIDING IN THAT VEHICLE. THERE NEEDS TO BE A MAJOR RECALL ON THE 2008 ALTIMA, OR ANY NISSAN MADE WITH THIS DEFECTIVE, FAULTY MATERIAL. THIS IS HAZARDOUS TO ONE AND ALL.

SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN 2014, THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY MELTING AND CRACKING TO THE POINT WHERE THE GLARE FROM THE BLACK MELTED DASHBOARD HAS SEVERELY DECREASED VISIBILITY. ADDITINALLY, AS MORE CRACKS HAVE APPEARED THE CAR NO LONGER RECOGNIZES WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND SHOWS THE AIRBAG AS 'OFF.'

DASH MATERIAL IS DEFECTIVE. IT LOOKS LIKE IT MELTED AND BECOME SHINY, STICKY, AND REFLECTIVE WHEN EXPOSED TO SUNLIGHT. THIS IS A DRIVING AND SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE OF THE REFECTION ON WIND SHIELD, VISION IS SEVERELY IMPAIRED. I CONTACT NISSAN AND THEY USED "PASSED WARRANTY" EXCUSE; EVEN AFTER I EXPLAINED IT HAPPEN YEARS AGO AND WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. WAS TOLD BY DEALER I PURCHASED CAR TO "CONTACT NISSAN". I DID, AND THEY ADVISED THAT WAS NOT COVERED.

AT AROUND 11:50 PM MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017 MY SON PARKED HIS NISSAN ALTIMA ON RESIDENTIAL STREET IN FRONT OF A FRIENDS HOUSE WHILE HE RAN IN FOR A BIT BEFORE HEADING HOME, ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER 2 LOUD "POPS" RATTLED THE HOME. THEY STEPPED OUT FRONT TO FIND THAT HIS 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES 20-30 FEET HIGH. AT 00:11 THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND WORKED TO EXTINGUISHED THE CAR, FINALLY FINDING IT SAFE TO LEAVE AT 01:17. THEY CAR IS OBVIOUSLY A TOTAL LOSS. I AM REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF THIS RANDOM "EXPLOSION" OF THE VEHICLE WHILE PARKED. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS INJURED AND NO OTHER STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED (POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE CITY ROAD), THIS VERY WELL COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A DEVASTATING OUTCOME.