2004 Nissan Maxima

IN SEPTEMBER 2004 I TOOK MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA IN FOR SOME WARRANTY WORK, AND SCHEDULED MAINTAINENCE. I ADVISED THAT MY FRONT END FELT FUNNY, I EVENTUALLY HAD TO BRING IT BACK IN FOR THE SKYROOF RECALL AND AGAIN ADVISED THAT THE CAR STILL FELT ROUGH, I WAS ADVISED IT WAS JUST FROM THE TIRE ROTATION AND WOULD EVENTUALLY SMOOTH OUT, IT NEVER DID. THE SKYROOF STARTED LEAKING AND IT TOOK THREE MORE TRIPS TO GET IT FIXED, EVERY TIME I TOOK MY CAR IN I TOLD THE SERVICE DEPT. THAT THE CAR STILL FELT ROUGH. ON JUNE 15, 2005 I TOOK MY CAR BACK IN FOR THE 30,000 MILE MAINTAINENCE. THE SERVICE DEPT. CALLED AND SAID ALL FOUR OF MY TIRES WERE COMING APART ON THE INSIDE SIDEWALL, THE TIRES WERE ACTUALLY SPLITTING THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFRENCE OF ALL FOUR TIRES. THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN TIRES SPLIT LIKE THAT. THE SERVICE DEPT. CALLED GOODYEAR AND WERE TOLD THEY WERE HAVING A FEW PROBLEMS WITH THOSE TIRES AND WOULD SELL ME NEW ONES FOR $900.00 THE DEALER DECLINED THAT PRICE AND GOODYEAR CAME UP WITH A PRICE OF $550.00 FOR NEW TIRES I WAS CALLED AND TOLD OF THE FINAL PRICE AND ADVISED THE DEALER I WOULD BE CONTACTING AN ATTORNEY. THEN DEALER THEN CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THEY HAD A SET OF TIRES AND RIMS THEY WOULD SELL ME FOR $400.00 I AGREED BECAUSE I WAS LEAVING FOR A TRIP TO INDIANA THE NEXT MORNING. THE TIRES THAT THEY PUT ON MY CAR WERE THE SAME EXACT GOODYEAR EAGLE RS-A P245/45R18 THAT WERE DEFECTIVE. MY HUSBAND CALLED A FRIEND AT A LOCAL TIRE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE SEEING ALOT OF THOSE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE GOODYEAR EAGE RS-A. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT A COMPANY WOULD ENDANGER THE LIVES OF THE VERY CONSUMERS THAT BUY AND TRUST THEIR PRODUCTS TO BE SAFE. I SENT A LETTER TO NISSAN NORTH AMERICAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPT ON JUNE 20, 2005 DOCUMENTING ALL THE PROBLEMS, AND HAVE HAD NO RESPONSE SO I HAVE TURNED TO YOU FOR SOME GUIDANCE AS TO MY RIGHTS TO BE WARNED AND PROTECTED WHEN THEY KNOW THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR DIASTER WITH THEIR PRODUCT.

GOOD YEAR EAGLE RSA TIRES SIZE 245-45R18 THESE ARE ORGINAL EQ. ON MY 2004 NISSIAN MAXIMA. THESE TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED SPLITS ONLY ON THE INSIDE SIDE WALLS OF ALL 4 TIRES THEY HAVE 32000 MILES ON THEM W/SOME GOOD TREAD. I FEAR THESE SPLITS WILL SEPERATE THE TREAD AND CAUSE SOME DAMAGE OR AN ACCIDENT. THE SPLITS WERE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION WHEN I HAD MY TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED THE OTHER DAY. YET ON THE OUTSIDE SIDE WALL EVERYTHING APEARS TO BE OK. THIS IS POSSIBLELY A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION DUE TO THE FACT THESE SPLITS IN THE SIDE WALLS ARE ONLY ON THE THE INSDE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRES.

I'VE GOT A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. I HAVE APROX 21,000 MILES ON IT. MY GOODYEAR RSA TIRES (OEM) HAVE STARTED TO SPLIT ON THE SIDE WALL. MY TIRES STILL HAVE OVER 60% OF THE TREAD LEFT. GOODYEAR IS PRORATING THE TIRES AT 25% OF TIRE WEAR USED. MY CONCERN IS THAT I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MY MAXIMA IS NOT THE ONLY CAR THAT HAS HAD TROUBLE WITH THESE TIRES. IT WOULD BE HORRIBLE, IF SOMEONE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT AND HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE SIDE OF THEIR TIRE BLEW OUT. FORUMS.MAXIMA.ORG HAS MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE REPORTED THIS SAME PROBLEM.

DT: CONSUMER LEASED NEW MAXIMA. ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER HAD TO REPLACE A TIRE. TOOK VEHICLE TO SERVICE DEALER AND HAD REPLACEMENT. OVER THIS WEEKEND A DIFFERENT TIRE CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING, BUT THE REPAIRED TIRE HAS SLITS IN THE TREAD AS ALL THE OTHER ONES DO AS WELL. THE DEALER NOTED THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2004 MAXIMA. ALSO THERE IS SHOCK PROBLEMS KNOWN TO NISSAN BUT NO RECALLS BUT DEALERS ARE AWARE OF THIS AND MUST REPLACE THOSE ISSUES INCLUDING THE SUNROOF WHICH APPARENTLY CAN SHATTER UNDER EXTREME HEAT. CAR IS CURRENTLY IN SHOP FOR REPAIR. *AK

PURCHASED 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA 3.5 SE IN JULY, 2003. IT HAS ALUMINUM WHEELS ("RIMS") AND LOW PROFILE TIRES. IN MARCH, 2005, I HIT A POTHOLE, WHICH FLATTENED THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE AND DENTED THE RIM. I HAD TO CHANGE THE TIRE, AND THEN REPLACED THAT RIM (TIRE WAS OK). IN MAY, 2005, MY FRONT DRIVER TIRE WAS LOW. I DROVE A HALF MILE AT 20 MPH TO THE CLOSEST GAS STATION AND FILLED THE TIRE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO INVESTIGATE WHY IT WAS LOW. THEY NOTED THAT THE RIM WAS CRACKED, SAID IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THAT WAY, AND PUT THE "DONUT" SPARE ON IN PLACE OF THE CRACKED RIM. BESIDES THE CRACKED RIM BEING A SAFETY ISSUE (THE DEALER SAYS THAT I "MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING", AND CLAIMS TO HAVE NO WARRANTY LIABILITY), I BELIEVE THE WHEEL/TIRE DESIGN OF THE 2004 MAXIMA IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 32 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH A RIM ON A CAR. NOW IN THE SPACE OF A MONTH OR TWO, I HAD A DENTED RIM THAT STRANDED ME IN A REMOTE AREA UNTIL I COULD CHANGE THE TIRE, AND NOW A CRACKED RIM THAT I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY REMOVE FROM THE CAR. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT IS BECAUSE THE RIM IS ALUMINUM AND PERHAPS BRITTLE AND NOT STURDY, OR BECAUSE LOW PROFILE TIRES LEAVE RELATIVELY LITTLE TIRE BETWEEN THE ROAD AND THE RIM, MAKING "EVERYDAY POTHOLES" THAT ARE COMMON IN THE NORTHEAST IN THE SPRINGTIME A HAZARD TO THE WHEELS ("RIMS"). BUT AFTER HAVING TWO RIMS THAT FAILED JUST A MONTH OR TWO APART SUCH THAT THEY EACH HAD TO BE TOTALLY REPLACED, I BELIEVE THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THIS CAR THAT LENDS ITSELF TO THESE SAFETY PROBLEMS THAT I EXPERIENCED WITH MY CAR. I OPENED A COMPLAINT ON THIS ISSUE WITH NISSAN, FILE #4947551. I WAS GIVEN NO ASSURANCE THAT ANY ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN, EXCEPT THAT THEY WOULD "LOOK AT THIS", AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT EVEN SEND ME ANY RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINT TO LET ME KNOW THEIR DECISION AS TO WHAT THEY DO OR DON'T PLAN TO DO REGARDING MY ISSUE.

GOODYEAR HAS A KNOWN DEFECT ON THEIR GOODYEAR EAGLE RS-A TIRES (245/45R18) THAT WERE INSTALLED ON THE2004 NISSAN MAXIMA (AND WHO KNOWS HOW MANY OTHER VEHICLES). THE TIRE SIDEWALL WAS NOT PROPERLY MADE AND DEPENDING ON MILES (I HAVE SEEN THE PROBLEM ON MAXIMA'S WITH MILEAGE RANGING FROM 4,000 MILES UP TO 30,000). GOODYEAR STATES YOU SHOULD CONTINUELY INSPECT THEM AND IF CRACKING OCCURS, THEN THEY WILL REPLACE THEM. I AM VERY COCERNED FOR MY FAMILIES SAFETY WHEN DRIVING NOW, ESPECIALLY LONG DISTANCE, I MAY BE ABLE TO INSPECT THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALLS, HOWEVER NOT THE INNER. IF I CAN'T SEE THE PROBLEM I CANNOT GET IT CORRECTED. THE CRACKING AND COMPOSITION OF THE SIDEWALLS COULD LEAD TO A BOWOUT OR ROLLOVER IF IN A TURN WHEN THE PRESSURE AGAINST THE TIRE SIDEWALL IS GREATEST. A NISSAN MAXIMA IS A PERFORMANCE FAMILY SEDAN SO SOMETIMES DRIVEN HARD. MY NEXT CONCERN IS HAVING TO HEAR ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FROM WORD OF MOUTH THROUGH OTHER MAXIMA CAR OWNERS. NO SAFETY LETTER FROM GOODYEAR TELLING OWNERS TO INSPECT TIRES REGULARLY, NOTHING. THEY ARE PLAYING THE NUMBERS WITH MY FAMILY AND MY LIFE AND THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. PLEASE FORCE THEIR HAND TO DO SOMETHING. THANK YOU. ALSO YOU CAN READ AN INTERNET THREAD FROM OTHER CUSTOMERS WITH THIS PROBLEM AT, OVER 5 PAGES: HTTP://FORUMS.MAXIMA.ORG/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=388048. *AK

THE DRIVER NOTICED WHILE DRIVING,A SQUEAKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE STARTED VIBRATING UNCONTROLLABLY. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE STRUCTURE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGN DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. A FIX WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. *NM TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, THE BRAKES BEGAN TO SQUEAL. DEALER SAID IT WAS A CREEP GROAN AND COULD NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER EXPERIENCED 4 FLAT TIRES (GOODYEAR P245/45R18 - MODEL # 96VS2EAGRS-AVSBRPTL) ALL FOUND TO HAVE DEFECTIVE SPLITS CALLED SIDEWALK CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKS. CONSUMER RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE REGARDING A SUN ROOF SHATTER CONDITION. *TT

AFTER A 600 MILE TRIP ON THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE, BY LEFT REAR TIRE SIDEWALL FAILED. THE OUTER WALL SEPARATED FROM THE INTER CORD FOR ABOUT 3 INCHES. THE MANUFACTURER SAID IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. THE TIRE WAS ALMOST NEW. IT HAD 3,700 MILES ON IT, WAS PROPERLY INFLATED AND I HIT NO ROAD HAZARD. THE TIRE LOST AIR AND WE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. SOME MINOR DAMAGE. IT APPEARS TO HAVE FAILED DUE TO HEAT. MANUFACTURER: CONTINENTAL, CONTI-TOURING CONTACT P225/55R17 95V. IT WAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A NISSAN 2004 MAXIMA. I REPLACED THE TIRE WITH SAME AND KEPT THE DEFECTIVE TIRE.*JB