2004 Nissan Maxima

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.

BRAND NEW 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA, DRIVEN NORMALLY FOR MONTHS AND RECENTLY STARTED NOTICING THE STRUTS MAKING A BANGING NOISE OVER NORMAL LIGHT ROAD BUMPS. THE RIDE QUALITY HAS SINCE DETERIORATED AND IS NOW REACHING THE POINT OF BEING DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. IT HAS BEEN TO TWO NISSAN DEALERS SO FAR WHO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND KEEP TRYING TO BLAME IT ON ME, MEANWHILE HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, AND MANY OTHER DEALERSHIPS ACKNOWLEDGE IT. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING DONE AT THE COROPRATE LEVEL FROM NISSAN TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. ALLOWING THE DEALERS TO DECIDE WHAT IS GOOD AND BAD, WHILE HALF OF THE PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE IS SOLVING NOTHING, AND ONLY CREATING MORE OF A HAZARD AND HASSLE FOR ALL MAXIMA OWNERS.*AK

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 FRONT DRIVER SIDE STRUT CONTINUES TO FAIL. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED TWO TIMES, HOWEVER THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER 9 OR 10 TIMES BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND THE TREMBING IN THE STEERING. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF FAILED STRUTS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE. *TC

I WILL INCLUDE ALL OF MY PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH MY 04 MAXIMA SE. THE FIRST MAJOR PROBEM I HAD WAS MY FRONT RIGHT STRUT WENT OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. PROBLEM FIXED. NEXT, PROBLEM WAS ON OCCASOION MY CAR WOULDNT START FIRST DEALER TRIP THEY TOLD ME THEIR WAS NO PROBLEM AND THE NEXT TIME LEAVE THE CAR DEAD AND HAVE THE CAR TOWED. SO, IT HAPPEND AGAIN HAD THE CAR TOWED AND THEN THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR THE PRO-RATED BATTERY. SO, IT HAPPEND AGAIN HAD THE CAR TOWED AND NOW THEY REPLACED THE ELECTRIAL MODULE THAT CONTROLS THE HEADLIGHTS. PROBLEM HAS BEEN FINE FOR 2 WEEKS +. NOW THE LEFT FRONT STRUT WENT OUT AND WONDERING WHEN I SHOULD BRING THE CAR IN AGAIN. I HAVE 25000 MILE AND NOT YET 2YRS OLD AND THE CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR ATLEAST 7 TIMES. I HATE MY 35K DOLLAR CAR.*AK