2016 Nissan Pathfinder

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY CAR STARTED VIBRATING (MUCH LIKE THE FEELING OF WHEN A CAR NEEDS TO GET THE WHEELS ALIGNED). I GOT OFF OF THE HIGHWAY TO TAKE IT TO A NEARBY NISSAN DEALERSHIP SERVICE PARTS SHOP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP, WHEN I WAS DRIVING, MY FRONT RIGHT WHEEL FLEW OFF OF MY VEHICLE. MY CAR WAS THEN LYING ON THE END OF THE AXLE AND WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND STUCK IN THE ROAD. I WAS AT THE VERY LEFT SIDE OF THE STREET AND LUCKILY THE WHEEL DID NOT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE OR PERSON AND CAUSE ANY INJURIES. THIS PATHFINDER IS A 2016 AND I HAVE HAD IT FOR 2 YEARS. IT HAS 17,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE CAR SINCE I HAVE HAD IT UNTIL NOW. I HAVE NOT NEEDED TO HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED YET BECAUSE THE TREAD ON THE TIRES LOOK GOOD AND NOT WORN DOWN. I HAVE NOT NEEDED TO HAVE THE WHEELS ALIGNED EITHER. SO, THE TIRES HAVE NEVER BEEN TAKEN OFF OF THIS VEHICLE. NISSAN CLAIMS THAT THEY THINK THIS ISSUE IS RELATED TO LOOSE LUG NUTS. I CLAIM THAT THIS ISSUE DID NOT START UNTIL I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY HALFWAY HOME. I CLAIM THAT THIS ISSUE WAS FROM DEFECTIVE LUG NUTS. JUST 2 YEARS BEFORE, IN 2014, THERE WAS A RECALL NISSAN HAD RELATED TO LUG NUTS FOR PATHFINDERS AND THAT WAS RESOLVED, HOWEVER, IT IS REASONABLE TO THINK THAT THIS COULD BE ANOTHER POTENTIAL RECALL ISSUE. MY ADVICE FOR ANY ONE HAVING A 2016 PATHFINDER IS TO CHECK AND MAKE SURE THEIR LUG NUTS ARE NOT DEFECTIVE. I HAVE MUCH MORE DETAILS REGARDING THIS ISSUE THAT I CAN PROVIDE THAT SUPPORTS MY CASE. I FEAR THAT IF THIS HAPPENS TO SOMEONE ELSE, THERE IS A STRONG CHANCE THIS COULD END UP CAUSING A CRASH AND/OR GETTING OTHER PEOPLE KILLED. THE PAST RECALL IN 05/02/2014 THAT I MENTIONED IS RECALL NUMBER 14V229000, COMPONENT: WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS. ALSO, I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY WERE NOT HELPFUL.

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2016 NISSAN PATHFINDER VEHICLE, WE FELT A SUDDEN VIBRATION AND THEN THE NEXT THING WE KNEW, THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL (TIRE AND RIM) FELL OFF THE CAR. THE VEHICLE CAME DOWN ON WHAT REMAINED OF THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY. I MANAGED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD UNTIL WE HAD ENOUGH SPEED TO THEN COAST TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE WHEEL THAT CAME OFF CONTINUED THROUGH AN OPEN FIELD AND COLLIDED WITH A PRIVATE PROPERTY FENCE, DAMAGING THE FENCE IN THE PROCESS. THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 6 OF US IN THE VEHICLE AND THANKFULLY, EVERYONE WAS WEARING THEIR SEAT BELTS. ONCE I CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES, I CONTACTED A NEARBY TOWING COMPANY WHICH THEN TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT HAD ANY WORK DONE THAT INVOLVES THE TIRES SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS AND NO DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE TO THE WHEELS OR THE VEHICLE AS A WHOLE SINCE THE TIME OF PURCHASE WHICH WAS AUGUST OF 2016. WE HAVE DROPPED OFF THE VEHICLE WITH THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP FROM WHERE WE PURCHASED IT AND AS OF THIS REPORT, ARE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THE COMPANY AS TO HOW THEY PLAN TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF THIS MISHAP IS NOT FULLY KNOWN AT THIS POINT. AT A MINIMUM, THE FENDER AND FENDER WELL, ENTIRE WHEEL ASSEMBLY, RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION, BRAKE SYSTEM, RIGHT FRONT TIRE ALL APPEAR TO HAVE SUSTAINED DAMAGE. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY COMPROMISE TO THE DRIVE TRAIN OR FRAME/CHASSIS COMPONENTS AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. THIS HAS CAUSED US GREAT CONCERN GIVEN THAT THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF LIFE OR SERIOUS INJURY DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION AND TYPE OF ROAD THAT IT MAY HAVE OCCURRED ON. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A STRAIGHT AND LEVEL PORTION OF THE ROAD WITH VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC IN THE VICINITY. ...UPDATED 02/15/17 *BF