1998 Nissan Sentra

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIPER ARM LINKAGE SEPARATED FROM THE WIPER MOTOR LINKAGE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98V093000 (VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES). AS OF SEPTEMBER 17, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 120,000.

MY WIPERS HAVE NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. THE OTHER DAY, THEY COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING. I CHECKED ONLINE, AND FOUND THAT MY CAR WAS PART OF A RECALL. I CONTACTED NISSAN, THE MANUFACTURE. AT FIRST, THEY SAID MY CAR WAS AFFECTED, THAT THEY WOULD CALL TO MAKE SURE THAT MY CAR HAD NOT ALREADY BEEN BROUGHT IN (I AM THE SECOND OWNER). I CONSULTED MY FRIEND, WHO I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM. SHE TOLD ME THAT THE WIPERS WERE ALWAYS A LITTLE OFF, BUT THAT SHE NEVER GOT NOTICE OF A RECALL, AND NEVER GOT THEM FIXED. I ALSO LOOKED FURTHER INTO THIS ISSUE ON THIS SITE, WHERE I FOUND THE VIN NUMBERS OF VEHICLES AFFECTED, AND ALSO SAW HOW THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. TWO DAYS LATER, [XXX], THE REP FROM NISSAN, CALLED TO TELL ME THAT MY CAR'S RECALL WAS "CLOSED". I ASKED IF HE SAID THIS MEANT MY CAR WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE RECALL. HE STATED THAT HE COULDN'T TELL ME THAT. WHEN I PRESENTED TO HIM THE INFORMATION THAT I GOT ONLINE, WHICH IDENTIFIED ALL AFFECTED VIN #'S, AND THAT MINE WAS ONE OF THEM, HE SAID HE COULDN'T TELL ME IF MY CAR WAS INVOLVED, BUT THAT "THE CASE IS CLOSED". I PERSISTED, STATING THAT MY FRIEND WHO WAS THE SOLE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED, AND ASKED CHRIS TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE DATE/PLACE WHERE THE SUPPOSED FIXING OF THE RECALL TOOK PLACE. AGAIN, THE INFORMATION SUPPOSEDLY DOESN'T EXIST. ALL CHRIS WOULD TELL ME WAS THAT I AM OUT OF LUCK. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THEY ARE LYING. RIGHT NOW, I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR IN THE RAIN OR SNOW. THIS IS DUE TO A DEFECT OF DESIGN, AND THIS IS DUE TO A RECALL THAT NEVER GOT FIXED, AND INSTEAD OF DOING THE RIGHT AND THE LAWFUL THING, NISSAN IS GIVING ME THE RUN-AROUND. *NM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ENGAGED, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGES SEPARATED AT THE JOINT PIVOT WITHOUT WARNING AND BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGES WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER AFTERWARDS, THE LINKAGES SEPARATED AGAIN WITH NORMAL USE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 98V093000, REGARDING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

THE SPRINGS THAT WERE CONNECTED TO THE STRUTS DROPPED AND PUNCTURED THE PASSENGER'S FRONT TIRE. PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE FELL TO THE GROUND. *AK THE LEFT FRONT SPRING HAD BROKEN AS WELL. CURRENTLY THE RIGHT SPRINGS WERE TEARING A 6 INCH GASH IN THE TIRE. OTHER PROBLEMS WERE: THERE WAS A BANG NOISE AND GRIND WHEN IN MOTION DUE TO A BROKEN LEFT STRUT AND STRUT BEARING, AND NOISE IN THE WIPERS DURING INTERMITTENT RELAY. *SC *JB

NISSAN HAS A SAFETY RECALL FOR WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE (SEE NHTSA CAMPAIGN 98V093000). ACCORDING TO THE NISSAN WEB SITE MY VEHICLE [XXX] IS IN THE RANGE OF AFFECTED VINS. MY WIPERS FAILED IN THE EXACT MANNER DESCRIBED IN THE SAFETY RECALL (WEAR OF THE BALL JOINT IN THE WIPER LINKAGE CAUSING THE LINKAGE TO SEPARATE), BUT NISSAN (AND THE NISSAN DEALER) REFUSE TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WORK UNDER THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THEY CLAIM THAT MY PARTICULAR VIN, ALTHOUGH IN THE CORRECT RANGE, IS NOT AFFECTED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DURING A HEAVY DOWNPOUR ON A BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND NEARLY CAUSED A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I THINK NISSAN NEEDS TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT WHICH VINS ARE TRULY AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. *LA UPDATED 07/26/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

THE HEATER CORE OF THE RADIATOR FAILED. DEFROST COOLANT SPILLED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE IN THE FRONT AND COOLANT GOT INTO THE VENT SYSTEM. WE NOTICED THE DEFECT BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD WOULD NOT DEFROST. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT OF THE COOLANT IS ETHYLENE GLYCOL. WHEN WE ASKED WHY THE COOLANT WOULD SPILL INTO THE CAR AND INTO THE VENTS, THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DIRECTOR INFORMED US THAT "IT IS THE ONLY PLACE IT COULD GO." THE MANUFACTURER TOOK CARE OF THE COST OF REPAIR OF THIS PART. HOWEVER, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE CAR IS DESIGNED SUCH THAT COOLANT WOULD BE LEAKED INTO THE VENTS AND THAT THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS POSSIBILITY IN THE VEHICLE BOOKLET. WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE WHO SUFFER A SIMILAR SITUATION WILL NOT BE AWARE THAT THEY MAY BE INHALING COOLANT THROUGH THE VENT SYSTEM FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THEY ARE BEING EXPOSED TO THIS COMPONENT.*AK