2007 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS IN THE STEERING WITH A METAL TO METAL SOUND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER REGAINED CONTROL AND MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE NEAREST INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY STATED THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A FRACTURED STEERING ROD AS A RESULT OF RUST CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

OBSERVED PIPE SUSPENDED FROM BESIDE RIGHT REAR WHEEL OF THE 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5. VEHICLE WAS PARKED. LOOKED UNDER VEHICLE AND DETERMINED IT WAS A PIPE LINKED TO THE REAR WHEEL AND SUSPENSION ASSEMBLIES. THE END OF THE PIPE WAS NEARLY DRAGGING ON THE GROUND. DID INTERNET RESEARCH CONCLUDING THAT THE BROKEN PIPE WAS THE REAR SWAY BAR OR TORSION BAR. PRIOR TO OBSERVING THE VISIBLE HANGING TORSION BAR END, WE FREQUENTLY EXPERIENCED THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE WAS UNSTABLE WHEN CORNERING AT HIGHWAY SPEED SUCH AS WHEN ENTERING OR EXITING A HIGHWAY RAMP. GIVEN THIS FREQUENT EXPERIENCE, THE ACTUAL FAILURE IN TORSION BAR FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH MAY HAVE OCCURRED MONTHS EARLIER. AFTER DETERMINING THERE WAS NO RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN, AND ALSO NOTING THAT NHTSA RECORDS IN THIS DATABASE SHOW OVER 50 EVENT DESCRIPTIONS NEARLY IDENTICAL TO OURS, I WENT TO THE NISSAN DEALER TO ASK IF THEY OFFERED PAYMENT OR CREDITS FOR THIS REPEATABLE DEFECT. THE DEALER WAS NOT OFFERING ANY CREDITS. THEN, TOOK MY VEHICLE TO MY MASTER MECHANIC. HE PERFORMED THE SERVICE REPLACEMENT OF THE BROKEN SWAY BAR AND END LINK ASSEMBLIES. WE RETAINED THE BROKEN SWAY BAR IN HOPES THAT NHTSA BEGINS TO RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, THIS "BAR" IS REALLY A 5/8" DIAMETER PIPE THAT SEARED NEAR ONE OF THE BUSHING SUPPORTS. THERE IS SURFACE RUST PRESENT WITHIN THE PIPE INDICATING THAT THE PIPE HAD FRACTURED SOME TIME EARLIER WITH WATER ENTERING THE FRACTURE CAUSING THE RUST. IT IS NOT A SOLID STEEL "BAR" AS TYPICALLY FOUND IN OTHER VEHICLES THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY. COST OF REPAIR WAS APPROXIMATELY $200 FOR PARTS PLUS 1 HOUR SHOP LABOR. WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THIS FAILURE DUE TO ITS APPARENT COMMON FAILURE MODE AND FOR THE POTENTIAL RISK OF INJURY SHOULD THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE LOSE TRACTION ON CURVES OR ROUGH PAVEMENT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

REAR SWAY BAR BROKEN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. WHILE WALKING UP OUR DRIVEWAY IT WAS NOTICED THAT SOMETHING WAS HANGING DOWN ON THE REAR UNDERNEATH THE CAR. THE REAR SWAY BAR HAD SNAPPED IN HALF. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN DRIVEN RESPONSIBLY. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THIS TO HAPPEN OTHER THAN FAULTY EQUIPMENT. NISSAN SHOULD RECALL THIS PROBLEM SINCE IT IS SO COMMON. *TR

CAR FEELS UNSETTLED WHEN DRIVING ON CROSS WINDS, FRONT STRUTS JUST REPLACED, WENT TO GET ALIGNMENT, FOUND TO HAVE A BROKEN SWAY BAR (STABILIZER), ON THE RIGHT SIDE. *TR

I DIDN'T NOTICE THE SWAY BAR WAS BROKE UNTIL MY HUSBAND WAS FOLLOWING ME HOME ONE NIGHT FROM WORK AND SAW THE RIGHT SIDE HANGING DOWN. *TR

STARTING IN 2011 EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING WHICH DISABLED THE ABILITY TO USE THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED TO RESET THE LIGHTS AND BE ABLE TO USE CRUISE CONTROL. THIS BECAME MORE FREQUENT AS TIME WENT ON. NOW IN 2013 THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS BLINK 99.99% OF THE TIME AND CANNOT BE RESET BY TURNING VEHICLE OFF. THE CRUISE CONTROL NOW DOES NOT WORK AT ALL EVEN ON THE RARE OCCASION WHEN THE LIGHT IS NOT BLINKING. *TR

REAR SWAY BAR HAS RUSTED THROUGH AND BROKEN IN HALF WITH THE RIGHT SIDE DANGLING DOWN AND DRAGGING ON THE GROUND. NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE BAR OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE BREAK. *TR

WENT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THE SWAY BAR WAS BROKEN AND THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM ON 2007 ALTIMA'S BUT IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND KEPT HEARING NOISE WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO MY HOUSE TO PARK AND I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING IN MY TRUNK AND I LET IT GO ON, I FIGURE I WOULD TAKE IT OUT WHAT EVER IT WAS, WELL WHEN I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN MY TRUCK THAT WAS MOVING AROUND I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE REAR SWAY BAR. I WAS ADVISED THAT IT WAS COMMON IN 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA..BUT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURED DEFECT. *TR

NOTICED SWAY BAR CRACKED IN HALF AT JUNCTION OF BRACKET AND DANGLING UNDER CAR. NO RUST OR CORROSION PRESENT. CAR NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. NO HEAVY LOADS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAIN AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA. A RECALL AND REPLACEMENT SHOULD BE ORDERED. *TR