2008 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

I LIVE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA AND OWN A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE. MY DASHBOARD BEGAN TO REFLECT A REAL BAD GLARE WHILE MY HUSBAND DRIVES. HE IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER AS I AM NOT. HE HAS COMPLAINED ABOUT IT AS WELL BUT IT IS EVIDENT THAT HE SEES THE GLARE AS I SEE IT AS WELL. COME TO FIND OUT I HAVE A MELTING DASHBOARD PER NISSAN AUTO TECHNICIANS. IT IS GOOEY, STICKY, AND CAUSES SUCH A BAD GLARE THAT WE ONLY DRIVE IN EARLY MORNING OR LATE EARLY EVENING WHEN THE SUN IS NOT SO EXTREME. THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO NISSAN CORPORATE OFFICE SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACING THESE AT NO COST FOR OTHER VEHICLES. I PLACED A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN CORPORATE AS I WAS ADVISED. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THEM ON 8/28/15, STATING THAT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE DASHBOARD FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY, NO CURRENT RECALLS & CAMPAIGNS, NO SERVICE CONTRACT, NO EXTENSIONS HISTORY OF SERVICE OF THE VEHICLE AND OTHER FACTORS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THERE IS NOT DEFINITIVE ANSWER. WHEN I ASKED TO GIVE SPECIFIC THEY SAID THEY DID. MIND YOU, I SERVICE MY CAR AND ALL MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE ON THE VEHICLE EITHER BY MY HUSBAND AND SON (WHO IS A MECHANIC), NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT OR TIRE PLUS. I THINK THIS IS ABSURD! WE CAN CAUSE A HUGE ACCIDENT ONE DAY FOR A PRODUCT DEFAULT BY NISSAN ENGINEERS. MY HUSBAND HAS TRIED TO AVOID MANY ACCIDENTS FROM THIS GLARE FROM THE DASHBOARD AS THE SUN IN FLORIDA HITS HARD ON A BLACK DASHBOARD ESPECIALLY. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO HAVE THE NHTSA GET INVOLVED IN ENFORCING NISSAN AND ANY OTHER VEHICLE MANUFACTURING COMPANIES THAT ARE FACING THIS ISSUE TO RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. THIS CAN CAUSE MANY ACCIDENTS AND SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE AVOIDED SEVERAL ONES THUS FAR. WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY THUS FAR BUT I CAN'T PREDICT THE FUTURE OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW IF THIS DEFECT DOESN'T GET CORRECTED BY NISSAN.

THE DASHBOARD IN MY 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA IS MELTING AWAY AND HAS LEFT BEHIND A VERY STICKY AND SHINY SURFACE THAT EMITS A VERY STRONG VISION IMPAIRING GLARE ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. DUE TO THIS GLARE, I HAVE HAD ALMOST A NUMBER OF NEAR MISS ACCIDENT SITUATIONS SINCE THIS ISSUE BEGUN IN 2012-13. THE GLARE IMPACTS YOUR VISIBLY, ADDING MORE DISTRACTION AND LIMITS RESPONSE TIME WHEN AGGRESSIVE OR PHONE DISTRACTED DRIVES SUDDENLY SWERVE OR PULL OUT IN FRONT OF YOU AS YOU TRY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. APART FROM THE GLARE, THE DASHBOARD IS EMITTING A VERY STRONG CHEMICAL LIKE ODOR WHICH MAKES ME CONCERNED FOR MY OVERALL HEALTH. I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS HEALTHY FOR ANY DRIVER/PASSENGER TO HAVE TO BE BREATHING IN THE TOXIC PARTICLES FROM THE MATERIALS AND GLUE OF WHICH THE PART IS MADE OF. MY OTHER CONCERN IN THIS SITUATION IS THE IMPACT THE DEFECTED MELTING DASHBOARD HAS ON THE RELEASE OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE DASHBOARD UPON TOUCH IS VERY GUEY, STICKY, AND SMEARS OR COMES-OFF WHEN PRESSED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THIS PART AND HAS QUOTED $2,000 FOR PART REPLACEMENT. THIS IS NOT ONLY A VERY COSTLY ITEM, BUT ALSO UNFAIR TO THE OWNER WHO CAN'T AFFORD THE REPAIR AND HAS TO JEOPARDIZE THEIR SAFETY BECAUSE OF MANUFACTURERS NEGLIGENCE BY SUPPLYING DEFECTIVE PART. I TRY TO AVOID DRIVING THIS VEHICLE UNLESS IT IS NECESSARY OUT OF CONCERN FOR MY SAFETY.

WHEN ADULT IS RIDING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WARNING LIGHT ON DASH SAYS THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS OFF. THEN THE LIGHT GOES OFF, AFTER A WHILE IT WILL COME BACK ON AND GO OFF AGAIN. IT DOES NOT MATTER THE LENGTH OF THE TRIP IT HAPPENS DURING EVERY TRIP. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THE DEALER CLAIMS THEY CHECK ALL THE "CODES" AND COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. I HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 6 TO 8 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH NO SOLUTION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, BLACK SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE VENTILATION UNIT AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE, IT CAUGHT FIRE AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO OPEN. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WAS TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND SUSTAINED SMOKE INHALATION RELATED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO REMOVE THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER FROM THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I LIVE IN SUNNY SOUTH FLORIDA, MY DASHBOARD IS MELTING. I CANNOT DRIVE WITHOUT SUNGLASSES ON AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE THE REFLECTION OF THE SUN ON THAT CLEAR, GOOEY, STICKY, LACQUER-LOOKING, THING SHINES SO BRIGHTLY THAT IT OBSTRUCTS MY VISION AND HAS BEEN AFFECTING MY EYESIGHT. PLEASE NOTE IT IS A HAZARD TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF NOT SEEING A PEDESTRIAN OR CERTAIN THINGS IN FRONT OF ME THAT CAN LEAD TO A SERIOUS INCIDENT.

MY 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA'S DASHBOARD IS STICKY AND MELTING. THE STICKY RESIDUE REFLECTS IN THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING A GLARE WHEN DRIVING DURING THE DAYTIME. IN MY OPINION THE MELTING DASHBOARD IS A SAFETY DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.

THE DASHBOARD IN MY 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA IS BADLY MELTED AND CONTINUES TO MELT. VERY STICKY AND ANYTHING THAT GETS ON IT WILL STICK TO IT INCLUDING BUGS! I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS WOULD BE HAPPENING TO A VINYL DASHBOARD BECAUSE I'VE OWNED SEVERAL CARS AND NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH A PROBLEM NEITHER HAD I EVER SEEN THAT IN ANY OTHER VEHICLE. I SEARCHED ON LINE AND WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. I SHOWED IT TO A FRIEND WHO SAID IT WASN'T NORMAL AND I SHOULD LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECALLS. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NONE.I DID DISCOVER MY DASHBOARD ISN'T VINYL BUT SEEMS TO BE MADE OF A HARD FOAM WHICH MELTS AND SCRATCHES EASILY. THE GLARE FROM THAT DASHBOARD IS UNREAL AND UNSAFE. WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING BRIGHT (AND IT DOES IN PENSACOLA, FL) I HAVE TO TRY TO FIND A SPOT IN THE WINDSHIELD WHERE THERE IS NO GLARE IN ORDER TO PROPERLY SEE THROUGH MY WINDSHIELD. THIS IS DEFINITELY A ROAD HAZARD AND SAFETY CONCERN AND I CAN'T BELIEVE NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY NHTSA OR NISSAN TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT.

I PURCHASED MY NISSAN ALTIMA USED IN 2012. A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR LATER, I NOTICED STICKY SPOTS ON MY DASHBOARD. INITIALLY, I THOUGHT I HAD CLEANED MY DASHBOARD WITH THE WRONG PRODUCT. HOWEVER, THE ISSUE HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE SINCE THEN, AND I NOW KNOW THAT THE STICKINESS IS CAUSED BY MY DASHBOARD MELTING IN THE SUN. LARGE STICKY, SHINY AREAS COVER MY DASHBOARD AND CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS GLARE ON MY WINDSHIELD THAT AFFECTS MY VISION WHEN DRIVING. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS HAZARD FOR ME AND FOR THE DRIVERS AROUND ME. IT IS A DEFECT OF VEHICLE'S CONSTRUCTION AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

THE DASHBOARD IS STARTING TO MELT BAD. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO PROTECH IT WITH SUNSHADES BUT IT STILL CONTINUES TO MELT. THIS IS CAUSING GLARE ON MY WINDSHIELD AND CAUSING OBSTRUCTION FOR MY DRIVING AND BECOMING A SAFETY ISSUE. I WOULD REQUEST RECALL AND FIX THE DASHBOARD ISSUE.

MY VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER ONLY 90,000 MILES. NISSAN REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FOR FREE UNDER THEIR EXTENDED CVT WARRANTY PROGRAM, HOWEVER, LESS THAN A YEAR LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE MAKING A LONG DISTANCE TRIP ON THE INTERSTATE. ACCORDING TO NISSAN THE CVT FLUID REQUIRED FOR THE CVT TRANSMISSION CAN BECOME GLUE LIKE AND GUNK UP AT HIGH SPEEDS OR IN HOT WEATHER, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND THE CAR TO STALL. THE SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM IS AN EXTERNAL COOLANT SYSTEM FOR THE CVT FLUID PROVIDED TO THE CUSTOMER AT THEIR EXPENSE TO KEEP THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FROM BECOMING THICK. I AM EXTREMELY DISGUSTED WITH MY NISSAN EXPERIENCE, THEY KNOWINGLY ARE MAKING TRANSMISSIONS WHICH FAIL AFTER LESS THAN 100,000 MILES AND ARE REQUIRING THEM TO USE NISSAN CVT FLUID WHICH IS A FAIL ALSO.