2009 NISSAN FRONTIER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN FRONTIER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THE SPARE TIRE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE JACK WOULD NOT RAISE THE VEHICLE HIGH ENOUGH TO REPLACE IT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 31,000.

TAIL GATE FALLS OFF WHEN OPENING. THE REMOVABLE TAILGATE IS BOTH LIGHT ENOUGH AND DOES NOT HAVE A CATCH ON THE HINGE TO PREVENT THE GATE FROM FALLING OUT WHEN LIFTING UP ON THE TAILGATE LATCH WITH ONE HAND. THIS CAN ALSO HAPPEN IF THERE IS ANY SNOW ON THE BACK BUMPER. THIS IS BOTH A SAFETY CONCERN, AS I HAD THE GATE FALL OFF WITH A LOAD OF WOOD IN MY HANDS CAUSING ME TO DROP EVERYTHING, AND IT DAMAGES THE VEHICLE AS THE TAILGATE RIGHT REAR CORNER GETS CAUGHT IN THE BODY MOUNTED HINGE. THE RESULT OF THIS IS THE RIGHT REAR CORNER OF THE TAILGATE IS BENT ~90. I HAVE TAKEN THIS BACK TO THE DEALER 2 TIMES FOR THE PROBLEM AND FILED A REPORT WITH NISSAN USA. BOTH NISSAN AND THE DEALER CLAIM THIS IS A DESIGN FEATURE - REMOVABLE TAILGATE. IN OBSERVING OTHER FRONTIERS, IT IS APPARENT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF DAMAGED TAILGATES ARE OUT THERE. EVERYONE I WORK WITH THAT OWNS A FRONTIER HAS HAD THE GATE FALL OFF. IN LOOKING ONLINE - IT APPEARS TO AFFECT NISSAN FRONTIER TRUCKS BACK TO 2005. MINE FELL OFF 3 DAYS AFTER TAKING DELIVERY DAMAGING THE TAILGATE, AND DOES EVERY TIME YOU OPEN IT IF YOU DON'T USE 2 HANDS, ONE TO LIFT UP THE LATCH, ONE TO HOLD THE GATE IN THE HINGES. I HAVE OWNED 3 TRUCKS, INCLUDING A 2001 NISSAN FRONTIER FOR A PERIOD OF 7 YEARS. I AM AWARE THAT TAILGATES ARE REMOVABLE AND THAT YOU MUST CLEAN DEBRIS OFF THE BUMPER PRIOR TO OPENING THEM. I WAS NOT AWARE THE TAILGATE SHOULD FALL OUT OF IT'S HINGES WHEN OPENING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD FALL ONTO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSING EITHER THE BRAKE OR ACCELERATOR PEDALS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT WOULD OFFER NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN POSSESSION OF THE DEALER AND WAS AWAITING A RESOLUTION TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 9,400. UPDATED 08/17/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2009 NISSAN FRONTIER LX. THE CONTACT WAS DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN IT EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SOMETIMES HE ACCIDENTALLY DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO APPLY THE BRAKES BECAUSE THE PEDALS ARE SO CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9600. UPDATED 4/28/10 *CN UPDATED 06/14/10.*JB

THE ABS SYSTEM ON THE 2009 NISSAN FRONTIER MALFUNCTIONS ANY TIME FULL BRAKING IS REQUIRED WHEN ANY SNOW COVER IS ON THE ROAD SURFACE. WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE DURING THOSE CONDITIONS, YOU MUST ANTICIPATE A STOP AND SLOW SPEED THROUGH THE ACCELERATOR TO COAST TO A STOP. IF YOU DEPRESS THE BRAKE TO FULL OR NEAR THE BRAKES START TO JUMP (FELT THROUGH THE FOOT PEDAL AND STEERING WHEEL) MAKING AN AUDIBLE NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SLIDES UNCONTROLLED. FOLLOWING PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE IN LATE 2008 AND AFTER NUMEROUS INCIDENTS ON LIGHT TO HEAVY SNOWY CONDITIONS I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BUCKEYE NISSAN IN JANUARY 2009 WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I INSISTED THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN RIDE WITH ME THROUGH THE SNOWY PARKING LOT TO TEST SO HE COULD UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION. AFTER WE TESTED THE BRAKING SYSTEM, HE TOLD ME THIS WAS "NORMAL WITH ABS SYSTEMS". I HAVE 4 VEHICLES, ALL WITH ABS AND NOTHING CAN COME CLOSE TO THIS. I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS "NORMAL". A VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IF YOU HAD TO SUDDENLY APPLY THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE WOULD CRASH AND/OR ROLL OVER. I HAVE WANTED TO GO TO A DEALERSHIP AND TEST DRIVE A SIMILAR VEHICLE WHEN THE CONDITIONS ARE COMPARABLE, HOWEVER, I DO NOT LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE A DEALER IS NEARBY AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO TRAVEL OUT OF TOWN TO PERFORM A COMPARISON ON MY OWN. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT WITH DEFECTIVE BRAKES, OR IF THIS IS INDEED "STANDARD" FOR THIS MODEL. IF IT IS THE STANDARD, DEFINITELY NEEDS ATTENTION. *TR

MR. , PRESIDENT & CEO NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD. P.O. BOX 685003 FRANKLIN TN 37064 DEAR SIR; I AM WRITING TO YOU TODAY TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH MY 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER CLUB CAB. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AT ABOUT 54000 MILES MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE GAS GAUGE STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. I HAD MY PERSONAL MECHANIC CHECK THE CODES, AND IT CAME BACK AS A FAILED FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. IT WOULD BE COVERED IF IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP UNDER THE DRIVE TRAIN BUT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP, BUT THE SENSOR THAT WAS BAD. I THINK THAT IS A VERY BAD BUSINESS DECISION CONSIDERING THE CURRENT BUSINESS CLIMATE. I HAVE BEEN A VERY LOYAL NISSAN CUSTOMER FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS STARTING WITH MY FIRST NEW PICKUP IN 1985, I THEN HAD TWO 1987 SENTRA'S, THEN A 300 ZX, AND NOW MY FRONTIER CLUB CAB. I HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ALL UP UNTIL NOW! I HAVE NOW DONE MUCH RESEARCH ON THE ISSUE, INCLUDING YOUR TECHNICAL BULLETIN NTB07-069A. WHERE YOU STATE'DEALER SHOULD REPLACE THE PART AND FILE CLAIM UNDER PFP OR PRIMARY FAILED PART.... ONE COULD REASON IT SAYS PRIMARY AND HENCE IS COVERED AS PART OF FUEL PUMP AND NISSAN WILL REIMBURSE THE DEALER'. I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH THIS PERPLEXING PROBLEM. NISSAN HAS A GREAT REPUTATION, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I CAN BE REACHED AT OR AT OR BY EMAIL AT OR AT MY HOME ADDRESS: KEVIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED HELP! *TR SINCERELY CC: B.B.B. NHTSA CONSUMER REPORTS S.C. ATTORNEYS GENERALS OFFICE

"I HAD 1/4 OF A TANK OF GAS AND WENT TO FILL UP. AFTER FILLING UP MY GAS TANK, I TURNED ON THE CAR, AT WHICH POINT THE NEEDLE DID NOT REGISTER THE FULL TANK. AFTER DRIVING A COUPLE MILES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WENT DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A FUEL SENDING UNIT/SENSOR AND THAT IT WAS NO LONGER COVERED AFTER 30K MILES. AFTER RETURNING HOME AND DOING RESEARCH, I WENT ONLINE TO X.NISSANHELP.COM AFTER PERFORMING A SEARCH, I CAME ACROSS MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. APPARENTLY IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. A SIMILAR PROBLEM WAS FOUND ON THE 2000-2004 XTERRA MODELS AND A RECALL WAS PERFORMED WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP AFTER NOT GETTING ANY FUEL, POSING A GREAT DANGER. IT SEEMS THAT SOMETHING IN THE UNIT IS FAULTY AND WILL CORRODE OVER TIME. THERE IS A GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT EVERYONE WHO IS HAVING THE PROBLEM IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE FOR OVER 2 YRS AND WITH AROUND 39K-49K. IF THIS PROBLEM EXISTED IN PREVIOUS MODELS, AND IT WAS RECALLED, THE 2005-2007 XTERRAS, FRONTIERS, AND PATHFINDERS SHOULD GET THIS FIXED AT NO CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER!! WHY WAIT FOR ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLE DEATHS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PROBLEM LIES IN AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE VEHICLE. COST OF REPAIR RANGES FROM $300-600." *TR