2006 NISSAN FRONTIER Complaints

THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT LOCKS AND NOT ABLE TO UNLOCK UNTIL TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. THIS HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT VEHICLE AROUND NOVEMBER 2006, AND AGAIN SAME THING SEAT BELT LOCKED WHILE PASSENGER SITTING DOWN , THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT HAPPENS ON 3/2008. NOT ABLE TO UNLOCK AFTER THE FIRST TIME THE PART WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN REPLACED A YEAR AGO. *TR

I WAS RIDING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN A LOUD POP CAME FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, AT THAT TIME THE STEERING WHEEL GOT REALLY LOOSE, FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND UP AND DOWN.I CALLED SUMBELT NISSAN THEY SAID THE BEARING HAD FAILED IN THE COLUMN,EITHER FROM NOT BEING PRESSED IN CORRECTLY OR IT COULD NOT BE THE RIGHT SIZE,THEY SAID TAKE IT EASY AND BRING IT IN TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN BECAUSE IT COULD LOCK UP DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. AT NISSAN THEY REPLACED THE COLUMN,BUT IT CAME FROM THE SAME PERSON WHO MADE THE INCORRECT STEERING BEARING THE FIRST TIME. NISSAN STATED THIS HAD HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE 2005 AND THE 2006 TRUCK MODELS. THIS IS A DIRECT MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT CAN CAUSE WREAKS AND BODILY HARM AND THEY STILL WONT RECALL THESE TRUCKS. IF YOU CHECK THESE COMPLAINTS YOU WILL FIND QUITE A FEW OF THEM PLEASE INVESTIGATE THESE CLAIMS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

STEERING COLUMN BECAME LOOSE, HAD A LOT OF PLAY IN IT. WE HAD IT CHECKED BY A REPUTABLE AUTO REPAIR SHOP & IT WAS DISCOVERED THE TOP BEARING ON THE STEERING COLUMN WAS BROKEN. THE ENTIRE COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED THEY DEALER TOLD THEM THE BUSHING WHICH BROKE COULD NOT BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRMAN SAID THIS COULD BE CAUSED BY ADJUSTING THE STEERING COLUMN UP & DOWN, HOWEVER THIS COLUMN WAS NOT ADJUSTED SINCE WE PURCHASED THE TRUCK. ONE PERSON DRIVES THE TRUCK, WHICH IS A COMPANY VEHICLE & IS ON THE ROAD ALL DAY 5 DAYS A WEEK. WE WERE CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF DRIVING THE TRUCK WITH THE STEERING COLUMN WOBBLING AROUND. *TR

1. THE EVENT WAS DRIVING NORTHWEST OUT OF TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI, APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON ROUTE 78 WHICH IS A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY. 2. THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC & ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITHOUT COLLISION OR INJURY TO OURSELVES OR OTHERS. UPON INSPECTION THE WHEEL HAD SPLIT IN HALF AND SOME OF THE LUG BOLTS HAD ACTUALLY SHEARED OFF. THE VEHICLE IS A NEW NISSAN FRONTIER PICKUP TRUCK WHICH WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY, 2007. IT HAD LESS THAN 17,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD RECEIVED ROUTINE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE SERVICE PERFORMED BY NISSAN DEALERS/SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. THE LAST SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AT APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES AND INCLUDED TIRE ROTATION. 3. NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS WAS CONTACTED, CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION & DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NOT MECHANICAL FAILURE. THEY DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE & COULD NOT HAVE HAD TIME TO DO METALLURGICAL TESTS ON THE COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NISSAN DEALER IN TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI, AND THEY WERE ADVISED TO SAVE ALL OLD PARTS. I WAS ABLE TO FIND ONE HALF OF THE SPLIT WHEEL WHICH IS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE DEALER AT THIS TIME. NISSAN HAS SAID THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WILL NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR EXPENSE OF PARTS & REPAIRS. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER SE P/U IN DECEMBER 2006. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMS TO HAVE LITTLE RESISTANCE, BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR IN A POSITION TO PRESS BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. DEALER STATES THAT THERE IS NOT A FIX FOR THIS ISSUE. NISSAN HAS REDESIGNED THE SYSTEM FOR 2007 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER THEY REFUSE TO CORRECT THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE FOR 2006. *TR

SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT MY NISSAN TRUCK, I HAVE NOTICED VIBRATIONS WHEN IN 4WD, ESPECIALLY WHEN UNDER LOAD. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE TRANSFER CASE IS STUCK IN 4WD NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO AND IT TAKES FOREVER TO GET IT OUT BACK INTO 2WD. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR THIS COMPLAINT AND HAVE HAD NO LUCK WITH GETTING IT FIXED. FINALLY UPON MY OWN INSPECTION, I NOTICED 3-4 BOLTS BEING DANGEROUSLY LOOSE IN THE TRANSFER CASE WHICH IS A HUGE CALL FOR ALARM. I KNOW MANY HAVE THIS SAME TRANSFER CASE ISSUE AND I WOULD ADVISE THEM TO CHECK THE BOLTS! IT MAY NOT BE THE ANSWER BUT IT DEFINITELY WILL LEAD TO A MAJOR BREAKDOWN IF LEFT UNCHECKED! *JB

THE LEFT REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY BOLTS FELL OUT AND THE CALIPER FLOPPED OFF THE DISC. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING COLUMN BEARINGS FAILED CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO ALSO FAIL. THE SERVICE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE LOOKED AT FOR A RECALL. UPDATED 12/5/2006 - *NM

MY SON WAS TURNING AROUND OUR 2006 FRONTIER NISMO OFF ROAD 4WD ON A RUTTED DIRT ROAD AT A SPEED OF NO MORE THAN 15 MPH WHEN THE ROLLOVER AIRBAGS, ON BOTH SIDES, DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. NISSAN OF AMERICAN INVESTIGATED. BELOW IS A PORTION OF NISSAN'S LETTER TO ME. I WILL FORWARD VIA US MAIL A COMPLETE COPY OF THIS LETTER TO NHTSA: "AIR BAGS MUST BE MADE SO THAT THEY INFLATE FAST ENOUGH IN A SEVERE ACCIDENT. THE SPEED AT WHICH AN AIR BAG INFLATES AND THEN DEFLATES IS SIMILAR IN ALL DESIGNS. AIR BAGS ARE DESIGNED TO INFLATE IN LESS THAN 1/20 OF A SECOND. AIR BAGS ARE PREDICTIVE. THE SIGNAL WHICH IS SENT TO THE SENSOR IN SOME UNDERBODY IMPACTS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE SIGNAL SENT TO THE SENSOR IN ROLLOVER SITUATION. BOTH DIAGNOSTIC AND VISUAL CHECKS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG OR SEAT BELT SYSTEMS IN YOUR VEHICLE." AS A RESULT OF NISSAN'S DESIGN, A SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR, 2 ROLLOVER AIR BAG ASSEMBLIES, 2 SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES, A HEADLINER AND PLASTIC TRIM ITEMS WERE REPLACED. THE OLD PARTS, EXCLUSIVE OF THE HEADLINER, ARE AVAILABLE. ON THE REAR QUARTER PANEL, THE VEHICLE IS LABELED "OFF ROAD" AND IS CLEARLY INTENDED FOR THAT USE ACCORDING TO NISSAN''S ADVERTISING. NISSAN'S OWN STATEMENT PROVES THAT THEIR CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ROLLOVER AIRBAGS IS DEFECTIVE IN THAT THEIR ROLLOVER AIR BAGS MAY DEPLOY BECAUSE THE "SIGNAL WHICH IS SENT TO THE SENSOR IN SOME UNDERBODY IMPACTS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE SIGNAL SENT TO THE SENSOR IN ROLLOVER SITUATION"'. CONSUMERS RELY ON NISSAN TO DESIGN A ROLLOVER AIR BAG SYSTEM THAT DEPLOYS IN THE EVENT OF A ROLLOVER, NOT A DEFECTIVE DESIGN WHICH CAUSES AN UNDERBODY IMPACT TO INITIATE AN UNNECESSARY ROLLOVER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. ROLLOVER AIR BAGS THAT OPERATE IN A MANNER UNPREDICTABLE BY THE CONSUMER ARE NOT SAFE. NISSAN SHOULD REDESIGN THIS SYSTEM ON FUTURE VEHICLES AND RECALL CURRENT VEHICLES TO MAKE THE NEEDED CHANGES, BEFORE PEOPLE ARE INJURED BY AIRBAGS THAT NEEDLESSLY DEPLOY. *NM UPDATED. *JB

I PURCHASED A NEW 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER FROM CARRIAGE NISSAN (770) 532-6335 IN MARCH 2006. AT MILE 3100, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE STEERING COLUMN IN THE TRUCK BROKE. IT ALMOST CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THE WERE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAD- SEVERAL NEW FRONTIERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY SAID I NEEDED TO HAVE IT TOWED, AS IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE . THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT FOR THE 2006 MODEL NISSAN HAD GONE WITH A DIFFERENT VENDOR FOR THE STEERING ASSEMBLY, AND THAT THEY ALREADY HAD TO FIX SEVERAL OF THEM AT THAT DEALERSHIP ALONE. CARRIAGE NISSAN DID FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT I SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT NISSAN USA IS TRYING TO COVER THIS UP. WHEN YOU CALL THEM THEY ACT AS THOUGH THERE IS KNOW PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH THE DEALER MANAGER TOLD ME THERE WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THAT PROBLEM BEING A "LOW BIDDER" INFERIOR PART. I HAVE SENT SEVERAL EMAILS TO NISSAN USA EXPRESSING MY CONCERNS, AND HAVE GOTTEN NO REPLY. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE WITH THIS SAME VEHICLE COULD GET BADLY INJURED OR WORSE IF NISSAN DOESN'T ISSUE A RECALL. THE DEALER TOLD US A RECALL SHOULD BE COMING SOON, BUT THAT WAS 3 MONTHS AGO. FURTHERMORE, THE DEALER MANAGER TOLD US THAT OUR REPLACED PART WOULD PROBABLY GO OUT AGAIN, BECAUSE IT IS THE SAME LOW BIDDER PART. THEY CANNOT GET A GOOD PART UNTIL THERE IS A RECALL ISSUED. OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR FRONTIERS AND NISSAN. SEE THIS FORUM: LOOK UNDER TECHNICAL PROBLEMS HTTP://WWW.NISSANFRONTIER.ORG/DEFAULT.ASP. *NM *TR