2013 Nissan Altima Suspension

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE IN TOWN (35 MPH) AND WAS GOING UNDER A UNDERPASS. ALL OF A SUDDEN I NOTICED MY ANTI SLIP LIGHT CAME ON, STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO STEER, AND A LOUD BANGING COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. I PULLED OVER AND LOOKED AROUND THE BACK OF THE CAR, SEEING NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. I CONTINUED ON, THINKING IT WAS POSSIBLY SOMETHING WRONG ELECTRICALLY, MAYBE WITH THE ANTI SLIP SYSTEM. DROVE A FEW MORE MILES, INCLUDING ON THE HIGHWAY (60 MPH) AND THE CAR STILL WAS HANDLING DIFFICULT. ARRIVED HOME, LOOKED AROUND THE BACK END OF CAR, NOTICED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS TILTED IN AND LOWER CONTROL ARM (RIGHT) WAS SNAPPED. CALLED TOW TRUCK DRIVER TO TOW TO REPAIR SHOP. OVER $1000 IN REPAIRS.

TURNING A CORNER IN A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WHEN HEARD A SNAP/BANG AND THE REAR LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR DROPPED. STEERING BECAME UNSTEADY. DROVE SHORT DISTANCE TO HOME AND LOOKED AND FOUND THE LEFT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD RUSTED THRU AND BROKE AWAY FROM WHERE IT IS BOLTED TO THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE HAS 70,789 MILES. CHECKED THE RIGHT SIDE CONTROL ARM AND IT SHOWS SIGNS OF RUSTING BUT IS STILL REASONABLY SOLID LOOKING.

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND NOTICE THAT MY BACK RIGHT WHEEL WAS SHAKING. AT FIRST IT WAS MINOR AND THEN ABOUT 5 MILES INTO MY DRIVE THE SHAKING BECAME SEVERE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED FOR A TOW. THE EXPERIENCE WAS SCARY, THE SHAKING BECAME VERY SCARY LIKE THE WHEEL WAS GOING TO FALL OFF. I FOUND OUT FROM A MECHANIC THAT MY CONTROL ARM RIGHT REAR BROKE AND IT WAS GOOD I GOT OFF THE ROAD WHEN I DID. MY RIGHT WHEEL WAS TURNED ON IT'S SIDE. I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR IN JUNE 2018 AND WAS TOLD BY NISSAN MARLBOROUGH THAT IT WAS A SAFE CAR.

THE LEFT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM RUSTED OFF AT ONE OF THE WELDS NEAR THE BUSHING. THE PART BROKE WHILE BACKING UP IN A PARKING LOT. THE CAR WAS THE DRIVEN ON THE STREET NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS WRONG.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBURBAN NISSAN (1800 MAPLELAWN DR, TROY, MI 48084, 248-649-2300) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE CONTROL ARM WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

WHILE BACKING MY CAR OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, I HEARD A POP AND REAR OF THE CAR DROPPED. I GOT OUT AND SAW THE LEFT REAR OF THE CAR WAS LOWER, TOP OF TIRE NOT VISIBLE. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR NEW (SEPT. 12, 2012) WAS ONLY 3 MILES AWAY ON SECONDARY ROADS, SO I TOOK MY CAR THERE TO BE LOOKED AT. THE DEALER CALLED ME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD ME THE LEFT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD BROKEN AND RIGHT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS CRACKING IN THE SAME PLACE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AND SERVICE MANAGER BOTH SAID THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN BEFORE ON A SIX YEAR OLD CAR.*DT CONSUMER STATED FAILURE OF SUSPENSION ON BOTH REAR PASSENGER SIDE. UPDATED 12/12/18*JB

DRIVING ON CITY STREET THEN HIGHWAY AT NORMAL SPEED. NOTICED TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ON AND FELT SWAYING IN REAR OF CAR. HEARD LOUD NOISE AND SWAYING WORSENED SO I PULLED OVER. AFTER HAVING CAR LOOKED AT WAS TOLD COULD NOT BE DRIVEN AS LOWER RIGHT REAR CONTROL ARM HAD BROKEN RIGHT OFF! CAR HAD TO BE TOWED ON FLAT BED. REPAIRS ARE UNDERWAY. VERY SCARY SITUATION WITH SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE REAR CONTROL ARM BROKE OFF. THE CAR ONLY HAS 46,000 MILES AND IS 5 YEAR OLD YET RUSTED SO BADLY FROM THE INSIDE OUT THAT THE ARM COMPLETELY BROKE OFF..

AFTER TAKING MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A OIL CHANGE THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY LOWER CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONGST 2013 AND NEWER NISSAN ALTIMAS. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF 2013 AND NEWER NISSAN ALTIMAS ON THE ROAD AND A COMMON PROBLEM AMONGST THESE VEHICLES IS THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. THESE PARTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE STEERING AND SUSPENSION ON FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES AND THESE PARTS SHOULD NOT FAIL ON FIVE YEAR OR YOUNGER ROAD VEHICLES. THE FAILURE OF THESE PARTS ON SURFACE STREETS CAN BE POTENTIALLY DEADLY AND ON HIGHWAYS MORE LIKELY TO CAUSE HORRIFIC CASUALTIES DUE TO THE VEHICLES BEING UNCONTROLLABLE DURING A FAILURE. I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THIS ISSUE TO THE ATTENTION OF NHTSA AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE SOURCES TO BE PROACTIVE AND PREVENT ANY FUTURE ACCIDENTS THAT THE NISSAN ALTIMA MIGHT CREATE.

THE CONTROL ARM ON MY 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA BROKE WHILE ENTERING THE FREEWAY ON (7/20) DURING RUSH HOUR, CAUSING ME TO LOSE STEERING IN THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE. THE EQUIPMENT FAILURE CAUSED ME TO BE STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY, FORCING ME TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST AUTO REPAIR SHOP, COSTING ME $2,220 IN REPAIRS. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAD 72,720 MILES WHEN THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRED. IN REACHING OUT TO I-90 NISSAN IN SHEFFIELD OHIO, WHICH IS WHERE I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, THE STAFF WAS FRIENDLY BUT DEFERRED ME TO NISSAN CORPORATE TO FILE A CLAIM WITH CONSUMER AFFAIRS. CONSUMER AFFAIRS DENIED MY CLAIM BECAUSE I DID NOT TAKE MY VEHICLE TO AN 'AUTHORIZED DEALER'. WHILE STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY, THE LAST PLACE I WAS THINKING ABOUT TAKING ME VEHICLE WAS TO THE DEALER (15+ MILES AWAY) THAT SOLD ME A CAR THAT HAD A MAJOR EQUIPMENT FAILURE IN LESS THAN 5 YEARS OF OWNING IT. I NEEDED TO HAVE MY BROKEN CONTROL ARM REPLACED, THE DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS ABOUT TO BREAK DUE TO RUST AND STRESS FRACTURES. IN ADDITION, I NEEDED MY STABILIZER ARMS REPLACED. ATTACHED IS A PHOTO OF THE BROKEN CONTROL ARM. YOU CAN SEE ON THE BROKEN CONTROL ARM THERE IS A HOLE AT THE TOP, WHICH WAS NOT WELDED CLOSED, ALLOWING WATER AND SALT TO ENTER, RUSTING THE CONTROL ARM FROM BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. THIS EXCESSIVE RUST IS WHAT LED TO THE CONTROL ARM TO FAIL AND BREAK.

LEFT WORK GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE. NOTICED THE STEERING WAS SLOPPY WITH LESS CONTROL. I WENT THROUGH A PATCHED AREA IN THE ROAD AND THE WHOLE CAR SHOOK AND THERE WAS A NOISE IN THE PASSENGER REAR. I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND HE MET ME IN THE GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT SO HE COULD DRIVE THE CAR HOME. HE DROVE ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE AND CALLED ME TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT. HE GOT UNDER THE CAR AND SAW THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD RUSTED AND BROKEN AWAY FROM THE FRAME. HE ALSO NOTICED THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL AT A STRANGE ANGLE WITH THE TOP LEANING INTO THE WHEEL WELL. WE TOOK THE CAR 2 BLOCKS TO THE SHOP. THE SHOP HAD TO GET THE PARTS FROM NISSAN AND WHEN THEY ORDERED THEM THEY WERE TOLD THE PART HAD BEEN REDESIGNED SO BOTH SIDES HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEY REPLACED BOTH REAR LOWER CONTROL ARMS, BOTH REAR SHOCKS AND OTHER SUSPENSION PARTS. I AM JUST LUCKY THE TIRE DIDN'T FALL OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING.

THE STRUT MOUNT PROBLEM. I HAD CHANGED THIS A YEAR AGO. I FIXED THIS PROBLEM BY WARRENTY. BUT, 2 WEEKS LATER, IT WAS BROKEN AGAIN.

THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE WAS DETECTED DEFINITELY AROUND 1 YEAR OF OWNERSHIP OF MY AT THEN BRAND NEW 2013 ALTIMA WHICH WAS PURCHASED 12/2013, THAT MY REAR SHOCKS WERE LEAKING. HAVE NOT TO THIS DATE GOTTEN THEM FIXED BECAUSE IT COSTS TOO MUCH AND I'M TOLD IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY. OUT OF ALL THE TIMES I'VE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN, THIS PROBLEM HAS ONLY BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION 2 TIMES. IF SERVICE WAS REALLY DOING THEIR JOB IT WOULD BE NOTED EACH TIME I VISIT. IN ANY CASE, ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH MY SO-CALLED "NEW" VEHICLE. MY POOR PASSENGERS HAVE A VERY ROUGH RIDE AND IS AFFECTING MY BRAKING WHERE IT DELAYS MY STOP. I CONTINUE FIGHTING WITH NISSAN (BOTH DEALER WHERE PURCHASE WAS MADE AND CORP) AND NOTHING. I DIDN'T GET INTO A SALES CONTRACT FOR A NEW VEHICLE WHERE I HAVE TO HAVE MAJOR PARTS REPLACED EVERY 6 MO-1 YEAR. MY PAYMENTS ARE HIGH ENOUGH WITHOUT HAVING THE HEADACHES OF THIS VEHICLE.

THERE IS A LOUD, NOTICEABLE CREAKING/CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER AREA WHEN TRAVELING OVER BUMPS (SUCH AS A PARKING LOT SPEED BUMP). THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED STRUTS, SPRINGS, DROPPED THE TRANSMISSION, ETC AND AFTER 19 DAYS IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE FOR THIS NOISE. BOTH THE SERVICE MANAGER AND SOMEONE FROM NISSAN HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DIAGNOSE. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 47 DAYS AND LESS THAN 700 MILES. SO FAR IT HAS SPENT 22 DAYS IN THE SHOP FOR A MYRIAD OF PROBLEMS; IT IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AS THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING SUBMITTED. *TR