2004 Nissan Maxima Suspension

BRAND NEW 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA, DRIVEN NORMALLY FOR MONTHS AND RECENTLY STARTED NOTICING THE STRUTS MAKING A BANGING NOISE OVER NORMAL LIGHT ROAD BUMPS. THE RIDE QUALITY HAS SINCE DETERIORATED AND IS NOW REACHING THE POINT OF BEING DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. IT HAS BEEN TO TWO NISSAN DEALERS SO FAR WHO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND KEEP TRYING TO BLAME IT ON ME, MEANWHILE HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, AND MANY OTHER DEALERSHIPS ACKNOWLEDGE IT. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING DONE AT THE COROPRATE LEVEL FROM NISSAN TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. ALLOWING THE DEALERS TO DECIDE WHAT IS GOOD AND BAD, WHILE HALF OF THE PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE IS SOLVING NOTHING, AND ONLY CREATING MORE OF A HAZARD AND HASSLE FOR ALL MAXIMA OWNERS.*AK

THE VEHICLE HAS A STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION AT SPEEDS EXCEEDING 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS A VIOLENT VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITHOUT A SATISFIABLE RESOLUTION.*AK

I WILL INCLUDE ALL OF MY PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH MY 04 MAXIMA SE. THE FIRST MAJOR PROBEM I HAD WAS MY FRONT RIGHT STRUT WENT OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. PROBLEM FIXED. NEXT, PROBLEM WAS ON OCCASOION MY CAR WOULDNT START FIRST DEALER TRIP THEY TOLD ME THEIR WAS NO PROBLEM AND THE NEXT TIME LEAVE THE CAR DEAD AND HAVE THE CAR TOWED. SO, IT HAPPEND AGAIN HAD THE CAR TOWED AND THEN THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR THE PRO-RATED BATTERY. SO, IT HAPPEND AGAIN HAD THE CAR TOWED AND NOW THEY REPLACED THE ELECTRIAL MODULE THAT CONTROLS THE HEADLIGHTS. PROBLEM HAS BEEN FINE FOR 2 WEEKS +. NOW THE LEFT FRONT STRUT WENT OUT AND WONDERING WHEN I SHOULD BRING THE CAR IN AGAIN. I HAVE 25000 MILE AND NOT YET 2YRS OLD AND THE CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR ATLEAST 7 TIMES. I HATE MY 35K DOLLAR CAR.*AK

THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE STRUT CONTINUES TO FAIL. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED TWO TIMES, HOWEVER THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER 9 OR 10 TIMES BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND THE TREMBING IN THE STEERING. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF FAILED STRUTS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE. *TC

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A FRONT STRUT PROBLEM.. WHEN DRIVING OVER A POT HOLE THE PISTON INSIDE THE STRUT BROKE, CAUSING VIBRATION IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, IT EFFECTED THE ALIGNMENT OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE STRUTS NEEDED TO REPAIRED. THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER, AND IT COULD TAKE ALMOST 3 MONTHS BEFORE THE PARTS NEEDED BECOME AVAILABLE. *AK

THIS VEHICLE HAS MODERATE VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE DEALER HAS DONE THE FOLLOWING TO TRY AND ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM: 1). BALANCED ALL 4 TIRES - 14OCT04. 2). ADJUSTED THE STEERING RACK, AND BALANCED 4 TIRES - 18OCT04. 3). REPLACED FRONT TIRES, AND BALANCED - 25OCT04 (AM). 4). REPLACED REAR TIRES, AND BALANCED - 25OCT04 (PM). THE DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER RODE WITH ME (DURING THE TEST DRIVE) FOLLOWING EACH OF THESE EVENTS, AND THE VIBRATION STILL EXISTS. ALSO, THE EXTERIOR FINISH HAS A ROUGH FEEL TO IT. IT APPEARS THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS IN AN AREA WHERE CLEAR COATING AS BEING APPLIED (TO A DIFFERENT VEHICLE), AND WAS NOT PROPERLY PROTECTED. VISUALLY, ONE CANNOT TELL. TOUCHING THE VEHICLE, THE EXTERIOR SURFACES ARE NOT SMOOTH TO THE TOUCH.*AK

STEERING WHEEL SHIMMY AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH. I TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER THREE TIMES. IT WAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE FIRST TRIP. FRONT TIRES WERE BALANCED IN THE SECOND TRIP. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND THE CAR IS IN THE DEALER FOR THE THIRD TIME. IT HAS LESS THAN 1000 MILES ON IT. *AK

IVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE PROBLEMS FIXED WITH MY NEW CAR. IT HAS BEEN SHAKING (STEERING WHEEL), ON MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT, APRIL 8/2004 @ DOBBS NISSAN MEMPHIS, TN. IVE HAD THE CAR IN 5 DIFFERENT CAR DEALERSHIPS--- #1APRIL 12/04 COURTESY NISSAN INC., RICHARDSON, TX-- #2 APRIL 14/04 DOBBS NISSAN, MEMPHIS, TN---#3 MAY 7/04 CARLOCK, TUPELO, MS ---#4 MAY 17/04 CRUMP NISSAN, JASPER, AL--- #5 COLUMBUS, MS NUMEROUS TIMES. AFTER 5 (FIVE) SETS TIRES, THATS 20 (TWENTY) NEW TIRES, 12 BEING CONTINENTAL ALL WEATHER AND 8 BRIDGESTONE POTENZA S-03 AND 10 (TEN) BALANCE JOBS, I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS AROUND 10,000 MILES NOW AND ABOUT HALF OF THEM WERE PUT ON GOING TO THE DEALERS. I SENT A REGISTERED LETTER MAY 25-2004 TO CONSUMERS AFFAIRS, AND THEN NISSAN FLEW IN A TECHNICAL SPECIALIST FROM CA. HE TOOK A FEW PICTURES OF THE TIRES. GUESS WHAT? IT NEEDED A BALANCE JOB. NOW, THE DEALER HAS 2 MORE TIRES ORDERED, IVE HAD TO GET ALL THESE TIRES MYSELF, BUT THE LAST TWO. IM NO TECHNICAL SPECIALIST BUT I BELIEVE ITS THE CAR NOT THE TIRES. LOOKS LIKE THE LEMON LAW IS NEXT!!!*AK

1. NORMAL DRIVING; 2. BOTH FRONT STRUTS ON THE VEHICLE WERE BLOWN; AND 3. DEALER REPLACED THE PARTS UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE SHIMMIED AND VIBRATED HARSHLY. THE VEHICLE'S TIRES HAD ALSO BEGUN TO WERE EXCESSIVELY. *PH *NM

BAD STEERING WHEEL SHIMMY AT 45-60 MPH, THEN SEVERE VIBRATION AT 75 MPH (HIGHWAY CRUISING SPEED). MANUFACTURER CONTACTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, INDICATED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLE.*AK

NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. 8000 MILES ON MY VEHICAL. PURCHASED CAR IN APRIL. FEW WEEKS AFTERWARDS I HEARD A RATTLING SOUND ON THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WELL VERY TIME I DRIVE OVER SMALL BUMPS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER IN JULY AFTER MUCH DENIAL THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. DEALER COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM AND WAS SENT HOME. NOTHING WAS CORRECTED AND I STILL HEAR THE SOUND TO THIS DAY.*AK

STERING AND VIBRATION AT 50 TO 70 MPH. *AK

PASSENGER SIDE STRUT MAKES NOISE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY AT 55 MPH STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED BADLY. DEALER REPLACED THE WHEELS AND TIRES TWICE, BUT PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED.*AK *MR

I HAVE HAD THREE SETS OF STRUTS REPLACED ON MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE LATEST SET OF STRUTS ARE EXHIBITING EARLY SIGNS OF FAILURE. THE STRUTS KNOCK WHEN GOING OVER LARGER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. THEY ALSO EXHIBIT MORE NOISE WHEN COLD. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE VEERD TO THE RIGHT. VEHICLE VEERED EVEN MORE TO THE RIGHT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. DEALER HAS PERFORMED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT TWICE WITHIN A THIRTY DAY PERIOD.*AK

AROUND 50 TO 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SHIMMIES. ORIGINAL TIRES WERE BALANCED 3 TIMES, DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. DEALER THEN REPLACED TIRES, PROBLEM STILL PERSIST. ALSO INTERMITTENT RATTLING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS COMING FROM FRONT DRIVER SUSPENSION. *AK

STEERING WHEEL SHIMMIES EXCESSIVELY AT ANY SPEED. IT DOES IT MORE WHEN DRIVER POSITION IS SET TO 1. HAVE TRIED REDOING THE SETTING STARTING FROM POSITION 2 BUT DOESN'T WORK. TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER BUT UNABLE TO FIND CAUSE. I NOTICED THERE ARE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. NISSAN SAID THEY WERE GOING TO TEST A 2004 MAXIMA THEY KNEW DIDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS TO TRY AND FIND THE ISSUE. HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING. I HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED EVERY OTHER OIL CHANGE WHICH IS PROBABLY BEFORE EACH 7500 MILE REQUIREMENT. TIRE PRESSURE IS MAINTAINED ADEQUATELY AS WELL. SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. TIRES ARE IN GOOD CONDITION ONLY 22000 MILES 99% OF THAT IS DRIVEN ON THE FREEWAY DAILY.*AK

STRUTS ON 2004 MAXIMA HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE SO FAR (13,000 MILES PRESENTLY ON CAR). FIRST TIME AT APPROX 6,000 MILES.*AK

WHEN DRIVING 5 MPH A RATTLING NOISE CAME FROM THE FRONT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT FRONT STRUT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND THAT PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. *AK

WHEN VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AT 50+ MPH, STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES BADLY. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER AND THEY REBALANCED WHEELS AND TIRES. PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. COMPLAINED TO NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS. *AK

THE MAXIMA HAD 1600 MILES ON IT AND THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT FAILED. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; NO EXCESSIVE ROADS ENCOUNTERED.*AK THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED BOTH FRONT STRUTS. AT 5500 MILES THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT IS BEGINING TO FAIL YET AGAIN. NISSAN IS KNOWINGLY REPLACING DEFECTIVE STRUTS WITH DEFECTIVE STRUTS! THE REASON IS THAT NO OTHER STRUTS ARE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE

WHEN DRIVING AT 50 TO 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SHIMMIES. DEALER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AND WHEELS, BUT IT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK *TS THE DEALER CLAIMED IT WAS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. *JB