If the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) believes there is a safety-related defect in a group of cars, it reserves the right to open an investigation.
These investigations are often sparked by warranty claims and consumer complaints online.
Nissan Problems Being Investigated
Inaccurate Fuel Gauge
That's because a wide swath of Nissan vehicles have gas gauges that never read full even after filling up, stop working below 1/4 of a tank, or show a low fuel warning even when there's plenty of miles to go. In other words, they're complet…
There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.
The 2013 Altima’s rear control arms are separating from the frame.
The likely culprit is corrosion due to road salt and there’s an investigation to see just how serious the problem has become.…
If you're a 2013 Rogue owner looking for some help with your late-deploying airbags, don't count on the government.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is closing their investigation. Safety regulators specifically looked at the airbag inflators, electrical wiring harnesses, connectors and the systems behind how the airbags deploy.
Nissan responds it doesn't believe there is a problem, and investigations of the Rogue SUVs determined the airbags deploy as intended.
The investigation was opened in January 2015 after owners complained their airbags deployed late (or sometimes not at all). NHTSA says the complaints were "unusual," and will continue to monitor the situation. If you have one now is a great time to share your concern.
Certain Nissan vehicles have a defective cracked radiator that leaks coolant into the transmission fluid, creating a toxic hell stew
that kills the transmission entirely. If it hasn't happened to you, you've probably at least heard of it. And if you haven't heard of it, well ... I'm sorry to be the bearer of some really bad news.
Unfortunately, the news gets worse. There were high hopes that the government would open an investigation that would lead to a recall, but we now know that ain't going to happen.…
2012 Versa owners say the side airbags can deploy simply from shutting the door.
Does that mean all Versa owners have superhero strength? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) intends to find out.
"Safety regulators say early warning data submitted by Nissan shows the same airbag problems as Versa owners have complained about, so NHTSA needs to find out what is causing the faulty airbag deployments."
I wouldn't grab a cape just yet as it's likely an electrical issue. The investigation is ongoing.
The North Carolina Consumers Council (NCCC) recommends that no-one buy a 2005-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, or Xterra.
That would have been very helpful advice, say, 5 or 10 years ago. Next they might tell us the sun is very bright and they recommend not looking directly at it.
The radiators in these vehicles --- as most of you know by now --- are ticking time-bombs. They leak coolant into the transmission, killing it.…
Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into braking issues in over 600,000 vehicles.
Owners with certain 2013 and 2014 cars had been complaining that their pedals went to the floor in a terrifying moment of complete brake failure.
Nissan said the problem was likely a bad seal inside the master cylinder and they changed the design in September 2013. Guess what happened when they did that? Yep, a sudden decrease in warranty claims.
You know the phrase "better late than never"? I don't think that's universally true.
Take airbags, for example. An airbag that doesn't deploy when it's supposed to is dangerous, but an airbag that deploys after you've been in an accident? Well that's just adding insult to injury.
So far all NHTSA is saying is the complaints are "unusual." I'm hoping they didn't spend too many of our tax dollars were spent reaching that conclusion. If NHTSA finds something substantial they'll likely upgrade the investigation to an engineering analysis or could recommend 195,000 2013 Nissan Rogues be recalled. If that happens, we'll let you know.
A late deployment isn't the only airbag related complaint about the 2013 Rogue. Multiple owners have noticed the passenger airbag turning off while an adult is in the seat. Have you noticed that too? At this point, it's too early to tell if the problems are related.
Own a 2007 Nissan Quest? You might want to think twice about passing a gas station without filling up next time.
That's because the Quest is currently under investigation for a gas gauge that can be off by as much as 60-80 miles. The inaccurate readings are leaving drivers stranded, sometimes in dangerous situations. One North Carolina driver said it's happened to her twice, once with her grandchildren in the van.
"Driving along in peak traffic and suddenly vehicle shuts off. No power steering and almost involved in accidents both occasions the first time I was alone the second time I had my grand babies with me and that was terrifying for them as the other road users were whizzing past..."
We've all probably been guilty of taking our cars to the last drop of gas after the fuel warning light comes on, but in the Quest's case there is no such warning. One minute you're rocking out to Hootie and the Blowfish -- or, you know, whatever the kids listen to these days -- next minute you're stranded on the side of the road.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says they've received numerous complaints, all within the past 14 months. This is still just a preliminary investigation, but we will notify you if a defect is found.
The best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.
