Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHEELS | ||||||
| EA07005 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 04/03/2007 | 08/04/2008 | WHEEL SEPARATION DUE TO SPOKE FRACTURE | ||
| All of the wheel separation incidents identified in ea07-005 have involved wheels subjected to aftermarket chroming in california.metallurgical analysis of aftermarket chromed wheels obtained from incident vehicles showed significant changes in material properties that can increase the chance of structural failure.nissan has issued several communications to dealers, both before and after odi's investigation began with pe06-050, warning against the practice of chroming wheels.nissan has advised odi that it will be sending another communication this year that repeats the warnings against aftermarket chroming. no defect has been identified in the original equipment nissan wheels.there have been no wheel separation incidents involving those wheels and they passed the sae radial fatigue, cornering and side impact tests conducted by vrtc.while there have been a few complaints, warranty claims and survey responses indicating cracks in original equipment wheels, they are few in number, often exhibit evidence of impact damage and may sometimes involve cracks in different locations of the wheel.at this time, in view of the limited incidence of the cracks and the fact that the cracks do not appear to have progressed, further use of agency resources on this investigation does not appear to be warranted.the agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information pertaining to the wheels on the subject vehicles and will take further action if warranted.see document file for more information about this closing resume. | ||||||
| PE06050 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 11/09/2006 | 04/09/2007 | WHEEL FAILURE | ||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe06-050 based on two consumer complaints alleging incidents of wheel separation while driving due to spoke fracture.one of the incidents resulted in a crash and serious injury when the separated wheel struck a california highway patrol officer on a motorcycle on the opposite side of the freeway. during pe06-050, odi determined that both incidents of wheel separation involved nissan wheels that were subjected to an aftermarket re-chroming process.both incidents occurred in southern california.information provided by nissan showed that problems with re-chromed wheels were concentrated almost exclusively in california.nissan has issued dealer bulletins, most recently in august 2006, warning against re-chroming wheels because the process may damage wheels.nissan also submitted complaints and warranty claims concerning cracked spokes in original equipment nissan alloy wheels.these claims and complaints were not concentrated in any particular geographic region, but were few in number.according to nissan, most oe alloy wheels with cracked spokes can be attributed to impact damage. this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-005) to further assess the causes of spoke cracking in original equipment nissan wheels and in wheels subjected to re-chroming and to assess the risk of additional wheel separations in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| WHEELS - CENTER SECTION | ||||||
| PE06050 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 11/09/2006 | 04/09/2007 | WHEEL FAILURE | ||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe06-050 based on two consumer complaints alleging incidents of wheel separation while driving due to spoke fracture.one of the incidents resulted in a crash and serious injury when the separated wheel struck a california highway patrol officer on a motorcycle on the opposite side of the freeway. during pe06-050, odi determined that both incidents of wheel separation involved nissan wheels that were subjected to an aftermarket re-chroming process.both incidents occurred in southern california.information provided by nissan showed that problems with re-chromed wheels were concentrated almost exclusively in california.nissan has issued dealer bulletins, most recently in august 2006, warning against re-chroming wheels because the process may damage wheels.nissan also submitted complaints and warranty claims concerning cracked spokes in original equipment nissan alloy wheels.these claims and complaints were not concentrated in any particular geographic region, but were few in number.according to nissan, most oe alloy wheels with cracked spokes can be attributed to impact damage. this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-005) to further assess the causes of spoke cracking in original equipment nissan wheels and in wheels subjected to re-chroming and to assess the risk of additional wheel separations in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| WHEELS - LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS | ||||||
| PE06050 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 11/09/2006 | 04/09/2007 | WHEEL FAILURE | ||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe06-050 based on two consumer complaints alleging incidents of wheel separation while driving due to spoke fracture.one of the incidents resulted in a crash and serious injury when the separated wheel struck a california highway patrol officer on a motorcycle on the opposite side of the freeway. during pe06-050, odi determined that both incidents of wheel separation involved nissan wheels that were subjected to an aftermarket re-chroming process.both incidents occurred in southern california.information provided by nissan showed that problems with re-chromed wheels were concentrated almost exclusively in california.nissan has issued dealer bulletins, most recently in august 2006, warning against re-chroming wheels because the process may damage wheels.nissan also submitted complaints and warranty claims concerning cracked spokes in original equipment nissan alloy wheels.these claims and complaints were not concentrated in any particular geographic region, but were few in number.according to nissan, most oe alloy wheels with cracked spokes can be attributed to impact damage. this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-005) to further assess the causes of spoke cracking in original equipment nissan wheels and in wheels subjected to re-chroming and to assess the risk of additional wheel separations in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| WHEELS - RIM | ||||||
| EA07005 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 04/03/2007 | 08/04/2008 | WHEEL SEPARATION DUE TO SPOKE FRACTURE | ||
| All of the wheel separation incidents identified in ea07-005 have involved wheels subjected to aftermarket chroming in california.metallurgical analysis of aftermarket chromed wheels obtained from incident vehicles showed significant changes in material properties that can increase the chance of structural failure.nissan has issued several communications to dealers, both before and after odi's investigation began with pe06-050, warning against the practice of chroming wheels.nissan has advised odi that it will be sending another communication this year that repeats the warnings against aftermarket chroming. no defect has been identified in the original equipment nissan wheels.there have been no wheel separation incidents involving those wheels and they passed the sae radial fatigue, cornering and side impact tests conducted by vrtc.while there have been a few complaints, warranty claims and survey responses indicating cracks in original equipment wheels, they are few in number, often exhibit evidence of impact damage and may sometimes involve cracks in different locations of the wheel.at this time, in view of the limited incidence of the cracks and the fact that the cracks do not appear to have progressed, further use of agency resources on this investigation does not appear to be warranted.the agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information pertaining to the wheels on the subject vehicles and will take further action if warranted.see document file for more information about this closing resume. | ||||||
| PE06050 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 11/09/2006 | 04/09/2007 | WHEEL FAILURE | ||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe06-050 based on two consumer complaints alleging incidents of wheel separation while driving due to spoke fracture.one of the incidents resulted in a crash and serious injury when the separated wheel struck a california highway patrol officer on a motorcycle on the opposite side of the freeway. during pe06-050, odi determined that both incidents of wheel separation involved nissan wheels that were subjected to an aftermarket re-chroming process.both incidents occurred in southern california.information provided by nissan showed that problems with re-chromed wheels were concentrated almost exclusively in california.nissan has issued dealer bulletins, most recently in august 2006, warning against re-chroming wheels because the process may damage wheels.nissan also submitted complaints and warranty claims concerning cracked spokes in original equipment nissan alloy wheels.these claims and complaints were not concentrated in any particular geographic region, but were few in number.according to nissan, most oe alloy wheels with cracked spokes can be attributed to impact damage. this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-005) to further assess the causes of spoke cracking in original equipment nissan wheels and in wheels subjected to re-chroming and to assess the risk of additional wheel separations in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHEELS | |||
| 12/24/2012 | 101000 | 1 | |
| While driving to visit my grandsons on christmas eve, the rear drive wheel broke. the wheel broke from the car and travel down the highway at a high rate of speed. luckily i was able to slow the car down and get it to the side of the road. i could only sit helpless as i watch the broken wheel bounce down the highway. the wheel came to a stop more than 400 yards. a quote from the chp officer, it never happens this way. usually the wheel lands on someone else's car causing a accident. this is the second wheel that has broke on my car. summer 2011 i had to replace a cracked wheel when getting new tires. the remaining two wheels on the car have been looked at and cracks have been found. since my insurance will not cover the cost of new wheels, i'm forced to replace them myself. while doing some investigative work, i have found more than a dozen cases just like mine. the tire shop i visited today said they have had 3 other nissan 350z - 2006 with the same problem. how many cases have not been reported? nissan will not take responsibility and recall their bad batch of wheels from 2006. what does it take to make nissan responsible and recall these wheels? *tr | |||
| 12/24/2012 | 101000 | ||
| While driving to visit my grandsons on christmas eve, the rear drive wheel broke. the wheel broke from the car and travel down the highway at a high rate of speed. luckily i was able to slow the car down and get it to the side of the road. i could only sit helpless as i watch the broken wheel bounce down the highway. the wheel came to a stop more than 400 yards. a quote from the chp officer, it never happens this way. usually the wheel lands on someone elses car causing a accident. this is the second wheel that has broke on my car. summer 2011 i had to replace a cracked wheel when getting new tires. the remaining two wheels on the car have been looked at and cracks have been found. since my insurance will not cover the cost of new wheels, i'm forced to replace them myself. while doing some investigative work, i have found more than a dozen cases just like mine. the tire shop i visited today said they have had 3 other nissan 350z - 2006 with the same problem. how many cases have not been reported? nissan will not take responsibility and recall their bad batch of wheels from 2006. what does it take to make nissan responsibile and recall these wheels? | |||
| 12/17/2011 | 75000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2006 nissan 350z. the contact stated that the front passenger side wheel rim developed a cracked, which caused the wheel to loose air pressure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who verified the failure and stated to the contact that the failure was caused by a manufacturing defect. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who offered to cover fifty percent of the repair costs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 75,000. kmj | |||
| 12/17/2011 | 75000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2006 nissan 350z. the contact stated that the front passenger wheel rim had developed a cracked which causes the wheel to loose air pressure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who verified the failure and stated that it was a manufacturer defect. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who only offer to cover half of the repair cost. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 75,000. pm | |||
| 09/06/2011 | 19576 | ||
| Heard some squeaking from front left tire.i inspected the chrome wheel and found all 5 spokes had cracks in them all the way through. i had the vehicle inspected and found all 4 chrome wheels had cracks and was advised to park vehicle as it was not safe to drive. i contacted the service manager at my dealership and he advised that the rims on my vehicle were sent out to be chromed by someone else other than nissan causing nissan not to be responsible for these cracked rims. this vehicle, a touring roadster 350z was bought new from a nissan dealership with these chrome rims already on them, this other dealership also happens to be owned by the current dealership i go to. the service manager said the dealership also would not be responsible because they only warranty this for 3years/36,000. my vehicle has less than 19,600 miles on it. | |||
| 05/11/2010 | 35788 | ||
| On may 11,2010 i had my car towed to the local nissan dealer on maui. the wheels on our car started to disintegrate and break up causing us to swerve and stop on the road. i was told by the dealer that because the car was out of warranty i would have to purchase new wheels for $5550. the factory rep john hookano, my wife and i met after two weeks of the car sitting at jim faulk nissan with no follow up call. he showed us that the original wheels were aluminum alloy, and not chromed and stated they must be aftermarket or chromed without factory authorization, he then showed us a bulletin issued from nissan 2008, stating their position not to chrome the wheels. we purchased a 2006 350z grand touring special edition which included navigation system, brembo brakes, basically every option including convertable. when i explained i purchased the car new from the dealer in arizona and they did a dealer trade for it. when it arrived from peoria arizona's nissan dealer the chromed wheels were on it. we took delivery at lamb nissan in prescott arizona, as is, we changed nothing. when i showed the factory rep a service repair order from when the warranty was in effect, which made reference to the clicking wheels and that we have continued to have issues with the tire pressure monitor system he ignored my comment. the car has less than 36,000 miles and yes the warranty expired. i did purchase an extended warranty in which i was told does not cover wheels. however i believe if the nhtsa inspector looked into this fault would be found with either the manufacturer or the dealer. i contacted lamb nissan and the general manager ed walsh found the records that indicate i purchased the car with the wheels on it from the original dealer who took delivery of the car, and that it did in fact arrive with chrome nissan wheels. he said i will credit $1000 to a new set. we emailed nissan early on and got a response we will be contacted vanessa fiorello consumer affairs never returns my email | |||
| 11/11/2008 | 13000 | 1 | |
| Was hearing noise and took car to dealership and was told that i have 4 cracked rims and should buy new ones for 3067.00. i was told that yes the dealership does send there rims to be chromed but of course they said they didn't do mine. i told them i didn't do it. nothing was done to fix the problem, was offered a free tow cause was told car was unsafe to drive. so i am out of pocket almost 1900.00. the service manager at dealership told me if i wasn't willing to pay the 3067.00 dollars for new rims that i should start by looking at the junk yard. i have 2 nissan bulletins reference # ntb92-123a and ntb92-123c which clearly discourages what nissan is doing regarding the chroming of rims. *tr | |||
| 06/06/2007 | 13000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2006 nissan 350z convertible. i had the 06 wheels aftermarket powercoated in may 2007. roughly a month later, i found that one of the wheels had cracked. i bought a replacement wheel, had the wheel powercoated to match the other three. roughly 4 months later, i discovered two more wheels had cracked. researching the cause of the cracks led me to the complaints filed earlier on the same wheel being affected by the chroming process. my biggest fear is as we alter the wheels, we are in essence aging the wheel and discovering it to be of substandard quality to begin with. i know of three others who have had atleast one wheel crack after powder coating. 4/9 wheels local to me have cracked and 1/4 in southern california. *tr | |||
| 08/25/2007 | 9900 | 1 | 12/19/2006 |
| Sometimes driving, i hear light crackling noise comes and goes. for 9 months checkup, i mentioned it to dealer. he said they test drove it and everything was fine. on sat evening, 8-25, the front rt side of rim cracked & came out bouncing off freeway! scary & dangerous! we just let the car slide and scrape on three wheels off the next exit. i had spare tire put on & slowly got the car back home, in shock! monday i had car towed to nearest dealer & they weren't able to fix my car because of the wheels. i didn't know why....but manager there called for my permission to have it towed back to my dealer with all charges paid by dealer. i was disappointed, disrespected, mistreated,& lied to. bought car in good faith & they lied to me some more! i called nis manuf consumer affairs & found out that those rims were dipped chrome! dealer had nerve to give me same rims & try to return car back with damage breaking the discs & lower arm. also repainted the scraped bumper. have pics of sloppy work with camera phone. i explained to them i want it fixed brand new like when i first drove off that lot with it and i thought they understood. i still need pro to thoroughly inspect car. although repairs made, i don't feel safe driving car anymore. i said fix car like when i first bought it- before the defective wheel came off with real rims. he ordered & placed it on my car. sat night, dealer called to pick car up. i asked for invoice and papers. they said come back mon. asked them to hand write that the rims are stocked & everything new like wanted so i can drive off feeling safe. they said can't. again i left disappointed. noticed headlights dimmer than before & one side higher than the other. mon, told service manager about lights. response, we're supposed to just replace wheels. don't know if i have right wheels or not. i need a new car .dealer not concerned with public safety, only profits. i hurt emotionally & physically! *tr | |||
| 07/30/2006 | 3877 | 1 | 05/31/2006 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph on normal road conditions, the front right wheel separated from the vehicle and hit the right passenger door. the chrome wheel center was observed to be still attached to the base with the five nuts. when the other wheels were inspected, cracks appeared in the front and rear wheels on the driver side. the dealer stated the cracks from the wheels were due to the chroming process. updated 08/29/06 | |||
| WHEELS - LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS | |||
| 10/11/2006 | 10855 | 1 | |
| This complaint is being filed as part of an official california highway patrol investigation into a major injury traffic collision involving a law enforcement officer. the chp mait investigation # is sl-45-06. the traffic collision occurred on october 11, 2006, within los angeles county and involved a 2006 nissan 350zx. during the collision, the left front wheel separated from the vehicle and bounced over the freeway divider and impacted a law enforcement motor officer traveling upon the opposite side of the freeway. a preliminary inspection of the wheel indicates a probable structural failure of the wheel (mechanical defect). a review of the nhtsa complaint data base indicates that the failure of the wheel is similar to the failure noted in nhtsa complaint #10164822. *nm | |||
| WHEELS - RIM | |||
| 09/24/2009 | 26000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 nissan 350z. the contact stated that her factory rims were customized and dipped in a chrome substance before they were purchased. while driving 25 mph the chrome rim separated. as consequence her risk of vehicle crash was increased. the manufacturer was notified and she received a replacement set of rims. the dealer stated that they were aware of the failure with this model type. the failure and current mileages were 26,000. | |||
| 08/19/2009 | 31000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 nissan 350z. while driving approximately 25 mph on normal road conditions making a left turn, there was a loud sound outside of the vehicle. the contact observed that the front end of the vehicle had fallen on the ground and the front passenger wheel disengaged from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the technician stated the failure was contributed to a defective rim. the vehicle has not been repaired. the contact has concerns of the significant safety hazard. the failure and current mileages were 31,000. | |||
| 10/17/2007 | 24000 | 1 | 12/28/2006 |
| I own a 2006 nissan 350z with chrome wheels. three of the wheels are cracked and the car is unsafe to drive. through the process of trying to get nissan to replace the wheels, i learned that the wheels on the car are after-market re-chromed wheels. nissan is not being helpful in getting the problem resolved by replacing the wheels. i am referencing nhtsa defect action number pe06050 and engineering analysis ea07005. *tr | |||
| 07/30/2006 | 3877 | 1 | 05/31/2006 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph on normal road conditions, the front right wheel separated from the vehicle and hit the right passenger door. the chrome wheel center was observed to be still attached to the base with the five nuts. when the other wheels were inspected, cracks appeared in the front and rear wheels on the driver side. the dealer stated the cracks from the wheels were due to the chroming process. updated 08/29/06 | |||