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. | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHEELS | |||
| 03/16/2012 | 52000 | ||
| My wife has taken her 350z into the dealership multiple times for a low tire pressure indicator light. everytime, they have been unable to determine the cause. this most recent time, however, she took the car in on 3/16/2012. while she waited, the mechanic and service tech inspected the vehicle. upon completion of inspection, they informed her that three of the four rims had noticeable cracks in them. she was instructed to return with the vehicle on 3/19/2012 and the dealership would determine whether or not nissan would pay for the replacement as, according to the service technician, is a known issue on these rims. i have called nissan to learn that they do not have a recall on these rims but through internet searches have found out that this is a common issue. i find it disturbing that nissan knows about this issue, there have been many complaints and/or accidents caused by these rims and yet nothing is being done to rectify the problem. | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 46800 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 nissan 350z. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the front passenger side.the contact pulled over and noticed the front passenger side wheel between the axle and the tire was broken. also the other wheels are all cracked.the vehicle was not taken into a dealer for repair.the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 46,800. ds | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 46800 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns 2007 nissan 350z. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the front passenger side.the contact pulled over and noticed the front passenger side wheel between the axcle and the tire was broken. also the other wheels are all craked.the vehicle was not taken into a dealer for repair. the approximate failure milage was 46,800. ds | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 46800 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 nissan 350z. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the front passenger side.the contact pulled over and noticed the front passenger side wheel between the axle and the tire was broken. also the other wheels are all cracked.the vehicle was not taken into a dealer for repair.the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 46,800. ds | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 46800 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns 2007 nissan 350z. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the front passenger side.the contact pulled over and noticed the front passenger side wheel between the axcle and the tire was broken. also the other wheels are all craked.the vehicle was not taken into a dealer for repair. the approximate failure milage was 46,800. ds | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 46800 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 nissan 350z. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the front passenger side.the contact pulled over and noticed the front passenger side wheel between the axle and the tire was broken. also the other wheels are all cracked.the vehicle was not taken into a dealer for repair.the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 46,800. ds | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 46800 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns 2007 nissan 350z. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the front passenger side.the contact pulled over and noticed the front passenger side wheel between the axcle and the tire was broken. also the other wheels are all craked.the vehicle was not taken into a dealer for repair. the approximate failure milage was 46,800. ds | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 46800 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 nissan 350z. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the front passenger side.the contact pulled over and noticed the front passenger side wheel between the axle and the tire was broken. also the other wheels are all cracked.the vehicle was not taken into a dealer for repair.the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 46,800. ds | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 46800 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns 2007 nissan 350z. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the front passenger side.the contact pulled over and noticed the front passenger side wheel between the axcle and the tire was broken. also the other wheels are all craked.the vehicle was not taken into a dealer for repair. the approximate failure milage was 46,800. ds | |||
| 10/21/2008 | 7000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2007 nissan 350z. the contact noticed that the rear driver's side tire would excessively vibrate. he also noticed that the vehicle would sporadically drift without warning. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they repaired the hub assembly. several weeks after the repair, the failure recurred on the front passenger tire. he took the vehicle to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the bearing needed to be replaced. the contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer. the failure mileage was 7,000 and current mileage was 8,000. | |||