2000 Nissan Maxima Body & Structure Problems

THE FRAME IS ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT ON MY 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA WITH 158,000 MILES. MY MECHANIC HAD IT UP ON HIS LIFT LAST WEEK AND POINTED OUT THAT THE LEFT DRIVER SIDE PORTION HAD A BREAK IN IT AND WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. ONE MORE POT HOLE AND THE ENGINE/TRANNY WILL BE IN THE STREET. WILL NEVER BUY A NISSAN VEHICLE AGAIN.

I AM THE ORIGINAL AND CURRENT OWNER OF A 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA WITH ABOUT 115,000 MILES. MY MECHANIC RECENTLY TOLD ME THAT THE MAXIMA NEEDS ABOUT $2000 OF BODY WORK DUE TO RUSTED FLOOR BOARDS AND ENGINE MOUNT. THE MAXIMA WAS IMMACULATELY KEPT IN A GARAGE FOR MOST OF ITS LIFE SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS RUST PROBLEM SHOULD BE HAPPENING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT NISSAN SHOULD ADDRESS AND RECTIFY.

VIN [XXX] WHEN I TRY AND DO A SEARCH WITH THIS VIN NUMBER, THIS MESSAGE APPEARS: "AN ERROR OCCURRED WITH YOUR REQUEST. RECALL INFORMATION FOR YOUR VEHICLE IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. PLEASE CONTACT NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. BY PHONE AT 1-800-647-7261 OR GO TO THEIR WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.NISSANUSA.COM/APPS/CONTACTUS?NEXT=FOOTE FOR RECALL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR VEHICLE." NISSAN HAS "ARCHIVED" THIS VIN AND WILL NOT ACTIVATE SO THAT I CAN DO A VIN SEARCH ON THIS WEBSITE OR ON NISSAN'S WEBSITE. I HAVE REQUESTED THAT THEY RE-ACTIVATE THIS VIN BUT THEY REFUSE TO DO SO. CAN YOU PERSUADE THEM TO ACTIVATE IT? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE TURNING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE DROVE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO DISCOVERED THAT THE TRANSMISSION LOWER SUPPORT BEAM WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000.

I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT THE SUB FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT IS ONLY PARTIALLY ATTACHED AS THE MAIN BEAM IS SEVERELY RUSTED. HE TOLD ME THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE ISN'T A RECALL ON SOMETHING SO DANGEROUS, AS A FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT CAN RESULT IN THE HOOD LATCH GIVING WAY OR THE MOTOR DROPPING FROM THE ENGINE. *TR

THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT BEAM IS SEVERELY CORRODED IN THE CENTER WHERE THE LOWER ENGINE MOUNT BRACKET IS BOLTED. THIS IS ALSO WHERE THE HOOD LATCH BRACKET IS ATTACHED. THE REMAINDER OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE SUB-FRAME COMPONENTS ARE RELATIVELY INTACT. *TR

MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE WAS A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE REAR SUBFRAME RUSTING. THE RUST PROBLEM ON MY MAXIMA CONCERNS A COMPONENT AT LEAST AS IMPORTANT AS THE SUBFRAME ON THE SUBARU. THE VEHICLE HAS A METAL RADIATOR SUPPORT AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE THAT RUNS THE WIDTH OF THE CAR. THIS RADIATOR SUPPORT NOT ONLY HOLDS THE RADIATOR UP, BUT IS ALSO CONNECTED TO AN ENGINE SUPPORT IN THE CENTRE. THIS RADIATOR SUPPORT IS RUSTING THROUGH RIGHT IN THE CENTRE WHERE THE ENGINE SUPPORT BOLTS TO THE RAD SUPPORT. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD ON THE 2000-2003 AND THE 1995 - 1999 MAXIMA. A GOOGLE SEARCH WILL REVEAL THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. IMAGINE THE CONSEQUENCES IF THE RAD SUPPORT SHOULD FAIL AND THUS, THE ENGINE BECOME UNSUPPORTED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION? WHETHER THIS IS POOR METAL QUALITY, OR A LACK OF PROPER RUSTPROOFING PAINT (AS IT WAS WITH THE OUTBACK) I DON'T KNOW. THERE ARE VEHICLES OUT THERE WITH MINOR RUST IN OTHER MAJOR COMPONENTS, BUT A COMPLETELY ROTTED RADIATOR SUPPORT. I BELIEVE SOME INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA IS WARRANTED. I'M IN CANADA, BUT THIS PROBLEM IS RAMPANT IN THE US AS WELL. *TR

RADIATOR SUPPORT ON MY 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA IS ROTTED ON THE BOTTOM CENTER. I FOUND OUT COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WONDERING WHAT WAS THE NOISE THAT WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT END. WHILE DRIVING ON THE THROUGH WAY, AT 55MPH I COULD SEE MY HOOD SHAKING IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE ITS GOING FLY OUT WHICH IS KINDA SCARY, BASICALLY THE HOOD LATCH THAT IS ON THE RADIATOR SUPPORT IS LOOSE, BECAUSE THE ROD THAT HOLDS THE HOOD LATCH IS ROTTED AND BROKE FROM THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT, IT LOOKS LIKE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT CAN BRAKE ANYTIME IN HALF FROM THE CENTER, WHICH WOULD DROP THE MOTOR DOWN WHILE IM ON THE ROAD. AND THIS I HAVE SEEN ON MANY MAXIMA OF THIS GENERATION AND MANY MAXIMA OWNERS OF THIS GENERATION OF MAXIMA 2000-2003 TALK ABOUT IT. *TR

I HAVE A MODEL YEAR 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA. I ALSO OWNED A 1990 NISSAN MAXIMA AND A 1998 NISSAN MAXIMA ALL WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. THE RADIATOR SUPPORT RUSTS OUT COMPLETELY AND ITS NOT DUE TO RADIATOR FAILURE OR ACCIDENT DAMAGE. THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THESE CARS NEED TO BE BETTER PROTECTED FROM THE WEATHER OR BETTER QUALITY PARTS NEED TO BE USED. BUT SPECIFICALLY THE RADIATOR SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN THESE MAXIMAS ARE OF VERY POOR QUALITY. FAILURE OF THESE PARTS WOULD RESULT IN THE ENGINE AND OR TRANSMISSION FALLING OUT OF THE VEHICLE WHICH IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT (TIE BAR) HAS RUSTED OUT TO THE POINT THAT IT IS AFFECTING THE ALIGNMENT OF THE VEHICLE. THE RUST IS CONCENTRATED AROUND THE PLACE WHERE THE LOWER ENGINE SUPPORT BOLTS TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IT IS ENTIRELY CONCEIVABLE THAT THE ENGINE COULD CAUSE THE LOWER ENGINE SUPPORT TO BREAK FREE FROM THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT. ADDITIONALLY, THE EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE CRASH PERFORMANCE ON THIS PART OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

2000 NISSAN MAXIMA WITH CORRODED MOUNT FOR ENGINE CENTER MOUNT THAT IS ALLOWING ENGINE TO DISLODGE FROM CAR'S CHASSIS. FAILED ANNUAL INSPECTION. *TR