2001 Nissan Xterra Tires & Wheels Problems

WHILE DRIVING ON THE MASS TURNPIKE, THE FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF THE CAR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME. FIRST TIME, IN 2013, IN SCHOOL PARKING LOT, DIFFERENT SIDE BUT ALSO A FRONT WHEEL. WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM A NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN AUGUST 2012 FOR MY 19 YEAR OLD SON. THE CAR IS HARDLY DRIVEN AS HE IS AWAY IN COLLEGE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES FOR VARIOUS OTHER THINGS AND TWO DIFFERENT FRONT WHEELS JUST COMING OFF CAN NOT BE A MATTER OF LOOSE LUG NUTS AND INCOMPETENCE ON THE PART OF THE REPAIR SHOP. I FEEL THAT SOMETHING MUST BE FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG OR FAULTY. I SEE THAT THERE WERE RECALLS YEARS AGO HAVING TO DO WITH BALL JOINTS IN THIS MODEL, I CAN NOT TELL FROM CARFAX REPORTS WHETHER THIS VIN WAS EVER SERVICED FOR THAT, AND THAT NISSAN NEVER SHOULD HAVE RESOLD THIS CAR WITHOUT CHECKING TO SEE - DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS IS AN OLDER CAR. A WHEEL COMING OFF IS DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY SON COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED (LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT). I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT WHETHER THIS CAR WAS EVER CHECKED FOR THE RECALL ON BALL JOINTS IN 2003 OR EVER. DOESN'T THE DEALERSHIP HAVE ANY OBLIGATION TO CHECK SAFETY RECALLS BEFORE RESELLING CARS THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE? I FEEL THAT WE WERE SOLD A USED CAR THAT WAS FUNDAMENTALLY NOT SAFE. TWO DIFFERENT WHEELS FALL OFF WITHIN 2 YEARS OF PURCHASE - SOMETHING DOESN'T SEEM LEGITIMATE HERE. *TR

AFTER THE CAR WARMS UP IT WILL STALL WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN COMING TO A STOP TO IDLE.SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT START IMMEDIATELY AFTER STALLING. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. WE HAVE ALSO HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE ALIGNMENT DUE TO THE WHEEL BEARINGS. *TR

BOTH OF MY FRONT RIMS CRACKED ON MY 2001 NISSAN XTERRA. TWO OF THE FOUR PASSENGER SIDE SPOKES AND ONE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE SPOKES IS STARTING TO CRACK. THERE WASN'T ANY IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS. I ONLY NOTICED BECAUSE MY BRAKES BEGAN SQUEAKING AFTER A TRIP WITH MY 10YR OLD SON. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE FRONT RIMS TO CHECK THE BRAKES, I NOTICED THE CRACKS. THEY ARE ALUMINUM 4 SPOKE 15"X7"RIMS. I FOUND A RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V307000. *TR

I PURCHASED 4 FIRESTONE DESTINATION LE TIRES IN 2004 FOR MY 2001 NISSAN XTERRA. AFTER 24000 MILES I NOTED THAT THERE WERE SMALL PIECES OF THE SIDEWALL MISSING ON ALL FOUR TIRES - EVENLY SPACED AROUND THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. ON THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE, THE LARGEST MISSING PIECE WAS APPROXIMATELY .75" ON EACH SIDE. I DID NOT TAKE PICTURES AND I EXPERIENCED NO DRIVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE FIRESTONE STORE AND THEY REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AT NO COST. I AM SENDING THIS BECAUSE THIS CLEARLY LOOKS LIKE SOME TYPE OF DEFECT SINCE I WAS SEEING THE SAME PATTERN ON ALL FOUR TIRES (AND HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE). IF OTHER PEOPLE ARE SEEING SOMETHING SIMILAR, I WANTED TO HAVE IT NOTED THAT I ALSO HAD THIS ISSUES. *NM

IN 2003 THERE WAS A RECALL ON 2000 XTERRA'S - NHTSA ID 03V307000. THIS RECALL HAD TO DO WITH WHEELS CRACKING. I HAVE A 2001 XTERRA OUTSIDE THE VIN RANGE OF THE RECALL AND HAVE HAD 2 WHEELS CRACK IN THE LAST 16 MONTHS. NO ONE AT NISSAN OR THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT EXCEPT TO SELL ME NEW WHEELS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED DURING AN OIL CHANGE THE MECHANIC NOTICED THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMAL PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE A SPARE TIRE WAS PUT ONTO THE VEHICLE. *AK UPDATED 05/16/06. *JB

FOUND CRACKS IN TWO OF MY 2001 XTERRA ORIGINAL ALLOY WHEELS. CRACKS WERE VISIBLE ON ONE WHEEL FROM INSIDE TO OUTSIDE. THIS WHEEL WAS IMMEDIATELY REMOVED DUE TO A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. I WAS TOLD BY NISSAN THAT THERE WAS A RECALL, BUT DID NOT INCLUDE MY VIN NUMBER. RECALL WAS PRIMARILY FOR 2000 MODELS. COMPLAINT ISSUED TO NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS FOR POSSIBLE REIMBURSEMENT OF REPLACEMENT WHEELS. *NM

DRIVER NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR WHEELS HAD CRACKS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. THIS CAUSED LEAKS FROM THE TIRES AND UNBALANCE OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE WHEELS AND TIRES WERE OPERATING AS DESIGNED, BUT A FLAW WAS NOTICED WHILE INSPECTING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE ROLLED INTO A DITCH BUT THE VEHICLES OCCUPANTS WERE NOT DAMAGED. THE MANUFACTURER IS LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM AND IS DRAGGING THEIR FEET. *NM

3 CRACKS FOUND IN THE SPOKES OF MY ALLOY WHEELS ON MY 2001 NISSAN XTERRA. NISSAN REFUSED TO REPLACE THE WHEEL. THE CURRENT RECALL FOR CRACKED WHEEL SPOKES WAS NOT FOR THE 2001 MODEL.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 75 IN FLORIDA, THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CAR VEERED TO THE LEFT AND THE FRONT PASSENGER BUMPER SLAMMED INTO THE GUARD RAIL IN THE MEDIAN. THE CAR SPUN AROUND SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL THE REAR PASSENGER SECTION SLAMMED INTO THE GUARD RAIL. THE CAR THEN STOPPED. THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE WAS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED AND ONLY A SHELL WAS LEFT.THE CAR HAD BEEN INTO THE DEALER FOR ITS 15,000 MILE CHECK IN JULY AND THE TIRES WERE ROTATED. THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE ABOUT ONE WEEK BEFORE THE INDICENT. THE CAR HAD BEEN MAINTAINED TO THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS AND ONLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES ON IT. MR

WHILE DRIVING CENTER WHEEL CAP FELL COMPLETELY OFF DUE TO A MISSING SPRING CLIP. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK