2004 Nissan Xterra Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE SERVICE WHEN THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE LEAF SPRING WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,319.

PASSENGER SIDE REAR LEAF SPRING BROKE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, ALMOST PUNCTURING GAS TANK ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC. THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR LEAF SPRING BROKE WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS. I WAS ADVISED BY MY MECHANIC THAT THIS WAS DEFINITELY AN ITEM THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AND IT IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO DEFECTIVE PART, AS THE METAL LAYERED LEAF SPRING SHOULD NOT BREAK. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE IS NOT ONE THAT IS DRIVEN IN A MANNER OF OFF ROADING, THAT THE FAILED LEAF SPRING WAS DEFECTIVE AND SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY THE AUTHORITIES PERHAPS, AS A RECALL ITEM. HE ADVISED THAT I SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT AND I HAVE REVIEWED THIS SITE TO DETERMINE THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD ISSUE WITH THE LEAF SPRINGS BREAKING. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU.

1. FRONT RIGHT LOWER A-FRAME (SWING ARM) FRACTURED AND RELEASED BALL JOINT RESULTING IN CAR COLLAPSING ONTO THE TIRE. FAILURE APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY METAL FATIGUE DUE TO ROUGH EDGES OF BROKEN AREAS. BALL JOINT IS IN GOOD SHAPE AND STILL GRIPS A PIECE OF THE A-FRAME. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT DUE TO THE FACT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED AT A VERY LOW SPEED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. HAD IT HAPPENED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WOULD LIKELY HAVE CAUSED A ROLLOVER CRASH WITH FATALITIES POSSIBLE. VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED, ALL PARTS WILL BE RETAINED WHEN IT IS. 2. LEFT REAR ANTI SWAY BAR MOUNTING CLAMP FAILED DUE TO METAL FATIGUE JUST DAYS PRIOR TO THIS RESULTING IN THE ANTI SWAY BAR BAR PUMMELING THE STEEL BRAKE LINE UNTIL IT SPRANG A LEAK. THIS RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES. I REPLACED THE BROKEN CLAMP AND BRAKE LINE. AGAIN NO CRASH OCCURRED DUE TO LOW SPEED OPERATION. I HAVE THE PARTS AND PIECES IN MY POSSESSION. 3. PRIOR TO THIS BY A FEW WEEKS THE LEFT FRONT FREE WHEELING HUB DISINTEGRATED WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. I REPLACED THE HUB BUT HAVE SOME PIECES. I HAVE NO THEORY ABOUT WHAT CAUSED THIS FAILURE, BUT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENT ACCIDENT. WE LIVE IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SIERRA NEVADAS AND MANY ROADS ARE PERCHED ALONG STEEP ROCKY SLOPES. A LOSS OF CONTROL CAUSED BY ANY OF THESE INCIDENTS COULD HAVE PROVED FATAL. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 90206 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN GENTLY. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED ON A USER FORUM FOR XTERRA FANS THAT THE REAR SWAY BAR HAS BEEN A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THEM FOR QUITE A WHILE WITH THE RESULT THAT THEY RECOMMEND REMOVING THE SWAY BAR ALTOGETHER AND BEEFING UP THE REAR SHOCKS. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE XTERRAS SHOULD BE RECALLED ON THE REAR SWAY BAR ISSUE. *TR

ALL FOUR TIRES HAVE CRACKS ALONG THE SIDES OF THE TIRES. ALSO , WHEN I GOT NEW TIRES, A BIG O TIRES SHOP FOUND THAT THE ALIGNMENT WAS BAD ON THE PERMANENT STRUCTURE OF THE VEHICLE THAT CAN NOT BE ADJUSTED DUE TO IT WAS THE __ TOE - SAI - INCLUDED ANGLE - AND THE TOTAL TOE. *TR

VEHICLE HAS 40K MILES ON IT (7K MILES PAST 36M/3Y WARRANTY). LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY ON PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR BROKE - PART SHOULD NOT BREAK AT 40K MILES. LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY DEFECTIVE PER ALL THE MECHANICS I HAVE SPOKEN TO. PART SHOULD LAST 100K MILES OR MORE. VEHICLE NEVER DRIVEN OFF ROAD. *TR

AT 39,000 MILES, RIGHT REAR LEAF SPRING SNAPPED DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR

REAR LEAF SPRINGS BROKE ON VEHICLE. VEHICLE NEVER DRIVEN OFF ROAD. FIRST ONE CRACKED AT 57,000 AND 2ND ONE BROKE AT 64,000 MILES. MECHANIC THOUGHT THAT FAILURE OF THESE WAS PREMATURE AND A SAFETY HAZARD TO DRIVE. *TR

1. AFTER TWO MONTHS (4000 MILES), I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THEY GAVE AN ALIGNMENT, WHICH TOOK TWO DAYS BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WAS SO FAR OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE CAR STILL PULLED TO THE RIGHT, SO I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE MULTIPLE TIMES, AND THEY ALWAYS STATED THAT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ON 11/17/05, A NON-DEALERSHIP MECHANIC GIVE AN ALIGNMENT. AGAIN, THEY REQUIRED THAT THEY KEEP MY CAR FOR TWO DAYS BECAUSE THE ALIGNMENT WAS SO MESSED UP, AND ULTIMATELY THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT ALIGN IT. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO CLAIMED HE ALIGNED IT, ON 11/23/05. IT STILL WASN'T DRIVING PROPERLY SO I CALLED THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, WHO TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER. I PAID FOR AN ALIGNMENT THERE ON 12/1/05. HOWEVER, THE SPEC SHEET THEY GAVE ME SHOWED THAT THE SAI WAS STILL OUT OF SPEC. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR SERVICE, AND PAID FOR YET ANOTHER ALIGNMENT ON 12/13/05. HOWEVER, THE SPEC SHEET THEY GAVE ME SHOWED THAT THE CASTER AND SAI WERE OUT OF SPEC. THE SERVICE MANAGER DISCOVERED THE FRONT END WAS RAISED TOO HIGH, SO THEY LOWERED IT AND GAVE ANOTHER ALIGNMENT, AND THE SAI IS STILL OUT OF SPEC. THE SPEC FOR SAI RANGES FROM 10.3 TO 11.3 DEGREES, AND MY MOST RECENT ALIGNMENT SHOWS 9.64 ON THE LEFT AND 10.24 ON THE RIGHT. WHEN I DROVE THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT, IT WASN'T DRIVING PROPERLY. AT THE TIME, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASILY FIXABLE AND NO BIG DEAL. BUT THE PROBLEM HASN'T BEEN RESOLVED YET. THE FIRST ALIGNMENT TOOK TWO DAYS, AND IT CONTINUED TO PULL AFTER THE ALIGNMENT. IT HAS ALWAYS PULLED, AND THE STEERING WHEEL TWISTS WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS OR WHEN BRAKING (EVEN ON FLAT SURFACES.) 2. AFTER THREE ALIGNMENTS IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS, MY VEHICLE IS STILL OUT OF SPEC. NO ONE IS ABLE TO ALIGN IT WITHIN SPEC. IT IS DANGEROUS FOR A VEHICLE TO BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT ALLOW THE DRIVER FULL CONTROL. *NM