I just bought an 05 Frontier LE 4x4. My problem is that it has a pretty bad vibration in the rear end when it reaches 65mph. I took it in and they balance all four tires but it didn't seem to help, infact it is getting a bit worst. Is there anyone out there that has had this problem...I love my truck but it is very frustrating to me that I paid that much money and possibly purchased a lemon!

have you had it checked for alignment?

I'd have them check for an out of round tire or a bent or damaged rim. All the balancing in the world won't help that. Many times they don't look too close when they balance tires so it could easily have gotten passed them. If those are OK, take a look at the drive line for a bad U-joint or something. New or not, it happens.

Thanks Brad, I have had a little sigh of relief reading your reply. I have never bought a new vehicle, and probly won't again in this lifetime, so I have been worried about this since I brought the truck home. Thanks again, Pinkley.

No, I haven't had them check for aliegnment. Thank you for your suggestion. I will be taking the truck in Friday. I will keep you posted. Thanks again, Pinkley.

Oh, just another word. Since it is a new vehicle, they MUST fix it. And it has to be fixed to the point that you are happy, not them. Doesn't matter if they think it's OK, all that matters is whether or not you think it's OK. Also, if you take it back three times for the same problem, (I believe... check with your local BBB) you can demand another vehicle or your money back. The lemon law!!!

OK,OK, it probably won't come to that. I'm just saying, don't take any guff off of them. It's just that there's a few dealers out there that don't care you know. But I'm sure your's is fine.

Enjoy your new rig,

Brad

Thanks again.....I guess I should be documenting all of this. So far the service dept. seems very attentive, but that is good to know if I need to throw my weight around so to speak. I live in Oregon and I will research our "Lemon Law" just incase.

[&o]
Ok.....so here's the scoop. I took the truck in Saturday to have the all weather package put on and the mechanic to check out the vibration. When I got there I talked the service manager, again, about the problem. I told him, "the vibration starts about 65mph and gets worst at 70." He informed me that his machanic couldn't drive the truck that fast because it was a liability. I quickly replied that, "well I will take him for a ride and I will be responsible. He was reluctant but I insisted.
The machanic agreed right away that there was a problem. I told him that I had been sent to the local tire company approx. 2 weeks earlier and that they had balance all four tire and said that there wasn't a problem with the tires or rims. After a few questions he said that it may be a faulty shock.
This is where it gets alittle tricky. I returned at 5:00pm just missing the machanic. The service manager and the girl that works in there told me that the machanic asked that I call him Monday morning. When I asked them what the guy had done to correct the problem they said they didn't know and that they guessed it was a "secret". But, the service manager insisted that the vibration had been taken care of.
So, here I am anxiously waiting to take my truck for a ride, vibration free of course.
The ride was better.....but the vibration, however slight, is still there.
I'm now very anxious to talk to the guy that worked on it. Nothing like wishing your weekend away![:'(]

Well first off, let's see what the mechanic has to say. That being said I wonder what kind of tires you have on your truck? I only ask because if they're ther big romper stomper kind, they're gonna vibrate a little no matter what. Them big old knarly tires ain't perfectly smooth and are gonna vibrate/buzz a little you know. It's just the way they are. However, if they're just regular tires then they should be smooth as silk. Anyway, here's what I would do next. Have them rotate the tires, front to rear. Drive it at 65-70 and see how the vibration is then? If it transfers to the front, it's one of the tires. No doubt about it. If a bad tire is transfered to the front, the vibration will come with it and you'll feel it in the steering wheel. However, if it stays in the rear something else is causing the vibration. In other words, it has nothing to do with the tires. Then, you give them the "I've had just about enough of this look" when you take it back. After all, it's new and you shouldn't have to put up with this kinda thing. See if that lites their fire a little.

Let us know what happens,

Brad

:eek:
You were thinking on the same lines as me Brad!! When I drove away from the dealership I could feel the vib. in the steering at about 10mph. I immediately knew that he had rotated the back to the front. Still being a little skeptical, I belive the problem may be solved.
I called Rick, (machanic), this morning and I said, "before you say anything to influence my report I would like to tell you what I think you did with the truck." When I mentioned that he had rotated the tires he said that he was relieved that the vib. was in the front. Reguardless of what the local tire company had said previous, he believes it is a bad tire.[&o]
I swear I could have saved us all alot of time and money on this one. I have had tires do this before and, cross your fingers, I'm relatively sure that that is the problem.
Wednesday I have an appointment with a different tire company, apparently they supply the brand of rubber that comes with the Frontier, and they are going to check out the tires. OH MY GOD!!!
If this doesn't correct the problem I may go Postal of these peps.

P.S. The tires are a highway tire that are stock. I couldn't stand those rompers with the vib. I'd go NUTS!!

Once again, thanks for the replies and I will let you know.

Way cool dude!

Yesterday, Sept. 28, I checked in at the other tire place at 10:00am. They were very curious as to what I had to say and seemed to be determined to get to the bottom of this. I happened to mention that I was a bit perplexed as why I was sent to the other tire business when it was there product which may have been faulty. The manager promply informed my that it was the other tire factorys product. [:-]

So the first thing the guy did was go for a ride with me. We headed for the first highway, about 5 miles down the road he agreed that there was a problem. He drove on the way back. He then put the truck on the rack and I watched as he carefully inspected each tire. Next thing I knew he had lowered the truck and someone had gotten in. They took off the rear tires and did some kind of test. He asked me to come out and witness what his findings were. I happend to have a friend meet me there and he had his digital on him. The guy in the truck put it in gear and when he hit about 60mph there was a humming and then it got louder as it got faster. The tech. told me that it shouldn't do that. So I watched as he took the plug out of the rear axle to see if there was any fluid in it. There was but he said that there were metal flakes also and they shouldn't be there. Then they told me that it could affect everything from the barrings to the gears eventally. Well, needless to say that FREAKED ME OUT!!! Did I mention that I am a woman and don't know a lot about mechanics???

I asked the manager if he would call the service guy at Nissan, he did. He said that he would look into it and to have me call and make an appointment for next week. WRONG.....I drove directly to the dealership. (Just typing this is exhausting.)

I walked in and said that I was through making appointments, that I have had 3 days off this month and all 3 days were spent trying to remedy this problem and I wanted it fixed today or give me a new truck because I had research the Oregon Lemon Law. The service manager immediately got defensive, go figure, and said, "frankly he have a very weak case." He also told me when I mentioned that the truck was fine at lower speeds it was only until it reached 60-65mph that there was a problem he said to that, "these trucks aren't ment to be driven that fast and weren't tested at those speeds." O.K. this is what I'm dealing with??
At that I said, "Give me a break, he mean to tell me that you can't drive 65mph and the freeway without causing a problem??"
All this guy had to do is say, you know I don't think this is a serious problem and what ever it is we will fix to your satifaction. Now that statement would have made me feel much better than blowing me off like that. Did I mention that I have had sleepless nights and nightmares over this??

Somewhere in there my friend said one thing in my defense. (Now this is very interesting. It should have been on film so Dr. Phil could have made a point with it.)
From that moment on the manager said well he can hang around for 20 minutes, sometimes we have a customer flake off and there might be an opening. I said that I would be happy to do that. So my friend and I sat in the waiting room for a bit and decided to go to lunch. The manager peaked his head in a couple of times and each time he had something to say it was as if I was in the room. He talked to my friend, did I mention that he is a man. That was weird. He had nothing to do with the purchase of my truck he just wanted to go to coffee.:eek:

We were gone about an hour. When we got back Rick was draining the rear axle and said that he had sent pics to the tech. back east and they said everything was normal. I guess it was suppose to make that humming noise. At the sametime another kid had brough up an SE model and was swapping out the tires and rims to my truck. They were different size tires and diff. rims but they said that it was just to test the truck for now. Rick finally got everything put back together and took it for a ride. He was gone about 45 minutes. When he pulled in I was right on him asking for a report. He said, "I think it is fixed....I'm not sure.


When I took it out I immediately knew that the constant vib was gone, but there is a slight vib. at 65. The more I drove it the more I think that that is caused from it shifting into overdrive and it is the motor that is doing it. I guess being a woman does make a difference when it comes to the world of mechanics.[8D] I am still alittle skeptical but I did sleep last night.

Sorry for the book but this is also going to serve as my diary incase I need it. :eek:

Hmmm, don't you hate dealers[:@] So, the plot thickens. Well, I'm affraid we're at the point where i can't tell you much more without actually seeing your truck. Could be the tire guys are right. Could be the dealer's right. However, I will say it doesn't sound good. Glad to here the vib went away with new tires but I don't like what the tire guys said about seeing metal flakes in your rear end fluid. That's bad. Sounds like the dealer is giving you the run around too. I hate it when they treat women like they're stupid. Women are not stupid.

OK, for what it's worth, this is what I would do. First, contact your local BBB and bring them up to speed on what's going on. You might need them and they can be your best friend. Second, I think you need a second oppinion on your truck so go to a reputable repair shop and have them check it out. Tell them the whole story. If it were me, I'd open up the rear end and LOOK. If there's metal in the fluid, there's gonna be a whole lot in the bottom of the case. If there is, the dealer needs to rebuild it immediately. Oh, unfortunately, just because changing the tires made the vib go away it doesn't necessarily mean your out of the woods yet. Not with metal in the fluid. Changing the tires (with different size ones) could simply make the problem seem to dissapear for a while. You said it still didn't seem perfect so maybe it's not. Thus, you need another oppinion you can use as a baseball bat if necessary.

Well, that's what I'd do anyway. Keep in touch and hope all goes well.

Brad

I think I must be loosing it. I got this weird idea to take my truck out on a brand new paved highway section last afternoon. There was something gnawing at me. Maybe it was the fact that I am sure the service manager has lied about several things so far and I trusted the guys at the place that told me there were metal shavings in the rear differential. (sp) So.....there was the vib again.

I talked to a guy that I have worked with, he has his own body shop and has been fixing wrecked cars for 30 years. I told him my sad story and just so happens that his wife had just filed a grievance through the BBB with the same service manager that I have been dealing with. Go figure, he was less than honest and treated her like a second class citizen. What a small world. He also told me that a brand new vehicle shouldn't have any vibration in the gas pedal, seat, door or sterring wheel. I suppose if I could reach the rest of the truck I would feel it there too. So once again I was energized to deal with this guy.

I call him up again, told him that the problem was still there, and that I was getting very discouraged with the progress. He informed me that the first tire business that he had sent me to had tested the four tires and wheels on a very expensive machine. He also said that they were the only one in the county that had this machine. Apparently, according to him the Nissan company requested this. They require a score of 15 or less with each tire that they put on there new vehicles. (Some of you may know what they check for but I don't.) He told me that one of the tires that came off my truck scored 16, two of them scored 32 and the last was a whopping 65. I told him that that was all good and well but my truck still vibrates, not like it was, but there is something wrong. This is the punch line. He told me the reason why my truck still shakes is because the tires and rims that they put on it were not balanced for my particular truck.

Now am I nuts.....or is this guy for real. I'm almost not sure anymore. It was at that point that I new I was just beating my head against the wall....after all what do I know??

I politely ended the conversation and immediately call the Dealer that is 50 miles away and made an appointment then I called the Nissan Consumer Affairs Department.

I have an appointment for Tuesday, Oct. 4th. Please wish me luck!!

There is one last thing that is really puzzling to me. I just don't know how this guy can tell me what is wrong with my truck since he has NEVER taken a test ride![:@]

You go girl. You handled yourself extremly well in a very difficult situation. And I'm sure you would have been laughing at him had you not wanted to strangle him first. "not balanced for your truck." Balanced is balanced no matter what they're on. And "the only one in the country with this machine." Rich I tell you, RICH. I wonder if that guy is for real too. Well, I'm sure that other dealer will take care of you now and I hope Nissan's Consumer Affairs will take care of you know who. So, what else is there left to say now besides, Keep On Truckin!

Brad

PS smack him one for me too.

Sorry on the update delay.

I did make my appointment with the other dealer. WOW, what a difference in service. I told the guy that there was a vib in the rear and a noise coming from the axle when it was at speeds of 65-70. That was when the tire company tested it anyway. I told him that my friend and myself had hear it along with about 5 other guys and the service manager had denied that there was any noise at all. So he said, "let's go for a ride." He must have checked different points of the cab several times each as we went down the freeway. There again, the other S.M. didn't even offer to go for a ride in the truck. This guy said that he could feel a slight vib and that he would take another Frontier out when we got back to compare while the machanic worked on my truck.

My friend and decided to go to lunch as he had gained 10 times the trust in a few mins as I had for the other guy.

When we returned he told me that the noist that we heard was characteristic for the rear axle as it didn't have a load on it and it was perfectly fine....no signs of defects or damage to the bearings or the axle itself. (Well that just about took 3,000lbs. off my shoulders right there.) However, what they did find was that the left rear tire had a 1/4 inch wobble in it and that was causing the slight vibration. Now remember this is the second set of tires that were put on the truck temp. until the new tires come in and are mounted on my original rims. You would think that Nissan would put a better stock tire on these vehicles.

So I left there feeling quite relieved and happy that I had found someone that treated me as if I were a real customer.

So to fast forward now. Tonight I went back over to the dealership because I was told that I would receive a free tank of gas if I filled out the survey that was to come in the mail. I did receive it several days ago but wasn't in the mood to fool with it. I sat down and filled it out to the best of my ability and sealed the envelopeThere were questions about the sale, salesman, service, service depart. etc. I gave the salesman a good report but needless to say the sales manager didn't get that lucky.

I pulled up in the parking lot and the kid that sold me the truck was standing right there. I told him I had brough my survey over and that I would like my fuel now. He ask me if I had it with me......I said yes it is in the truck. I'm thinking to myself, this is weird, he looks like he's going to get sick or something. So I go to the truck and get it. He said, "is it already filled out?" I said, "ofcourse it is."
Then he tells me that he can only give me a tank of gas if we sit down and fill it out together. By now he can tell that I'm getting a little perplexed and he said that he would go talk to the sales manager. So he comes out about 5 mins later without my survey that he had taken from me and said that they didn't have access to the gas card. I then told him that I wanted to talk to his manager. I walked past him and headed for the secret door that goes where nobody knows. He quickly brushed past me and asked me to take a seat in one of the conference rooms and someone would be right in. O.K.

I sat there for another 5 mins and here come this guy that I had seen before and he informs me that he was just promoted and was working under the sales mananger. (Here I go getting worn out again!!) He told me that the fuel was offer to me for my time to come over and fill out the survey with the salesman. Not a bribe for filling it out.

Here's the kicker.....one of the questions ask why did you decide to fill this survey out? My answer was: because I was told I would get a free tank of gas if I did.

How would they know the answer to that if they hadn't opened the survey already??

He then wanted to know if I was happy with the salesman and that the survey was a report card for him. I told him that I was very happy with the way he handled the sale but was very unhappy with the S.M.

He just had to ask.....so I yet again told one more person the whole story. His comments were that the S.M. was a nice guy and that it was unfortunate that my experience buying a new truck wasn't a good one and ofcourse that they wanted to make it up to me.
So he once again went to talk to the S.M. and left me sitting in the office for about 8 mins. (Notice that I was watching the time.)

He came back into the room and said that he had good news and bad news. The good news was that they were going to fill my tank because they believed me and the salesmans man apparently "dropped the ball". The bad news is that they didn't have the fuel card and if I would come back tomorrow they would have no problems filling the tank. Oh and if I could come in the afternoon before 5:00pm we could sit down with the S.M. and get things staightened out. I wanted to say.....Holy Hell....it will be a cold day before I try to talk to that guy again. I did not respond to that remark but I did ask what was going to happen to my survey. He assured me that it would be sent in. I got up and left....very quietly and politely.

I have decided that all I want is to get the right rims on my truck with the new tires that they promised me and they can wave goodbye to my taillights.

One more call to Nissan Consumer Affairs Depart. to make sure that they get the whole story and to follow up on my survey and possible a call to the BBB and I am done with that dealer.

Thanks again for giving me support.

Man I wish I had been a fly on the wall to see that one. WooHooooo. Clenched jaw... Cold stare... You gave another impresssive presentation of yourself. I am really ticked I missed it. Still, it came out well for you and that's what counts. Oh, one last thing to remember. You could call consumer affairs and tell them you refuse to have anything more to do with "THAT DEALER" and demand that your new tires and wheels be sent to the other dealer immediatly. If for no other reason that to put the icing on the cake, you know what I mean. Might feel good to rub there nose in it a little too. Not that you would want to do that.

Congrats,

Brad

Great

Well I finally got two tires yesterday....after I was promised 4 new tires and rims...then it was 4 new tires and what I ended up with was two tires. When I went to the tire place to have them traded out I noticed that there was a white frontier se in the parking lot. After the guys switched the wheels I went to lunch with a friend. When I went back out to the truck I inspected the job. One of the wheels was damaged quite a bit. I could see where some sort of tool had carved a groove in it all the way around the rim. The other one had 5 or 6 dings in it. What the hell is going on. Is there no one out there that has respect for a new vehicle. I promply call them back and said I would be right there so they could check the rims. The guy took responsibility for the one rim right off but the other one he said didn't look like they had done the damage. I told him that it wasn't like that when it was on my brand new truck and I sure haven't changed the tires!!!! So he got out his digital camera and took pics of both the rims. He told me that they could get a professional painter to fix it. I ask about the digs in the other one and he just blew me off.

MY TRUCK STILL VIBRATES. I'M TO THE POINT OF NO RETURN!!!!

I want to keep my truck but they are giving me no choice here. They either can't fix the problem or they don't give a damn.

What do you think??

Yesterday morning, Oct. 24th, I called Nissan USA again...added to my novel and informed them that I was tired of being a nice guy and I wanted a new truck. The guy that I talked to took down more notes and told me that a rep. from a different dept. would be calling me on Oct. 25. The person needed time to review my case. I told him fine but that I would be going over to the Dealership and dropping off the truck no matter what. Once again when I mentioned that I had been sent out three times to a different businesses for warranty work and had not received one work order from the dealer the person, Greg ext. 3878, asked me why that was. I told him that that was the question of the month and I didn't know the answer.

At 12:45, Oct 24, I arrived at the Nissan dealership. I walked into the service dept. very quietly and told the girl at the desk that my truck was not fixed. The manager was at his desk and heard what I had said. He told me that he was going to take it for a test ride and for me to just leave it with them. I told him that that was a well and good but that I had called Nissan USA and told them I wanted a new truck....that I had spent why to much time and money bringing it back over and getting little to no relief over the situation. He said that was fine and that it would be up to Nissan if I were to receive a new vehicle. I asked what would happen in that case and he said, "I don't know it has never happened before." (Just to mention that was a bit of attitude in that statement.) I told him that incase it doesn't work out to my favor I wanted to show him the damage to the rims. We both went out and did a walk around to check. He immediately agreed that the front left rim had been damaged by the tire company. As we check the rest of them I notice that the other three were also damaged. They were scratched around were the bolts are and had rust on them already. When I asked him about the replacement of the wheels he told me that "Stampers, (tire company), were responsible for the damage and they would have to fix them. Now call me crazy but isn't that the responsibility of the dealer to fix what warranty work they have contracted out???
So we went back in the building while I waited for the car that was promised me. I noticed that the girl at the counter was not at ease and she left the room twice as she appeared to be looking for something. The third time she came back in she whispered something to the manager and he shook his head yes. So she left the room again....when she came back in she was carrying a balloon. I asked her if she had to get a used car for me to drive and she said that, "all our loaner cars were out and that she would get me one off the lot. I didn't care I just didn't want to be standed 35 miles from home. So she handed me the keys.

I went out and got all my personal belongings out of the truck and put the stuff in the car. I noticed that the mechanic, Rick was standing across the lot taking a break so I thought I would say hello. I also wanted to let him know that I had requested a new truck and that the vibration in my truck had not been fixed and that I could feel the vib. at speeds as low as 25 mph now. He told me that it had to be the original rims that were on the truck. I told him that it didn't go away after the rims were replaced for about 10 days. It was better but it was still there. Right then one of the service dept. girls was bringing in a 05 Titan with a serious popping noise coming for the rear of the truck. I looked at Rick and he said it was the third one that they had to replace, that the rear ends had gone out in them. That was a weird one. Not that that is the problem my truck is facing....but that the condition of that truck had gotten as bad as it sound when it limped into the bay.

I said my goodbyes and got into the little car they had provided. I started the car and girl came running out to me and said, "I just noticed that there are no plates on that car, we had a different car for you to take. It's right over there." I looked and some guy was just pulling in in the other loaner car that I had seen once before. My question would be, "When she was filling out the papers on the loaner car...what did she put in the spot were the lic. plate # goes???" I thing these people have a problem with telling the truth.

So now it is a waiting game....waiting for Nissan USA to call. Like I said before, I love my truck, but at this point I can't trust that it will be healthy throughout it's life. I want a new truck...that what I purchased[>:]

Oct. 27, 2005

This morning I got a call from Nissan USA. The same person, Greg, was on the other end of the line. This was the first contact I have had since I dropped the truck off on Tuesday, the 25th. Greg proceeded to tell me that the mechanic and the service manager both had taken the truck for a test drive and said that there was no vibration and that I could take back the loaner car and get my truck. I told him that I suppected that he was going to say that. Also that I was not happy with that decision and I know that there is a vibration. I told him that I had a friend of mine that the truck for a ride on Sunday, the 23rd, and he felt it about a 1.5 miles out of town. He happens to have an 05 Frontier and said that his doesn’t vibrate like that. Then I asked if it were possible for me to drive the S.M. and show him what I was talking about. He said that would be fine.

I arrived at the dealership about 1:00pm. I spoke with John, S.M., and asked if he would go for a test ride. He said that would be fine but he was right in the middle of eating his lunch. I told him not to hurry I would wait in the lounge area.
About 10 minutes later he came out and we, including a mechanic, took off. I was driving, Bruce the mechanic was in the front with me and John in the back. We headed Southeast on Hwy 101 to Hwy 42 and back. I could feel the vibration periodically the whole trip. When we got about 2 miles from town it was shaking hard enough that the tech. finally said, “I think it is the road go ahead and change lanes.” (This was accually the second time he had said that. The first time was on the way out and the vibration did subside somewhat when we changed lanes.) This time, however, it kept on shaking. I could feel it most in my back and when I touched the door. I proceeded to tell them both that it was intermittent and that on a scale of 0-10 that was a 6 to 7. I also told them that sometimes it is worse when I go around a corner and/or hit a bump. It doesn’t make any sence to me that it is a tire or rim otherwise it would be continuous no matter what. Bruce then made the comment that he though it was a shock but there was really no way of testing them. This whole time John hardly said a word. He did, however, ask Bruce, “what is next step???” At that point I assumed that we was admitting to the fact that he did feel the vibration but he didn’t come right out and say anything.

When we pulled back into the dealership John told me to go ahead and take the truck home and that they would have to contact the Nissan Techs. again and he would let me know.

I asked John again about my wheels being damaged and he said, again, that Stampers would be responsible for fixing them. When I left the lot I promptly drove to Stampers and talked to the Asst. Manager. He took a look at the wheels and said that they would replace them. He also said that his company was getting the short end of the stick but he didn’t think that Nissan would take care of the problem and he didn’t think that I should be punished for buying a new truck. I told him that I was very appreciative and that I wanted to wait until Nissan worked on the truck once more before we put the wheels on. I don’t want to give them another chance to damage the new wheels.

So this was the fifth time that my truck has been worked on and no one seems to know what is wrong with it. This is such a rollercoaster ride. [&o]

So now it is Oct. 31st and I did not get a call from the service manager this morning so I contacted a lawyer. He advised me that I should get some different opinions/diagnosis from other machanics. The reason being is that Nissan will claim that there is not a problem with the vehicle. And if I don't get results within a month to retain a lawyer.

So I dropped by a few of the local car garages to get second, third and forth opinions. The first machanic that went for a ride told me that he felt the vibration in the back almost immediately when we took off. I drove out to the highway and it really started in about 50mph and then cont. untill I hit 75. The vibration varied in severity during those speeds. When we got back I asked if he would write something up for me...he agreed but he wanted to dictate it to me and then he signed it.

The second machanic said almost the exact same thing. I had not told him that I had just taken the other guy out. I didn't want to influence his findings. I took him on the same route and sure enough the truck was shaking in the rear. When we got back I told him a short version of the history. He said that there is definately a problem with the rear end.

I then took the truck 10 miles away to the same company that the Nissan place had sent me to. I told them what the other store had done and that I was felt the vibration was getting worse. Donnie, (tire tech.) raised the rear end then got in the truck and started it up. I was watching the tires and I could visually see that they were both bouncing at approx. 5-10mph. I then changed places with Donnie and he agreed that he not only felt the back end of the truck wobble but could also see the tires bounce. He then lowered the truck and rotated the front to the back. We tried that test again and got the same results. I must say it was a relief to visualize that test.

I promply headed back to town and went to see my friend at the body and fender shop. I told him about the test and he said that it was probably a defective axle and/or bearings (sp).

I called over to the dealership to have the service manager, John, call me so that I could tell him what I had found out. The girl in the dept. said that he was in a meeting and that she would give him the mess. to call. I waited about three hours and called back. She told me again that he was in a meeting. I ask if she would take some notes for me and make me an appointment. She took the notes but said that John would have to schedule the appointment. That's funny she has made all my other appointments.

I suspected that I would not get a call back so I called Nissan USA again only to find out that the service manager had told them that my truck was fixed and to close the case. I told the person that that is not right, my truck was not fixed and the last I heard from John was that he was going to contact the Nissan Tech. to see what the next step would be. So she documented what I had found out and said that she would reopen my case and send it on to Steve, the case manager. I told her thank you for your help and hung up.

Next I called the other Nissan Dealer and made an appoint for Thursday, Nov. 3rd @ 10:00am. Atleast I know that I have gotten good service there.

HOPING THIS IS MY LAST ENTRY!!!:) VIBRATION IS FIXED!!!

I took my truck into the other dealer yesterday, Nov. 3, 2005. The service was wonderful. The Asst. Manager in the service dept. greeted me as I drove in, even though I was about 25 mins. early (9:35am). He told me he would like a report on the truck and then he would like to take it for a drive. I updated him and off he went.

When he came back he asked if I would take the Manager for a drive. I said I would be happy to. The service manager did say that my truck rode choppy in the back end. I told him on a scale of 0-10 it was about a 5. For some reason it vib. more when it was warm out. He then asked the first guy to take me out in a new truck so I could compare. I knew about two blocks away that the ride was a lot different then my truck. As I told him it was "as smooth as a babies butt."

When we got back I told Alan, Asst. Manager, that I would go find some lunch and be back. This was at noon. At about 1:00pm Alan came into the waiting room and ask me to come back to the service dept. and he would like to have a talk with me and the manager. He told me that he tried to locate the warranty work that was documented for my truck in the computer. He also said that there was no such records. I told him, again, that that didn't surprize me as I had not received any paper work in the four times that I had taken my truck into the other dealer. He told me that they needed more history on what had already been done to the vehicle before they could continue. They had checked the tires, wheels, rear differential, barrings, etc. The manager piped in and said that they had cleaned off the drive line because they had found a clump of the all season substance on the drive line. They then told me that they would gather up the info. that they needed and would give me a call in a couple of (work) days.

I thanked them and said that I would be looking forward to hearing from them. WOW, what a difference it made to me. I left there feeling like they had taken the burden off my shoulders and that they would worry about what to do with my truck instead of it being my responsibility. So I got in the truck to head the 50 miles home.

I was about two blocks away and I new the truck was driving very different...."smooth as a babies butt". They had fixed it. I was sooo happy I had tears in my eyes. I wanted to call them right away but I thought should atleast drive it home to make sure what I was really feeling. Sure enough it is fixed.:D

When I got home I called and talked to Alan. I told him that they had fixed the problem.....he said it must have been the overspray on the driveline that was causing the vib. That would also explain why it was rougher in the warm weather. I couldn't have told him thank you enough.

It is the next morning now and I feel rested and like I am going back to my old self again. I really didn't recognize who I was. I couldn't have believed that a situation like this could have turned me into the angry, depressed person over a seven week period. I now have a different level of empathy for folks that have and will endure situation such as mine.


PS: I expect to hear from the BBB soon. Maybe I can make a difference so that the next person that deals with the first dealership doesn't have to go through what I did.

Welllll, I spoke too soon. Now that the back end doesn't vib. I noticed that the front of the truck is vib. It acts exactly like the rear did...somewhat intermittent and worst when it is warmer weather. I assume I didn't notice it because the rear end was so bad. I have made yet another appt. with the second dealership so that they can inspect the rest of the driveline and, if necessary, clean it off as well. This will be the seventh appointment since about Sept. 12th. I truly hope this will be over soon. I still have not received one shred of paperwork from the first dealership. I do not enjoy driving my new truck. When all of this is staightened out I may trade it for a Toyota.[&:]

I feel your pain. I went through problems with the Team Nissan service department in Marietta, GA when I had bought a new '02 Frontier. My issue was a defective computer that took about a month and a half to get fixed correctly. I love Nissan vehicles. I HATE dealing with thier dealership service departments. I've heard a lot of horror stories like yours from people and I have had two myself. Good luck with your issue.

Hi Pinkley;

Just read your posts. Wow, what can I say. This is about the ugliest story I've ever heard. So what do I think you should do... Well, to be honest I think you should stick to your guns with the lemon law and make them replace your truck. I'm sorry, I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear but it's like this. We used to call a vehicle like yours a friday car. One made on a friday when the only thing anybody wanted to do is go home. Cars (and trucks) like that are usually full of never ending problems and your vibrations may only be the beginning. So go back to the BBB and ask them what to do next. Maybe they can even take over for you. Who knows. Well, I know my words won't really help you much so I'll close by saying,

May the Lord God be with you and richly bless you in this situation.


Peace be with you,

Brad

Thank you for the encouragement Brad, I have decided that I will retain a lawyer if the problem still exsists after I take it in tomorrow. Needless to say this whole experience has made me physically and spiritual sick. I am loosing faith in the human race...I believe that most of the people that work at the Nissan Dealership where I purchased my truck lie just to hear themselves talk.[:@]

I am falling behind in my documentation.
On Nov. 17th I once again had an appointment at Horizon Nissan, Roseburg OR, for the same problem. I remember to clock the mileage this time and was surprized to learn that it is 62 miles one way from my home. As I headed over on the rule highway the truck was doing it usuall vibrating until I was about 40 miles into the trip. It seemed to smooth out a bit. I'm thinking to myself, great, I'll get over there and the thing would shake like it has been doing. (And getting progressively worse.)
When I arrived, Allen, the Asst. Manager, that I have been working with was waiting for me. I asked if he would like to take a test drive and he agreed.
When drove about 6 miles and sure enough the vib. on a 0-10 scale was about a 3-4. He told me not to be discouraged and that things like this sometime happen. I was heartbroken that the darn thing wasn't cooperating.
We both agreed that I should leave it there over night.
The next day Allen called and said that he couldn't feel the vib. and that I could pick up the truck. I'm not sure what all they looked at but apparently they couldn't find anything. So once again I made the trip over the mountain.
By the next week, it seemed that the vib. was getting much worse. I had to go to Roseburg and thought if this thing keeps up I'll be vib. across country in it. So I stopped in and again Allen happily jumped in with me. My mother was in the front seat so Allen got in behind me. The minute we took off his comment was, "Wow, it's never shook like this before when I've been in it." I told him that I was soooo happy he had just said that. The truck was shaking from the center of the truck up to the front.
Allen said when we get back, (this was on Friday Nov. 25th). So I took the truck in yesterday morning which was, Dec. 1.
I haven't heard anything back yet but will post as soon as I know.

It's Saturday, Dec. 3rd, and I 'm still anxiously waiting to hear something. I know that they aren't opened on Sunday so I guess it will be Monday or so before I get any news.
I actually feel calm compared to what I have been doing. I guess it has to do with the trust that I have in Allen and his crew. I know in my heart that they wouldn't lie to me like the other guy. By the way I talked to Steven at the Nissan USA Consumer Adv. center. I asked him what I should do this time if they can't fix my truck. He told me that we would get the paper work together and work towards getting me a new truck!!!:eek: I told him that I still hadn't received any paperwork for the original service dept. He told me that he would check into it for me.;)

My Christmas wish is that I will have "A" truck.

Defective Driveline!!!
That is the problem. The second dealership has ordered me a new driveline. Sooooo, I am not a stupid, crazy woman after all. I can't tell you guys how relieved I am at this very moment. I am going to write to the BBB and let them know about the wonderful service I received and what a pleasure it was dealing with the guys that found the problem. If you are in the market I highly recommend Horizon Nissan in Roseburg, Oregon. Allen is an Assistant Manager in the service department if you have a problem he will stick with it until he and his crew finds it. I love that guy!:D

As for the Nissan Dealer that I bought the truck from....they aren't very happy with me right now. If you would like to read about it you can go to:

http://216.163.74.131/complaint/view/22057858/c/2c8ac9#


Unfortunate for them I learned how to document to cover my butt.

Brad if you are still out there.....thanks for the prayers. God Is Answering....I just have to kept still long enough to hear.
Pinkley

I just talked to Allen, Asst. service manager, and he had very bad news for me. Apparently they had gotten in the new driveline and when they put it in the truck it was worse than the original one. They then took one out of a new truck that they had on the lot, it was better but the vibration is not fixed. :(

I appreciate all that Horizon Nissan has done for me but I am at the end. It has been three months, 8 times in the shop, 14 tires, 3 sets of wheels, alignments....etc. The problem is that it is a LEMON!!!

Is this common practice for Nissan Corp. to put their paying customers through HELL like this???

I called Nissan USA about 11:30am and left a message for Steven, Ext. 8457, and requested a call back today. I would like a new truck please!

Allen, from Horizon, called me today. My truck has been over there a total of 16 days today. He informed me that there was nothing more he could do for me until the regional tech. came down with his fancy equipment and checked the truck over.:( I sit here, crying and mad as hell. I don't quite understand all of this. The thing is, I like Allen and I know that he is doing everything he can to fix the truck. At this point I think he's about to throw up his hands and say, "just give her a new truck." Ofcourse that's what I would hope he is saying.

I emailed Nissan USA on Dec. 13th as follows:

This dealership, (Refering to Coos Bay Nissan) on four separate occations, inwhich I have
all of this documented on the internet, could not or would not
recongnize that there was/is a problem with my truck. Now My truck is at
Horizon Nissan in Roseburg, OR. They are tearing it appart piece by piece to
try and find the problem. This is the eighth time it has been in the
shop. I bought it on Sept. 8th, 2005. It has been in the shop so much I
hardly would recognize it. My question is....when do you give up and
tell me that I deserve a brand new truck. That is what I thought I
purchased. Unfortuately I got a lemon instead. Please advise as my patience is
running quite thin.
> Lisa Pinkley
> P.S. This is but a small fraction of the story....believe me I have
documented it the whole way.

This is the response I got yesterday:

Dear Mrs. Lisa Pinkley,

Thank you for your recent e-mail to Nissan North America, Inc. We
apologize for the delay in response.

We note file # 5164488N has already been created to document this
concern. Please continue to work with your Nissan representative as this
file is still pending. We want to keep you happy, please feel free to call
1-800-647-7261, Nissan Consumer Affairs with any additional questions
or comments regarding this matter. When you call, please refer to the
listed file number.

Sincerely,

Coleman Stephens
National Consumer Affairs
Nissan North America, Inc.


That's really nice of you Coleman.....whoever the hell you are. Mean while, I have no vehicle.

Did you buy this truck in a new car dealership or did you get it in a used car lot?

Seems to me that the fools in the service department should be able to take care a new vehicles problem instead of letting you run around with this problem...

WheelBrokerAng[sm=americanasmiley.gif]

This vehicle was brand new. I purchased it on Sept. 8, 2005 with 6 miles on the odom.
I have researched this problem on the internet since that time and have not found one other 05 Nissan Frontier that has reported this problem[&o]

Sooo here is the latest...I didn't get a new truck for XMAS:(

However, I did retain a lawyer on Dec. 15th. He sent a certified letter to Nissan North America on Monday, Dec. 19th, envoking the "Lemon Law". That same day a guy from BBB Autoline called me. (His name is Joe Peck.) He informed me that Nissan was willing to send a Tech. to Roseburg to figure out what the problem was with my truck. I told him about 10% of the story and said that that was not acceptable....I WANT A NEW TRUCK!

He told me that he would want a new one too!;)

He informed me that the next step would be to go into arbitration.) I do not need a lawyer as Nissan will not have one there.)
I just need to bring all my paper work, the truck and I will have an hour to present my case.

HAVE THEY LOST THERE MINDS??

I would have to drive that P.O.S. 250 miles up and 250 miles back...I would rather shove bamboo shoots under my fingernails.[&:]
Just driving to Roseburg, 62 miles one way, gives me a headache and a numb posterior. Besides, what if the thing decides to fall apart somewhere in between?? NOPE...NOT GONNA DO IT!!!!

I read somewhere that in 1959 Nissan's (Datsun at the time) CEO had a philosophy, "Love life, love people, love cars."

WHERE IS THE LOVE???

i have a family friend that got a new van after the dealer couldn't figure out what was wrong with the one he purchased, but it took a while and a lot of headaches. i think it was a caravan?........something like that.

This morning the BBB Autoline called me back @ 9:00am. I missed the call so I called right back. I talked to Joe Peck again. He must have got up on the wrong side of the bed cause he had a grumpy attitude right off the bat.

I asked him again if I had to take the truck to the arbitration meeting. He told me that it was a requirement. I told him that I was not comfortable driving the 500 miles when the truck vib. so bad and that I was concerned that it might try to fall apart on the way. He told me that I had to either drive it or have it towed up. I asked if it would be a Nissan expense if the truck was towed and told me that it would be my expense. I informed him that I didn't have the funds to do that. (Here's where his bad attitude really kicked in.) He told me that if the truck was not there, there would be no point in having the meeting. I told him that I have all the paper work that proves that the truck vib. and then asked him if the arbitrator was going to be a Tech. or something. He said that the arbitrator would not be a tech. but would maybe want to take the truck for a test drive. (Why not.....everyone else has driven it![:@]) I said again that I can not drive it that far with this problem and I can't afford to tow it 500 miles so I guess I will have to contact a lawyer. He said, "well then we will close your claim because the truck has to be there." I told him no that I didn't want the claim to be closed and that I guessed I would have to figure it out.

I keep thinking that this nightmare is going to go away. It just keeps getting worse. I don't know much about PTS but I think that is what I have developed over this whole ordeal. I can't sleep, my brain feels like it is shorting out and I have missed work. I do not recognize myself at all. I guess I will have to meditate on this to try and let it go.

So I had my arbitration meeting yesterday with Nissan. The arbitrator was on site but the Nissan rep. was on the phone.
I was a bit nervous at first but the arbitrator, Larry, and the gal that worked for BBB help calm me with their demeanor.
I must admit that I was surprised that Nissan wasn't present. I guess that is common practice these days. I was told that it was unusual that they even called in as they generally just send paper work.

Just as I though, Nissan is sticking to their decision...they want to send an engineer to Roseburg to diagnos my truck. My stand is, you can do that but do it on your own time. I requested a new vehicle.

I was very happy when Larry told me that he had to have his decision in three days and I would be hearing from the BBB within 7-10 days. Ohhh my gosh....I was thinking this would take a couple months.

I was also happy with the way the meeting went as a whole. Everyone was polite, no one spoke out of turn and the whole thing took a couple of hours. This included the test drive.

When we went out on a test drive it was raining so hard that I was concerned that the truck vib. would be muffled. Well, it was. Also because of traffic I couldn't get it up to the speed that I would have liked. (Ofcourse it was vib. all the way up there....all 256 miles.)
I guess it doesn't matter so much though as I have all the paper work from different individuals that states the problems.

I will not get to detailed with this entry as the case is in limbo and I'm pretty sure that what was said in the room is confidential. I will however post the results when I here.

Please keep me in your thoughs as I would truly love to see this come to an end. :)

Just as I was promised....the decision was fairly quick. I received the results in the mail on Sat., Jan. 21. I must say that my heart was ripped out once again.

The arbitrator acknowledged all of my information in his report and still has ruled that the company has not had suffient time to fix the truck. Therefore he had ruled that, if I accepted the deal, Nissan has 30 from the time they receive my signed acceptance paper.

At first I was sick about it but knew in my heart that I didn't have much fight left in me. I sat on it for a few days and thought about it. It was in my best physical and mental interest that I accept the deal. I faxed it on Wednesday, Jan. 25th at 2:08pm pst.

My instructions were to check with the BBB Autoline approx. 2 hours after I faxed the paper to ensure that it had made it. I did that and when I called, Joe Peck, the guy who is handling my case he told me that he was going home and that I needed to call in the morning. I was busy all day Thursday and by the time I thought about it it was too late again.

Friday I call twice and left a message with Joe to please call me back to confirm that my paper had indeed been faxed and accepted.
He didn't call me back.

This morning, Monday, Jan. 30, I called again and he said it was there. I asked when the Nissan people would be contacting me and he said that they had 30 days to make the appointment. I told him that wasn't what my paper work stated and he then got very short with me....now this is the third time he had gotten aggressive without provication.

I called Nissan Consumer and the gal told me that they had received the agreement on Jan. 25th. My paper work states that they have to have the truck fixed in 30 days from the day they receive the agreement.

I guess they have until Feb. 24th to fix it. If not the arbitrator will go back into my case and we'll see from there.

I thought would this get better but it is only getting worse....someday, I hope, I will look back on this with a sane mind and understand why all this is happening.

It is Feb. 2, 2006 and I am still fighting this situation. First of all I was told that 2 engineers and one tech. was going to be flown out to work on my truck. They were to be at Horizon, Nissan in Roseburg, OR.

I took the truck over last eve. The crew was coming into Portland at noon and were to be there at 3:00pm.

I received a call from Allen Mann, Asst. Service Manager, at approx. 5:00pm. He asked if I could come over and test drive the truck. I told him that I was on call for the ambulance all tonight and tomorrow from 0600 to 1800, and besides I have put in massive hours and money to try and correct the vibration. He then told me it would be at my best interest to do this as I am the one that knows what I am feeling. I then asked him what they had done with the vehicle. He told me that they had taken off my tires and wheels, (the ones that I was told were better than the stock ones in the first place by the same person, Alan.), and then they slightly adjusted the suspension. I told him that the truck was vib. way before the tires and wheels had been changed. He said that he knew that and that was all the reason that I needed to come over and test drive. So once again I take it in the shorts. I have to go to them to proove that the truck is a piece of junk. I have no hard feelings with Horizon Nissan or Alan....he is doing his job the best he can....Nissan in general, though, is.....well I don't usually use fowl language so I will leave it at that.

I called my friend that has the body shop and he told me that the only adjustments on that suspension, which is called a "leaf" (sp) suspension, would be in the front of the truck. He told me that the tires and wheels would not cause the problem that I have described to him.

I then called a Nissan Dealership in Eugene Oregon (Lithia Nissan) and talked to Ken in the service department. I asked him if putting aftermarket tires and wheels on a 05 Frontier LE CC would be a problem. He said, "not at all if they are the same size that the stock tires and rims are." I asked if the suspension would need to be adjusted and if that would be a problem. He said, "the suspension would not need adjusted and the only problem would be if the tire sensor could not be installed on the new rims. That would cause the light to go on and stay on. Sometimes it will even beep at you." I asked again, "so you haven't seen any problems with aftermarket tires and wheels?" He said again, "Nope, you will be fine as long as they are the same size."

Well, once again I am at Nissan mercy. I really don't like the way I have been treated and feel like it has driven me crazy. I have asked to be taken off the schedule tonight as I am very upset again about this whole thing. I keep thinking that it will get better and it doesn't.[&o]

Anything yet? I have been following this, and I am curious to see what they find out..

On Friday, Feb. 3rd, I arrived at the Nissan service department to test drive the truck. I was met by Allen, his boss, two nissan engineers and a nissan tech. (I don't remember their names.) The tech. preceeded to tell me that they hooked up this senor, that only two men in the country could read, and tested the truck. They then took off the tires and wheels and replaced them with stock tires/wheels that are size 16". They tested it again. He then told me as a matter of fact that it was the tires and wheels that I had on the truck that were causing the problem. I then asked him, "do you know the history of this truck?" He said he knew somewhat of what was going on. I then said to him, "how can you say it is the tires/wheels when this started at the 400 miles mark and has continued through 14 tires and three sets of wheels. His reply was that his equipment was the best and wasn't wrong. I discused this for about 5 mins. with them and knew that I wasn't getting anywhere. They wanted me to test drive the truck so one of the engineers, the tech., the service manager and me as the driver took off. I immediately told them at approx. 10 miles per hour that I could feel the vib. It was very obvious to me and I'm sure to them but none of them said a word. It lasted up to about 25 and started to smooth out. I drove around for about 20 mins. with them. I did tell them that it was improved but that it was still there....still no response from any of them.

When we arrived back at the dealership I asked if they would test drive another truck similar to mine. They all agreed that they did have time for that. There flight home left Portland at 5:00pm. We pulled into the lot and there were no trucks that were the same model so that idea was shot down. I asked them what was the next step. The tech. told me that, if infact it was the orginal tires and wheels that were defective that they needed to have them and they would order me a new set of wheels along with Micheleon (SP) tires. They were softer and more forgiving. I told them that the second set of tires were at my home but the orginal wheels had been damaged and replaced by the tire dealership after it was determined that it was not a tire/wheel problem.
The tech. then told me that there was nothing he could do without those rims.

At that time I call the tires place and asked the asst. manager, Ian, if he still had the rims. He informed me that he had sent them to the recycling plant and they had been melted down. At this point I was in tears. I explained to the tech. that every decision I had made was on the word of the nissan service department and the tire place that they had sent me to. Infact, I waited a to put the new wheels on partly because I didn't want them to get damaged to and partly because I wanted them to rule out the tires and wheels as the problem.

It was like standing in the room with the elephant and no one but me would ackledge it. So I was sent on my way with the recommedation that I go back to the tire dealership and have them work with me. So that's what I did.

Monday, Feb. 6th, I darkened their door once again. Thank god, they welcomed me. I'm sure that they were tired of seeing my truck pull in. I asked Ian if they would road force test the tires. He was more than happy to do that. Afterall, he's the one that has been working with me and knows part of the story. I returned after about 3 hours. I was told, by Ian, that they had replaced three of the tires at no cost. Did I mention that they are Toyo's. I asked him what the road force test numbers were and he said that they were well under but the guy that had done it was on lunch break at that time. So off I went. The ride was better and I thought that the problem had been corrected. But if you have been following this, you know that I had thought that before. By the time I got back to my town, and had put about 50 miles on the truck, the vibration started again. I HATE THIS TRUCK!!!!

I called the arbitrator, Daniel Conway, and told him of the situation. That was on Feb. 8th I believe. I wanted to drive a bit more and see how it was doing....it got worse. (I now feel it at 10 mph and it cont. up to about 50mph. It then smooth out a bit unless I'm going around a curve or hit a bump, then it acts like a tuning fork. It starts back up about 60 mph and gets worse until I hit about 80mph.) Daniel told me that he hadn't talked to the tech. as of that time. He asked me what his name was and I told me all I know about him is that he lives in Northern California. He said it must have been Jack. He then told me that when he talks to him he would call me right back. I haven't heard anything as of yet.

I then called Joe at the BBB Autoline. I told him of the situation and he said, "they have already looked at your truck?" I told him that they must have spent all of 1.5 hours on it cause they told me that they didn't go any further than the wheels and tires. Besides if they left Portland airport at noon they couldn't have arrive at Nissan in Roseburg any sooner then about 3:00pm. Then I recieve a call at about 5:00pm from Allen to come test drive the truck.

So at date what they are telling me that two sets of stock wheels along with one set of aftermarket wheels are ALL BAD....and at this point 10 stock tires and 7 aftermarket tires are ALL BAD.

I later called Ian back and he gave me the numbers on the road force test of the new tires that are on my truck. One is 10, one 9 and two 8 which are well below the 15 psi that Nissan recommends for the trucks.

I have requested, by letter to the BBB Autoline, that the arbitration reconviene as I am not satisfied with their findings.

I wonder how much money Nissan has spent to keep from replacing my truck at this time. I know that I have endured a lifetime with this situation. [>:]

Well the nightmare is over.....for me atleast. No thanks to Nissan or it's Bull____ arbitration at the BBB Autoline. If I knew all this four days after I bought the truck I would have traded it in and cut my losses. As it is I am several thousand dollars in the hole and half my sanity gone.
After putting 24 different tires and five different sets of wheels on my truck the arbitrator decided that it was the aftermarket tires and wheels that was the problem.[:@] What the ____ do ya think that is all about. I think the Nissan people have more money and clout than I do.[:'(]
So I cut my losses and traded it off. I contacted a salesman over the internet and basically set up the deal on the phone. I figured I couldn't win the lemon lottery twice in a life time.
I upgraded and only lost $2,200 on the whole deal....which I think is pretty good since I got an 2006 with $2,300 added options.

One thing....I insisted on keeping my aftermarket tires (Toyo's) and wheels.

BIG FLIPPIN SURPRIZE......MY NEW TRUCK DRIVES GREAT.....EVEN WITH THE AFTERMARKETS ON IT.:D

I feel sorry for the poor S.O.B. that buys that P.O.S. that I traded.