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.

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