2009 Nissan Versa Steering Problems

See attached document for complaint.

I'LL HAVE 65, 700 MILES ON MY CAR IS AM A VERY SAFE DRIVER, DON'T SPEED AN TAKES CARE OF MY CAR. SO WHY AM I HEARING CLICKING NOISES IN THE STEERING COLUMN ? MY MECHANICAL C SAYS THE BILL WILL BE OVER $600. I AM 72 AN HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM IN ANY OF MY CARS IN MY 50 YEARS OF DRIVING. I'LL HEAR CLICKING NOISES IN THE STEERING SHAFT WHEN IT TURN RIGHT.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES KNOCKING IN THE STEERING COLUMN AT LOW SPEEDS/STATIONARY WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL CLOCKWISE AND COUNTER CLOCKWISE. THIS KNOCKING SYMPTOM IS AMPLIFIED WHEN VEHICLE TRAVELS OVER UNEVEN SURFACE AT ANY SPEED. WHEN BRAKING AT SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL SHIFTS VIOLENTLY IN OPERATORS HANDS. ROTORS AND PADS AS WELL AS STRUT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. SYMPTOMS CONTINUED AFTER THESE REPLACEMENTS. TIE ROD ENDS AND SWING BARS WERE LATER REPLACED WITH NO POSITIVE RESULTS. THIS LEAVE THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. POSSIBLE DEFECT IN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT.

FRONT COIL SPRING SHATTERED TEARING UP FRONT TIRE THIS EXACT PROBLEM WAS NOTED FOR VERSA IN RECALL 15V573000 DATE 09/14/2015. MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. IT APPEARS THAT THE RECALL WAS TO LIMITED. AFTER GETTING CAR REPAIRED NISSAN HAS REFUSED TO PAY FOR MY REPAIR COSTS STATING THE CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL. LUCKILY I PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WHEN THE SPRING EXPLODED. I THINK THE RECALL WAS TO LIMITED AND I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED TO MY EXPENSES.

STIRRING IS MAKING A NOISE WHEN BACKING UP WHEN WHEELS ARE TURNING. WIPERS BLADES MAKES NOISE ON DRIVERS AND DOESN'T CLEAR VIEW ON PASSENGER SIDE. HAVING PROBLEMS FINDING REPLACEMENT PARTS. CD PLAYER HAS A READING ERRA, WANT PLAY AT ALL. TRIED CLEANER BUT STILL DOESN'T WORK.

LOUD CLUNKING/POPPING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT OF CAR WHILE DRIVING.

CONTINUES KNOCKING NOISE COMES OUT OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN DRIVEN AT 40-50 MILES ALSO ON THE UNEVEN ROUGH ROADS. ALSO THE STERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN APPLYING THE BREAKES.

RECENTLY THE POWER STEERING OF MY NISSAN VERSA 2009 HAS STARTED MAKING ANNOYING NOISE WHEN I MADE TURN.OF THE VEHICLE.

DRIVING ALONG, HEARD A LOUD POP AS I TURNED ONTO A MAJOR ROADWAY. THE CAR WAS PULLING VERY BADLY TO THE LEFT SIDE AND COULD BARELY STOP THE VEHICLE. HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED HOME AND THE STRUTS REPLACED ON THE CAR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON AND VERY COSTLY ISSUE. I WAS QUOTED $930 TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED. NOT A HAPPY NISSAN OWNER.

MY NISSAN VERSA HAS HAD AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COLUMN. IN 2011, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, I COMPLAINED ABOUT A POPPING SOUND IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION OF THE CAR ACCOMPANIED BY A SHIFTING SENSATION FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER CHECKING THE CAR OVER SEVERAL TIMES, THE DEALER DISCOVERED A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING SHAFT AND REPLACED IT. TWO YEARS LATER, THE PROBLEM RESURFACED AND HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE OVER TIME. NOW, MY DEALER IS TELLING ME I NEED TO REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT AGAIN - BUT I HAVE TO PAY THIS TIME. I'VE NOT YET HIT 70,000 MILES AND NEED A THIRD STEERING SHAFT? SOUNDS LIKE A PARTS OR DESIGN PROBLEM TO ME! NISSAN SHOULD REPLACE IT.

THE COIL SPRING BROKE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR RIPPING INTO THE TIRE, WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE CAR'S STEERING WAS IMMEDIATELY AFFECTED AND SO WERE THE BRAKES, SINCE THE BROKEN SPRING RIPPED THE BRAKE LINE. I BROKE DOWN IN AN UNDERPASS AND HAD TO CALL THE POLICE SINCE WE WERE PLACED IN A DANGEROUS SPOT WITH CARS SPEEDING BY. I DID NOT EXPECT THIS FOR A CAR THAT IS 6 YEARS OLD! FROM WHAT I HAVE READ SO FAR THIS SEEMS TO BE A PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH NISSAN VERSUS AND IT SEEMS THAT THE DEALERS ARE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION. *TR

RECENTLY, I SUBMITTED A SAFETY COMPLAINT HERE ABOUT A BROKEN COIL SPRING. AT ABOUT 39K MY RIGHT SPRING WENT AND WAS REPLACED BY A GENUINE NISSAN REPLACEMENT COIL SPRING. AT ABOUT 61K, MY LEFT SPRING BROKE. I ORDERED A REPLACEMENT FROM NISSAN AND WAS GOING TO REPLACE IT. UNFORTUNATELY, I NOTICED THAT THE ALREADY BROKEN SPRING HAD SNAPPED SOME MORE AND THE NEWLY REPLACED SPRING HAD SNAPPED AS WELL WHEN THE CAR WAS SIMPLY SITTING ON MY DRIVEWAY! THE NEW RIGHT SIDE SPRING ONLY LASTED ABOUT 22K MILES OR 15 MONTHS. BASICALLY, I HAVE EXPERIENCED 3 BROKEN COIL SPRINGS FROM NISSAN AFTER ONLY ABOUT 61K MILES OF DRIVING. I HAVE READ THE STORIES AT THE CARCOMPLAINTS WEBSITE AND MANY ARE SIMILAR TO MINE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT. *TR

WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION UPON TURNING EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT POPPING NOISE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN . ALSO CAUSING FRONT END TO CREAK . GERALD NISSAN INSPECTED AND SAID IT NEEDS STEERING SHAFT U JOINT REPLACED . BUT THEY SAY IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE.

RECENTLY I NOTICED A PIECE OF METAL NEAR MY MAILBOX. LOOKING AT IT I QUICKLY REALIZED IT WAS PROBABLY A PIECE OF MY NISSAN VERSA HATCHBACKS LEFT COIL SPRING. SURE ENOUGH, THE BREAKAGE MATCHED WHAT WAS ON MY CAR. WHY DID I SO QUICKLY GUESS THAT IT WAS FROM MY CAR? BECAUSE MY RIGHT COIL SPRING WENT AT ABOUT 39000 MILES AND I HAD READ UP ON NISSAN VERSA HATCHBACKS AND SURE ENOUGH, A BUNCH OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM (I ACTUALLY WAS WAITING FOR IT TO HAPPEN). MY RIGHT COIL SPRING BROKE MORE DRASTICALLY WHEN I WAS GOING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND I WENT ONTO A BRIDGE. THERE WAS A LOUD CLANG AND MY ALIGNMENT WENT WHACK. LATER UPON INSPECTION AT A REPAIR SHOP, I REALIZED THAT I COULD HAVE HAD A VERY BAD CRASH SEEING THAT THE SHARP PART OF THE BROKEN SPRING COIL WAS ONLY A FEW INCHES AWAY FROM MY TIRE (IT WAS PRETTY UGLY BREAK). THE REPAIR COST ME 200$ WITH A STUDENT DISCOUNT, WHICH I VERY CHEAP, SOME PEOPLE FAIR WORSE. THE MORE RECENT LEFT COIL SPRING BROKE WITHOUT ME EVEN NOTICING ANYTHING, I ONLY FOUND THE BROKEN PIECE ABOUT HALF A RING SIZE. SINCE IT WAS NEAR MY MAILBOX, IT MUST HAVE BROKE OFF AT LOW SPEEDS, PROBABLY WHEN I DROVE OVER THE LITTLE TROUGH IN FRONT OF THE DRIVE WAY FOR THE DRAIN. SOMEHOW THE REST OF THE SPRING JUST RE-ALIGNED ITSELF SO I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR WITHOUT NOTICING ANYTHING WRONG. I OBVIOUSLY WONT DRIVE IT NOW UNLESS ITS TO A REPAIR SHOP. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, I AM A 4TH YEAR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT AND I AM DISAPPOINTED AT THE ENGINEERS WHO DESIGNED MY CAR. OTHER VERSA DRIVERS HAD THEIR WHEELS BLOWN BY THESE BROKEN COIL SPRINGS FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, I HAVE JUST BEEN LUCKY. I AM SURPRISED THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL YET BY NISSAN OR ATLEAST SOME WARNING, PERHAPS NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY HURT YET. WHEN I GET OUT OF COLLEGE AND LOOK FOR A NEW CAR, I DON'T THINK I WILL CONSIDER NISSAN. THANK GOD I WASN'T HURT BY THESE FAILURES. *TR

DURING THE MONTH OF MAY 2014 THE VERSA STARTED TO MAKE CLICKING NOISES AT THE FRONT OF THE CAR ESPECIALLY WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE SOUNDS GOT WORSE AND THE CAR WAS NOT PERFORMING WELL. I TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE STATION IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD AND THE PERSON WHO REPAIRED MY CAR HAD TO REPLACE THE 2 FRONT STRUT MOUNTS, 2 FRONT COIL SPRINGS AND ALIGN THE 4'WHEELS! THE CAR ONLY HAD 5420 MILES ON IT AT THAT TIME. NOW TODAY, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE SERVICE PERSON AS THE CAR IS MAKING THE SAME CLICKING NOISES AND THE STEERING COLUMN IS MAKING NOISE WHEN I TURN IT TO THE RIGHT! I SENT AN EMAIL TO NISSAN TODAY TO INFORM THEM OF THESE PROBLEMS AND ALSO TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN AGAIN TODAY FOR MORE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE ARISEN! THANK YOU. *TR

ON THE 21ST OF APRIL 2014 MY WIFE LEFT WORK. AS SHE WAS REVERSING THE CAR SHE HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND THEN A BOOM. THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE BLEW OUT. SHE FOUND A LARGE SHEERED OFF METAL PIECE UNDERNEATH THE CAR. WE TOOK THE CAR IN THE NEXT DAY TO A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE. THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE SPRING WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE COST TO FIX EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE TIRE WAS $720. THE WORSE PART IS THAT THEY ONLY HAD OEM PARTS AVAILABLE. THIS MEANS THAT THEY HAD TO PUT THE SAME DEFECTIVE SPRINGS BACK ON OUR CAR. AFTER I FILED A REPORT WITH CONSUMER AFFAIRS NISSAN CONTACTED ME BACK SAYING THAT THEY WILL NOT HONOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART. WE PURCHASED OUR CAR IN THE SUMMER OF 2010. THE SPRING LASTED ONLY FOUR YEARS. HAD THIS BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY MY FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS RECENT WINTER. THIS IS OUR ONLY CAR AND WE HAVE THREE CHILDREN UNDER THREE YEARS OLD. NO ONE SHOULD BUY A NISSAN VERSA, PERIOD, IF THEY CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR FAMILY. *JS

I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AND IT WAS PASSED ON TO MY DAUGHTER. NO ACCIDENTS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THAT I AM REPORTING. IN APRIL, MY GRANDSON CALLED HIS FATHER AND SAID THAT HE HAD A FLAT TIRE. UPON INSPECTION, THIS FLAT TIRE WAS CAUSED BY BROKEN RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING. I AM GLAD THAT THE CAR WAS PARKED WHEN IT HAPPENED. MILEAGE ON THE CAR WAS ABOUT 34,000 MILES. I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. MY GRANDSONS ARE SPECIAL TO ME. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR INSPECTION AND OR REPLACEMENT OF THE COIL SPRINGS ON ALL OF THE VERSA AUTOMOBILES. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. IS NISSAN GOING TO SWEEP IT UNDER THE TABLE LIKE ANOTHER MANUFACTURER? THE REPAIRS COSTS $217 WHICH WAS A VERY REASONABLE AMOUNT. THE POSSIBLE RISK IS NOT REASONABLE. I JUST CHECKED THE WEB SITE SO THIS SHOULD BE INCIDENT NUMBER 44 THAT IS REPORTED TO YOU. *TR

I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS LEANING TOWARD THE GROUND ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THE CAR WAS BOUNCY ON THE DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE TECH LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN. HE SAID THE BROKEN COIL COULD BREAK THE BRAKE LINE OR PUNCTURE THE TIRE. THE VERSA HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, IS ONLY 7000 MILES OVER WARRANTY, AND I CAN'T SEE HOW THE COIL COULD HAVE BROKEN IF THE PART WAS NOT FAULTY. *TR

CLUNK SOUND COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN WHEN MAKING RIGHT OR LEFT TURNS.

WITHIN DAYS OF BUYING THE NEW CAR IN 2009, I NOTICED A LOUD, CLUNKING SQUEAK AND A POP FROM AROUND MY FRONT WHEELS WHEN I WOULD MAKE A TURN AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP. THIS HAD BEEN HAPPENING DURING THE ENTIRE 3.5 YEARS THAT I HAVE HAD THE CAR, SO I FIGURED IT WAS NORMAL AND HARMLESS BECAUSE THE CAR WAS ALREADY DOING IT BRAND NEW (RIGHT NOW THERE ARE STILL ONLY 37,343 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, I PARK IT IN MY GARAGE, AND IT HAS HAD NO ACCIDENTS.) HOWEVER, LAST NIGHT, THE SOUND SEEMED TO BE LOUDER AND LOOSER NEAR THE FRONT-RIGHT WHEEL. THEN THIS MORNING I DROVE OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND AS I BEGAN ACCELERATING TO 50 MPH, A LARGE PIECE OF METAL FLEW OUT VIOLENTLY FROM UNDER MY CAR. I WAS ABLE TO FIND IT IN THE ROADWAY, SO I BACKED UP AND INSPECTED THE PART. IT IS THE BOTTOM COIL OF THE COIL SPRING THAT IS OVER THE RIGHT-FRONT WHEEL. LUCKILY IT DID NOT HIT ANYBODY BEHIND ME OR CUT MY TIRE. THE METAL WAS NOT ONLY BROKEN, BUT THE FACE OF THE BREAK WAS ALREADY SLIGHTLY RUSTED, AS IF IT HAD BEEN CRACKED FOR A WHILE BEFORE SNAPPING. *TR