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Comments
Thanks,
Alan
1. Nissan will replace the fuel tank
2. They will install protective plates
3. they will replace the web netting on the rear seat belts.
I just called my Nissan Dealership and they told me that they do not replace the fuel tank but only install the protective plates. I told them that my recall notice said that they replace the tank. Then I asked the guy about the seat belts and they never heard about this recall. This really concerns me. Am I supposed to take this to a dealer that has no clue what they are doing? This is one of those 6 hour jobs that turns into a week because they didn't have all of the parts handy. It is a shame.
I got under our 05 Murano just now, and yes, the front of the gas tank is exposed (the tank is in front of the rear axle/catalytic coverter area). It is a double can, with the rear drive shaft going down the middle..(right?) I can see how a thrown front tire stone,nail could conceivably perforate if going like a bullet, but...it would be almost a lightning strike chance...looks like a pair of simple plates is all I personally will allow...nobody's removing that tank(s)..it isn't broke, and looks like a big complicated "removal" to me....
I must say, I have never seen a gas tank that far forward (beats the Pinto) or that close to the ground..10 inches, although there are other under-car elements that are lower...such as exhaust piping.
On the seat belt "webbing"...this sounds like another nit-pick, and I can pass on that also. We have some real experts on this site: anybody know how many "incidents" it takes to get a recall? I personally have never heard, on this site, at our dealer or from other owners, of a gas tank getting "holed" from a front tire missile or a rear seat belt letting someone go out the front window. I agree with a wise previous post: I can wait...let the mechanics get real good at tearing cars apart for what, to me, looks like government in action again. Comments? John B
You went in for an oil change? Then you had problems? Another oil change at a reputible dealer or Nissan, your $5000.00 problem may go away. This may not solve your problem, but it sure sounds like the problem that I had. Good Luck.
Silver Murano
Kindly follow up on that situation. JB
Secondly, my recall notice made absolutely no mention of replacing the gas tank, simply about installing a protector.
The rear seat belt issue? I looked at them, and this really is a case of severe nit-picking. C'mon, instead of criticising Nissan, I'd be praising them for being so honest. Unneccessary, but honest.
I'm not even remotely concerned. After a couple of teething problems, my car is running as a new car would, and after almost 50k miles in a year and a half, thats pretty good.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
Units Affected 14,268
Defect ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, A FITTING FOR VAPOR RECIRCULATION, WHICH IS WELDED ON THE FUEL TANK, MAY COME OFF THE FUEL TANK BECAUSE INCORRECT MATERIAL WAS USED.
Consequences THIS COULD RESULT IN THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL COMING ON AND MAY RESULT IN SOME FUEL LEAKAGE. FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Corrective Action DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK WITH A NEW ONE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON MARCH 21, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Notes Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact the Manufacturer.
This recall clearly states that the fuel tank needs to be replaced.
Steve, Host
If these two things don't fix the problem, the transmission guy will replace the transmission under our extended warranty because "as far as he's concerned, he can't prove that bad transmission fluid was put in it, so who is he to rule out our extended warranty". I'm going to call them and tell them about your excess oil situation and see if they could drain a little of it out....just in case. Thanks for your help!
Also...Silver Murano.
Good Luck!
not made just for fun. They cost Nissan a lot of money and they push tooth and nail
to avoid them until the NHTSA pushes them to do a recall. I have a baby car seat in
my car and the fact that the seat belts can rip apart at a quick stop does concern me. I
have no choice but to fix it, at least for the safety of my family. I live in SoCal
and there is so much junk on the streets that it is more than likely that something
can fling up and hit the gas tank. It would be unsafe to wait . You have no control
on certain incidents in life and you must be proactive in protecting yourself
I'll let you all know how it turns out and what the REAL problem ended up being. They are checking on the excess oil idea as mentioned before.
Thanks!
and
"We do not have to receive a specific number of complaints before we look into a problem. We gather all available information on a problem. Your complaint is important to us."
So there's no set number; one complaint to the NHTSA could start a recall in theory. Or a manufacturer could initiate a campaign based on reports from their dealer network or other sources.
Steve, Host
What is not clear to me is can Nissan identify the 14,268 units affected by the vapor recirculation fitting defect by VIN number and only issue recall notices to specific owners??
I just currently received my recall but did not include the fuel tank replacement. I probably will wait a bit longer so that mine can be done in one shot. Also, by waiting, we can allow the dealerships to familiarize themselves on how this recall will be done properly. We don't want them to use our car as guienea pigs.
Someone also mentioned the gas tank is way too far forward?? My other car is an '04 Envoy. The two side by side, the Envoy's tank sits a good foot and a half further forward.
it is also possible that the ventilation for the tank is not working properly. this could be due to the design of the tank itself, but i believe it's often a piping or ventillation system issue.
as you fill, the fuel displaces air in the tank. that air must go somewhere. if it isn't vented, the pressure buildup should force the pump to shutoff.
you should not have to partially squeeze the handle, hold the pump handle at a wierd angle or pull it part of the way out of the filler tube.
Good Luck
With regard to the other recall, regarding the possible tank puncture, does anyone know if all of the dealers were advised. We were about to buy a 2006 Murano when we read about these two problems and decided to let them work these issues out before buying. When I mentioned this to the salesperson at our local dealer (Cherry Hill Nissan), he claimed he knew nothing about it. I was very surprised that he made that comment. :lemon:
You're not the only one who thinks that some of those dealers are brain dead. With lots of years that I dealt with different dealers, I can honestly say that out of 10 questions you ask, 8 of them will be ' we never heard of that'!
The "shield"..since my tank is 9.5 inches from the pavement now, how much hang-down is there? Looking at the problem they are trying to "fix", there would seem to be no need for it to do anything but neatly conform to the curve of the tank. I have a. deep snow b. speed bumps made of concrete berms and c. occasional "stuff" in road..is this shield going to be smacked now and then? I found the 4 "holed" Murano article...the whole deal is proximte liability for a small, but yes, conceivably dangerous possibility. Muranowner...how many inches left from shield bottom to the floor? Thanks. JB
in otherwords, if they conformed the shield to the leading edge, maybe this would still leave a good deal of the tank exposed. by having it extend down, the trajectory of debris will make it likely it will hit the shield and not the tank at all. (if I'm not making sense, consider throwing a tennis ball at the ground at different angles; the angle it leaves the ground with respect to vertical is equal to the angle it hit the ground when you tossed it - so extending a shield down protects for many potential angles debris might be kicked up from the ground by another vehicle or the front tires).
the alternative might have been a shield protecting the leading surfaces but ALSO extending back towards the back of the tank, or a new tank.
i agree with you on the snow and ice and going through a build-up of both...not having seen the shield, i could imagine how it might be damaged based on the description of how it hangs down.
Good Luck!
Even better is to log in to with your Edmunds username and password - it's a good place to make albums and post your pics.
Steve, Host
Then, tongue in cheek...isn't it great to feel so much safer now? JB
the further it extends downward, the greater range of angles that the debris (leaving the road surface from your front tires or kicked up by a vehicle in front of you) shall be stopped by the shield from hitting the tank.
if you've ever skipped stones on a pond, or thrown a ball towards the ground, the angle or trajectory of the object hitting the surface (of the water or ground) is approximately equal to the angle that the same object will leave the surface (of the water or ground).
If this shield causes drag in our car, we will end up cosuming more gasoline because the drag coefficient will surely result into lower MPG.
If this is the case, we should all complain to Nissan. They can't modify our car and have detrimental effect on our MPG. Modification should only result in making our car better in all aspect.
easym1 has the best point. Has this shield increased drag and reduced fuel economy and is that more important than, the shield is ugly?
baldwin3, yes I understand exactly what you are saying.
SILVER MURANO
SILVER MURANO