Broken lower control arm/lower link

C

CharBaby

Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
15,688
Location
ROCHESTER, NY
I was pulling into the grocery store last night and hit a pot hole as I entered the parking lot. The passenger rear took the brunt of the beating and it broke the passenger rear lower control arm on the 2015 Nissan Altima in my signature.

I didn't see the pot hole and my front tire apparently missed the hole as I was making a RIGHT HAND TURN into the parking lot. However, my rear passenger tire went right in the hole and bottomed out. I must have hit the edge of the pot hole as it sheared the control arm at the center portion of the rear end...NOT the outer at the wheel hub side/Shock side.

I had to have the car towed home but I did talk to the store manager and the stores toll free customer service/claims dept.
I can't show my pictures here as they didn't really come out very well due to the time of night.
However, I found some YouTube videos/pictures. At 6:10 in the video, the YouTuber shows pictures that he found on the web that shows exactly what happened to me



There seems to be a campaign on these Altimas/Maximas in certain years (which my car is in), for up to 120 months/no mileage.
I am hoping that I can get some NISSAN help in this matter.
I took pictures and videos of the rear wheel/tire as it is turned inward(un-drivable) and my Stability Control Light went on in the dash most likely to the position of the rear tire which is now, aggressively cambered(tilted inward).

Although this campaign only covers 2013/14 Altimas:

This one seems to cover my model year Altima & Maxima...if this is truly a campaign:

Certain MY 2013-2018 Nissan Altima and certain MY 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima Rear Lower Suspension Links - Nissan Assist

www.nissanassist.com www.nissanassist.com

So wish me luck and hope this can help others as well,

CB
 
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Sorry this happened to you. Hate it when our rides get shut down & out of comission but you've caught the issue. Now you're trying to remedy it. Although I'm not sure what Nissan would do this late in the game it may be worth a try since it's a known issue. If that doesn't work out just do what you can to button things up & keep on rolling. Good Luck! ♣️
 
fantastic…^^^
After calling NISSAN Consumer Affairs, it turns out from a campaign back in 2013, NISSAN has a 120 month/NO mileage limit on this part for my gen Altima(2013-18) and Maxima(2016-18) from the original date of purchase(which means I'm good til Sept 2024) as I am beyond even my extended 7yr/100K warranty.

NISSAN is covering this repair 100% plus 4 wheel alignment. I call these warranties..."Secret Warranties" as you have to search for them.

I may have to pay for bolts and stabilizer bar links if the techs can't get them apart and have to burn them out with torches. I will also ask the dealer if they'll cover the other side control arm as it too looks terrible though not cracked yet. However that control arm on the other side is just as rusty in the same spot as the one that broke and poses danger down the road. A few more pot holes could cause another warranty claim. As I said above, I am still covered on this part til Sept. 2024

I also get to submit my towing receipt for reimbursement with my claim# to Consumer Affairs as the car is unsafe to drive. Any extra parts will be evaluated for reimbursement from Consumer Affairs after the receipts are submitted, which I will submit.
 
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While we can't close this out as "happy ending" just yet you have done the right thing & it seems Nissan is fully aware of their subpar suspension issues. The fact they are taking care of it for little to no cost to you is fantastic. I think you're on the right track to push as hard as you can for the other side while you have a chance. It doesn't sound like it's just a one side issue on the suspension & could happen to either side. Tell them you're wanting to buy another Nissan for a family member if they seem hesitant. Perhaps that will push them a bit further to accommodate you on the other side. Maybe you won't have to go that far. While Toyota & Honda get all the PR I've always been a Nissan fan. I have a 1997 Nissan Hardbody that my brother uses for now. You know the drill... Keep us posted!
 
I did the brakes on my ex's 2016 Maxima over the summer & on the passenger rear control the sway bar attachment point (not really a bracket) had been torn off the control arm. Southern California car so no rust. Wonder if this would be covered
 
1uz_4me said:
I did the brakes on my ex's 2016 Maxima over the summer & on the passenger rear control the sway bar attachment point (not really a bracket) had been torn off the control arm. Southern California car so no rust. Wonder if this would be covered
Click to expand...

Certain MY 2013-2018 Nissan Altima and certain MY 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima Rear Lower Suspension Links - Nissan Assist

www.nissanassist.com www.nissanassist.com

Contact NISSAN CONUSMER AFFAIRS with your VIN
Nissan Consumer Affairs
PO Box 685003
Franklin, TN 37068-5003

Phone:
1-800-867-7669

Hours of operation:
7am – 8pm (CT) Monday – Friday
7am – 5pm (CT) Saturday
 
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KrisZ said:
Very nice to hear Nissan is taking care of this, I hope they will also agree to replace the other side, that’s just a matter of time when it fails too.

Keep us posted CB!
Click to expand...
YES! (y) When I had the car towed to the dealer, a nice fella named FRANK greeted the tow truck driver(flat bed) and myself in the parking lot. While the car was still on the flatbed, Frank looked at the lower link to verify that this is in fact the part that is covered under this warranty(120 months/no mileage limit), and it is. Frank also said that their dealership always replace BOTH due to their history of failure.

I was told by Nissan Consumer Affairs and Frank that I am financially responsible for any other parts that are not the warranted lower links such as the bolts, stabilizer bar links, springs etc. If the techs have to burn(torch) the bolts out or anything else that may break and they have to install new ones, I am responsible for the cost. My springs look fine. In fact they look great!

However, I can submit the extra cost parts to NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS under my Case File # and they will review it and determine if I can be reimbursed for the cost. They did say that the tow will be covered. In my case it was $163.08 to bring the car 8 miles

I do indeed hope that this informations helps others with this rear lower control arm issue.
 
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JOB COMPLETED!
Apparently they were able to reuse all of my bolts and there was no charge at my end for anything.
All I have to do now is, upload my towing receipt and the receipt from the Nissan dealer to Nissan Consumer Affairs
that the job was completed and I should get reimbursed for the towing charge.

The car feels like new again because prior to the control arm snapping, I was feeling as if I needed something in the rear along the lines of rear shocks, stabilizer bar links but, I just couldn't find anything wrong nor put my finger on what was wrong. The car just hadn't felt right while I was driving...and now it does. (y)
 
Is the rim of the tire that hit the pothole bent?

Is the tire damaged?

I replace both back tires at the same time in cases like that.


Also if it was a front and not the back, then both fronts at the same time.


As a side note, if you can afford it, it might not be a bad idea to ask them if they think the shocks on both sides in the back should be replaced while they have it apart?
 
It seems like this should be a safety recall, if you hit a pothole on the freeway this could have been ugly.
 
JimPghPA said:
Is the rim of the tire that hit the pothole bent?

Is the tire damaged?

I replace both back tires at the same time in cases like that.


Also if it was a front and not the back, then both fronts at the same time.


As a side note, if you can afford it, it might not be a bad idea to ask them if they think the shocks on both sides in the back should be replaced while they have it apart?
Click to expand...
Hi Jim

I feel no vibration in the car whatsoever so I will assume that the rim is Okay???
Also, I did asked the tech how the other parts looked on the car(shocks, springs, stabilizer bar links) and he said all looked fine.
(CAR FEELS GREAT!)

However when I picked up the car, the rear tire that hit the pothole was lower than the other 3 tires by about 5psi according to my in dash TPMS reading. So, there could be a leak! 🤷‍♂️ :unsure:

When I arrived home and check said tire with my own tire pressure gauge it was indeed low, matching the TPMS reading.
So I aired up that tire to match the others and we'll see this morning if the tire has in fact lost some air.
If the tire is leaking, I'll remove it and inspect it with soapy water for leaks...once it stops raining.🌂

If said tire is only ~1-2 psi lower this morning, this could be from adding cold air to a warm tire(discrepancy) after driving home from the dealership. I want to make sure all 4 tires have stabilized from sitting overnight. Then I will check all 4 tires and make sure they're all the same and keep an eye on that tire over the week(s).
 
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I was indeed blessed during this repair in term of getting the job done correctly and receiving my car back on Monday the 17th when my appt wasn’t until Wednesday the 19th. I dropped off the car early on Friday the 14th which helped. Also, the job(both sides) were covered under an extended warranty and my $163.08 towing is being reimbursed. I have my confirmation email stating so. And, I don't notice any creaking or clunking in the suspension and the alignment & steering are dead on. Often I get back my car with a crooked steering wheel.
 
CharBaby said:
I was indeed blessed during this repair in term of getting the job done correctly and receiving my car back on Monday the 17th when my appt wasn’t until Wednesday the 19th. I dropped off the car early on Friday the 14th which helped. Also, the job(both sides) were covered under an extended warranty and my $163.08 towing is being reimbursed. I have my confirmation email stating so. And, I don't notice any creaking or clunking in the suspension and the alignment & steering are dead on. Often I get back my car with a crooked steering wheel.
Click to expand...
Yay! :D
 
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