Nissan Paint

Paint is flaking off the front quarter panels, hood, area around the windshield, and the roof. Paint bubbles up and then flakes off. I have called Nissan Consumer affairs and was told to take it to a dealer for a diagnosis and then call them back. They said that they hadn't had a lot of calls for this problem on a Pathfinder. I have seen several complaints on the internet about this same problem in the exact same places on the vehicle. I am taking it to the dealer for their diagnosis and will call consumer affairs to see what can be done.

Here is the letter I wrote to Nissan, but never got an answer to:

March 24, 2001

Gardena, CA 902-0191

To Whom It May Concern:

I have a 1991 Nissan Sentra that I absolutely love. I have almost 70,000 miles on it and it rides like it is brand new. However, to look at it, you would think I was riding in an old jalopy. People all over, neighbors, friends, and colleagues make fun of it all the time. It is red with white blotches all over it.

I am a school secretary, and when I pull up to school with my car, everyone laughs. So recently I decided to have it detailed. I was recommended to someone that has been doing it for years. I left it at her house to have done during the day. She called me at home and said, Fran, I will not waste your money. There is nothing I can do for your car to make it look better. She told me that the paint had in her words broken down, paint contamination and that she believed that Nissan had recalled my car about the paint.

When I called my Nissan dealer which has changed hands at least 4 or 5 times since I bought my car, they knew nothing about it. Because of all the changing of that dealership, I would assume that was why I never heard anything about any recalls.

My husband, age 58, has undergone quadruple heart bypass, carotid artery surgery on both sides, and in June of this year had a heart attack. My mom has had three heart surgeries in the past few years. My son, age 27, was in a car accident in Florida where he lives at around the same time my husband was being helicoptered to Philadelphia Hospital this past June. He suffered injuries, but unfortunately, I was torn and needed to be at my husbands side. And luckily I stayed at his side and did not run down to Florida to be with my son, although it killed me, because a few days later, my husband had congestive heart failure and I had to call 911 and have him ambulanced back to the hospital.

There is much more, but I think you have heard enough of what we have gone through. My husband cannot work again and is on long term disability and cannot deal with stress in his life, which we all know is impossibility. But we are trying. So as you might guess, we cannot buy a new car right now. And really, there is no reason to. My Sentra takes me back and forth to work and rides beautifully. But I really am very embarrassed.

So I took the ladies advice and looked up about recalls and sure enough there was something about the 1991 Nissan Sentra having paint trouble. Is there someone at Nissan with a heart, that can allow my dealer to just repaint my car. As I said, my husband is on long term disability and cant do it for me and things are pretty hard now that he is not working, so any help you can give me would be so greatly appreciated. I have enclosed some pages I found on the Internet about my car, but thankfully I have never had one days trouble or had to bring it in other than the usual things to keep it in good condition. Again, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fran

We doubt there was an actual recall to fix a paint problem though there may have been a "secret warranty" program to fix some models. We think Fran should just drive the car and forget about it. It can't possibly look any worse than our 1989 Peugeot. Far from being embarrassed we always try to park next to the newest, shiniest most expensive car we can find.