Mark S.

Wife is taking the Maxima in for the transverse link recall this morning (I finally relented and decided to have it done). I told her to ensure the alignment was checked after the job and they said that they have not had any alignment problems after installing the links. We shall see.

2k2kev

hey, dropped mine off at 7:35 this morning. I'll be interested to hear if you needed an alignment. I told them to do it and they said I had to drive it first to see if the alignment changed... something about "it's the same part, same size, same everything so the alignment shouldn't change"

we'll see.

Mark S.

2k2wannabe, unfortunately I won't be able to "test" drive it until I get home from work later this afternoon. I just hope that my wife can at least sense if it's out of alignment.
Worst part was that the steering wheel was not centered (when driving straight) from the factory. I had the dealership do an alignment about 2 months ago and they did a superb job. So, we'll see if they screwed it up with this job. A lot of posters have said that when you replace the lower control arm (tranverse link) that it does affect the alignment.

Mark S.

2k2wannabe, wife just called me to tell me that they finished the recall job and that the alignment was slightly off...so now the Maxima is on the rack getting an alignment. Hopefully, they don't screw that up.

2k2kev

same here... it seems like I have to hold the wheel slightly to the left to get the car to go straight... it's not severe, just a few degrees. But, unlike you, I can't take it back to get it aligned for a few days. Hope that doesn't hurt much.

Chance

I didn't even have to ask, they gave me an alignment sheet when I picked it up in the afternoon showing the before and after specs.

Mark S.

2k2wannabe, on the other hand I will admit that when you drive on heavily "crowned" roads like I do...you will find that you will have to keep your steering wheel a few degrees to the left in order to maintain a straight line.

2k2kev

Thanks but I thought of that. I've been reading about the controversy whether this fix changes alignment, so I drove a very familiar route on the way to service, then drove it again after. It's different. Not much, but different, so it did have an effect on my alignment.

Mark S.

2k2wannabe, well the wife called to tell me that she drove the car home and that after they adjusted the alignment it seems fine...but you and I know that until I drive it...we won't really know if they did a good job and if they centered the steering wheel before "locking" everything down. So, I 'll have to wait until later this afternoon.

Did the steering feel a bit tighter to you like some of the other posters have been mentioning?

2k2kev

nope, in fact, if the steering hadn't changed I wouldn't have known they did anything...

steering felt the same but I didn't take it on the highway yet (tonight), turning radius was the same (someone mentioned theirs decreased)... just a few degrees left of center on the steering wheel

Mark S.

2k2wannabe, well, I'm sure that mine will be sitting a few degrees left of center,too. I'll be sure to post tomorrow and give the results. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

augie

I need to take mine back for an alignment. My pulls to the right nasty style. I'm going to take it this weekend.

jfriar52

I had mine done last week and my car seems to be pulling to the left, not bad but enough to notice, and there seems to be more play in the steering wheel than before. I called the dealer today and they told me that they haven't heard of any problems with anyone else's car. They said that this didn't require a balance or an alignment and that nothing they did in the recall could have caused this. They didn't seem to get the point that there wasn't this problem before they touched the car. They said that they could do a balance for $48 or alignment for $78 if it needed them. I called several other dealers to see what they had to say and they said it didn't require it either. Does this seem right to anybody. When you touch anything having to do with the control arm doesn't it seem possible that something could happen to the alignment?

augie

I called Nissan Corp and they said it can require alignment. If I did experience an alignment problem to take it back and get it done dealership. If the dealership doesn't cooperate then they would make sure it gets done. Call 1-800-Nissan1 and you'll find out for yourself.

maxima1970

I took my car in to the dealer today for the recall fix. I made sure and asked the service manager if they will do an alignment once they fix the problem. He said "yes we will". When I picked my car up, he even showed me the paperwork/results of the alignment just to make sure I knew it was aligned. The car drives straight as an arrow and I really didn't notice any difference in the steering. My turning radius is still a mammoth 40'. Does anybody know if they had to remove the front wheels to do this work? I have wheel locks on my car and totally forgot to tell them where the key is in my car. I guess they don't have to remove the wheels??

SgtSchulze

iTrader: (6)

Just had my recall done and I have the same problems as jfriar52. My car is really "loose" and it jumps all over the road in high speed sweeping turns. I am dropping it off to the dealer to have it "looked" at. But I am sure they wont fix anything. Does anyone know how bad the old parts were or how serious?? I want my old "tight" MAX back!!!

Mark S.

2k2wannabe, well I took her for a test ride this afternoon and sure enough though the alignment is dead on...the steering wheel is not canted a few degrees to the right when driving straight (remember when it came fromt the factory it was canted a few degrees to the left)...I guess I will just have to live with it. I also washed her later to see if their work may have tampered with the ABS sensors... all ok there and no idiot ABS lights.
I feel absolutely no difference in the way she drives, turns, etc. Of course, I only have 1,600 miles on her.
One thing that did upset me was that I never noticed it before, but at certain angles driving into the sun I saw what looked like "sand sparkle" in the windshield. But it seems to be embedded in the plastic sheet between the glass. I mean the plastic lenses on the HIDs have no defects whatsoever...so why would I have this "sand sparkle" on the windshield with such low mileage and it being rarely driven over 70MPH (so far)?

kjpierce

iTrader: (1)

i just called my service guy and i asked him about the alignment.
he said that the alignment is part of the job!!! so hopefully it turns out ok. i'll post on the results thur night. wish me luck

kj

F23A4

Just dropped my 2K2 off last night for the Transverse Link AND hood vibration. So far I hadn't had any problems with the T-Link but that hood vibration gets really disconcerting at highway speeds. I'll be glad to see that fixed.

Pmm3rd

Just an FYI on my recall.
It took the dealership like 3 hours to do, they did a wheel alignment and I didnt realize they were going to. On my paper work it just says, "adjusted wheel alignment". The service guy said this recall does requires a wheel alignment afterwards. On the ride home last nite everything seemed fine...

Mark S.

Pmm3rd, yes, my wife approximately 3 hrs at the dealer...included an alignment and though the alignment is good, the steering wheel is still a bit off (i.e. being lined up when driving straight) this time to the right instead of left. I'm just going to give up.
As stated earlier, I don't feel any difference in the handling, etc.

jfriar52

Well, I took your advice and called Nissan today. Surprisingly the customer service on the phone is dramatically better than the service at the dealership. I asked him about the recall and he said that some cars could require an alignment. After I told him about my problem with my dealership he pointed out page four in my warranty booklet which states: ADJUSTMENTS: Service adjustments not usually associated with the repair or replacement of a warranted part is covered during the first twelve months or 12,500 miles, whichever comes first. He then called the dealership directly while I was on the phone with him to make sure that they were aware of this information and gave me his extension to make sure that I could call back if the dealership did not follow through with this. So regardless, if any alignment is needed (as long as you weren't driving over curbs or anything) it is covered for a year. I guess this means that even if it isn't part of the recall procedure that they have to perform it if you ask for it.

slo-ryde

The transverse link recall campaign states that the front-end alignment is to be checked after replacing the links. If any adjustment is required Nissan will do it at no charge.

That said, finding dealerships that understand the recall is another story. The transverse link is basically the lower control arm that attaches the lower part of the wheel/spindle to the frame. There are several large bolts that attach the link mounts to the frame that have to be removed to replace the links. These bolts are also used to adjust the wheel alignment. It would be hard to replace the links and not disturb the wheel alignment.

It's really unfortunate that so many of the dealerships just don't seem to understand the recall or basic automotive procedures. I had several discussions with my dealership regarding this issue and they repeatedly told me no alignment or check was required. I finally called Nissan customer service to verify what I already knew. They checked the recall documentation and it clearly states that alignment is to be checked/aligned as necessary. I passed that information on to the people in service. Now they know the facts.

If the dealer gives you any trouble call Nissan and report them. That's one of the few tools we have to get these guys straightened out!

Slo-Ryde

augie

Yep..Thats right.

RNK MAXIMA

hey i had the same problem as other members, once i got my car back from the dealer after getting the transverse links installed, my alignment was crooked. my steering wheel was going more to the right and not staying in the center. when i took it back after a few days later the machanic that did the installation said there shouldn't be anything wrong because it doesn't require an alignment job. after about a half hour later the mechanic must have test drove it and felt stupid and he said that there was something wrong with the alignment and fixed it. so if you do feel that your steering feels a little off then take it back