cfr94

I found what appears to be a crack in the front passenger side rotor. If you run your finger over it, it doesn't appear to be 'cracked' however it is visible (see pic). I've never had this happen before on any vehicle. I have slotted / drilled rotors on my show truck and have never seen cracks. Can anyone lend some opinions. The car doesn't pull to one side or the other. The car is 14 months old and has just over 19,000 miles on it. The pads have never been changed, replaced and the rotors have never been shaved. Any help would greatly be appreciated.

KCMAXX

iTrader: (22)

Change it...

You're a fool to leave it.


Under your said mileage/time of ownership Nissan should replace it.

Unless of course they say your at fault. You might check the torque on the lugs before you take it in. I believe they recommend 80 ft lbs.

Over torqeing the lugs can cause several different problems.

cfr94

Guess I'll have to see if the brakes are covered under warranty. If they are, they should be replacing the driver side as well correct? What is the crack from and what would happen if it gets worse. I mean I know WHAT would happen, I won't stop, but what damage could be done to the rotor, tire, etc. ???

Gollum67

iTrader: (1)

You could take the tire off and get a better visual inspection yourself or have it checked out by Midas or Brake Check (I think they do free brake inspections) If it is a crack get that replaced ASAP before it becomes a bigger problem.

KCMAXX

iTrader: (22)

Who knows...

It could completely fall to pieces, you slam on the brakes and the rest...?

It could break apart and hurt someone else too...


Just call the dealership.

cfr94

Looks like I'll be drivin the show truck to work until I go there on Thursday as they have to replace my front roof strips. Guess they'll be changing the brakes also. DAMMIT MAN!! Let them say it's my fault. Let them tell me "NO" & that I gotta pay for it. It would be on like Donkey Kong if they said some crap like that.

Gollum67

iTrader: (1)

Keep us posted. We would like to know the outcome of this situation.

Longhorn101

That is how one of my front rotors looked too. I was getting a grinding sound from that side of the car when the brakes heated up, usually after 15 miles of my 26 mile commute. I was also having warping issues even after cutting the rotors and replacing one altogether. I just changed both of them out and so far so good.

cfr94

Well I was looking at upgrading the brakes anyway ( http://forums.maxima.org/group-deals...-shipping.html ) but until I can do that, I'll have this dealership (that isn't mine) replace both front rotors. Maybe all it will take is for them to shave the rotors and the 'crack' will disappear, but it is definitely something I'll be watching closely. I have a 6 mile commute (one way) to work and I leave when it's foggy and damp in the morning, damn Florida weather. I'll keep everyone posted for sure.

Feldman

iTrader: (1)

take it to the dealer or replace it with some oe blanks and call it a day.

It's not worth risking yours or someone elses life

Longhorn101

I'd try to talk them into replacing the rotor completely instead of turning them. That appears to be a stress fracture which in my opinion will just come back even faster if the rotor is cut and there is less metal there to absorb the heat and stress. If they will only cut them, then keep a close eye on it especially right before the warranty runs out.

cfr94

Didn't think about that. Good info to know going back to the stealership.

cfr94

UPDATE:

Okay, well I dropped off the car to have the chrome roof moldings replaced and to have the 2 front rotors replaced. The stealership replaced the moldings but not the rotors. My (purchased) dealership stated they are covered under 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty. My (local) stealership said they are not cracked (when they originally said they were & they would replace). The wheels were never removed to inspect the rotors, they drove only 1 mile (literally). I called Nissan corporate and now I have an open case file regarding the rotors. Needless to say the 'service manager' stated I would 'feel it' if I had a rotor cracked and the 'general manager' said if you want it done, he'd take care of it. Well obviously that didn't work out. So now I have to wait on corporate to send something to this stealership that states they WILL replace them or wait until I go home to my (purchased) dealership and they will replace it no questions ask.

NOT HAPPY!!

04MAX_ILLIN

iTrader: (3)

I would not have settled for that!!! A cracked rotor is def. dangerous and not safe in anyway to drive with. They essentially are putting your life at risk now!! Well thats a little dramatic but these are the things you need to be saying as you cause a rucus in the stealership.

cfr94

Trust me......They know and they know I WILL be back.

04MAX_ILLIN

iTrader: (3)

True, all im saying is that at such low mileage on such a new vehicle there is no way you can be responsible for that unless you are doing 100mph to zero stops and then hosing cold water onto the rotors! Theres really no such abuse that these rotors can be put thru to crack them so early. Maybe if they had double or triple the mileage you have they might be prone to cracking but not at 19k or whatever you have on them.

cfr94

My thoughts exactly. This dealership is 'notorious' for not handling problems brought to them. I have a Dr. appointment on Monday and it just happens to be around the corner of another dealership so I'll swing by and give them the short version and see what this other dealership says. I am definitely not your typical customer that says hey thanks for the work, excellent job. I am the one who looks for any discrepancies that were not on the vehicle when I dropped it off. I will not sit on this nor will I take a back seat while this particular stealership tests drive my situation while I just tag along in the back seat..............

MORE TO COME I AM SURE

04MAX_ILLIN

iTrader: (3)

Not for nothing but it doesnt take a road test to determine if the rotor is cracked!!! If this effin momo working on your car used his damn eyes and fingers for a second then he would be able to tell that your rotor has a crack in it!! This isnt even my car and im getting all bent out of shape about this cuz these ****ing dealerships do whatever the hell they want and charge people what ever the hell they want and get away with it 24-7-365!!!!!

Talon05

Its bad that you have to get Corporate to get something done. The dealerships are trying to make every penny as possible and not give an inch of courtesy to the owner of a nissan-- Make them pay for the repairs.

BigPete

iTrader: (2)

amen.

speaking of which, where did you get your max talon?

po8pimp

don't have them shave it because like mentioned above a fracture is not fixable. you can cover up a fracture but it will happen again and is not safe. All of your rotors will warp in time and well this one just so happen to crack. If it was my car I would file a report with the NHTSA. This is a safety issue and should be looked into. One complaint can safe lives. Imagine if this crack was bad enough to catch on the brake pad the right way at 65mph on the highway while it's snowing out. Imagine if your kids were with you when it happened. I would report it. Make sure when you get the rotors replaced that you get the old rotor back and keep it so if the NHTSA wants to send a rep to see it you have it. Take pics too. This is a big concern most people should not have to experience. That's why I am glad I bought aftermarket drilled and slotted rotors.

cfr94

I didn't think about reporting it to NHTSA however my next step will be a complete brake upgrade to 4 matching slotted & drilled rotors (equal in diameter) along with new 20's

Feldman

iTrader: (1)

i would suggest staying away from drilled rotors, slotted rotors are good but the drilled have a history of forming cracks around the drill holes from stress. I know the set i had did

cfr94

HAHAHA....Okay, so now what?

I just got off the phone with Nissan corporate and they said that the stealership HAMPTON NISSAN in Fort Walton Beach FL will NOT replace the rotors. Corporate is sending me a hard copy of my file so I can then send it (somehow) to the NHTSA. I contacted my purchasing dealership today and left a message with my service manager to call me back so I can set up an appointment to have the rotors changed the next time I visit central Florida.

I don't know what it is with dealerships, but IMO the reason Hampton will not replace the rotors is because I didn't purchase the vehicle from them and they (Hampton) does not want to 'bite the cost' of replacing rotors on a vehicle they didn't sell, even though they replaced my chrome roof strips. Going back to post #13, I stated that my purchasing dealership stated the "rotors" are covered under 3 year / 36,000 mile manufacturer warranty and Hampton says they are covered under 12 months / 12,000 mile manufacturer warranty then to come to find out Nissan corporate states they (rotors) are not covered under ANY warranty but it would be up to the dealership to determine if they are a manufactures defect and would (if they wanted to) replace it. This goes back to 'where' I purchased the car. Hampton has not heard the last from me I assure you.

BigPete

iTrader: (2)

just go to every dealership within a 50miles radius. Im sure one of them will be kind enough to help you out... or not, but still you could try. OR! bring your car in for an oil change, have them do the inspection, if they dont point it out to you, bring it up and say "wtf, my rotor is cracked and you didnt noticE? you cant let me leave here like this, I can sue your ***"

it could work

Kryogen

lol, have you been in montreal lately? ice, snow, salt, slush, crap...cold

rick sambora

Those rotors are not cracked. That is just the surface marks caused by the brake pad when it first grips the rotor. You will see it once the rotor has sufficient mileage on it. I have seen that on many cars and the rotor provides safe braking even 10-20k miles after these marks appear. This however is just my opinion and experience. If you are not comfortable you should definitely get them changed.

ChipperX

I would have to agree with Rick, here. The caliper utilizes a huge amount of force when applied to the brake rotor, frequently causing esoteric markings, or "scoring". The mark that your photograph shows is not a crack, but a "stop" mark from application of the calipers to the rotors. My original rotors lasted 75,000 miles and had the same appearance. I did not examine your rotors in person and so I cannot be sure that there isn't a problem, but from all the things you've said it does not appear that your rotors are presenting a safety concern. Perhaps you should simply jack up your car, remove the wheel, and examine the rotor with a friend. A crack will be quite evident, whereas normal scoring is to be expected and will not put your safety in jeopardy. That being said, this is YOUR car, so take all appropriate precautions and examine it more closely. Good luck, friend.

DConrad2007

Hey Feldman, what about drilled/slotted rotors?

cfr94

Well much to my surprise, Nissan Corporate declined my claim. I spoke with my purchasing dealership and they told me they would replace them next time I went down. I also went to the dealership in Pensacola and showed them and they said they would turn them free of charge. Below is the scanned letter from Nissan Corporate. If the rotors don't hold up, I'll be upgrading to big brakes

xoomer.com

iTrader: (19)

^^^ I am surprised you haven't replaced it yet.

cfr94

I have been busy gettin my show truck ready for this year's show season not to mention the military has really got me busy right now being the project manager for the new Fire Station.

If I end up gettin to go home to Tampa and back to my (purchasing) dealership, they are going to replace them, however if they end up saying no, I'll end up doing the brake upgrade with all 4 rotors being zinc plated slotted & drilled and all 4 being the same size (same as front / which means the rear rotors will be larger than stock (to match size of front))