Just found out about a recall for the 09 Max. Info (courtesy of NissanHelp.com) pasted below:

2009 NISSAN ALTIMA, MAXIMA; VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN LEFT REAR SUSPENSION KNUCKLE
On some 2009 Altima and Maxima vehicles, the left hand rear suspension knuckle may not be manufactured to specification, which may result in noise or vibration under certain circumstances. Although no safety issue is presented, Nissan is conducting this service campaign to identify and replace those affected units. This service will be performed at no cost for parts or labor.

 

Can you get us a direct link to that info?

 

I haven't seen anything on this and this is the best and most up to date site to go to check these type of Recalls and things out:

http://www.carseverything.com/256/20...a-recalls.html

 

Here's the link. When the page comes up, scroll down, you'll see the notice. This is a great website, it also gives service bulletin updates for problems Nissan is aware of and will fix free of charge, but aren't severe enough to warrant a recall notice.

http://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/Knowledgebase/links/572

 

Do you think this had anything to do with the vibration we have been feeling at around 50 mph?

 

Interesting... speaking of vibration, has anyone had their rear windows vibrate ONLY when they are fully lowered (which is interestingly only to about the halfway point)...?

 

i will actually see if mine do that 2nite...

 

Mine only does it at "high" speeds .. ~ 60 and above...

 

nhtsa.dot.gov has nothing on this

 

I don't think they have it because it's a nuisance issue, not a safety issue that would endanger the public.

 

I looked through the Technical Services Bulletins and nothing there as well. If anyone gets this service done let us know.

Thx!!!

 

yeah, let me know if anyone get their done.

 

I'd have to say good call on this this is possibly why my nissan has been making noises like a sqeeking nose when i got over speed bumps or dips in the road. I also look up on nhtsa.gov hers the link to click if you wanna check it out http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr.../tsbsearch.cfm just type in the info and you'll see. This is the summary: NISSAN: THE LEFT HAND REAR SUSPENSION KNUCKLE MAY NOT BE MANUFACTURED TO SPECIFICATION, WHICH MAY RESULT IN NOISE OR VIBRATION UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. (SEDANS, COUPES, AND HYBRIDS). *PE

Funny that i just took my car to the dealership today and they claim that there is nothing wrong with it. Ik that that wasn't a normal noise.

 

Very interesting... I was just in the shop getting my transmission issues ironed out and they didn't mention a thing about any sort of recall. I've heard the suspension noise going over speed bumps too... Funny how they are being so private about the issue. I would think they would send out a letter in the mail or something. After buying a $36k product I think I have earned that right...

 

Its not a recall at the moment. Its only a Technical Service Bulletin for right now. Its basically just a notice before the recall in a way.

 

Exactly right.

Also, in these type situations, unless a safety issue is involved, a manufacturer likes to be sure he has a fix that will really work, and that he has an ample supply of corrective parts available before launching any recall campaign. Even after that, he likes to find a way to spread the timing of arrival of cars being brought in, as the dealer can't work on them all at the same time.

In situations like this, I tend to 'drag my feet' a little while, until those getting the fix early-on find out whether Nissan's first attempt at a fix is actually working.

 

I just called one the nissan preferred dealerships in CT and they said that they know of the issue but at the moment it is only a TSB and they do know how to fix it and can so ima bring my car down there and leave it for the day for them to fix that problem as well as install my exhaust and rear sway bar as well. CALL YOUR DEALERSHIPS; THEY KNOW HOW TO FIX THE ISSUES. THEY JUST LIKE TO SAY THEY DON'T

 

The only sound my Max makes over bumps and such is a kind of air release sound. Is that related to this? Or is that just a normal operation sound? Also, my engine bay makes lots of strange sharp clicking type noises after I shut the engine off, is that normal?

 

I haven't heard the 'air release' type sound. Are your windows down when you hear it? As to the clicking sounds from the engine bay, sometimes, when I park my car after a drive, there will be the loud sound of clicking associated with the cooling down of the manifold, etc. This may go on for several minutes. I have heard this in most of my cars at some time or another. It seems to be most prevalent during the first few thousand miles of a car's life. This is not a problem.

 

This will be true of dealerships that are on top of things. Unfortunately, there are also dealerships that have difficulty doing an oil change right. I can guarantee you there are dealerships that know nothing about this left rear knuckle problem, because they just don't bother to keep up with anything.

If a dealership told me they knew nothing about this problem, I would show them a print of the TSB. If they still showed little interest in getting the details or helping me with this issue, I would be looking for another dealer.

 

No thats not related to what i'm talking about. That sound your getting is defiantly normal for the car.

 

Yeah tell me about it. I went to my usual dealership for this issue (i didn't have the tsb print out at the time) and they told me that its normal for the car to do this and this was from a guy that has been there for over 15 years now. So i called another dealership which is a nissan preferred one and they said they do know about it and they could fix it.

 

How much are they charging you to install the exhaust and swaybar? Just curious..

 

When i asked them about the exhaust they said its bout an 1hr to 1 1/2 hour install time which would be bout $139ish. Which isn't bad. I'm guessing with the rear sway bar it'll probably be $150

 

Are you takling about installing the Stillen Exhaust system??? I am by now means a mechanic, basic nuts and bolts, oil changes, spark plug changes etc... and it only took me 40 minutes to install the full cat-back exhaust at the base auto hobby shop on the lift, which costed me a whole five dollars to rent for an hour! That's with taking a ton of pictures during the install. The directions that come with your system are more than enough to get the job done on your own.....Good Luck and I hope you enjoy your new set-up!!!

 

Ya ik its easy to do but i dont have jack stands to put the vehicle up on, no lift or accesses to one, and if the dealership installs it if something goes wrong down the line and they try to pin it on the exhaust i can say your dealership installed it and they didn't install it correctly if something went wrong. Thats the main reason why i'd rather go to the dealer. I could probably asked the auto teacher at my old high school if i could use their lift but idk if they would let me use it or not.

 

Ok so i went to the dealership today to have the attach a part of my bumper back on the right way and while i was their i told the service manager about the TSB on the Suspension Knuckle. He went and looked it up and that TSB actually became a recall for the early released maximas like the first few hundred or so. So i hope that they find and resolve the problem with this noise sometime soon.

 

So now the question is whether only the first few hundred were involved, or whether Nissan is simply 'staging' blocks of VINs so that all 50K '09 Maximas won't be pulling up to the service bay at the same time?



edit - KillaKam - Obviously Nissan has developed a fix for this, else the recall would not yet be underway. I assume the fix is simply to replace the bad knuckle with one of the thousands of good ones from their current parts supply chain.

 

My windows are down when I hear this. Do you know what it is? Thanks for easing my mind. I thought it might be some kind of fluid or something dripping on the exhaust or something like that.

 

I agree with you on that. They are probably giving themselves enough time to make all the parts necessary to fix the issue.

 

I hear it all the time as well. That sound you only really hear if its quit in your car or your just paying attention to the sound your car makes. I'm pretty sure that is normal. It only happens when i go over bumps or speed bumps. I'm guessing it has something to do with the tires IMO but i dont think that there is going to be a recall on this.

 

Thanks buddy. I figured it was normal. Just wanted to double check. Sorry for thread jacking by the way

 

Not a problem i'm glad i could help. Technically you weren't thread jacking cause someone else i believe asked this question as well or stated the issue. Its cool. It relates to when going over bumps and what not anyways

 

I also hear the air release sound when i go over speed bumps, usually the front left side is where the noise comes from. Also when i do a complete uturn to the left i hear a noise as if the cv joints on the front right are bad. I hope to get these issues resolved as one thing i dont like is weird noises on the car.

 

[QUOTE=MaxDOuT;7037575]usually the front left side is where the noise comes from. QUOTE]


You are probably correct that the noise is from the front left. I'm sure you have confirmed this by having someone else drive while you sit in the passenger seat. Sometimes I am surprised to find that, from the passenger seat, noises I thought were on the left side seem to have moved to the right side.

 

[quote=lightonthehill;7038179]what is the noise???

 

[QUOTE=Mreim769;7038233]

I'm thinking Killa is referring to the squeaking or squishing sound when he goes over speed bumps, etc. He said earlier he thought it might be the tires. I tend to think if its in the front, it is the struts, and if it is in the back, it is either the shocks or the left rear knuckle problem Nissan is beginning to recall.

I'm sure he isn't referring to the loud clicking/snapping we sometimes hear just after parking the car after driving for several miles; that is the manifold/exhaust system parts beginning their cooldown. I have heard that noise from car engine compartments as far back as my 1949 Studebaker, and it is totally harmless.

 

[QUOTE=lightonthehill;7038339]Correct

 

I hear the NOISE!!! I was traveling to my local golf course in a wooded area on both sides of the road with all of my windows down when I started to hear a very annoying squeaking sound everytime I went over any bumps or dips in the road.

I think after reading these post I may have figured out what is causing these noises and now I can go to my local Nissan Dealer with this issue and see if I can get it fixed....I will keep you updated!

 

Hey guys funny thing is that after i put on my stillen rear sway bar the noise is gone, lol. So i'm thinking maybe it has something to do with that possibly.