There is nothing that drives down your used car value like taking your automobile out for a car assessment only to find it with gaping holes in the floor due to the rusty floor boards. Well, this has come true for many people in the United States who happen to be in possession of Altima models manufactured between 2002 and 2006 by Japanese car maker Nissan.
A multitude of owners of the Nissan Altima have lodged complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claiming that they do not feel safe in their own cars citing that their feet are awfully close to the road. The reason could be salt put on roads during winter to keep away the ice. This can then lead to corrosion of the floor boards. However a similar car, the Maxima, from the same period has had fewer related reports.
The exact cause is not yet determined though there are mechanics dealing with the affected owners citing a design flaw being at the heart of the matter. This flaw makes it hard for water that gets into the undercarriage to properly drain off. This causes the floor to rust from the inside and gradually form holes.
In order to preserve its car rating, Nissan has come out and stated that the problem is not a safety issue and as such finds it unnecessary to initiate a recall. The car maker maintains that the problem happens in many old cars and the matter is left for the owner to fix.
