2010 Altima - Front LCA Bushing Failure @ 45K.

[The Critic]

Earlier tonight, I brought my parents' 2010 Altima to my garage to do a major service and to my horror, I found the rear liquid-filled bushing on the passenger-front lower control arm bushing to be "blown out." Judging from the location of the surface cracks on the driver-side arm, it probably isn't far behind.

45K seems very low for a fluid-filled bushing. Yes, 9 years old is a long time and rubber does become brittle. But with my experience on Toyota products, I expected better.

Luckily, the local dealer has 2 in stock (I guess they sell them regularly). The cost was $260/ea MSRP, but hopefully these will qualify for the 35% off fast-moving parts program.

Nissan quality.

 

[CharBaby]

I'm on my second Altima and I really like the vehicles. I've had Accord's & Camry's over the years(good cars) but just like the Altima's better.

They(Nissan's) seem to talk to me more than the other brands. However, I do feel that their quality is a bit hit or miss in certain areas. Nissan seems to build such a nice car and then something goes wrong that you didn't expect.

Honda's seem better(more stoutly) made and Toyota's seem to last longer/longest before needing repairs, while at the same time, feeling less stout...not cheap but just less so than some other brands. Even my wifes LEXUS RX300 never felt like a $40K vehicle IMO.

But, I do have to say that, my Altima's over the long haul(12-15 yrs) seem equally as reliable as any HonYota that I owned including our LEXUS in which we had quality a few problems with starting with yr 2 to yr 15. And a couple of the Accord's that we owned left a bit to be desired in terms of needing unexpected repairs. Not unreliable but, a bit problematic for a Honda. However, Camry's(4 cyl) seemed to to better.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted by Char Baby
I'm on my second Altima and I really like the vehicles. I've had Accord's & Camry's over the years(good cars) but just like the Altima's better.

They(Nissan's) seem to talk to me more than the other brands. However, I do feel that their quality is a bit hit or miss in certain areas. Nissan seems to build such a nice car and then something goes wrong that you didn't expect.

Honda's seem better(more stoutly) made and Toyota's seem to last longer/longest before needing repairs, while at the same time, feeling less stout...not cheap but just less so than some other brands. Even my wifes LEXUS RX300 never felt like a $40K vehicle IMO.

But, I do have to say that, my Altima's over the long haul(12-15 yrs) seem equally as reliable as any HonYota that I owned including our LEXUS in which we had quality a few problems with starting with yr 2 to yr 15. And a couple of the Accord's that we owned left a bit to be desired in terms of needing unexpected repairs. Not unreliable but, a bit problematic for a Honda. However, Camry's(4 cyl) seemed to to better.


Nissans seem to have the best engines. I've had three (three Nissan Z's) and no problems at all with them.

 

[Trav]

What a place to use a hydraulic bushing. Check for a recall or goodwill recall before tearing into it.

 

[28oz]

Originally Posted by The Critic

Nissan quality.

I hear you. I'm a big Nissan fan, but ever since the Renault "Alliance", there has definitely been a difference. The Datsuns and 80's & 90's Nissans I've had have been solid with great build quality. They still make really good stuff, but I think they've wandered too far into cutting corners hear and there which make for some real annoyances, but nothing that has ever left me stranded or concerned to take on a long road trip.

I'm with Trav, though. I'd check for a recall or something. That's way too early for an OEM bushing to go out.

 

[maxdustington]

$260 for just the bushing without the control arm? That's insane. MAYBE for an Infinity, but a lowly Nissan Altima?
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Originally Posted by Char Baby
I'm on my second Altima and I really like the vehicles. I've had Accord's & Camry's over the years(good cars) but just like the Altima's better.

They(Nissan's) seem to talk to me more than the other brands. However, I do feel that their quality is a bit hit or miss in certain areas. Nissan seems to build such a nice car and then something goes wrong that you didn't expect.

Honda's seem better(more stoutly) made and Toyota's seem to last longer/longest before needing repairs, while at the same time, feeling less stout...not cheap but just less so than some other brands. Even my wifes LEXUS RX300 never felt like a $40K vehicle IMO.

But, I do have to say that, my Altima's over the long haul(12-15 yrs) seem equally as reliable as any HonYota that I owned including our LEXUS in which we had quality a few problems with starting with yr 2 to yr 15. And a couple of the Accord's that we owned left a bit to be desired in terms of needing unexpected repairs. Not unreliable but, a bit problematic for a Honda. However, Camry's(4 cyl) seemed to to better.


Nissans seem to have the best engines. I've had three (three Nissan Z's) and no problems at all with them.
Rust buckets. You never really see old ones and they are always trashed when you do. Nice flashy car to lease though.

 

[PimTac]

Is there any chance this car hit a curb or something similar that triggered this?

 

[mclasser]

Nissan/Infiniti LCA's/bushings aren't the best, even going back to the early 2000s, but 45k is way too early.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted by Trav
What a place to use a hydraulic bushing. Check for a recall or goodwill recall before tearing into it.


I checked - no special extended coverage for this issue. Of course, my extended warranty expired in Jan 2018.

Originally Posted by maxdustington
$260 for just the bushing without the control arm? That's insane. MAYBE for an Infinity, but a lowly Nissan Altima?

The bushings are not sold separately - you must purchase the entire arm. No bushings are available in the aftermarket, either.

Originally Posted by PimTac
Is there any chance this car hit a curb or something similar that triggered this?

The thought did cross my mind. But if you look at the second picture, you can see surface cracks developing from the same location as the failure point. I think the rubber layer became brittle and dried out, which caused it to split open.

 

[KrisZ]

The second picture looks like dry rot you can find on tires and just like with tires, there is nothing that can be done about it, as the material dictates this kind of deterioration. This is a prime example that miles are not the only factor when it comes to component failure, time and cycles are a big factor as well.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by Char Baby
I'm on my second Altima and I really like the vehicles. I've had Accord's & Camry's over the years(good cars) but just like the Altima's better.

They(Nissan's) seem to talk to me more than the other brands. However, I do feel that their quality is a bit hit or miss in certain areas. Nissan seems to build such a nice car and then something goes wrong that you didn't expect.

Honda's seem better(more stoutly) made and Toyota's seem to last longer/longest before needing repairs, while at the same time, feeling less stout...not cheap but just less so than some other brands. Even my wifes LEXUS RX300 never felt like a $40K vehicle IMO.

But, I do have to say that, my Altima's over the long haul(12-15 yrs) seem equally as reliable as any HonYota that I owned including our LEXUS in which we had quality a few problems with starting with yr 2 to yr 15. And a couple of the Accord's that we owned left a bit to be desired in terms of needing unexpected repairs. Not unreliable but, a bit problematic for a Honda. However, Camry's(4 cyl) seemed to to better.


I think Nissan is using rental fleets and Uber(even though Toyota is in cahoots with Uber, I see more Altimas displacing the Prius for their drivers) as an reason to cost-cut. ReNiMiMo has IMO mastered cost cutting without insulting the user like GM/Ford/Chrysler or VW did in the 1980s-now although in Detroit's defense FCA has upped their interior ante and GM is finally putting some thought into their designs. The 370Z needs a major update, the Versa/Sentra are bleh, and the Frontier also needs a major refresh now that Toyota has given the Tacoma a minor update, GM's got a hit with the Colorado and the new Ranger is coming out. But then again, as long as Hertz, Avis, Enterprise and Uber get their Altimas and Frontiers, Nissan's happy.

Nissan has long marketed themselves on the "sports car" aspect, but some of that is long in the tooth. The 3x0Z was cool when it came out but it needs a refresh badly especially when "cheap" RWD thrills can be had with the Kia Stinger, the Toyobaru, Genesis coupe and a Infiniti Q50/G37 can be had off-lease for the same price as a Z. The new Maxima isn't quite the "four-door sports car" as it was in the 1990s.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted by The Critic
….Nissan quality.

'IME', that would qualify as the definition of an oxymoron. That being said, there's now one back in the extended family vehicle stable, and I'll help maintain.

Really bites that bushings not available separately, but not entirely surprising.

 

[Trav]

That's too bad the warranty ended. No quality aftermarket, no bushings available, they really have the hook set deep don't they. I hate that.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted by nthach
Originally Posted by Char Baby
I'm on my second Altima and I really like the vehicles. I've had Accord's & Camry's over the years(good cars) but just like the Altima's better.

They(Nissan's) seem to talk to me more than the other brands. However, I do feel that their quality is a bit hit or miss in certain areas. Nissan seems to build such a nice car and then something goes wrong that you didn't expect.

Honda's seem better(more stoutly) made and Toyota's seem to last longer/longest before needing repairs, while at the same time, feeling less stout...not cheap but just less so than some other brands. Even my wifes LEXUS RX300 never felt like a $40K vehicle IMO.

But, I do have to say that, my Altima's over the long haul(12-15 yrs) seem equally as reliable as any HonYota that I owned including our LEXUS in which we had quality a few problems with starting with yr 2 to yr 15. And a couple of the Accord's that we owned left a bit to be desired in terms of needing unexpected repairs. Not unreliable but, a bit problematic for a Honda. However, Camry's(4 cyl) seemed to to better.


I think Nissan is using rental fleets and Uber(even though Toyota is in cahoots with Uber, I see more Altimas displacing the Prius for their drivers) as an reason to cost-cut. ReNiMiMo has IMO mastered cost cutting without insulting the user like GM/Ford/Chrysler or VW did in the 1980s-now although in Detroit's defense FCA has upped their interior ante and GM is finally putting some thought into their designs. The 370Z needs a major update, the Versa/Sentra are bleh, and the Frontier also needs a major refresh now that Toyota has given the Tacoma a minor update, GM's got a hit with the Colorado and the new Ranger is coming out. But then again, as long as Hertz, Avis, Enterprise and Uber get their Altimas and Frontiers, Nissan's happy.

Nissan has long marketed themselves on the "sports car" aspect, but some of that is long in the tooth. The 3x0Z was cool when it came out but it needs a refresh badly especially when "cheap" RWD thrills can be had with the Kia Stinger, the Toyobaru, Genesis coupe and a Infiniti Q50/G37 can be had off-lease for the same price as a Z. The new Maxima isn't quite the "four-door sports car" as it was in the 1990s.


I definitely agree on the Infinity G vs the Nissan Z. I think the 370Z looks better on the outside but I don't like the 350/370Z interiors. I love the Infinity G interiors.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
I definitely agree on the Infinity G vs the Nissan Z. I think the 370Z looks better on the outside but I don't like the 350/370Z interiors. I love the Infinity G interiors.


aquarium,

What don't you like about the 370Z interior?

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted by SatinSilver
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
I definitely agree on the Infinity G vs the Nissan Z. I think the 370Z looks better on the outside but I don't like the 350/370Z interiors. I love the Infinity G interiors.

aquarium,

What don't you like about the 370Z interior?

Probably the cheap hard plastics. Or the cheap cloth/leather. Or the lack of insulation.

Or the fact that the whole car hasn't been updated since it was released, and is grossly outdated.

A 2009 370Z is a smart buy. You'd have to be a moron to buy a new '19 model.

 

[aquariuscsm]

P
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by SatinSilver
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
I definitely agree on the Infinity G vs the Nissan Z. I think the 370Z looks better on the outside but I don't like the 350/370Z interiors. I love the Infinity G interiors.

aquarium,

What don't you like about the 370Z interior?

Probably the cheap hard plastics. Or the cheap cloth/leather. Or the lack of insulation.

Or the fact that the whole car hasn't been updated since it was released, and is grossly outdated.

A 2009 370Z is a smart buy. You'd have to be a moron to buy a new '19 model.


I don't like the dash/gauge setup. I also don't like the looks of the shifter/console. Nissan needs to keep the 370Z body and integrate the Infinity G37 interior into it and it would be the perfect car. Add t-tops too!!

 

[bbhero]

Well... 248kiles... And no issues with mine like that... Maybe something happened here... And it could possibly be something other than a part failure. Not saying that is the case in this instance. But it could be..

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted by bbhero
Well... 248kiles... And no issues with mine like that... Maybe something happened here... And it could possibly be something other than a part failure. Not saying that is the case in this instance. But it could be..

Agreed. I tried searching on the Altima forums and did not find anything. My parts guy also msaid he keeps multiple pairs in stock and sells them quite regularly, so...

 

[bbhero]

Yeah that is strange...

Glad you are so skilled to help out... That's a good deal in this case.

My car had issues on the right side of it... Motor mount broke, radiator leak on that side, CV axle bad on that side too... But... I hit a large tree on that side years ago.. . I'd bet good money that what failed on that right side... Was from that event. It's amazing that I wasn't stranded immediately after hitting that tree.. but I strongly believe that it took a toll on the components on that right side.