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Search Results   Report Date : February 9, 2010 at 10:23 PM NHTSA Action Number : PE06050 N/A NHTSA Action Number : PE06050 NHTSA Recall Campaign Number : N/A Make / Models :         Model/Build Years:          NISSAN / 350Z     2006 Manufacturer : NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. Component : WHEELS WHEELS:CENTER SECTION WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS WHEELS:RIM Date Investigation Opened : November 9, 2006 Date Investigation Closed : April 9, 2007 Summary: THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED PE06-050 BASED ON TWO CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGING INCIDENTS OF WHEEL SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING DUE TO SPOKE FRACTURE. ONE OF THE INCIDENTS RESULTED IN A CRASH AND SERIOUS INJURY WHEN THE SEPARATED WHEEL STRUCK A CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER ON A MOTORCYCLE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. DURING PE06-050, ODI DETERMINED THAT BOTH INCIDENTS OF WHEEL SEPARATION INVOLVED NISSAN WHEELS THAT WERE SUBJECTED TO AN AFTERMARKET "RE-CHROMING" PROCESS. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY NISSAN SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH "RE-CHROMED" WHEELS WERE CONCENTRATED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IN CALIFORNIA. NISSAN HAS ISSUED DEALER BULLETINS, MOST RECENTLY IN AUGUST 2006, WARNING AGAINST "RE-CHROMING" WHEELS BECAUSE THE PROCESS MAY DAMAGE WHEELS. NISSAN ALSO SUBMITTED COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS CONCERNING CRACKED SPOKES IN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT NISSAN ALLOY WHEELS. THESE CLAIMS AND COMPLAINTS WERE NOT CONCENTRATED IN ANY PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHIC REGION, BUT WERE FEW IN NUMBER. ACCORDING TO NISSAN, MOST OE ALLOY WHEELS WITH CRACKED SPOKES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO IMPACT DAMAGE. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA07-005) TO FURTHER ASSESS THE CAUSES OF SPOKE CRACKING IN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT NISSAN WHEELS AND IN WHEELS SUBJECTED TO "RE-CHROMING" AND TO ASSESS THE RISK OF ADDITIONAL WHEEL SEPARATIONS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. Check to Request Research. Submit below.