NHTSA Complaint #10014146 — 2000 NISSAN XTERRA

AT 5,000 MILES PRE WARRANTY EXPIRATION MY 2000 NISSAN XTERRA BROKE DOWN WHILE PULLING OUT FROM A STOP. AFTER AN INVESTIGATION BY NISSAN, THEY'VE CONCLUDED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAD BROKE AND THUS THE ENGINE WOULD BE RENDERED USELESS. THEY HAVE ALSO STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS UNDER THEIR WARRANTY AND WILL BILL ME FOR THE NEW ENGINE. THEY'VE SAID THAT THE ENGINE GOT SLUDGE DUE TO INFREQUENT OIL CHANGES. AFTER PROVIDING PROOF OF REGULAR OIL CHANGES NISSAN SAYS THAT THEY STILL WILL NOT COVER THE VEHICLE. THESE FRAUDULENT ACCUSATIONS ARE AN OUTRAGE AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER NISSAN'S WARRANTY. FURTHERMORE, MY RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER HAVE BEEN VIOLATED. AFTER CONTACTING NHTSA OVER THE PHONE I DISCOVERED THAT THEIR HAD BEEN A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE AND THAT THE RECALL COULD HAVE HAD SOME AFFECT ON THE RESULTING PROBLEMS CONCURRED, I'M NOT SURE AS I WAS NEVER CONTACTED REGARDING ANY RECALL ISSUE. ANYHOW NISSAN SAYS THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER MY ENGINE UNDER THEIR WARRANTY. THEY ARE ALSO TRYING TO CHARGE ME FOR ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION FEES THAT THEY'VE ALREADY BILLED ME FOR TO SEE IF THIS COULD AFTER ALL BE AN ISSUE OF WARRANTY, SO FAR THE TOTAL CONCURRED WITH NO REPAIRS IS $420, WITH THE ADDED INVESTIGATION IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL $480, $1000 OF WORTH OF WORK WITH NO REPAIRS MADE! I'M REFUSING TO PAY ANY FEES REGARDING THIS ISSUE AS IT IS NOT MY OBLIGATION UNDER NISSAN'S WARRANTY. I WILL NOT BE A SCAPEGOAT FOR A DEFECTIVE CRANKSHAFT OR ANY OTHER PART CAUSING THIS FAILURE, AS THIS IS A BREACH IN WARRANTY. I'M PREPARED TO PURSUE THIS ISSUE TO THE FULLEST EXTANT. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP. *NLM