NHTSA Complaint #10064381 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

I WAS DRIVING FROM MI TO IL ON THE DAY BEFORE MY STARTING MY NEW JOB IN ILLINOIS. THIRTY MILES OUT FROM MY DESTINATION, THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN AS I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY AND WAIT OVER TWO HOURS FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE DEALER CLAIMS THE MASS AIR FLOW (MAF) SENSOR WAS AT FAULT. ALTHOUGH THE MAF SENSOR WAS REPLACED, I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS THE COMPONENT THAT DISABLED THE VEHICLE ON THIS DATE. THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN WITHOUT FIRST GOING INTO "LIMP" MODE. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR (CPS). AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL ON THE CPS. I DID NOT HAVE IT REPLACED PRIOR TO MY DRIVE BECAUSE I DID NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION. THE CPS WAS REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE MAF. WHAT PROMPTS THIS COMPLAINT IS THE MAF SENSOR. THE VEHICLE IS NOW ON THE THIRD MAF. THE FIRST ONE WAS REPLACED ON 8/2003. THE SECOND MAF WAS REPLACED ON 1/14/2004, WHICH LASTED LESS THAN SIX MONTHS. THE FAILURE MODE FOR THE FIRST MAF SENSOR ALLOWED WARNING: THE ENGINE DID NOT SHUT OFF, BUT INSTEAD LIMITED THE ENGINE SPEED TO 2500RPM. FORTUNATELY, BOTH MAF SENSORS WERE COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. IN ADDITION TO MAF SENSORS AND OPEN RECALLS, MY VEHICLE HAS A NEW ECM AND THROTTLE BODY (IACS). MY EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS SINCE EXPIRED, AND I AM CURRENTLY WORKING WITH NISSAN IN GETTING A NEW EXTENDED WARRANTY OUT OF GOODWILL FOR THESE PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED IN THE LESS THAN TWO YEARS I HAVE OWNED THIS NISSAN. MY PREVIOUS VEHICLES WERE FORD PRODUCTS, AND I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THOSE AS I HAVE WITH THIS NISSAN. I AM CURRENTLY HAVING DIFFICULTY IN HAVING NISSAN RETURNING MY COMMUNICATION. *JB