NHTSA Complaint #10104510 — 2003 NISSAN MURANO

2003 NISSAN MURANO SL AWD. SECOND ALTERNATOR FAILURE. ALTERNATOR FAILED 23 NOV 03 DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING AT NIGHT, FROM WASHINGTON, D.C. TO CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. LIGHT TRAFFIC, NO ACCIDENT/INJURIES. TOWING TO CHARLOTTESVILLE DEALERSHIP COST $300, NOT REIMBURSED. VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY, SO REPAIR WAS DONE AT NO COST TO ME; RENTAL VEHICLE PROVIDED. ALTERNATOR FAILED AGAIN (THIS WAS A NEW, REPLACEMENT PART) 10 NOV 2004. VEHICLE STILL UNDERWARRANTY. FAILURE TOOK PLACE DURING CITY DRIVING IN HEIDELBERG, GERMANY (I AM A US ARMY OFFICER). LOCAL GERMAN DEALER TOLD ME I HAD TO ARRANGE FOR NEW PART DIRECTLY FROM NISSAN NORTH AMERICA BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS NOT SUPPORTED YET IN EUROPE (GOES ON SALE HERE SPRING 2005). VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM NISSAN NORTH AMERICA. IT TOOK 5 CALLS (INTERNATIONAL, LONG DISTANCE) AND 18 DAYS TO FINALLY BE TOLD MY LOCA, GERMAN DEALER WOULD HAVE TO ARRANGE FOR PARTS, I WOULD PAY FOR PARTS AND LABOR, AND NISSA NA WOULD REIMBURSE ME. LOCAL DEALER WAS GREAT (NISSAN MUELLER; HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) AND HAD REPAIR DONE IN 2 DAYS. HOWEVER, NO RENTAL VEHICLE PROVIDED. INVOICE WAS SENT VIA EMAIL (PDF FILE) AS INSTRUCTED BY NISSAN NA, BUT WHEN I CALLED TO CHECK STATUS A WEEK LATER, NO ACTION HAD YET BEEN TAKEN. I INTEND TO FOLLOW UP AGAIN 27 DEC 04 AND WILL SUBMIT FOLLOW-ON COMPLAINT IF REIMBURSEMENT IS NOT IN PROGRESS.*AK