NHTSA Complaint #10107883 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

ON 01/13/05, THE ENGINE OF MY '03 NISSAN ALTIMA SE STALLED. THANKFULLY, I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURNED OVER THE ENGINE AND IT DID NOT START. I WAITED A FEW MOMENTS AND THEN TRIED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE STARTED BUT STALLED AGAIN AFTER I DROVE APPROX. 100 FEET. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROX. 9 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT BUT MY VEHICLE'S ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATED THE ENGINE WAS WARMED UP. I WAITED IN THE CAR FOR APPROX. AN HOUR IN 9 DEGREE TEMPERATURE WITH MY SEVEN-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER UNTIL I WAS PICKED UP BY A FAMILY MEMBER. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE STALLING. WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS IN THEIR POSSESSION, I HAD THEM CONDUCT A 15,000K SERVICE (OIL CHANGE, TIRE ROTATION, ETC.). ON 01/23/05, I HEARD AN "ENGINE KNOCK" AND DISCOVERED OIL SPOTS ON MY DRIVEWAY FROM THE CAR. I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE SAME DEALERSHIP FIRST THING THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ARE TELLING ME I NEED AN ENTIRELY NEW ENGINE. THEY ARE ALSO CLAIMING THAT IT IS NOT A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND THEREFORE THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY. AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS, I BELIEVE THE ENGINE STALLING WAS A SAFETY PROCEDURE THAT INDICATED AN ENGINE PROBLEM. FURTHERMORE, I BELIEVE THE FAILURE OF THE DEALERSHIP TO IDENTIFY,AND REPAIR, THE PROBLEM MAY BE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE DAMAGE THEY ARE REPORTING. *NM