NHTSA Complaint #10115956 — 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA ABOUT 80K MILES. IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS I HAVE HAD MY CAR IN THE SHOP 4 DIFFERENT TIMES FOR MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT. MY INDEPENDENT SERVICE STATION TRIED WHAT THEY COULD, BEFORE FINELY REPLACING AN OXYGEN SENSOR. THIS KEPT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT OFF FOR THE BETTER PART OF TWO WEEKS. BUT IT'S BACK AND THIS TIME THE COMPUTER CODE IS REGISTERING A FAULTY AACV VALVE. MY MECHANIC SAYS THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THESE ENGINES AND THAT NISSAN MIGHT HELP FOOT THE COST OF REPAIRS CONSIDERING THAT THE SEAL INSIDE THE ASSEMBLY IS THE KNOWN CULPRIT. MY MECHANIC COULD MAKE THE REPAIRS HIMSELF BUT THEN THE CAR WOULD NEED TO BE TOWED TO NISSAN SINCE THE SECURITY CODES WOULD NEED TO BE RESET AND ONLY NISSAN CAN DO THAT. I CALLED MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP (WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR) AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE I HAD USED AN INDEPENDENT RATHER THAN THEIR SERVICE CENTER FOR REPAIRS, THE BEST I MIGHT GET WOULD BE A HAND SHAKE. IS WHAT MY MECHANIC SAID CORRECT? IS THIS IS FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM? AND, IF SO, HOW DO I GET NISSAN TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY IN AS MUCH AS THEY USED FAULTY MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE AACV VALVE?