NHTSA Complaint #10116644 — 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA

THE CAR BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN HOOKED UP TO DIAGNOSTICS, THE IGNITION PROBLEM CODE CAME UP. THE PROBLEM WOULD CLEAR UP AND THEN REPEAT AGAIN. I WAS TOLD ONE OF THE IGNITION COILS TO THE SPARK PLUG WAS THE PROBLEM....I WAS GOING TO WAIT TO DETERMINE WHICH ONE IT WAS. I TALKED TO THE PARTS PERSON AT THE NISSAN DEALER - HE TOLD ME THEY HAD HAD PROBLEMS WITH THESE COILS AND HAD UPDATED THEM. HE ALSO SAID I MIGHT AS WELL REPLACE THEM ALL, BECAUSE THE REST WILL FAIL SOON. THE PRICE FOR EACH WAS QUOTED AS $76.77! THE CAR NEEDS SIX TO REPLACE THEM ALL. THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE EXCEPT THROUGH NISSAN. I CHECKED AT OTHER DEALERS AND GOT THE SAME RESULTS, EXCEPT I WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE THE SIX COILS AT $47.33 EACH, PLUS SHIPPING. MY CAR HAS ONLY 45,000 MILES ON IT. REPLACING THE COILS FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE NEW COILS ARE DESIGNATED AS UPDATED BY THE WHITE CIRCLE THEY HAVE NOW PUT ON THE PART. I CONTACTED THE 800 NUMBER TO LODGE A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN. THEY WERE ESSENTIALLY NOT VERY HELPFUL, OTHER THAN GIVING ME A CLAIM NUMBER. (CLAIM NUMBER 48940766) WHEN LOOKING FOR THESE PARTS, I ALSO FOUND SOME ON E-BAY. THE INDIVIDUAL SELLING THEM MADE SURE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THESE WERE THE "GOOD" OR "UPDATED" PARTS, NOT THE PROBLEM ORIGINAL ONES. THE PART NUMBERS (TWO DIFFERENT COILS ARE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE FRONT AND REAR PARTS) ARE 22448-2Y000 AND 22448-2Y005.*AK