NHTSA Complaint #10120858 — 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA

I PURCHASED A NISSAN MAXIMA SL AT THE START OF NOVEMBER 2004. A HARNESS INSIDE THE ENGINE CONTAINING A SENSOR TO DETECT ENGINE KNOCKS WAS DAMAGED BY A RODENT. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO MISFIRE WHICH CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO BUCK, STOP SHIFTING, CHANGE SPEED OF THE CAR ON IT'S OWN,LOSE ACCELERATION, NOT SHIFT, SHIFT SUDDENLY AND PUT THE DRIVER IN A SITUATION WHERE IF THEY DID NOT COMPENSATE THEY COULD BE INJURED OR KILLED. THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR AND WORSENED OVER THE NEXT THREE THOUSAND MILES OF DRIVING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER IGNORED THE PROBLEM AND SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE IT UNTIL I SAID I WOULD PAY FOR THEM TO PLUG THE ENGINE INTO A DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER. AT THIS POINT THEY FOUND A MISFIRE CODE, THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED MY THE MASTER MECHANIC AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE HARNESS AT MY EXPENSE! THE MANUFACTURE REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A DANGEROUS DEFECT. THIS IS A DEFECT IN THEIR COMPUTER LOGIC AND/OR DESIGN. A SENSOR MALFUNCTION SHOULD NOT CAUSE AN ENGINE MISFIRE AND TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. NOTE THE DATE OF NOVEMBER 3 2004 INDICATES THAT THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR AND IT CONTINUED UNTIL THE HARNESS WAS REPLACED. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER MANY TIMES AND THEY ARE NOT RETURNING MY CALLS. THE MASTER MECHANIC SAID HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES BEFORE WHICH TELLS ME THAT THIS IS PERHAPS A LONG STANDING PROBLEM THAT NISSAN CHOOSES TO IGNORE.