NHTSA Complaint #10139473 — 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE VEHICLE HAS AN EXHAUST LEAK WHICH WAS DISCOVERED BECAUSE THE CONTACT BECAME A VICTIM OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE ITO DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND HAD THEM CHECK THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THEY TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS A LEAK. THE DEALERSHIP SHOWED HER THE LEAK. IT WAS ABOUT FOUR INCHES LONG. THE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ,NHTSA ITEM 10010378/SERVICE BULLETIN 04092; DATE OF BULLETIN 9/1/2004 FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT SHE WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A RECALL. SHE PURCHASED A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR, AND IT WAS LETTING HER KNOW THAT THERE WAS CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE VEHICLE WHILE SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THEY CORRECTED THE EXHAUST PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE DEALERSHIP SHOW THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A 2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER THAT WAS IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM BECAME MORE INTENSE SINCE APRIL 2005. THE SERVICE INVOICE FROM THE DEALERSHIP STATED: CONCERN WHEN IN NEUTRAL AND COLD THERE IS A TICKING NOISE IN LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE, AND THERE IS A CARBON MONOXIDE SMELL IN THE VEHICLE, CARBON MONOXIDE FOUND LEAK AT HEATER PIPE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE CLAIMED SYMPTOMS OF CARBON MONOXIDE BUT SHE COULD NOT SMELL IT BECAUSE CARBON MONOXIDE IS ODORLESS SO THAT STATEMENT IN THE SERVICE INVOICE WAS INCORRECT. *AK