NHTSA Complaint #10151190 — 2003 NISSAN SENTRA

THIS IS A 2003 NISSAN SENTRA GXE, LESS THAN 2 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND UNDER 300 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. THE FIRST SERVICE DATE AFTER THE END OF WARRANTY, THE DEALER RECOMMENDED A NEW FUEL PUMP FOR THE NON-STARTING PROBLEM. THE DATES BELOW SHOW THIS PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL LINE WAS WELL-DOCUMENTED LONG BEFORE THE WARRANTY WENT OUT. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER 6 TIMES IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. 06/11/04-- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, DEALER REPLACED SPARK PLUGS 08/09/04-- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, DEALER REPLACED COIL ASSY-- IGNITION 06/25/05-- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO ACTION BY DEALER-- BUT DEALER SAID NEXT TIME THE LIGHT CAME ON, A NEW FUEL PUMP WOULD BE REQUIRED. THIS HAPPENED OUT OF TOWN, SO I ONLY WENT TO THIS DEALER ONCE. 07/26/05-- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO ACTION BY DEALER BECAUSE PREVIOUS DEALER DID NOT RECORD HIS DIAGNOSIS IN FILE. 08/19/05-- CAR TURNING OVER BUT NOT STARTING. AAA CHECKED BATTERY AND SAID THE BATTERY WAS FINE. TOWED CAR TO DEALER. DEALER SAID CAR WAS FLOODED, CLEANED OUT SPARK PLUG TUBES, BUT DID NOT FIX CAUSE OF THE NON-STARTING. 10/21/05-- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, NO ACTION BY DEALER 12/23/05-- WARRANTY RUNS OUT ONCE IN JAN. AND ONCE IN FEB. 2006, THE CAR DID NOT TURN OVER. WHEN I TOOK CAR IN FOR ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ON FEBRUARY 16, 2006, ADVISOR RECOMMENDED A NEW FUEL PUMP AT COST OF $695. THE DEALER CALLED AND ASKED NISSAN USA FOR A GOODWILL CLAIM WHICH WAS DENIED. ON MONDAY, FEB. 20, 2006, I CALLED NISSAN USA TO FILE A REQUEST FOR THIS TO BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, CONSIDERING THE LONG RECORD OF THIS PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TO HEAR BACK IN 24 HOURS. I MADE MULTIPLE CALLS THROUGH THE WEEK AND RECEIVED NO ANSWERS AND ONLY ONE PHONE CALL BACK-- ON THURSDAY-- TO TELL ME THAT THE FILE HAD BEEN MISDIRECTED AND THAT I SHOULD HEAR LATER. ON FRIDAY, FEB. 24, 2006, I CALLED AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THE CLAIM WAS DENIED. THE SERVICE REP. COULD NOT TELL ME WHY AND THE ADVISOR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *JB