NHTSA Complaint #10158441 — 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA

AT ABOUT 75,000 MILES, ENGINE WOULD TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO START ESPECIALLY IN RAINY WEATHER. IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS TAKING LONGER FOR FUEL TO GET TO ENGINE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT 80,000 MILES. CODE INDICATED BAD CATALYTIC CONVERTOR. MECHANIC RESET AND A FEW THOUSAND MILES LATER IT CAME ON AGAIN. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BOTH OXYGEN SENSORS WERE DEFECTIVE AND THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED TO PASS SMOG CHECK FOR $460 ALSO, AT ABOUT 80,000 MILES, CAR HAD INTERMITANT ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WHICH BECAME MORE PROBLEMATIC IN RAINY WEATHER. I WOULD FLOOR ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. MECHANIC PRESSURE TESTED FUEL PUMP AND FOUND IT TOO LOW AND REPLACED FUEL PUMP FOR $478. THIS SOLVED PROBLEM FOR A FEW MONTHS AND IT BEGAN HAPPENING AGAIN. THEN, ONE DAY I TRIED TO BACK OUT OF MY GARAGE AND IT WOULDN'T GO IN REVERSE WHEN I SHIFTED IT. I PUSHED MY CAR OUT OF GARAGE AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO GO IN DRIVE. WHILE DRIVING TO MECHANIC'S, I PUT CAR IN CRUISE CONTROL AND IT WOULD LOSE POWER INTERMITANTLY TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE SET SPEED. I TOOK IT OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL AND FLOORED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE SAME PREVIOUS PROBLEM OCCURRED. IT REVED ENGINE BUT NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. WHEN I GOT TO MECHANIC, IT WOULD GO IN REVERSE. HE DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION THAT DIDN'T GIVE ENOUGH CLUTCH PRESSURE UNTIL IT WAS DRIVEN FOR A WHILE. IT WAS A FAILING TRANSMISSION THAT CAUSED THIS AND THE INABILITY TO ACCELERATE. IT WOULD COST OVER $3,000 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE FRONT AND REAR STRUTS, FRONT TIE ROD GREASE BOOT, COMPRESS COIL SPRING, TIE ROD OUTER END AT 134,000 MILES FOR $1100. AT 137,000 MILES, THE EGR VALVE & GASKET FELL OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE EGR VALVE HOUSING WAS BROKEN AND IT WAS REPLACED FOR $340. DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT ON THIS VEHICLE, I CANNOT AFFORD $3000 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND WILL BE SELLING MY FIRST AND LAST NISSAN VEHICLE EVER.