NHTSA Complaint #10175037 — 2005 NISSAN 350Z

ENGINE QUITE ON HIGHWAY, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES, NEARLY CAUSING A CRASH ON A DANGEROUS MOUNTAIN ROAD (HIGHWAY 17 IN CALIFORNIA). THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE DEALER, SANTA CRUZ NISSAN DODGE (STATE REG. # AJ-35673-N) TRACED THE PROBLEM TO A FAULTY CRANK POSITION SENSOR WHICH WAS REPLACED ON 4/3/06 (REPAIR ORDER NO. 157547). A PROBLEM WITH FAILED CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSORS CAUSED A RECALL FOR 2003 350Z WITH VIN'S IN THE RANGE JN1AZ*4**3T 000001-100167. THE ENGINE PROBLEM RECURRED TWO DAYS LATER ON 4/5/06 AT AN ODOMETER MILEAGE OF 8,513, AGAIN CAUSING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BREAKS, AGAIN NEARLY LEADING TO A CRASH ON A FREEWAY. THIS TIME THE PROBLEM WAS DESCRIBED AS ENGINE CODE PO420, PO430 -LOW CATALYST EFFICIENCY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER (REPAIR ORDER NO. 157686). SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD FOUR ADDITIONAL ENGINE FAILURES DURING FREEWAY DRIVING WITH SIMILAR SYMPTOMS BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT STAY ON AND THERE WAS NO CODE INDICATING A FAILURE WHEN I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER AT 12,679 MILES ON 11/22/06. THE DEALER DID NOT SERVICE THE CAR AT THIS TIME (REPAIR ORDER NO. 165910). *JB