NHTSA Complaint #10187320 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

I DROVE A 2005 ALTIMA 2.5S WHICH I PURCHASED NEW IN APRIL OF 2005. IT WAS MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH NISSAN RECOMMENDATIONS. CURRENT MILEAGE APPROXIMATELY 21,000. NO ACCIDENTS ,AND WAS IN EXCELLENT TO GOOD CONDITION. WHILE DRIVING TO WORK I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT. AS I APPROACHED THE LIGHT, THE CAR BEGAN TO JERK AND STALLED. PRIOR TO THE STALL THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND NO WARNING LIGHTS TO SIGNAL A PROBLEM. UPON STALLING THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN QUICKLY SHUT OFF AGAIN. I TRIED TO START THE CAR. THE CAR STARTED RIGHT AWAY AND BEGAN THE SAME JERKING MOTION. AS I CAME TO THE NEXT LIGHT I WAS ABLE TO TURN RIGHT AND PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD JUST AS THE CAR CAME TO A STALL A SECOND TIME. I CALLED NISSAN. WHILE ON THE PHONE, I NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD OF MY VEHICLE. IN A MATTER OF SECONDS THE SMOKE BECAME DARKER. I REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. I EXITED THE VEHICLE. WHILE ON THE PHONE WITH THE 911 OPERATOR,FLAMES CAME OUT OF THE HOOD. OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST THREE AND ONE-HALF WEEKS I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH NISSAN REGARDING THE CAR FIRE AND WARRANTY. NISSAN TOOK TWO WEEKS TO SEND AN ENGINEER TO LOOK AT THE CAR, AND IT HAS BEEN OVER A WEEK SINCE THE ENGINEER VISITED, AND I STILL HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD WHAT RECOURSE WAS AVAILABLE OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT I MAY HAVE TO GO TO ARBITRATION WITH NISSAN TO SEEK ANY DAMAGES. I HAVE SEEN NOTHING BUT A COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR PROFESSIONALISM AND SERVICE FROM A COMPANY WHICH TOUTED ITSELF AS A SERVICE-ORIENTED ORGANIZATION. I HOPE THIS COMPLAINT DREW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE NEED FOR A SERIOUS INQUIRY INTO POTENTIAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE 2005 ALTIMA. CAR FIRES WHICH OCCUR IN NEW VEHICLES WERE A DANGEROUS MATTER, AND I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT NISSAN HAS NOT DEALT WITH THIS ISSUE IN A MORE APPROPRIATE WAY. EVERYONE INVOLVED WAS FORTUNATE NO ONE WAS INJURED OR KILLED. *AK