NHTSA Complaint #10223869 — 2002 NISSAN SENTRA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA S-ER. THREE YEARS AGO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT IT COULD BE DUE TO VARIOUS COMPONENTS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED THE REST OF THE DAY. THE DEALER ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A CRACK IN THE WIRING HARNESS. THE COST TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS WAS $1,800, DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR OR GUARANTEE THAT THE FAILURE WOULD BE CORRECTED. THREE YEARS LATER, IN MARCH OF 2008, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE ECM, WHICH STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD SHUT OFF. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL AS LONG AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE MECHANICS WERE NOT QUALIFIED THREE YEARS AGO. THEY LEFT BLOWN AND LOOSE FUSES IN THE ENGINE AND ALSO DISCONNECTED THE WIRING HARNESS. THE CONTACT PAID OVER $400 TO HAVE THE O2 SENSORS REPLACED AND THEY HAVE FAILED AGAIN. THE ECM REPAIR WAS ONLY GUARANTEED UNDER WARRANTY FOR 80,000 MILES; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 83,000 MILES. THE ECM REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY THREE YEARS AGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS FOR A FAILURE THAT WAS IMPROPERLY DIAGNOSED THREE YEARS AGO. THERE ARE INVOICES AVAILABLE THAT INDICATE THE SAME COMPUTER READING THAT WAS DISPLAYED THREE YEARS AGO IS THE SAME READING THAT IS DISPLAYED TODAY. THE COMPLAINT IS RELATED TO HAVING TO PAY FOR A FAILURE THAT WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND IMPROPERLY DIAGNOSED. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000.