NHTSA Complaint #10225913 — 2001 NISSAN SENTRA

ON A WAY HOME FROM A LONG TRIP (160 MILES EACH WAY), MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING ON A HIGHWAY. IT STARTED AGAIN AND RAN FOR ANOTHER 30 MILES OR SO AND COMPLETELY STOPPED RUNNING AND DID NOT RESTART. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A NEARBY GARAGE WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED TO REQUIRE A NEW CAM POSITION SENSOR. I WAS TOLD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALERSHIP BECAUSE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. MY FAMILY HAD TO DRIVE 200 MILES TO GET ME HOME. RECENTLY, "SERVICE ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON DURING TWO LONG TRIPS, BUT THE LIGHT WENT AWAY AFTER REPLACING OR TIGHTENING THE GAS CAP. AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT, NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. THE DEALERSHIP (HIGH POINT) CALLED LATER AND SAID THAT "THE GOOD NEWS" WAS THAT I DID NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THREE RECALLED PARTS, TWO OF WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND I DROVE 200 MILES TO GET IT HOME. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE RECALL UNTIL THIS INCIDENT EVEN THOUGH THE RECALL CAMPAIGN HAS STARTED BEFORE WE PURCHASED THE CAR AT A NISSAN DEALERSHIP AS A USED CAR ON FEB. 29, 2004. SHOULD THIS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE THE PURCHASE, OR SHOULD WE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. THERE WERE MUCH EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH TOWING, EXTRA ENGINE CHECK AS WELL AS PERSONAL TIME SPENT ON DRIVING BACK AND FORTH. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS IN VIOLATION OF A LAW. I RECENTLY SPOKE WITH A FRIEND WHO OWNS A SAME MODEL CAR. THEIR DEALERSHIP (SERVICE DEPARTMENT, MIGHT BE UNDER THE SAME OWNERSHIP) TOLD THEM THAT THEIR CAR WOULD NEED SOME SENSORS WHICH MAY SOMETIMES CAUSE THEIR "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT TO COME ON. YET NO INFORMATION OF RECALL OR POTENTIAL SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THEM. THIS MAKES ME WONDER IF SOME DEALERSHIPS ARE NOT ONLY NEGLECTING RECALL CAMPAIGN BUT ALSO INTENTIONALLY AVOIDING THE RECALL REPAIR. *TR