NHTSA Complaint #10226740 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR'S ENGINE SHUTTING OFF WHILE SITTING IDLE AT A LIGHT OR SHUTTING OFF ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING MY ENGINE. I CONTACTED BOTH THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND NISSAN DIRECTLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP NEVER RETURNED MY CALL/EMAIL AND NISSAN BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT SINCE MY VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL, THAT THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME A RECALL NOTICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. I TOOK MY CAR INTO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED AND I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE CRANK SHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR AND THEN FROM THERE, THEY WOULD REPROGRAM THE ECM. AFTER BEING TOLD THEY NEEDED TO RUN A 100+ DIAGNOSTIC CHECK, I WAS INFORMED THAT IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE SENSOR, IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $200+, WHICH I DIDN'T HAVE, SO WITH THE HELP OF A MECHANIC FRIEND, RESEARCHED THE CORRECT SENSOR, HAD HIM REPLACE IT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO REPROGRAM. AGAIN, WE WERE TOLD THEY NEEDED TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH I ALREADY TOLD THEM IT JUST NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. I WAS INFORMED THAT IF THAT WAS ALL THAT WAS NEEDED, THAT SERVICE WOULD BE ABSORBED INTO THE $100 DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THEY CALLED ME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY CAM SHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR FOR THE ECM TO BE REPROGRAMMED AND THAT WOULD COST ME $300+. I ASKED THEM WHY THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY WITH THE INFORMATION BEING RELAYED TO ME AND I WAS INFORMED THAT EACH DEALERSHIP OPERATES INDEPENDENTLY, SO THEY CAN'T BE LIABLE FOR ANOTHER DEALERSHIPS ASSESSMENT. I JUST WANT MY CAR FIXED WITHOUT FEELING AS THOUGH I AM PURCHASING PARTS THAT AREN'T COMPLETELY NECESSARY TO FIX MY PROBLEM, THOUGH MY IDEAL SITUATION WOULD BE THAT THEY SEND ME A RECALL NOTICE SO THAT I CAN GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY ANY MORE MONEY. *TR