NHTSA Complaint #10233775 — 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA

ALL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON AND VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START BACK UP, WAITED 10 MINUTES AND IT FINALLY STARTED BACK UP. DROVE 1 BLOCK AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, DASH LIGHTS CAME ON, CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS A FAULTY CAM AND CRANK SENSOR AND IT WAS $258 TO REPLACE IT. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I FOUND THAT THE SAME PART, CAM AND CRANK SENSOR, WAS RECALLED ON PRIOR AND LATER ALTIMA MODELS, BUT 2004 MODELS WERE EXCLUDED. THE SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPEATED OVER AND OVER ON SAFECAR.GOV AS WELL AS NUMEROUS OTHER WEBSITES. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND WHERE I TOOK IT TO BE REPAIRED AND NOTIFIED THEM OF THE SEEMINGLY CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS PART ON THE ALTIMAS AND THEY DIRECTED ME TO NISSAN. I CONTACTED NISSAN DIRECTLY AND MY FILE WAS ESCALATED TO THE REGIONAL MANAGER WHO REQUESTED THAT I FAX HIM THE INVOICE RECEIPT FOR PAYMENT AND MY VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND HE WOULD HAVE IT REVIEWED TO SEE IF IT QUALIFIED FOR REIMBURSEMENT. HE TELEPHONED ME 2 DAYS LATER AND INFORMED ME THAT I DID NOT MEET THE QUALIFICATION FOR REIMBURSEMENT. THIS IS A FAULTY PART AND MANY, MANY 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH. NOT PLACING A RECALL ON THIS PART IS PUTTING MANY LIVES IN DANGER AS THE CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING AND YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT WHATSOEVER. EVEN THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND YOU CANNOT STEER THE CAR AWAY FROM TRAFFIC. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING TO REPLACE A PART THAT IS FAULTY AND COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR