NHTSA Complaint #10237071 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

I BOUGHT THIS CAR WITH 39,578 MILES ON IT ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2006. AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR 3 MONTHS, THE RADIATOR STARTED TO LEAK FROM THE TOP. I TOOK IT TO A RADIATOR SHOP AND THEY FIXED IT WHILE SAYING THAT NISSAN HAD USED CHEAP PARTS. A CAR THAT HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS. LESS THAN A YEAR LATER, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE TO GET THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM. THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR WAS BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT CAUSED THE CAR TO STALL WHEN CRANKING/STARTING AND LEFT ME STRANDED AT SOME POINTS AND TIMES BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT START. AFTER REPLACING THIS SENSOR, LATER TO FIND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SENSOR AND WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL EVENTHOUGH I ASSUME THE SAME PARTS ARE USED ON ALL MODELS OF THE SAME KIND, ANOTHER SENSOR IS NOW CAUSING MY CAR TO IDLE HIGH WHEN IN PARK OR NEUTRAL. THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR IN THE CAR CAUSES MORE GAS CONSUMING WHICH IN TODAY'S ECONOMIC BATTLE WITH FUEL PRICES, IS NOT FAVORABLE. NOW THAT I HAVE READ MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER PEOPLE, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM ON 2002-2005 ALTIMA MODELS. IF THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED SOONER, THE CAR COULD HAVE STOPPED RUNNING IN TRAFFIC, WHICH IS WHY IT WAS RECALLED, AND CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT MAYBE EVEN DEATH. I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN CONFIDENCE THAT IT WOULD BE DEPENDABLE FOR MYSELF AND MY CHILD BUT SINCE I HAVE CALLED TO LOG A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN NORTH AMERICA THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR HAS THREE OTHER RECALLS THAT WERE STATED AS " SERIOUS TO MY SAFETY". *TR