NHTSA Complaint #10240485 — 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, IT STARTED TO MISS, SPUTTER, RUN BAD, VIBRATE AND ALMOST TURN OFF. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND AFTER HAVING THE CODES READ (P1320) AND RESEARCHING DTC P1320 AND/OR SPARK KNOCK (DETONATION) DUE TO IGNITION COIL (S). I FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL YEARS OF MAXIMAS. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE NEWER COILS WITH A GRAY DOT, THAT IS TO BE USED TO REPLACE THE OLDER DEFECTIVE ONES. NOT ONLY ARE THE BAD ONES RECOMMENDED FOR REPLACEMENT, BUT ALL 6 ARE RECOMMENDED FOR REPLACEMENT. WHY IS THIS? I BELIEVE IS WAS BECAUSE OF A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE PARTS. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED SEVERAL OF THESE COILS AND IT DON'T TAKE LONG BEFORE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS BACK ON, AND THE CAR IS ONCE AGAIN MISFIRING AND GETTING BAD GAS MILEAGE BECAUSE OF CODE P1320, ANOTHER BAD COIL. NISSAN SHOULD RECALL THESE CARS AND FIX THIS CONTINUOUSLY ONGOING PROBLEM . THIS MISFIRING ON INTERSTATES AND BUSY ROADS AT HIGH SPEEDS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE IT SLOWS THE CAR DOWN ALL OF A SUDDEN AND COULD RESULT IN A REAR END CRASH. THIS MISFIRING ALSO RESULTS IN FUEL NOT BEING BURNED IN THE CYLINDER AND IS WASTED. *TR