NHTSA Complaint #10241277 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

THIS SUMMER, I VISITED CROWN NISSAN IN HOOVER, ALABAMA TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING WITH MY CAR. SPECIFICALLY, MY 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON' LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AFTER MY CAR TRIED REPEATEDLY TO STALL. (THIS HAD HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE, WITHOUT THE LIGHT COMING ON.) WHILE THERE, I WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL, THE FIXING OF WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THAT VERY PROBLEM. THE NEXT DAY, I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND IT STALLED OUT (WITHOUT THE LIGHT COMING ON), AND I IMMEDIATELY CALLED CROWN'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT AGAIN. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WHEN THE RECALL DID NOT ADDRESS THE STALLING, AND IT WAS USUALLY THE CAM AND CRANKSHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR. I ASKED WHY NISSAN USA DID NOT RECALL THE CAM AND CRANKSHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR, IF THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THEY HAD NO SAY IN THAT. SO I CALLED NISSAN USA, ALERTED THEM TO THE PROBLEM, AND ASKED THAT THEY OPEN UP A FILE FOR ME, AS I THOUGHT THEY SHOULD RECALL THE CAM SENSOR, IF IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE PROBLEM. AFTER SUBSEQUENT RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THE CAM /CRANK SHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR WAS RECALLED IN CERTAIN 2002-2003 ALTIMAS. FINALLY, MY CAR KEPT STALLING UNTIL THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT NISSAN DEALERSHIP (DUE TO OTHER ISSUES WITH CROWN). IT WAS THERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAM/CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN ASKED IF THIS WAS CUSTOMARY, I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALTIMAS LIKE MINE, FOR WHICH THE RECALL FAILED TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM. AGAIN, I ASKED WHY THIS CAM/CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS NOT RECALLED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM TO HAVE ON THE ROAD. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT UP WITH NISSAN USA. I CALLED NISSAN USA AND REQUESTED A REFUND, AND ASKED THAT THEY RECALL THE PART. MY CASE WAS ASSIGNED TO A FIELD REP, WHO HAS NEVER CALLED ME. AFTER NO RESPONSE TO MY CALLS, I SENT A LETTER DEMANDING A REFUND AND A RECALL. NO RESPONSE. *TR