NHTSA Complaint #10254362 — 2005 NISSAN SENTRA

NISSAN REFUSES TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THEIR RECALL, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V527000. ON 12/10/08 I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 NISSAN SENTRA ON THE HIGHWAY, JUST CRUISING, NOT ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING, WHEN SUDDENLY MY ENGINE HAD A STRONG PULL BACK, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. 2 DAYS LATER I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO AUTOZONE FOR A FREE DIAGNOSTICS, AND THEY PRINTED ME A REPORT THAT LISTED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. I LOOKED HERE ON NHTSA FOR RECALLS, AND FOUND THERE WAS ONE DIRECTLY DEALING WITH MY PROBLEM. THE RECALL CLEARLY STATES "DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ECM FREE OF CHARGE." WHEN I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THEY CANNOT REPROGRAM THE ECM BECAUSE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. FIRST, IT DOES NOT MENTION THAT IN THE RECALL. SECOND, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON BECAUSE OF THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, WHICH IT ALSO STATES IN THE RECALL SUMMARY "THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR CAN OVERHEAT CAUSING A BRIEF INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL OUTPUT FROM THE SENSOR." SO SINCE THEN, I HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE NUMEROUS TIMES WITH THE REGIONAL MANAGER, WHO FINALLY TODAY, 1/9/09, TOLD ME I NEED TO PAY $95 FOR A DIAGNOSTICS AT A NISSAN DEALERSHIP, FOR THEM TO CONSIDER REPLACING THE ACKNOWLEDGED FAULTY SENSOR, AND DO THE REPROGRAMMING. WHICH, SHE ADMITTED, THEY WILL MOST LIKELY NOT DO UNDER "GOOD WILL". SO I SIMPLY ASKED THE MANAGER, DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW "INSANE" THAT IS THAT YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT I HAVE TO PAY $95 FOR A DIAGNOSTICS THAT I ALREADY HAVE, TO GET NISSAN TO CONSIDER FIXING THE FAULTY PART WHICH THEY MOST LIKELY WILL NOT DO. THE MANAGER SAID, "YES, THAT IS 'INSANE', BUT THAT IS POLICY AND PROCEDURE." IF I AM NOT WILLING TO GET THE DIAGNOSTICS DONE AT NISSAN, THERE IS NOTHING SHE CAN DO FOR ME, AND MY FILE IS CLOSED. SO, IN THE END, NISSAN WILL NOT PERFORM THEIR RECALL NOR FIX THE PART THEY ACKNOWLEDGE IS FAULTY IN THE RECALL. *TR