NHTSA Complaint #10256841 — 2003 NISSAN SENTRA

THIS IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO DATE: 1.MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR ?03 SENTRA AT 11 PM ON JANUARY 22, 2008 WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. FORTUNATELY, IT HAPPENED ON A SIDE STREET WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC. 2.I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY USUAL MECHANIC, A FIRESTONE DEALER IN NORCROSS, GA. 3.THE NEXT DAY THE FIRESTONE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE?S ISSUE WAS A CRANK POSITION SENSOR THAT WAS BAD AND THAT THIS WAS COVERED BY RECALL #03V455000 FOR ?03 NISSAN SENTRAS, AMONG OTHER NISSAN VEHICLES. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT I TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A NISSAN DEALER. 4.THAT NEXT MORNING, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CAPITOL CITY (FORMERLY PEACHTREE) NISSAN.. THE CAPITOL CITY NISSAN SERVICE AGENT INFORMED ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. HE SHOWED ME THE DOCUMENT THAT INDICATED THAT THE RECALL ONLY APPLIED TO ?03 CARS MANUFACTURED ON OR BEFORE 30 JUNE 2002. MINE WAS APPARENTLY BUILT IN DECEMBER OF ?02 5.CAPITOL CITY NISSAN ALSO WASN'T CONVINCED THE PROBLEM WAS THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR SO INSISTED ON RUNNING THEIR OWN DIAGNOSTICS TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. IN THE END, IT WAS CONFIRMED TO BE THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT THE FAILED SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY THE RECALL. THE DEFECTIVE SENSOR CAUSED A SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE, EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN RECALL NOTICE 03V455000. FORTUNATELY, THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING SLOWLY IN LIGHT TRAFFIC. I BROUGHT THIS TO NISSAN'S ATTENTION. THEY HAVE REFUSED TO CORRECT THE DEFECT AT THEIR COST. IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL ?03 SENTRAS AS I HAVE READ OF SEVERAL OF THESE OCCURRENCES TO VEHICLES JUST OUTSIDE THE RECALL MANUFACTURING PERIOD. *TR