NHTSA Complaint #10262257 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE CAR SPUTTERED ALMOST STALLING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED AND STAYED ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO A CAR PARTS STORE AND BORROWED THEIR COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS DEVICE AND FOUND OUT THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE ESM, BUT NOTHING GOING TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM (THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR). THROUGH MY RESEARCH I FOUND THE PROBLEMS ATTRIBUTED TO THIS PART ARE NOT STARTING, SPUTTERING WHILE DRIVING AND/OR SHUTTING-OFF WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR TO NISSAN ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS FOR NOT STARTING, BUT NO DIAGNOSIS COULD BE ATTAINED BY NISSAN. AFTER SPEAKING WITH DIFFERENT LOCAL NISSAN DEALER, THE SERVICE TECH ADMITTED THE PROBLEM IS THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR FAILING. I FEEL NISSAN IS PUTTING A BAND-AID ON THE REAL PROBLEM DISGUISING IT WITH THE ESM REPROGRAM. THE FAILURE OF THIS PART CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF YOU ARE DRIVING AND THE CAR SHUTS OFF. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON FORUMS, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS AND APPARENTLY NISSAN HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE ALTIMA AS FAR BACK AS THE '03 MODEL YEAR. IT WAS ALSO STATED ON THE FORUMS THAT MULTIPLE SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED OVER AND OVER. I AM NOW WORRIED ABOUT MYSELF AND MY YOUNG CHILD'S SAFETY AS THIS CAR IS OUR MAIN SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION. *TR