NHTSA Complaint #10264872 — 2004 NISSAN QUEST

MY VAN HAD THE RED KEY WARNING LIGHT GO ON AND SMELLED LIKE ELECTRICAL BURNING. I HAD IT TOWED IMMEDIATELY TO A NISSAN DEALER KELLY NISSAN LYNNFIELD MA. THEY DID CHECK THE BULLETINS UNTIL AFTER TEST DRIVING IT TWICE AND BURNING OUT THE IGNITION COILS THEY JUST REPLACED AND BURNED OUT MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER (THEY PUT A NEW ONE ON WITHOUT REPORTING IT) THEY WERE ADVISED IN WRITING NOT TO DO ANY WORK EXCEPT REPLACE THE COILS THEY SAID THEY BURNED OUT AND ONLY THEN AT NO COST TO ME. THEY REPLACED MORE THAN WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN, CHARGED ME AND WHEN THEY TEST DROVE IT AND RUINED THE CONVERTER IT SUCKED UP DEBRIS INTO THE ENGINE AND DESTROYED MY ENGINE. CALLED CORPORATE NISSAN WHO SAID THEY COULD NOT HELP ( AFTER THEY GAVE A 300.00 COUPON BECAUSE OF THE DECEPTION PRIOR TO FINDING OUT ABOUT THE DAMAGED ENGINE). IT ALL STARTED FROM A LOOSE GROUND WIRE THAT CAUSED THE COILS TO OVERWORK AND BURNED OUT. I ENDED UP PAYING ABOUT $900 FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE THE MISDIAGNOSED AND DAMAGED PARTS, NOW THE ENGINE IS ESTIMATED AT 6800. TO REPLACE. I M DISABLED AND BARELY ABLE TO AFFORD THE ROOF OVER MY HEAD AND FOOD. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR, NISS SAYS THE DEALERS ARE INDEPENDANTLY OWNED, YET THEY L HAVE THE SAME MAKER. I KEPT THE COILS THEY PUT IN HOWEVER THEY REMOVED A BOX WITH THE FIRST REPLACED ONES AND DID TO PUT THEM ALL BACK FOR ME AS INSTRUCTED. I HAVE TWO TECHNICIANS ONE A NISSAN TECH WHO SAYS IT IS DIRECTLY DUE TO KELLY NISSAN'S MISDIAGNOSIS AND DRIVING OF THE CAR TO THE POINT OF BURNING UP THE PARTS. WHAT DOES A CONSUMER NEED TO DO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES? THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. ALL PARTS EXCEPT THE CONVERTER THEY ALSO KEPT AND THE INITIAL COILS I HAVE. THE VAN WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP I USED AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IMMEDIATELY FROM FIRST TIME DRIVEN STILL IN DEALER LOT, THEY COULD TO FIND PROBLEM ALTHOUGH HEARD SOUND FROM ENGINE AND READ THE MISFIRE CODES UNTIL SECOND LOOK AFTER IT STARTED POURING SMOKE OUT THE EXHAUST AND SOUND BECAME SO BAD AND CAR WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR