NHTSA Complaint #10269849 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

2003, NISSAN ALTIMA, 3.5L, 60,000 MILES. JANUARY 2009, TRAVELING IN SOUTH FLORIDA TRAFFIC, ALL DASH WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND CAR STALLS. CAR RESTARTS, HARD, AND IS DRIVEN TO FT LAUDERDALE DEALERSHIP. $100 DIAGNOSTIC REVEALS CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND 2 CAM SENSORS NEED TO BE REPLACED. OUR SON, SERVICE WRITER FOR NISSAN IN TEXAS, TELLS US THE DEALERSHIP HAS DOUBLED THE ESTIMATE AND TO KEEP LOOKING FOR A MECHANIC (SINCE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY). TELLS US THE MAXIMA FOR THIS YEAR HAS A RECALL FOR THIS BUT NOT THE ALTIMA WITH 3.5L. WE DRIVE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC,STALLING SEVERAL MORE TIMES, IN RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC, HE ESTIMATES $600+/- AND WE LEAVE CAR FOR REPAIR WHILE I ENTER THE HOSPITAL FOR BREAST CANCER SURGERY. CAR IS REPAIRED WHEN I LEAVE HOSPITAL, HUGE BILL COMES OUT OF MY POCKET, AND NISSAN WILL NOT CONSIDER REIMBURSEMENT, ALTHOUGH MANY HUNDREDS OF THESE VEHICLES ARE EXPERIENCING IDENTICAL PROBLEMS! NO RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED, NO NOTICE OF THE ECM RECALL WAS RECEIVED AND THE CAR IS NOW SLUGGISH ON ACCELERATION. CAR IS METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED, USES ONLY PREMIUM GAS AND OTHERWISE A GOOD VEHICLE TO OWN. NISSAN'S REFUSAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AND DEALERSHIPS GOUGING CUSTOMERS MAKES THIS SITUATION EVEN MORE DISTASTEFUL! *TR