NHTSA Complaint #10276859 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

CRANK SHAFT SENSOR FAILURE. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) LIGHT CAME ON AT APPROX.69,300 MILES ON 7/9/09. ON 7/11/09 AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE LOCALLY DURING THE DAY, HAD PARKED IT FOR ABOUT 90 MINUTES. STARTED THE VEHICLE AND ALL OF THE DASHBOARD INDICATORS REMAIED ON. I SHUT OFF THE CAR, AND TRIED TO RESTRAT IT. THE CAR TRIED TO START, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RUN. IT TOOK ABOUT 5 TIMES OF TURNING THE KEY AND LETTING THE CAR TRY TO START FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS EACH TIME BEFORE THE ENGINE KICKED ON. THIS TIME THE DAHBOARD DISPLAY WAS NORMAL. I DROVE THE CAR STRAIGHT HOME (1 MILE). I DID NOT TRY TO START THE CAR AGAIN UNTIL I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP ON 7/13/09. ON 7/15/09 I WAS ADVISED THAT THE SES CODE WAS THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR AND THE COST TO REPLACE IS $250. THE PART WAS TO COME FROM A NISSAN DEALERSHIP (NOT AFTERMARKET). THEY CHECKED THE VIN AND ALTHOUGH EARLY 2003 ALTIMA'S ARE COVERED BY A RECALL MINE IS NOT. FURTHER INTERNET SEARCHES HAVE SHOWN THAT THIS PROBLEM IS RAMPENT. NISSAN NEEDS TO COVER THIS! I AM FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT CONTINUE TO OPERATE MY VEHICLE AND HAVE IT STALL IN TRAFFIC AS MANY OTHERS HAVE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NISSAN MUST EXPAND THEIR COVERAGE OF THE REPAIR. MY CAR IS PROPERLY MAINTAINED, AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM PAYING FOR WEAR AND TEAR. KNOWN DEFECTS SUCH AS THIS SHOULD BE COVERED. *TR