NHTSA Complaint #10281386 — 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA THE ENGINE STALLED. UPON EXITING THE CAR WE SAW SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE HOOD. AFTER OPENING IT, WE SAW THE AIR FILTER HOUSING GLOWING AND THE SMOKE COMING FROM IT. THE POLICE PULLED THE AIR FILTER OUT WHICH STOPPED THE SMOKING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALER WHO WOUND UP REPLACING THE AIR FILTER ASSEMBLY, COVER, AIR FLOW SENSOR, ETC FOR $888.19. THE ONLY EXPLANATION THEY COULD GIVE ME FOR THE CAUSE WAS A CIGARETTE BUTT OR SOMETHING SIMILAR GOT SUCKED UNTO THE AIR INTAKE. THERE WERE NO OTHER COMPONENTS INVOLVED THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS. I HAD DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM - PE07026. I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO HELP US. THE DEALER BROUGHT IN A NISSAN REPRESENTATIVE WHO WOULD NOT HONOR OUR REQUEST. I ALSO HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH NISSAN BUT WAS TOLD THIS WASN'T COVERED. SINCE THE CAUSE OF THIS FIRE IS AN EXACT MATCH TO THE REASON FOR THIS RECALL I BELIEVE THE RECALL WAS NOT AS COMPREHENSIVE AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. IF THIS CAN HAPPEN TO US WHILE JUST DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH NISSAN TO TRY TO GET THIS COVERED BUT HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. *TR