NHTSA Complaint #10295292 — 2001 NISSAN SENTRA

ON 12/4/09 MY CAR DIED LEAVING ME STRANDED. I HAD IT TOWED TO BRADS AUTO CLOSE TO MY HOUSE FOR $130. THEY STATED THE DIAGNOSTIC STATES"CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR" CODE. THE PART WAS PUT IN THE VEHICLE BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BRAD'S FELT PART WAS DEFECTIVE. NO OTHER CRANK SENSOR WAS AVAILABLE IN CITY. I HAD TO WAIT FOR IT TO BE SHIPPED ON TUESDAY FROM THE FACTORY. IT ARRIVED & WAS PUT IN AND SAME THING HAPPEN. IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. BRAD'S TOLD ME THAT WITH THE CRANK SENSOR THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE CAR IT STARTS UP BUT DIES, WHEN THE NEW SENSORS IS ADDED IT WON'T START AT ALL. BRAD'S RESEARCHED & FOUND THIS IS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. BRAD'S CALLED NISSAN SERVICE. A PERSON STATED THAT CAM SENSOR & CRANK SENSOR ARE INTERCHANGEABLE. ACCORDING TO BRAD'S RESEARCH ALL DATA SHOWS THEY ARE DIFFERENT. BRAD'S MENTION THE RECALL. THE SERVICE PERSON DENIED A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. BRAD'S STATED HE HAD THE RECALL IN HIS HAND WITH THE RECALL NUMBER SHOWING IT MATCHES MY VIN. BRAD'S CONTACTED ME AND I CALLED THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPT. THAT SAID ALL I COULD DO IS TOW IT TO THEM AT MY EXPENSE. MY DAD REMINDED THAT I HAD A SIMILAR INCIDENT BACK IN MARCH 2008. ON MY PAPERWORK. IT STATES THE SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS. IT STATES NISSAN REPLACED THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR AND IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM THEN THEY REPLACED THE ECM. BOTH OF THESE ITEMS ARE DISCUSSED ON THE INVOICE AS A RECALL ITEM. IN THAT INCIDENT'S, IT WAS A SATURDAY AND NO SERVICE PLACES WERE OPEN. I FOUND ONE & TOWED IT THERE. WHEN HE PUT IT ON THE DIAGNOSTIC IT STATED "CRANK SHAFT SENSOR." HE TOLD ME IT WOULD BE CHEAPER TO HAVE NISSAN FIX IT. I PAID $71.00 TO HAVE IT TOWED FROM MY HOUSE TO THAT SHOP OWNER & THEN ANOTHER $88 TO TOW IT TO NISSAN. THE NEW INCIDENT IS OBVIOUSLY RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS. NISSAN HEADQUARTERS STATED THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR ANY TOWS & THEY WOULD NOT ABSORB CHARGES DUE TO BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. NISSAN'S SOLUTION IS INEFFECTIVE, & IS NOT PART OF A WARRANTY. A RECALL SHOULD NOT COST ME ANYTHING. *TR