NHTSA Complaint #10296182 — 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND ALL SEEMED NORMAL, UNTIL I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION TO REFUEL. SURPRISINGLY I COULD NOT GET MORE THAN 1/4 GALLON INTO THE TANK BEFORE THE PUMP KICKED OFF AND GASOLINE SPIT OUT OF THE FILLER NECK AND ALL OVER THE GROUND. MY FUEL GAUGE WAS AT ABOUT 1/4 TANK, SO I KNEW I NEEDED ABOUT 11 GALLONS. I CONTINUED TO PUT FUEL INTO THE TANK AT A VERY SLOW RATE, AND THE PUMP KEPT KICKING OFF AND FUEL SPITTING OUT OF THE TANK FILLER NECK. I FINALLY GOT 8 GALLONS INTO THE TANK AND SO I STOPPED THERE. SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING THE GAS STATION MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I GOT HOME AND HOOK UP MY CODE READER, AND IT RETURNED A CODE P1441. SOME PROBLEM WITH THE EVAP SYSTEM. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT NISSAN DEALERSHIPS HAVE A SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEMS DATING BACK QUITE A FEW YEARS, BUT DO NOT WANT TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WANT ABOUT $100 TO ANALYZE THE PROBLEM AND ABOUT $400 TO REPAIR THE CAR. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A BIG SAFETY ISSUE WHEN PEOPLE WITH A 2000 ALTIMA TRY TO FUEL UP THEIR CAR AND GASOLINE KEEPS SPITTING OUT OF THE FILLER NECK OF THE GAS TANK. *TR