NHTSA Complaint #10304329 — 2003 NISSAN MURANO

IN JAN 2010 WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH THE ENGINE OF MY 2003 NISSAN MURANO SUDDENLY DIED LEAVING ME WITH NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. IT WAS TERRIFYING, BUT LUCKILY, I MANAGED TO GET TO SHOULDER WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. CAR ENGINE RESTARTED WITHOUT HESITATION. AFTER WAITING 5 MINUTES WITH ENGINE IDLING SMOOTHLY WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEM, I EXITED TO FRONTAGE ROAD AT NEXT EXIT AND, 3 MILES LATER, AT 30 MPH THE ENGINE SUDDENLY DIED AGAIN. RESTARTED AND PULLED INTO NEARBY PARKING LOT. CAR AGAIN RESTARTED WITHOUT PROBLEM. AFTER 10 MINUTES OF IDLING SMOOTHLY, ENGINE DIED WHILE PARKED. HAD CAR TOWED TO NISSAN DEALER. NISSAN SHOP REPORTED THAT THE "CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED." I FOUND THAT THERE WAS RECALL ISSUED IN 2003 FOR 2003 MODEL YEAR NISSAN MURANO FOR EXACTLY THIS ISSUE, BUT BOTH DEALER AND NISSAN USA, WHEN CONTACTED BY ME, SAID THE RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO MY VIN # (EVEN THOUGH NHTSA INDICATED RECALL AFFECTED 600,000 VEHICLES). I BELIEVE THE FAILURE OF MY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FAULTY SOLDER JOINTS IN THE CIRCUIT BOARDS FOR THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AS DESCRIBED IN THIS RECALL. I BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL 2003 MODEL YEAR NISSAN MURANO VEHICLES: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V455000, NISSAN RECALL #: R3022). *TR