NHTSA Complaint #10321811 — 2005 NISSAN SENTRA

I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN SENTRA (VIN #[XXX] ) THAT HAS BLOWN A HEAD GASKET AT 65,000 MILES. ON MARCH 15 I NOTICED MY CAR HAD TROUBLE STARTING, ENGINE WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT CATCH. IT DID START, HOWEVER, SO I DROVE HOME, CALLED A MECH AND SCHEDULED AN APPT FOR THE 17TH. ON THE 16TH MY CAR WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE MECH. THIS MECH RAN DIAGNOSTICS AND DISCOVERED A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. ASKED ME WHAT OTHER SYMPTOMS I HAD BEEN HAVING..THERE WERE NONE. I THEN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO ANOTHER MECHANIC -- FOR A SECOND OPINION -- SINCE MY 1ST MECHANIC WAS SURPRISED AND A BIT SHOCKED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WOULD GO BAD THIS EARLY IN THE LIFE OF MY CAR. THE 2ND MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE SAMETHING AND WAS ALSO SHOCKED IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET SINCE HEAD GASKETS NORMALLY LAST WELL OVER 100,000 MILES. I CALLED THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD A) THAT THE HEAD GASKET IS ONLY COVERED UNDER WARRANTY UP TO 60,000 MILES AND B) THAT HAD I TAKEN BETTER CARE OF MY CAR, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I DO TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF MY CAR.. I'M ACTUALLY A BIT ANAL ABOUT GETTING THE RECOMMENDED OIL CHANGES AND HAVE THE RECORDS TO PROVE IT. TOLD HIM THIS AND ESSENTIALLY HE BLEW ME OFF. INTERESTINGLY, HE WAS THE ONLY ONE NOT SURPRISED THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN. IN MY RESEARCH SINCE THEN, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE #1 COMPLAINT FOR THE 2005 NISSAN SENTRA IS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET BETWEEN 65,000 AND 75,000 MILES. IT WOULD APPEAR TO ME THAT NISSAN KNEW THEY USED A DEFECTIVE PART BUT 'COVERED THEMSELVES' BY ONLY COVERING IT UP TO 60,000 MILES. THEY ADMITTED THAT THEIR OTHER 'MODELS' DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM (THOUGH I DID NOT GET THIS IN WRITING) AND ACTUALLY TRIED TO SELL ME ANOTHER NISSAN. WHILE THIS WAS NOT DANGEROUS TO ME, AS IT HAPPENED IN THE SAFETY OF MY GARAGE, HAD IT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD IT COULD HAVE HAD A MUCH DIFFERENT OUTCOME. I'M OUT LOTS OF MONEY (APPROX $1,200) AND AFTER A WEEK STILL DO NOT HAVE A RUNNING CAR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR