NHTSA Complaint #10322204 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR THE DAY BEFORE, ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED ON A FIVE LANE HWY IN CENTER LANE DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC AT SPEED LIMIT OF 70MPH. MY SON AND I WERE STRANDED HELPLESS IN THE MIDST OF CARS HEADING RIGHT TOWARDS US. AN HOUR LATER GEICO SENT A TOW TO TAKE US TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR. THE STALL WAS DUE TO A RECALL ON THE ENGINE SENSOR ISSUED IN 2006. DEALER HAD DENIED RECALL MULTIPLE TIMES PRIOR BUT HAD FINALLY RECOGNIZED IT. LEFT THE CAR OVERNIGHT TO HAVE ECN REPROGRAMMED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED DIAGNOSTIC FOR $192.14. I STATED I WANTED TO TAKE IT ELSEWHERE AND WAS CALLED THE NEXT MORNING TO COME PICK UP MY CAR. GOT THERE CAR WAS RUNNING, ASKED IF THERE HAD EVER BEEN ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL AND TOLD NO. GOT 1/2 OF MILE AND LOUD NOISE AND LOSS OF POWER. ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED WHILE DRIVING AND LOST STEERING AND BRAKES WHILE IN TRAFFIC. TO AVOID GOING INTO NEXT LANE ONCOMING TRAFFIC, I SWERVED OTHER WAY INTO TELEPHONE POLL. ENGINE COMPLETELY DEAD SINCE THEN AND HAS BEEN PROCLAIMED AS TOTALED DUE TO LOCKED ENGINE. ENGINE QR25DE WAS TAKEN OFF SALES FLOOR IN 2006 AND I RECEIVED NO INFORMATION AT ALL. DEALER TOLD ME HE NEVER HEARD OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR. ON RECEIPT FROM DEALER IT STATES CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BUT DEALER NEVER GAVE ME RECEIPT TO SIGN AND NEVER EVEN ELUDED TO CAR DOING SAME THING IT HAD DONE LESS THAN 24 HOURS PRIOR. SAID HE PUT OIL IN CAR AND IT STARTED UP AND WAS READY FOR ME TO PICK UP. I HAD JUST HAD OIL CHANGE AND HAD NO OIL LEAKS WHATSOEVER. MY SON IS TRAUMATIZED AND CAN'T SLEEP NIGHTS FROM FIRST INCIDENT AND I HAVE NO VEHICLE AND CAN'T GET TO DOCTOR FOR MY BACK, LEG, AND KNEE INJURY I SUFFERED IN THE CRASH. NISSAN SAYS 6 WEEKS UNTIL THEY SEND AN INSPECTOR TO SEE CAR AND I'M PAYING FOR EACH DAY IT SITS ON THE LOT OF MECHANIC. STILL HAVE NOT EVEN DISPATCHED ORDERS AND IT IS NOW 9 DAYS LATER. MY LIFE AND MY SON'S WERE KNOWINGLY PUT IN DANGER TWICE DUE TO CORP & DEALER NEGLIGENCE.