NHTSA Complaint #10363228 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

MY DAUGHTER HAD COMPLAINED OF THE CLUTCH IN HER CAR LOOSING PRESSURE AND BASICALLY DROPPING TO THE FLOOR, INTERFERING WITH HER ABILITY TO SHIFT GEARS, AND IT SOMETIMES LURCHING FORWARD ON OCCASIONS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IN AUGUST 2010, SHE WAS SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT, IN FIRST GEAR WITH HER FOOT ON THE CLUTCH WHEN THIS OCCURRED, CAUSING THE CAR TO JUMP FORWARD INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. AT THE TIME, I FELT THAT HER FOOT MAY HAVE SLIPPED OFF THE CLUTCH INSTEAD, UNTIL IT LOST PRESSURE AGAIN A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO WHILE DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS. I STARTED RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE MODEL EXHIBITING VERY SIMILAR BEHAVIOR. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IN TRAFFIC IT'S DANGEROUS, BECAUSE IT CAN LURCH BY ITSELF OR YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING VEHICLES, LIKE IF YOU'RE CROSSING TRAFFIC. IT ALSO INHIBITS THE ABILITY TO DOWNSHIFT WHEN GOING DOWNHILL. NISSAN DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THIS AS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH MANY PEOPLE HAVE BADGERED THE DEALERSHIPS INTO REPLACING THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER AND/OR SLAVE CYLINDER UNDER WARRANTY, AND NISSAN HAS NOT HAD A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM. MINE IS WAY OUT OF WARRANTY, SO MY ONLY RECOURSE IS TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT SO THAT HOPEFULLY OTHERS WILL NOT BECOME INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF FAULTY PARTS OR FLUID BEING USED IN THE CLUTCH SYSTEM. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER IS ALLOWING AIR, AND/OR MOISTURE, TO ENTER THE SYSTEM, BUT MOREOVER, THE DOT 3 FLUID THAT IS USED SEEMS TO BE THE MAJOR FACTOR IN THE FAILURE, WHERE AS DOT 4 OR 5.1 SHOULD BE USED INSTEAD. I HAVE NOT DONE ANY REPAIR TO THE CAR SINCE SHE HAS IT AT SCHOOL, BUT I WILL HAVE IT FIXED AS SOON AS I GET IT BACK HOME.