NHTSA Complaint #10376704 — 2007 NISSAN SENTRA

I DRIVE A 2007 NISSAN SENTRA, AND THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN FAILING FREQUENTLY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. THIS VEHICLE HAS ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING. THE ISSUE OCCURS MORE OFTEN IN THE COLD WEATHER, AND THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN FAILING ALMOST DAILY THIS WINTER. TYPICALLY, AFTER THE CAR IS RESTARTED SEVERAL TIMES THE PS LIGHT WILL TURN OFF AND THE POWER STEERING WILL AGAIN OPERATE CORRECTLY. OFTEN I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT FUNCTIONAL POWER STEERING, AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER THE CAR. BECAUSE THIS ISSUE IS WORSENED BY THE COLD WEATHER, THE ROADS MAY BE ICY OR SNOWY, ADDING TO THE DANGER OF OPERATING WITHOUT PROPER FUNCTIONING STEERING. IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO HAVE THIS ISSUE DIAGNOSED BY MY MECHANIC, AS I HAD TO GET THE CAR TO HIM WHILE THE PS LIGHT WAS ON, AND WHEN HE RAN IT THROUGH THE COMPUTER IT GAVE HIM THE CODE C1606. HAVING DONE RESEARCH ONLINE, I SEE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON HAVING THIS RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE, BUT NISSAN HAS NOT ISSUED ANY RECALL. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX (ESTIMATED AT $2,500), BUT DUE TO MY CAR NO LONGER BEING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, I AM EXPECTED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THIS REPAIR. NISSAN WAS WILLING TO OFFER ME $150 TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM AT ONE OF THEIR DEALERSHIPS. THEY OFFERED ME THIS MONEY AFTER I INSISTED ON SPEAKING WITH A SUPERVISOR, AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT I AM A CONSIDERED A "LOYAL CUSTOMER", HAVING OWNED A 1998 SENTRA IN THE PAST. BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM THIS MALFUNCTION, AND THE SAFETY CONCERNS INVOLVED, I BELIEVE A RECALL IS IN ORDER. *TR