NHTSA Complaint #10408267 — 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE GAGES ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN TO READ ERRATIC. SPEEDOMETER, FUEL AND TACHOMETER DRIFTED BETWEEN ZERO AND THIER MAXIMUMS. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BACKGROUND LIGHTING ALSO BEGAN TO FLICKER. THE VEHICLE MADE IT HOME. AT HOME THE DASH WAS TAPPED A FEW TIMES TO SEE IF IT WAS A LOOSE CONNECTION. UPON DOING THIS, SOME OF THE GAGES BEGAN TO READ NORMAL, WHILE OTHERS BEGAN TO READ ERRATIC. THE VEHICLE WOULD START AND ALL THE MAJOR SYSTEMS APPEARED TO OPERATE NORMAL; OTHER THAN THE GAGES AND BACKGROUND LIGHTING, WHICH WERE STILL UNRELIABLE. THE NEXT DAY, 5/26/11, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN INTO A PARKING LOT THE GAGES AND LIGHTING STARTED ACTING ERRATIC, EXCEPT THIS TIME SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE STA.TUS DISPLAY SCREEN (THE SCREEN IN THE CENTER OF THE DASH BOARD USED TO GIVE INFORMATION ON TIME, MAINT, TEMPERATURE). THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY. THE PROBLEM WAS FOUND AND FIXED BY A DEALER. THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A COIN THAT HAD FALLEN INTO A GAP THAT WAS FORMED BY DESIGN OR MISALINEMENT OF THE DISPLAY SCREEN AND THE SHELF AT THE BASE OF THE SCREEN. THE SCREEN IS RECESSED 3.125 INCHES AND DECLINED AT AN ANGLE OF APPROX 18 DEG. THIS ALLOWS ANY SMALL OBJECTS TO MIGRATE TO THE DISPLAY SCREEN GAP. THE GAP MEASURES .114 INCHES ACROSS THE BASE OF THE DISPLAY. THE COIN (A DIME) CONTINUED DOWNWARD UNTIL IT CAME IN CONTACT WITH AN ENCLOSED PRINTED CIRCUIT (PC). THE PLASTIC ENCLOSURE HAS A SMALL SLOT(.3125 X .78125) ON TOP WHICH ALLOWED THE COIN TO DROP IN AND SHORT OUT THE PC. THE REPLACEMENT PART DOESN'T HAVE THE SLOT. TWO SMALL HOLES BURNT THROUGH THE PLASTIC ENCLOSURE. P/N OF PC IS 277607Y00A/UPR/5804. WILL FURNISH PHOTOS UPON REQUEST.