NHTSA Complaint #10434149 — 2006 NISSAN FRONTIER

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2007 WITH 40,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS BEEN SHIMMYING ON THE HIGHWAY SINCE I HIT 60,000 MILES AND IN SPITE OF HAVING MY TIRES RE-ALIGNED AND BALANCED, IT STILL CONTINUES TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH AT SPEEDS OVER 50 MILES AN HOUR. I JUST HIT MY 100,000 MILE MARK ON THE FIRST OF OCTOBER. ON OCTOBER 18TH, I WAS AT MY SON'S DAYCARE AND THE TRUCK STARTED IDLING STRANGELY. THE TRUCK WAS PUTTERING AND EXHAUSTING BLACK SMOKE. IT DIED IN THE PARKING LOT AND I TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO GET IT STARTED. IT TOOK ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF TRYING BUT I GOT IT RUNNING AGAIN, ONLY TO HAVE IT DIE ON ME IN TRAFFIC. ONCE AGAIN, I GOT IT STARTED AND MANAGED TO GET IT HOME WHERE IT COMPLETELY DIED. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP (AFTER A LOCAL MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND COULDN'T GET IT STARTED) THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME I HAD AN ENGINE IDLE AIR CONTROL SENSOR THAT WAS RECALLED BY NISSAN. I NEVER RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE BUT WAS RELIEVED THAT MY BILL WAS COVERED. LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER THE SENSOR HAD BEEN REPLACED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME MY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS HAD BURNED OUT. FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESEARCH ONLINE, THE FAILURE OF MY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO AN OUT OF TUNE ENGINE (TOO MUCH AIR OR FUEL) WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE SENSOR BEING DEFECTIVE. NISSAN DOESN'T SEE IT THAT WAY AND NOW I'M STUCK WITH A $3500 REPAIR BILL ON A TRUCK I STILL OWE MONEY ON AND HAVE OWNED FOR LESS THAN FOUR YEARS. *TR