NHTSA Complaint #10437762 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

AT 9:30PM, ON NOVEMBER 16, 2011, A DARK RAINY NIGHT, I LEFT A HS PARKING LOT. AFTER A SHORT DISTANCE, THE ENGINE (3.5L) COMPLETELY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSED THE POWERSTEERING TO ALSO STOP. THE SITUATION ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CARS BEHIND ME AND ON THE OTHERSIDE OF THE ROAD ALMOST HIT MY VEHICLE. IT WAS TERRIFYING AND CONFUSING. TWICE BEFORE, GOING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER MY INSISTANCE, A NISSAN DEALERSHIP FINALLY EXAMINED THE CAR AND FOUND THE CAM POSITION SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THEY REPLACED IT WITH 23731-6J90B. IT WAS PAID FOR BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE COMPANY SAID THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF ANY RECALLS. THAT WAS 08/04/09. FROM THAT DATE TO 11/16/11, I HAD NO PROBLEM. THEN ON 11/16/11 IT HAPPENED AGAIN (SEE ABOVE).THERE IS A BASIC DESIGN FLAW IN THIS VEHICLE WHICH NEEDS TO BE FIXED. NHTSA'S CAMPAIGN # 03V455000 DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM. ALSO NVS-215 06V242 ALSO DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM. NO ONE SHOULD DRIVE THIS CAR UNTIL IT IS PROPERLY FIX. IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE RECALL. THE NISSAN SPECIALIST AT 800-343-6913 WAS VERY DISMISSIVE. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. *KB