NHTSA Complaint #10442154 — 2006 NISSAN TITAN

TRAVELING IN HEAVY MORNING TRAFFIC AND THE VEHICLE SIMPLY QUIT IN THE MIDST OF HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES. IT WOULD NOT FULLY RESTART BUT WOULD ONLY ROUGH IDLE A TIME OR TWO. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE IPDM/ECM HAD FAILED. THE PARTS WERE REPLACED AND AS SOON AS I BEGAN LEAVE THE REPAIR FACILITY THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS HAD FAILED...DUE TO RAW FUEL BEING DUMPED INTO IT AS RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF THE IPDM/ECM. A FEW DAYS LATER, AS I WAS RESEARCHING CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ONLINE, I CAME ACROSS A NISSAN RECALL - NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 10V517000 AND REALIZED THAT THIS WAS THE EXACT SITUATION BUT THAT I HAD NOT RECEIVED NOTICE OF SAID RECALL. I CONTACTED NISSAN REGARDING THIS SITUATION AND REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIRS AND THEY ADVISED THAT I'D HAVE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ONE OF THEIR DEALERS FOR INSPECTION BEFORE THEY'D CONSIDER REIMBURSING. I DID SO AND THEY DID REIMBURSE FOR THE IPDM/ECM REPAIRS. HOWEVER, WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE...WHICH WAS AN IMMEDIATE RESULT OF THE IPDM/ECM FAILURE, THE DEALER (AND NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS) INDICATED THAT I'D HAVE TO GET AN ESTIMATE & "RESTART" THE PROCESS. WHILE DOING SO, I LEARNED OF NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF THIS VERY SAME THING HAPPENING WHEN IPDM/ECM FAILS & DUMPS RAW FUEL INTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. SO, I OBTAINED THE ESTIMATE FROM A NISSAN DEALER AND RECONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND BEGAN THE PROCESS AGAIN. IN THE MEANTIME, I DID LEARN THAT IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE A VEHICLE WITH A DAMAGED CONVERTER AS IT CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL...THEREBY CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE ROAD...FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS. NISSAN HAS NOW REFUSED TO PAY TO REPAIR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH WAS DAMAGED BY THE FAILURE OF THEIR RECALLED PART...AND I AM WONDERING IF YOUR OFFICE CAN HELP ME IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION. *TR