NHTSA Complaint #10446198 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

MY CAR'S "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT INITIALLY CAME ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 29TH. SHORTLY AFTER, MY CAR WAS BEGINNING TO JERK WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND FELT AS IF THE ENGINE WAS SPUTTERING WHILE ON LOCAL ROADS. WE TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND TWO ISSUES WERE DISCOVERED: THE SPEED SIGNAL CIRCUIT AS WELL AS THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, WE FOUND THAT SEVERAL THOUSAND 2005 NISSAN ALTIMAS WERE RECALLED DUE TO THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR MALFUNCTIONING WITH A POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE AND INJURY. WE CONTACTED NISSAN VILLAGE AND WERE INFORMED THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT ON THE LIST OF RECALLED VEHICLES. I HAVE OWNED QUITE A FEW CARS AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PART NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE $300-$400 TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE AND I BELIEVE, EVEN THOUGH THIS RECALL WAS INITIATED BACK IN DECEMBER 2007, THESE REPAIRS SHOULD BE COVERED AS THIS IS NOT A MAINTENANCE ISSUE BUT RATHER A SERIOUS OVERALL DEFECT IN THIS PARTICULAR MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AS WE HAVE CHILDREN BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS COMPLAINT WAS LODGED FOR REPORTING PURPOSES. WE WILL ALSO BE CONTACTING NISSAN TO INFORM THEM OF THIS ISSUE AND OUR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE FACT THAT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE US FOR A REPAIR THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A PAST RECALL. THANK YOU. *TR