NHTSA Complaint #10474019 — 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA

VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ALONG WITH OTHER NORMAL TRAFFIC WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND STALLED ON AN INCLINE. DRIVER CAREFULLY STEERED VEHICLE TO A SAFE PLACE DOWNHILL AND CALLED A TOWING COMPANY TO TOW VEHICLE TO DRIVER'S RESIDENCE. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT, A RUBBER SEAL ON THE ECM WIRING HARNESS WAS FOUND BUCKLED UP. ON TRYING TO REMOVE AND RE-INSERT THE HARNESS, IT WAS FOUND THAT ECM TERMINALS HAD CORRODED AND SOME PIN CONTACT HAD ACTUALLY FALLEN OFF. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH, THIS WAS FOUND TO BE AN ISSUE COVERED UNDER FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY. DRIVER/OWNER CALLED THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHO IMMEDIATELY, PRESUMABLY AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE, TOWED THE CAR TO THEIR FACILITY, CHECKED AND FOUND THE ECM TO BE FAULTY BUT BLAMED THE FAULTY WIRING HARNESS FOR THE FAILURE. AND FURTHER, THE DEALER CLAIMED SINCE THE HARNESS CARRIES A 3 YEAR WARRANTY AND WAS THE "CAUSE" OF THE ECM FAILURE, THIS WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY RESULTING IN A BILL OF $2,000+ FOR REPLACING THE FAULTY - CORRODED - WIRING HARNESS AND THE FAULTY ECM. ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE DEALER DO MORE RESEARCH OR CONTACT NISSAN USA FOR ADVISE FELL ON DEAF EARS. IF THE CAR HAD STALLED ON HIGH SPEED AND CAUSED FATALITIES ON THE HIGHWAY, WOULD THESE REPAIRS THEN HAVE BEEN "PART" OF FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR PUBLICITY PURPOSES? IT IS OUT OF SHEER LUCK THAT 1. THE CAR STALLED WHILE GOING DOWNHILL AND, 2. THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR. I DESPERATELY NEED ADVISE ON THIS WHILE I AWAIT FOR DELIVERY OF A SPECIAL ORDER FOR THE ECM AND HARNESS. IN THE MEANTIME, MY RENTAL CAR EXPENSES ARE PILING UP AND ARE NOT COVERED BY ANY WARRANTY. *TR