NHTSA Complaint #10484987 — 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA

CLUTCH PEDAL BEGAN TO CREAK WHEN DEPRESSED AND WOULD BEGIN TO ENGAGE VERY CLOSE TO THE FLOOR WHEN CAR WAS DRIVEN IN TOWN AND REACHED NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. FIRST FAILURE WAS SHORTLY AFTER THAT WHEN RETURNING FROM A FAMILY TRIP TO MISSOURI TO COLORADO. CLUTCH PEDAL FELL TO FLOOR AND REMAINED THERE, PREVENTING A DOWNSHIFT OR TO NEUTRAL. "FLOATED" THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL AND PULLED PEDAL BACK UP WITH MY FOOT. WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR HOME BY LIFTING THE PEDAL AFTER EVERY SHIFT. REPLACEMENT OF THE CLUTCH MASTER AND SLAVE CYLINDERS, AND WELDING THE HOUSING OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL DUE TO (STRESS FRACTURES) RESOLVED THE ISSUE FOR ABOUT 11 MONTHS/15,000 MILES, WHEN THE ISSUE BEGAN AGAIN. AFTER A FEW MORE MONTHS THE ENTIRE CLUTCH SYSTEM; CLUTCH PLATE (NOT WORN OUT), CLUTCH COVER, FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY, MASTER AND SLAVE CYLINDER, PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND RUBBER HYDRAULIC LINE WERE REPLACED. THE SYSTEM WAS THOROUGHLY FLUSHED AND BLED FOR TRAPPED AIR. ISSUE WAS RESOLVED UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO (6 MONTHS AFTER REPLACING THE SYSTEM) WHEN THE PROBLEM RESURFACED. BLEEDING OF THE SYSTEM WAS AGAIN PERFORMED WITH NO CHANGE: PEDAL WILL FALL TO THE FLOOR AND STAY THERE IF HELD FOR 1-2 SECONDS. IF THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED ABOUT 1-2 INCHES AND HELP FOR A FEW SECONDS, IT WILL BEGIN TO PULL ITSELF TO THE FLOOR WITH NO ASSISTANCE FROM THE DRIVER AT ALL. I AM PLANNING TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM ONCE AGAIN. *TR