NHTSA Complaint #10512379 — 2002 NISSAN PATHFINDER

I RECENTLY BROUGHT UP TO THE ATTENTION OF NISSAN A PROBLEM I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING WITH MY CAR. THE "CHECK ENGINE SERVICE" LIGHT IS ON AND IT JUST DOESN'T TURN OFF. LET ME EXPLAIN. WHEN I FIRST NOTICE THE PROBLEM, AROUND 6 MONTHS AGO, I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER. HOWEVER, JUST TO HOOK UP THE CAR TO THE COMPUTER OF THE DEALERSHIP IS OVER $100. NOT TO GET FIXED, JUST TO HOOK UP. I THINK THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS. SO I TOOK IT TO 2 DIFFERENT PLACES, A LOCAL MECHANIC AND AUTOZONE, BOTH EQUIPPED WITH COMPUTER HOOK UPS, CAPABLE OF "READING" NISSAN CODES. AT FIRST, THE CODE INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH THE "R" VALVE TIMING SOLENOID, WHICH I PROCEEDED TO CHANGE. HOWEVER, THE LIGHT CONTINUED ON. I TOOK IT BACK, AND NOW IT WAS THE "L" SIDE, WHICH I ALSO CHANGED. THESE TWO CHANGES COST ME $500. BUT THE LIGHT CONTINUES ON. NOW IS GIVING CODES FOR THE CAM/CRANK SENSOR, DIRT BUILD UP, THE IVT CONTROL SOLENOID OPEN OR SHORTED. AT THIS POINT IS WHEN I CONTACTED NISSAN. I WAS ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER (11149465) AND EVENTUALLY TALKED TO A [XXX], 800/343-6913, EXT 458103. SHE INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD IF I DID NOT TAKE THE CAR TO A NISSAN DEALER. THEY STILL WOULD CHARGE OVER $100 JUST TO CONNECT TO THE COMPUTER. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE MONIES ALREADY SPENT. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT OTHER OWNERS OF NISSAN VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST (PATHFINDER, 2002) AND PROBLEM. THAT I HAD BEEN TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHECK UP SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW, WHICH COULD BE EASILY VERIFIED. THAT THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES.HOWEVER, THAT WAS NISSAN FINAL POSITION. I CAN PROVIDE THE BILL PAID AND DIAGNOSIS. THIS PROBLEM IS, AND HAS BEEN, A HEADACHE FOR US OWNERS, NOT TO MENTION THE EXPENSE AND TIME COMMITMENT. ALL I WAS REQUESTING WAS TO GET THIS PROBLEM FINALLY SOLVED, WITHOUT INCURRING IN ADDITIONAL EXPENSES AND UNNECESSARY WASTE OF TIME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR