NHTSA Complaint #10523484 — 2005 NISSAN FRONTIER

ON JULY 5TH, 2013 MY WIFE WAS ON HIGHWAY I45 IN NORTH DIRECTION AND AFTER FM1960 THE VEHICLE ENGINE HESITATED AND DIED. SHE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL THE TRUCK FROM FIRST LINE ON LEFT TO THE LAST ON RIGHT ( HIGHWAY WITH TOTAL 4 LINES MAYBE). AND THEN TO THE EMERGENCY LINE . BRAKES AND STEERING CONTROL BECAME HARDER THAN NORMAL AND SHE WAS SCARED OF LOSING CONTROL OF VEHICLE. SOME BODY ELSE PICKED ME UP AT HERMAN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AT THE WOODLANDS AND WE WENT TO MEET HER. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE ENGINE CRANKED BUT NO START. MY FINAL DIAGNOSTIC WAS PROBABLE SHE RAN OUT OF GAS EVEN WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE WAS SHOWING ALMOST HALF TANK. WE WENT TO GET ONE GALLON TO THE GAS STATION, POURED ON THE TRUCK AND AT THE SECOND TRY IT STARTED. IN THE WAY BACK WE FILLED THE FUEL TANK . THE FUEL GUN AT GAS STATION STOPPED AUTOMATICALLY BUT THE GAUGE INDICATED LESS THAN HALF TANK. THIS WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE THAT COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH ALSO SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. I CALLED TODAY JULY 6, 2013 TO NISSAN SERVICE AT TOM PEACKOCK IN I45 AND THEY CHECKED MY VIN # SAYING THAT NO WARRANTY APPLIES TO FIX IT. THEY SAID NOBODY WAS ABLE AT THE MOMENT TO CHECK THE PRICE OF FUEL SENDING UNIT WHICH SUSPECTED BE FAULTY. AN ESTIMATE OF COST OF REPAIR IS AROUND $600 , THE PERSON ON THE PHONE SAID. I WILL CALL BACK THIS COMING MONDAY TO RE-VERIFY THIS ISSUE AND THE PART AVAILABILITY. I SUBMIT THIS BECAUSE I CONSIDER IT A SAFETY TO CUSTOMER AND OTHER PEOPLE ISSUE . I HAVE READ ABOUT RECALLS ON THIS ITEM BUT NISSAN ANSWER WAS A NEGATIVE OR DENIED REQUEST TO PROCEED AS A RECALL ISSUE. THE FUEL GAUGE IS NOT RELIABLE AND I THINK IS NOT AN OPTION TO HAVE IT OPERATIVE IN ANY VEHICLE. *TR