NHTSA Complaint #10573648 — 2003 NISSAN MAXIMA

MY 2003 NISSAN MAXIMA GLE HAS HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, THE ABS AND THE TSC LIGHTS COMING ON. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER WHO RAN DIAGNOSTICS ON IT AND SAID IT WAS THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR WHICH I HAD ALREADY REPLACED DUE TO AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING, OR THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PACKAGE. AS I AM FAIRLY MECHANICAL (FATHER WAS A MASTER MECHANIC) THIS DID NOT SEEM LOGICAL TO ME. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS NOW QUIT WORKING COMPLETELY AND THE TACHOMETER IS NOW HAVING INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. I HAVE ALSO CHANGED THE CAMSHAFT SENSORS. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE MORE ELECTRICAL THAN MECHANICAL--INSTRUMENTS ONLY RECORD WHAT SENSORS SEND TO THEM. IT HAS NOW STARTED DYING IN TRAFFIC WHICH SCARES ME AS I AM AFRAID I WILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THE DYING IN TRAFFIC PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE. SO FAR I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HIT MY FLASHERS AND STRUGGLE TO GLIDE IT OFF THE EDGE OF THE ROAD TO A STOP WHEN IT HAPPENS UNTIL I CAN GET IT STARTED AGAIN. SOME TIMES IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO START AND SOMETIMES IT WILL START RIGHT BACK AGAIN. I HAVE RULED OUT MOISTURE IN THE GAS HAS I HAVE RUN SEVERAL CONTAINERS OF HEET THROUGH THE GAS TANK THE LAST TWO MONTHS. WHEN I ASKED THE DEALER IF THEY HAD SEEN OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS THEY SAID NO. I ASKED THEM IF MY CAR MODEL HAD ANY RECALLS AND THEY SAID NO AGAIN. DUE TO A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT RECALL #03V455000 HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR MY MODEL YEAR NISSANS THAT WERE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE DYING DUE TO SOLDIER FLUX ON VARIABLE TIMING CONTROL SENSOR. PLEASE ADVISE IF MY CAR IS COVERED BY THIS RECALL ASAP AS I AM AFRAID I MIGHT HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE CAR DYING AND EVERYTHING LOCKING UP WHEN IT DOES. *TR