NHTSA Complaint #10586561 — 2003 NISSAN MAXIMA

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 30 MPH, THE CAR SHUT OFF AS MY CHILD AND I WERE COMING TO A STOPLIGHT. I HAD NO PROBLEM RESTARTING AND ENCOUNTERED THIS SAME PROBLEM 4 MORE TIMES DURING MY TRIP, INCLUDING FAILURE TO IDLE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. NEXT TIME, I WAS DRIVING APPROX 45 MPH AND THE CAR SHUT OFF AND IT TRIED RESTARTING ITSELF WHILE I WAS TRYING TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER. THE CAR RESTARTED AGAIN NO PROBLEM. THEN AS MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING AT APPROX. 60 MPH THE CAR BEGAN TO LURCH (STOPPING AND ATTEMPTING TO START AGAIN BY ITSELF). PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR, ALL OF THESE INSTANCES NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. LASTLY, I WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR AFTER PARKING IT AWAY FROM HOME AND IT WAS ACTING LIKE IT WAS "FLOODED". AFTER 20 MINUTES OF ATTEMPTED STARTING, IT FINALLY TOOK AND I DROVE HOME ON THE BACK ROADS. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT HOME TO RECREATE THE NO START PROBLEM, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS FINALLY ON! AT THIS POINT, I'M NOT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE UNTIL WE HAVE THE BANK 2 CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR REPLACED. WE RAN A CODE READER AND GOT A P0345 CODE. NISSAN HAS A RECALL ON THIS YEAR MAKE/MODEL BUT I, LIKE MANY, MANY OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE BEEN TOLD, THEIR VIN IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL FROM 2003. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE'S VIN FELL INTO THEIR RECALL. I JUST TOLD THE NISSAN "CUSTOMER SERVICE" THAT I AM AFRAID DRIVING THIS CAR COULD RESULT IN FATALITIES, AND THEY SUGGESTED I TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND MAYBE THEY COULD DO SOMETHING FOR ME! LIKE SELL ME A NEW CAR? NEVER AGAIN, NISSAN. *TR