NHTSA Complaint #10587916 — 2012 NISSAN VERSA

I AM WRITING WITH TO PROVIDE NOTIFICATION ABOUT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE, A 2012 NISSAN VERSA, PURCHASED ON OCTOBER 11, 2011 WITH APPROXIMATELY 42,000 MILES. MY CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS TO HAVE NISSAN ADDRESS THE ISSUE, I BELIEVE THAT IT IS MY DUTY TO REPORT THIS ISSUE. ON MARCH 10, 2014 I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOTICED THAT THE TACHOMETER WAS OSCILLATING RAPIDLY, EVEN THOUGH I WAS DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED VIA CRUISE CONTROL. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS THIS ISSUE CONTINUED TO PERSIST BOTH UNDER LOCAL AND INTERSTATE DRIVING CONDITIONS. ON MARCH 15, 2014 I WAS DRIVING MY CAR WHEN IT SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING. TO FIX THE PROBLEM I HAD TO COME TO A STOP, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TAKE MY KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, AND COMPLETELY RESTART THE CAR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THIS ISSUE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT A HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ON MARCH 17, 2014 I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO NISSAN FOR CONSULTATION. IT TOOK THEM THREE WEEKS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, AT WHICH TIME THEY SAID THAT CAR NEEDED A NEW WIRING HARNESS. WHILE THEY INITIALLY SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THEY SUBSEQUENTLY RETRACTED THIS AND REFUSED TO COVER IT. I APPEALED TO CORPORATE NISSAN TWICE ADVISING THAT THIS IS NOT A NORMAL REPAIR BUT A SERIOUS, POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING SAFETY ISSUE AND THEY REJECTED MY APPEALS. PLEASE NOTE THAT NISSAN CONFIRMED THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT THE ONLY VERSA THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM, THUS OTHER NISSAN OWNERS MAY BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME UNSAFE WIRING HARNESSES. SINCE I AM UNABLE TO AFFORD THE $2000 REPAIR COST FOR A NEW HARNESS, I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE AS-IS, WHICH IS A DANGER TO ME AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. IF MY VEHICLE STOPS RUNNING WHILE I'M ON THE HIGHWAY I COULD CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT, AND NISSAN HAS SHOWN MINIMAL INTEREST IN ACKNOWLEDGING THIS PROBLEM. *TR