NHTSA Complaint #10693418 — 2005 NISSAN ARMADA

I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING 65 MPH DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WITH. AS I APPROACHED A CURVE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. I HAPPENED TO BE IN THE FAR LEFT LANE, AND WAS ABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE TO A NARROW SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. BY THE TIME I GOT STOPPED, I WAS SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE CONCRETE HIGHWAY DIVIDER AND THE FAST LANE OF TRAFFIC. HIGHWAY ASSISTANCE, AAA AND MY FATHER CAME TO MY ASSISTANCE. MY FATHER THOUGHT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF FUEL, WHICH I DISPUTED BECAUSE THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR DID NOT ILLUMINATE, AND THE GAUGE WAS AT 1/4 TANK. IT TURNED OUT I WAS OUT OF GAS. I STOPPED RELYING ON THE GAUGE, AND STARTED FILLING UP AS SOON AS THE GAUGE HIT 1/4. LATER, I RAN OUT OF GAS WHEN THE GAUGE READ 1/2 TANK! OK. TIME TO GET THIS REPAIRED. THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY YEAR ARMADA, FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE. GREAT! ONCE I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS, THEY SAID THE RECALL FOR THE FUEL SENDER WAS VIN SPECIFIC. MY MOTHER RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM NISSAN CUSTOMER CARE THAT THE PART SHOULD BE COVERED. I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO PROVIDE AN OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS FOR CORRESPONDENCE WITH NISSAN CUSTOMER CARE, AND TO NOT PERFORM ANY REPAIRS, AS I EXPECTED THIS TO BE COVERED. IN A SUBSEQUENT CALL TO CUSTOMER CARE WITH THE "BAD FUEL SENDER" DIAGNOSIS, I WAS TOLD I DID NOT MEET THE "HISTORY OF GOODWILL PARAMETERS", SO MY REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED. I DECIDED NOT TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE. THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP THEN TOLD ME THERE WAS $250 OF LABOR TO DISMANTLE THE CAR JUST TO DIAGNOSE, AND IT WOULD BE $250 MORE TO PUT THE CAR BACK TOGETHER TO WHERE IT WOULD BE DRIVABLE! SINCE THE FUEL SENDER REPAIR WAS QUOTED AT $800, I RELUCTANTLY WENT AHEAD WITH THE REPAIR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. SOMEONE COULD DIE. *TR