NHTSA Complaint #10704207 — 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA

THIS SPECIALLY ORDERED ALTIMA COUPE 3.5 WOULD NOT START ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BEGINNING ONLY A YEAR OR SO AFTER IT WAS DELIVERED TO ME FROM THE FACTORY. EACH TIME, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO DEPRESS, AND THE CAR MADE CLICKING SOUNDS WHEN THE START PUSH BUTTON WAS PRESSED. SEVERAL JUMP STARTS AFTER THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, ON A SUNDAY, I DECIDED TO TRY REPLACING THE BATTERY. BECAUSE NISSAN'S SERVICE CENTER WERE NOT OPEN IN MY AREA, I PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY FROM A RETAIL STORE. WHEN I PHONED NISSAN'S SERVICE CENTER THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE I DID NOT BRING THE VEHICLE TO THEM (THEY WANTED THE ENTIRE CAR, NOT JUST THE BATTERY, EVEN THOUGH THE NISSAN SHOP WAS CLOSED), I WAS NOT ENTITLED TO A PRORATED REFUND ON THE OLD BATTERY. APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 - 2 YEARS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM BEGAN TO HAPPEN AGAIN. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR OVER AN HOUR IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY, I SWUNG BY A NISSAN DEALER, WHO TESTED THE NEW BATTERY AND ADVISED THAT IT WAS AT ABOUT 40%. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN EVERYTHING OFF, INCLUDING THE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS, BECAUSE "ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES DRAIN THE BATTERY." WHAT'S THE POINT IN HAVING AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS IF I HAVE TO SHUT THEM OFF? I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH A VEHICLE BEFORE, AND BATTERIES SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN THIS, ESPECIALLY IN A BRAND NEW CAR. WHEN THIS FIRST BEGAN OCCURRING, THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES ON IT. AT THIS TIME, THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 35,000 MILES ON IT. THE NISSAN DEALER WHO TESTED THE BATTERY TOLD ME THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL (AND I SEE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE), BUT THAT NISSAN IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR