NHTSA Complaint #11044102 — 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK LATE AT NIGHT, JUST GOT OFF THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR MADE A LOUD SOUND AND THEN STOPPED MOVING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THEN CAME ON. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY, THIS INCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR 5 MINUTES EARLIER WHILE I WAS STILL ON THE FREEWAY. THE CAR HAD BEEN INTO THE DEALER FOR NEW BRAKES AND CHANGE IN TRANSMISSION FLUID 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. AFTER THE EVENT THE DEALER ALLEGEDLY FOUND METAL BELT PIECES IN THE CVT OIL PAN. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WOULD BE $4600, IN EXCESS OF THE BLUE BOOK VALUE OF THE CAR. THE CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED AT NISSAN DEALERS SINCE THE TIME IT WAS PURCHASED. IT WAS PURCHASED WITH THE EXPECTATION FROM THE SALES STAFF THAT THE CAR WOULD GO AT LEAST 200,000 MILES. CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 124000 MILES. NISSAN AGREED TO PAY 50% OF THE COST OF THE NEW TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, I CHOSE NOT TO REPAIR THE CAR AS THE REMAINING AMOUNT IS COST PROHIBITIVE AND I HAVE LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN NISSAN PRODUCTS AND THEIR SERVICE. IT APPEARS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ARE COMMON IN THE ALTIMA AND NISSAN DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT OR TRY TO CORRECT THE ISSUES. THE DEALERS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM WITHOUT AN ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSIS CHARGE OF $135.