NHTSA Complaint #11075120 — 2018 NISSAN PATHFINDER

MY HUSBAND ROGER AND I PURCHASED A 2018 NISSAN PATHFINDER LESS THAN A WEEK AGO AT GRANITE NISSAN IN RAPID CITY, SD. WE DROVE TO DICKINSON, ND TO DROP OFF MY STEPSON TO SEE HIS MOTHER AS REQUIRED BY COURT ORDER EVERY MONTH. THE TRIP THERE HAS NO CELLULAR SERVICE AND TEMPERATURES THAT REACH SUBZERO. UPON ARRIVING IN DICKINSON, WE HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND THE RPMS BECAME ERRATIC. WE ALSO NOTICED DECREASED FUEL EFFICIENCY. THE LIGHT CAME ON WITH LESS THAN 400 TOTAL MILES ON THE VEHICLE. WE CONSULTED THE USER MANUAL WHICH ADVISED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINING ON. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN WE RECEIVED THE NOTIFICATION OF READY FOR PICK UP, THERE WAS NO RESOLVE. THE SERVICEMAN CLAIMED THAT IT WAS AN ISSUE 'CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED BY NISSAN'. HE SAID THEY CLEARED THE ERROR AND THAT WE WILL NOTICE LESS EFFICIENCY WITH GAS MILEAGE AND STATED THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T BREAKDOWN BUT WAS UNSURE OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN. WE PURCHASED THIS BRAND NEW VEHICLE TO BETTER ENSURE A SAFE MEANS TO DRIVE IN DESOLATE AREAS AND IN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS WHILE MONTHLY TRANPORTING OUR SON FOR VISITATION. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN WAS DISMISSIVE/BELITTLED OUR CONCERNS WHEN ASKING ABOUT SAFETY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND THAT WE HAVE A ONE YEAR OLD AND SIX YEAR OLD WHO RIDE DAILY IN THE CAR IN ADDITION TO OUR 14 YEAR OLD WHO TAKES THE MONTHLY TRIPS TO ND. WE ARE WAITING FOR NISSAN TO REPLY WITH WHEN AND HOW THE ERROR CODE P34A9, INTAKE TIMING CONTROL WILL BE FIXED AND IF DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE OR OTHER PARTS OF THE VEHICLE WHILE THIS ERROR OCCURS. IF WE ARE STRANDED IN DESOLATE ND IN EXTREME TEMPERATURES, OUR LIVES WILL BE AT RISK AS EVEN IF THE 'SOS' FEATURE WERE TO BE PRESSED, THE NEAREST EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ARE HOURS AWAY. WE'VE INQUIRED WITH NISSAN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS 2018 PATHFINDER.