NHTSA Complaint #700147 — 1994 NISSAN MAXIMA

THE ENGINE TYPE ON MY MAXIMA SE IS VE30DE. I BROUGHT MY MAXIMA TO MY MECHANIC WHEN I NOTICED A RATCHETING SOUND WHEN THE CAR WAS AT LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS. AT FIRST THE SOUND WAS THE ONLY SYMPTOM, BUT ENGINE VIBRATION IS NOW NOTICEABLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY MECHANIC WAS INFORMED BY THE NISSAN PARTS DEPARTMENT THAT THE PROBLEM IS A COMMON ONE -- THE VTC INTAKE CAMSHAFT SPROKETS -- AND WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $1300 TO FIX. THE NISSAN PARTS DEPARTMENT ALSO INFORMED MY MECHANIC THAT THE REPAIR PARTS ARE THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL PARTS, AND THAT THE FIX WOULD ONLY LAST FOR ABOUT A YEAR. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE FOR NISSAN TO IGNORE A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT REOCCURS AFTER EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. I SPOKE TO NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS ANY MORE INFORMATION YOU NEED. THANK YOU, CHRIS