NHTSA Complaint #702680 — 1990 NISSAN MAXIMA

INITIAL ACTION TAKEN WHEN THE DASH NO LONGER DISPLAYED NUMBERS, WENT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER. I INFORMED THE DEALER THAT I COULD NO LONGER SEE THE SPEED AT WHICH I WAS TRAVELING, HOW MUCH FUEL WAS IN THE TANK, OR THE CORRECT MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. ALSO THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT OPERATE BECAUSE OF THIS. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WOULD BE A COSTLY REPAIR, AND TO NOT FIX IT BECAUSE THE DASH HAS NOT BEEN FIXED CORRECTLY. RECENTLY I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY TRIED TO CLEAN THE COMPONENTS ON THE DASH, HOPING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AT THIS TIME, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY NO LONGER REPLACE THE DASHES. THEY REFER THE CUSTOMER TO AN ELECTRONIC SPECIALIST. AFTER CALLING AND VISITING NUMEROUS SPECIALISTS, I FOUND NO LUCK IN ANYONE SERVICING MY PROBLEM. I THEN PROCEEDED TO WRITE NISSAN A LETTER EXPLAINING MY SITUATION AND ASKING FOR A SOLUTION. I RECEIVED A POST CARD STATING NISSAN NEEDED MORE INFORMATION THAT I ALREADY GAVE TO THEM. I THEN RECEIVED A CALL FROM A REPRESENTATIVE OF NISSAN TELLING ME MY SOLUTION WAS TO SWITCH TO AN ANALOG DASH AND THAT THEY COULD GET A QUOTE FROM THE DEALER AT THAT TIME. WHEN I CALLED BACK NISSAN I WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE CANNOT ACCEPT THE ANALOG DASH AND THAT I NEED TO REPLACE IT WITH A $2,000.00 DIGITAL DASH. HOWEVER, THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT SUGGEST REPLACING THE DIGITAL DASH BECAUSE IT WILL NOT WORK IN A MATTER OF TIME, AND THEN I AM OUT $2,000.00. WHEN I ASKED THE DEALER WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE, HE REPLIED "NOTHING". APPARENTLY ALL OTHER CUSTOMERS ARE DRIVING AROUND VEHICLES WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR SPEED, AN OBVIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM EXISTS IN COLDER CLIMATES DUE TO THE MOISTURE. THE DIGITAL DASH WAS ONLY PLACED IN CERTAIN VEHICLES FROM 1989-90, AND IS NO LONGER BEING PRODUCED FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. PLEASE ASSIST ME IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. I AM WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES. ALSO, I HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF MY CALLS AND COPIES OF ALL RECEIPTS AND LETTERS. THANK YOU. *A