NHTSA Complaint #742630 — 1997 INFINITI I30

WHEN THE SENSORS FAIL, THE CAR SHUTS OFF! THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS ON A FREEWAY INTERCHANGE IN THE POURING DOWN RAIN, AND I LOST ALL ENGINE POWER. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT ANYONE HITTING ME. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED,IT WAS ON THE 15 OF MARCH, JUST OVER A WEEK LATER. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE NIGHT BEFORE AND I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER, PEYTON CRAMER INFINITI ( THEY ALSO DID THE FIRST REPAIR). I WAS INSTRUCTED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY NOTHING, BUT TO BRING IT IN WHEN I HAD A CHANCE. I TOOK THE CAR IN THE NEXT MORNING. THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS JUST SOME SORT OF SENSOR ERROR. LATER THAT DAY, THE CAR SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. THIS TIME, THERE WAS NO SHOULDER. I SAT THERE IN A LANE OF TRAFFIC, DEAD IN THE WATER! I STILL DO NOT HAVE MY CAR BACK. EVERYTHING IS COVERED UNDER WARRENTY FOR NOW. MY WARRENTY EXPIRES AT THE END OF MARCH. THE ISSUE AS OF YET IS NOT MONEY, IT IS SAFETY. BOTH TIMES THAT MY CAR FAILED, I FELT MY SAFETY( LIFE) WAS JEOPORDIZED. THE IDEA THAT A SENSOR FAILURE CAUSES A CAR TO SHUT OFF IS INCREDIBLE TO ME! I FELT MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER! SENSOR FAILURES SHOULD NOT RENDER A CAR POWERLESS! MECHANICAL PROBLEMS CAN AND SOMETIMES DO MAKE A CAR UNDRIVEABLE. BUT, IF INDEED THE ONLY PROBLEM IS A SENSOR, A NAGGING DASH LIGHT SEEMS TO BE A MORE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE. AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY THAT THESE TWO EXPERIENCES SCARED ME TO DEATH! INFINITI MUST BE MADE TO STOP THIS OVER REACTION TO SENSOR FAILURE, AND A RECALL SHOULD BE MADE ON OLDER VEHICLES THAT ARE PROGRAMMED TO RESPOND IN THIS MANNER!*AK