2004 Nissan Altima Engine

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN AT NHTSA: I OWN A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH A 2.5L ENGINE. I RECENTLY RECEIVED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER FROM NISSAN NORTH AMERICA FOR A SAFETY RECALL DUE TO THE POTENTIAL THAT THE ENGINE MIGHT STOP RUNNING WHILE BEING DRIVEN DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BETWEEN THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR AND THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM). THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. *AK THE NOTICE FURTHER ADVISED THAT MY NISSAN DEALER WOULD REPROGRAM THE ECM, FREE OF CHARGE. THIS SERVICE SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 1 HOUR TO COMPLETE. I MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH MY DEALER TO HAVE THIS SERVICE PERFORMED ON MY ALTIMA. WHILE IN FOR THIS SERVICE, I WAS CALLED BY THE DEALER AND NOTIFIED THAT SEVERAL UNRELATED SERVICE ITEMS WERE FOUND. THEY DID NOT FORCE THEM ON ME BUT DID THEY DID TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO 'SELL' THEM....BETTER GAS MILEAGE (CLEAN THROTTLES) AND BRAKE PERFORMANCE (REPLACE BRAKE FLUID). WELL, THE FREE SERVICE TO 'REPROGRAM' THE ECM, TURNED INTO A SERVICE BILL IN THE $450.00 RANGE. THE LIST COST TO REPROGRAM THE ECM WAS $58.00. SO, I AVOIDED A $58 CHARGE BUT WAS 'SOLD' ADDITIONAL SERVICES SO NISSAN ACTUALLY GENERATED CLOSE TO $400 IN REVENUE ON A 'FREE' RECALL. THE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER IS 06V-242. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT IF 100,000 OTHER CONCERNED ALTIMA OWNERS RESPONDED TO THE RECALL, WERE 'SOLD' SIMILAR 'NEEDED' SERVICE, NISSAN WOULD COLLECT $40,000,000 IN SERVICE FEES.....A MINOR REPROGRAMMING RECALL COULD TURN INTO A LARGE PROFIT GENERATING MACHINE. I WANTED TO SHARE MY SITUATION WITH YOU BECAUSE THIS SIMPLE SCHEME, IF INDEED EMPLOYED, WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PUBLIC AND MAKE PUBLICLY-OWNED CORPORATIONS LIKE NISSAN A PROFIT WINDFALL. I CAN BE REACHED AT [XXX]OR [XXX] IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME OR DISCUSS THIS SITUATION FURTHER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT HAS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA AND STATED THAT SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GET A RECALL WORK PERFORMED ON THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION AT THE DEALER. ON MARCH 20, 2007 THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT. THE CONTACT FELT THAT SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR SINCE THE RECALL REPAIR SHOULD FIX THE FAILURE WITH THE CRANKSHAFT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 67,812 MILES.

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 130000 MILES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL 06V242000. WHEN HE WENT TO THE DEALER THEY CHARGED HIM FOR CHECKING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER NISSAN DEALER, AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS FINE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY HAD NOT RETURNED THE CALL. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURES TO DATE.*AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE CRANK POSITIONING SENSOR. THE CONTACT AT THE SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT, WAS DENIED THE SERVICE BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. *AK

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HA 2 SAFETY RECALLS THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONE WEEK AGO WHILE DRING 65 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED ,STOPPED ON THE FREEWAY WITH NO NOTICE, AND AFTERWARDS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAFETY RECALL REPAIR WAS FREE. HOWEVER, THE DEALER TRIED TO CHARGE HIM FOR DIAGNOSING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD TWO WEEKS PRIOR THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN REPROGRAMMED. THE CONTACT HAD BEEN WAITING FOR NISSAN TO CALL, HAS NOT BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR ONE WEEK, AND STILL HAS NOT HEARD FROM NISSAN. THE CONTACT WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE NOW. THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 32000.*AK

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. PRESENTLY THE ENGINE NEEDS REPAIRING. I TOOK MY CAR TO CROWN NISSAN IN GREENSBORO,NC TO BE SERVICED. AFTER A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, THE SERVICEMEN INFORMED ME THAT MY POWER VALVE SCREW CAME LOOSE FALLING IN THE ENGINE CAUSING IT HARM. I ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE I WAS INFORMED THERE WAS NONE AT THE PRESENT TIME. THIS OCCURRED ON NOV 16TH, 2006. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE PRICE TO FIX IT WAS BETWEEN 500-4000 DEPENDING ON THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I CAME ACROSS OTHER NISSAN ALTIMA OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS ON NISSANHELP.COM. I RECOVERED A PAST RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE WITH THE STATED PROBLEM. I CALLED NISSAN AND THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED EVEN THOUGH MY VIN NUMBER IS STATED IN THE REPORT. I AM TRYING TO REINSTATE THIS RECALL DUE TO THE FALSE STATEMENTS I HAVE RECEIVED FROM NISSAN. THANKS. TIAJUANA BENNETT GREENSBORO,NC 336-334-2951. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. SIX DAYS LATER, THE ENGINE STALLED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. THE MANUFACTURED WAS CONTACTED WHO DETERMINED NO RESPONSIBILITY FROM THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLES CAMSHAFT CENSOR IS DEFECTIVE AND THE VEHICLE IS STALLING. THE CONTACT STATES THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT CAUSED A RECALL ON THE 2003 MODELS BUT IT IS NOT EFFECTIVE TO THE 2004 MODELS.

RADIATOR FAILURE AT 45,000 MILE CHECK (OCT. 3, 2006) MECHANIC REPORT: LEAKING AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. VEHICLE: 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5L, VEHICLE PURCHASED: OCTOBER, 2003 AS OF TODAY (OCT. 4, 2006) THE RADIATOR HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS, WITH NO ACCIDENTS, THE RADIATOR SHOULD NOT FAIL AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE. I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE A SIMILAR FAILURE IS OCCURRING ON MY WIFE'S CAR (40,000 MILES), PURCHASED THE SAME MONTH. NISSAN NEEDS TO DO A RECALL, AND PAY FOR THIS REPLACEMENT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE POWER VALVE SCREWS LOCATED IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CAME LOOSE AND CUT INTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO IDLE ROUGHLY. DUE TO THIS, THE BOLT DAMAGED ONE OF THE PISTON VALVES CAUSING THE NEED FOR A NEW ENGINE. UPDATED 10/25/2006 - *NM

I PURCHASED MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA IN DECEMBER OF 2001 WITH 4 MILES ON IT IN MID OCTOBER. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE TAKEN IT OVER AND OVER TO THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IT CUTS OFF ON ME OUT OF THE BLUE. IT CUT OFF FIRST GOING DOWN A HILL, THE WHEEL JUST LOCKED AND IT SHUT DOWN. I IMMEDIATELY I CONTACTED PASSPORT NISSAN AND SHEEY NISSAN IN MARYLAND AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN ON THE NEXT DAY. NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID WE CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG AT THIS TIME. A FEW WEEKS LATER IT CUT OFF AGAIN I HAD TO PUSH IT OFF THE ROAD. I CALLED NISSAN1 USA THE FOLLOWING DAY TO REPORT THIS THEY SAID TO TAKE IT BACK TO A NISSAN DEALER. NISSAN 1 USA DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY KIND OF SUPPORT, GUIDANCE OR SOLUTIONS TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED THEM ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIMES AND MADE MENTION TO A CASE NUMBER THAT THEY GAVE ME BUT FOR SOME STRANGE REASON THEY COULD NEVER FIND MY CASE NUMBER AND I HAVE TO RESTART THIS WHOLE BORING PROCEDURE OVER AGAIN. I HAVE HAD MY CAR TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 4 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER MAINTAINS THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR AT 20,000 MILES AND STILL REMAINS ON UNTIL THIS DAY WHICH CURRENTLY HAS ACCUMULATED 100,000 MILES (UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO MY LINE OF BUSINESS I NEED DAILY TRANSPORTATION TO TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH THROUGH CITIES AND THROUGH STATES) MY CAR RIGHT NOW (CORRECTION NISSAN PIECE OF CAR) RIGHT NOW WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 30 MPH. IT CONTINUES TO CUT OFF AND WHENEVER I TAKE THIS TO THE DEALER THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT OR DONT EVEN PROVIDE A RENTAL CAR AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY SAY MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE TOLD THE DEALERS AND NISSAN1 USA THAT I AM NOT PAYING FOR ANYTHING ELSE. AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, I MISSED WORK AND BUSINESS WITH IMPORTANT CLIENTS. SAMUEL A MERRIN 301-535-7005. *AK