1999 Nissan Maxima Electrical System

ALL COILS HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY HIGH NUMBER OF MAXIMAS PRODUCED IN 1999 HAD THIS PROBLEM. MINE STARTED OCCURRING AT 39000 MILES. DEALER REFUSED TO COVER REPAIR COST THAT (INCLUDING PARTS) WAS QUOTED AT $1200. *NM

NISSAN MAXIMA HAS IGNITION COIL PROBLEM. VERY COMMON. IT HAS OCCURRED THE SECOND TIME ON MY CAR. IT IS A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA SE. *JB

CONSUMER CANNOT START VEHICLE WITH KEY, THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IGNITION SWITCH, . CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER HAD TO RECODE KEY. *JB

FAULTY IGNITION COILS ON 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. *NM

1999 NISSAN MAXIMA IGNITION COIL FAILURE. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT AND OTHER LIGHTS CAME ON. COILS ARE ~$100@ THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. IT HAS INSTEAD BECOME A CASH COW FOR NISSAN DEALERS AT `$1200 COST FOR EACH CAR REPAIRED. *JB

1999 MAXIMA 72000 MILES. ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. PAID FOR A $65 DIAGNOSTIC AND MECHANIC RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE COILS. HAD TO REPLACE ALL SIX IGNITION COILS. $1000 FOR SEALER REPAIR. I DID THE REPAIR MYSELF FOR $390 IN PARTS AND 3 HOURS OF TIME. *AK

THIS COMMENT IS REGARDING THE IGNITION COIL PROBLEM ON THE 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. MY 1999 MAXIMA HAS ABOUT 71,000 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY THE "CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON. WE TOOK IT TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ($93) AND SAID IT'S GIVING MULTIPLE MISFIRE READINGS. THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL SIX IGNITION COILS. TOTAL COST ABOUT $1000 INCLUDING THE PARTS AND THE LABOR. FROM WEBSITES, I FOUND THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED ON SEVERAL MAXIMAS. PEOPLE COMPLAIN THIS A LOT. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS MISFIRING. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE SIX IGNITION COILS WERE DEFECTIVE AND WERE REPLACED WITH NEW IGNITION COILS. THE VEHICLE BEGAN MISFIRING, 3000 MILES AFTER THE FIRST REPAIR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. UPDATED 9/18/2006 - *NM

THE "CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO A SERVICE STATION AND THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND SAID IT'S MISFIRING. THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL SIX IGNITION COILS @ ~ $150 EACH AND SAID THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH NISSAN MAXIMA'S. *JB

1999 NISSAN MAXIMA - JN1CA21A 3XM300571 THIS COMPLAINT IS IN REFERENCE TO NISSAN'S RECALL OF 97/98 MAXIMAS. THE RECALL WAS FOR A FAULTY ALTERNATOR. I HAVE A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA (BUILD DATE 6/98) THAT HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM/SYMPTOM AS THE RECALL. THE CAMPAIGN ID / NHTSA # IS R2010 OR R2015 \ 02V-171. 4/8/05 - STARTED MY CAR AND HEARD A HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE. I GOT OUT AND OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW A WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ALTERNATOR. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION SAW A FIRE IN THE ALTERNATOR. RAN TO THE PASSENGER SIDE REMOVED MY 4 AND 2 YEAR OLD CHILDREN AND MOVED THEM TO A SAFE LOCATION. I THEN FOUND A WATER BOTTLE IN THE CAR AND POURED THE WATER ON THE FIRE. 1:00 PM 4/12/05 CALLED DIFEO NISSAN IN JERSEY CITY, NJ AND THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE SITUATION BASED UPON THE VIN 1:10PM 4/12/05 CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND FILED A REPORT WITH TAMIKA X3795 REFERENCE # 4908176 4/21/05 AFTER NUMEROUS CALLS AND FOLLOW UPS, THEY RESPONDED THAT I CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. CASE CLOSED. REP WAS NAMED WANDA AT NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AT 800 647 7261 X 3814 HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR FOR WEEKS NOW. *NM

WHEN LEAVING THE GROCERY STORE MY CAR WOULD NOT START. THE FAILURE RESULTED IN MY WALKING HOME AND LOSS OF INCOME. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SHOP AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS IGNITION SYSTEM IMMOBLIZED BECAUSE OF THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. APPARENTLY, THE KEY CODE HAS A PROBLEM AND ALL KEYS AND CAR NEED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. NOW, CAR HAS TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AS ONLY NISSAN CAN FIX. AND NISSAN IS CHARGING ME FOR THEIR DEFECTIVENESS!! SO, END RESULT COUNT ON TWO TOWING BILLS, MECHANIC CHARGE, NISSAN DEALERSHIP CHARGE AND DELIVERY OF CAR BACK TO SHOP. NISSAN IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT IS QUITE COMMON. NOW HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO ACCOUNT FOR WHEN MY CAR WILL NOT START AGAIN? DOES NOT STRIKE ME AS A DEPENDABLE CAR. AND, I DO NOT HAVE A CELL PHONE, SO WHAT TIME OF NIGHT WILL I BE WALKING HOME NEXT TIME? *AK

WENT INTO OUR LOCKED GARAGE, AND CAR WOULDN'T START. LOCAL REPAIR GUY SAID THE COMPUTER HAD LOCKED OUT OUR KEYS, THINKING THAT CAR WAS BEING STOLEN. HE SAID THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE ENCOUNTERING THIS... SO IT WAS TOWED TO NISSAN.*AK NISSAN CONFIRMED THE NATS SYSTEM HAD LOCKED OUT THE KEYS, AND CHARGED US MONEY TO RE-PROGRAM THE COMPUTER AND OUR ORIGIONAL KEYS... NOTHING WAS REPLACED, BUT NOW IT WORKS! THIS IS CRAZY! EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM NISSAN DID NOT COVER IT EITHER. WE PAY BECAUSE THEIR COMPUTER PROGRAM HAS A GLITCH?

I HAVE A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA OF WHICH I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN GOING ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE LAST YEAR. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO A NUMBER OF SERVICE PROVIDERS INCLUDING A DEALERSHIP AND BEEN TOLD THAT THE CODES GENERATED ARE NOT CONCLUSIVE BUT, DUE TO A KNOWN DEFECT, THE RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN THAT I REPLACE ALL OF THE IGNITION COILS AT A COST OF NEARLY $1500. SEEMS TO ME IF ITS A "KNOWN DEFECT" THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THIS PROBLEM I UNDERSTAND IT TO BE VERY WIDE SPREAD. *NM

JUST FOUND OUT THAT WE SHOULD REPLACE ALL 6 COILS IN OUR 1999 MAXIMA. NISSAN WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND DECIDED TO RIP US OFF EVEN MORE (SINCE THE CAR IS FALLING APART IN EVEYWAY POSSIBLE) BY ONLY OFFERING REPLACEMENT COILS - WHICH ARE BETTER INSTEAD OF A RECALL. IT WASN'T UNTIL I HAD THE COIL PROBLEM THAT I LEARNED THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM IN ALL NISSAN '99 MAXIMAS. IT IS COSTING ME OVER $700!*AK

IN MY 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA I HAVE HAD TO HAVE 2 IGNITION COILS REPLACED. I HAVE LATER FOUND OUT THAT MANY MANY OTHER MAXIMA OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR 99 MAXIMAS. WHEN I CALLED NISSAN THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO ISSUE A RECALL AT THIS TIME. *AK

IN JUNE OF 2003, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER PAYING FOR THE EXPENSIVE COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS I WAS TOLD THAT ONE OF THE IGNITION COILS WAS BAD. HOWEVER THEY COULD NOT TELL WHICH ONE AND I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE ALL OF THEM EVENTUALLY. SINCE IT WAS SO EXPENSIVE MY MECHANIC SAID WE COULD START BY REPLACING ONE AT A TIME THAT WORKED FINE UP UNTIL NOW. RECENTLY MY CAR HAS STALLED IN TRAFFIC. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IF SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS, WHY A RECALL IS NOT BEING DONE AT NISSAN'S EXPENSE. I WISH I WOULD HAVE FOUND THIS WEBSITE BEFORE I PURCHASED MY MAXIMA. I WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE BUYING ANOTHER NISSAN. *JB

I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN OCT 1998. AFTER MY 60,000 MILE SERVICE AT THE DEALER (RTE. 22 NISSAN, HILLSIDE, NJ) IN DEC 2003, I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE STUTTERED WHEN I PUT THE GEAR IN REVERSE. THE RPM METER OSCILLATED BETWEEN 0 AND 1000 CONTINUOUSLY BEFORE STABILIZING. I TOLD THE DEALER ABOUT THIS AND DURING MY REGULAR SERVICE, THE DEALER INSPECTED AND TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS AN IDLING PROBLEM AND THAT HE WOULD TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE CAR APPEARED TO BE FINE FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS BUT THEN STARTED STUTTERING AGAIN WHILE TAKING A REVERSE. THIS PROBLEM USED TO HAPPEN ONLY OCCASSIONALLY AND AND SO I COULD LIVE WITH IT. MEANWHILE I MOVED OVER TO CALIFORNIA, AND IT WAS ALSO TIME FOR MY NEXT SERVICE (66,000). I ASKED THE DEALER (MAGNUSSEN NISSAN, FREMONT, CA) TO HAVE DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM SINCE IT HAD STOPPED ONCE OR TWICE BEFORE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND AFTER BEING $118 POORER, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2,700 AND THAT ONE IN 50 NISSAN CARS HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE UNFORTUNATE PART OF THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED IN A WORSE CONDITION THAN BEFORE. NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALWAYS LIT UP AND THE VEHICLE STARTED STOPPING WHENEVER THE CAR CAME TO A HALT (STOP SIGNS, TURNS AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS) AND ON SOME OCCASSIONS NARROWLY ESCAPING SOMEONE FROM REAR-ENDING MY CAR AT STOP SIGNS. MY CAR IS NOW IN A NON-DRIVABLE STATE FOR THE FEAR OF IT STALLING ANYTIME ON THE ROADS AND GETTING HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND FINALLY GOT TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MY CAR WAS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD (3 YRS/36,000), THEY COULD NOT ASSIST ME WITH FIXING THE CAR. THE REAL PROBLEM WITH THE QUALITY OF THE PART THAT NISSAN HAS PROVIDED MY CAR WITH. THE WIRING HARNESS IS NOT A MOVING PART AND IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY HAS ACCESS TO AND ITS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO HAVE A $2,800 SERVICE PENDING AFTER 5 YRS OF PURCHASE FOR A NON-MOVING PART. *AK

VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY STARTED TO RUN ROUGH, MISFIRED REPEATEDLY, AND EXPERIENCED EPISODES OF NEAR STALLING, WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OPERATE UNDER A SEVERE LOSS OF POWER BEFORE BEING ABLE TO SAFELY PULL THE VEHICLE OFF THE HIGHWAY. DEALER DETERMINED FAULT CODE P1320 WAS STORED AND ALL SIX IGNITION COILS WERE FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB #01-060) WAS ISSUED BY NISSAN IN SEPTEMBER 2001, WHICH OUTLINES THE IGNITION COIL PROBLEM. THE DEALER REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR UNDER MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY OR EXTEND ANY GOODWILL WHEN THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION. THIS IS A CRITICAL PRODUCT DEFECT WHICH COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, INJURIES, AND EVEN DEATH, SHOULD THE ENGINE STALL WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. A SERIOUS INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE INITIATED BY NHTSA DEMANDING NISSAN TO IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCE A RECALL TO ALL VEHICLES CONCERNED. *AK

E-MAIL FM PARAG MEHTA (GA) REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN GETTING NISSAN TO RECALL THE IGNITION COILS ON THE 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. *MR *NM

IGNITION COIL FAILURE.

VEHICLE FAILED TO START AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS. WHEN VEHICLE STARTED, THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. ENGINE WAS MISFIRING. DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND RETRIEVED FAULT CODE P1320 FROM THE ECU. WAS INFORMED THAT ALL SIX IGNITION COILS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. NISSAN ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB #01-060) IN SEPTEMBER, 2001, WHICH ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM INVOLVING THE IGNITION COILS. DEALER REFUSED TO COVER REPAIR UNDER MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY OR GOODWILL PROGRAM. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE ENGINE STALLING WHILE BEING DRIVEN, POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. I REQUEST THAT THE NHTSA LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION AND ORDER NISSAN TO RECALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS, FREE-OF-CHARGE. *AK

ENGINE COILS - I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT I HAVE AN ENGINE COIL PROBLEM IN MY 99 NISSAN MAXIMA. I FOUND THIS VERY DISTURBING CONSIDERING WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR IT WAS ONE OF THE LEADERS WHEN IT CAME TO ENGINE PERFORMANCE. WHAT I FOUND EVEN MORE DISTURBING WAS WHEN THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THEY USUALLY GO OUT AROUND THIS TIME, WHICH DOES NOT SEEM TO BE NORMAL TO ME. ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF REPLACEMENT COSTS. I SPENT SOME TIME ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THIS IS A REOCCURING PROBLEM AND THERE IS EVEN A PETITION FOR IT. THIS MAKES ME RETHINK MY CHOICE OF PURCHASING A NISSAN FOR RELIABILITY. ESPECIALLY, GIVEN THAT NISSAN IS NOT STANDING BY THEIR PRODUCT AND ENSURING THIS PROBLEM IS RECTIFIED FOR THE CUSTOMER AT NO ADDITIONAL COSTS. I AM A LOYAL NISSAN CUSTOMER AND HAVE GOTTEN SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS TO PURCHASE NISSAN'S HOWEVER THIS EXPERIENCE IS CHANGING MY OUTLOOK COMPLETELY. IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT WHEN I LOOKED FOR RECALL INFORMATION ON NISSAN'S WEBSITE IT WAS SURPRISING TO SEE THE COMMENTS "WE'RE OUR OWN TOUGHEST CRITICS", IF THIS IS TRUE WHY AREN'T THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING MY PROBLEM BEING TAKEN CARE OF, WHY ARE ENGINE COILS A REOCCURRING ISSUES THAT THE CONSUMER HAVE TO BEAR THE EXPENSE FOR? I WILL BE ESCALATING THIS MATTER, BUT WANTED TO LODGE A COMPLAINT HERE AS WELL. I DO NOT THINK THAT A HUMAN LIFE SHOULD BE SACRIFICED IN ORDER TO CATCH THE EYE OF A MANUFACTURER WHEN IT COMES TO VEHICLE PERFORMANCE.*AK

DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS. *LA

I AM EXPERIENCING AN IGNITION COIL MISFIRE. THE TECHNICIAN, NOT NISSAN, INDICATES NISSAN HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS AND FROM READING COMPLAINTS, I SEE THERE ARE SOME LISTED. WHILE I REALIZE THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, IT IS AN ISSUE FOR ME PERSONALLY BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS NOT CAUSED BY ME BUT IS RATHER A NISSAN MANUFACTURING PROBLEMS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND PAID FOR BY NISSAN. I HAVE BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH MY MAXIMA AND WOULD LIKE TO STAY WITH NISSAN BUT IF THEY ARE NOT GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND FIX IT, I DON'T BELIEVE I'LL STAY WITH NISSAN WHEN I TRADE VEHICLES. *LA

THE WIRING IN THE HEAD LIGHTS, HAD TO BE REPEATEDLY CHANGED DUE TO MELTING. *JB