2004 Nissan Altima

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.

2004 NISSAN ALTIMA, 43K MILES. HAD RECALL ON A SIMILAR SOUNDING SITUATION (CAR CAN STALL AT LOW SPEEDS DUE TO A TEMPERATURE SENSOR MALFUNCTION, BUT DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE CAM AND CRANK SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED...CAR STALLED IN THE PARKING LOT AND MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, 2 TIMES EACH. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE. *JB

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 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

CAR STALLS AND STOPS RUNNING ON A DAY BASIS WHILE BEING DRIVEN AND SERVIC ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON. NISSAN DEALER REPROGRAMMED ECM, CAR STILL STALLS, SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT SOON STILL ON. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS DUE TO CAR QUITTING AND POWER BRAKES AND STEERING SHUTTING DOWN WHILE DRIVING. NISSAN NOT TAKING CARE OF PROBLEM. *JB

"ENGINE SERVICE SOON LIGHT" CAME ON AND TOOK CAR TO THE SHOP ON 10/31/06. AT THE TIME IT CAME ON THERE WERE NO RUNNING PROBLEMS. NISSAN DEALER REPLACED REAR 02 SENSOR AND DIAGNOSES AND REPROGRAMMED ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. ON 11/20/06 (LESS THAN THREE WEEKS LATER) THE "ENGINE SERVICE SOON LIGHT" CAME ON AGAIN. PRIOR TO TAKING THE CAR THERE WERE NO RUNNING PROBLEMS. NISSAN DEALER CHECKED VEHICLE AND CALLED ME AND SAID THAT THEY NEED TO RUN ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR ANOTHER FEE. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING UP AN DOWN AND WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. P2135 THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR FOUND, REPLACED SENSOR AND CLEARED CODES. I WAS CHARGED ON BOTH OCCASIONS FOR A TOTAL OF $668. *JB

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