2005 Nissan Altima

THE CAR FAILED TO START AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR 13 MONTHS. THE CAR ACTED AS IF IT WAS FLOODED, CRANKING BUT NOT FIRING. TO START THE CAR I HAD TO HOLD THE GAS PEDAL DOWN UNTIL THE CAR FIRED AND STARTED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER RECENTLY PURCHASING GASOLINE. WE ONLY USE 2-3 DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS WITH GOOD REPUTATIONS. IT SEEMED TO HAPPEN THE FIRST COLD SPELL OF NOVEMBER 2005. THE DEALER SAID THESE CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULDN'T CAUSE FLOODING AND IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP US. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED BUT AS A PRECAUTION, I RAN THE GAS TANK ALMOST EMPTY AND PUT IN A BOTTLE OF GAS TREATMENT. I ALSO PLAN, IF POSSIBLE, ON BUYING MY GAS FROM ONLY ONE SOURCE FROM HERE ON OUT. *NM

THE CAR FAILED TO START ONLY TWO WEEKS AFTER BUYING IT, AND THE PROBLEM HAS RECURRED. THE CAR ACTS AS IF IT'S FLOODED, CRANKING BUT NOT FIRING. BOTH FAILURES OCCURRED AFTER RECENTLY PURCHASING GASOLINE (THE SAME GASOLINE RETAILER IS USED FAIRLY CONSISTENTLY) AND DRIVING THE CAR IMMEDIATELY HOME IN COLD, BUT NOT SEVERELY COLD, TEMPERATURES. THE DEALER SAID THESE CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULDN'T CAUSE FLOODING, BUT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ANY PROBLEMS AND NOW REFUSES TO RESEARCH IT FURTHER. NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS HAS ADVISED OF A RECALL THAT MAY BE APPLICABLE, BUT THE DEALER DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AWARE OF IT AND I'M IN THE PROCESS OF FOLLOWING UP ON THIS POINT. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL SYSTEM AND CLUSTER MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH LESS THAN 800 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A PINGING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE MID SECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THIS NOISE WAS NORMAL. A LOCAL MECHANIC DETERMINED IT WAS A BROKEN CATALYTIC CONVERTER. BASED ON COMPLAINTS ON A WEBSITE SHE FELT THAT A CLAMP NUT MAY BE LOOSE. THIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER 90 MINUTES IN THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT BECAME DIZZY BY WHAT SHE FELT MAY BE RELATED TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE TRANSMISSION JERKED, AND HESITATED IN LOW GEARS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER PARTIALLY DEFROSTS THE DRIVER'S SIDE, BUT DID NOT WORK AT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE DEFROSTER. *AK

DT:THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THERE WERE NO INDICATOR LIGHTS ON BEFORE THE ENGINE STALLED. THE ENGINE MADE A METAL GRINDING NOISE WHEN IT LOST ALL POWER. HE WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY STATED THE CAM SHAFT BROKE DUE TO A MATERIAL DEFECT. THE CAM SHAFT WILL BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING AT 65 MPH. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED TWICE, ONCE WAS IN LOS ANGELES, AND ONCE IN LAS VEGAS. THE ENGINE RESTARTED AFTER THE INCIDENT ABOUT 45 MINUTES TO 1 HOUR LATER. AFTER IT RESTARTD IT WILL DRIVE FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND SHUT DOWN AGAIN. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP ,THEY REPAIRED IT TWICE. ALREADY THE FIRST TIME THEY REPAIRED VEHICLE IT WAS A KEY PROBLEM, BUT HE KNEW THAT IT WAS NOT. THE SECOND TIME CHANGED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE ( ECM). THE VEHICLE IS NOW READY TO BE TAKING BACK TO THE DEALER THE THIRD TIME. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THAT HE COULD NOT TURN IN THE CAR, AND THEY DID NOT CARE. *AK

DT: CAR JUST STOPS SOMETIMES AND IT WILL NOT START. CONSUMER ALMOST HAS TO FLOOD THE ENGINE BEFORE IT STARTS. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER SHE NEEDED TO PUMP THE GAS 3 TIMES BEFORE SHE STARTED THE CAR. SHE HAD VEHICLE IN THE REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE THE CAR WAS IDLING VERY FAST. THEY PUT A THROTTLE CHAMBER IN IT, THEN IT STARTED TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN . DEALER SAID IT WAS UNSAFE BECAUSE IT WAS RACING TOO HIGH; THEY ORDERED A NEW PART FOR THE CAR. IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. *AK UPDATED 02/07/06. *JB