2005 Nissan Altima

MY CAR'S "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT INITIALLY CAME ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 29TH. SHORTLY AFTER, MY CAR WAS BEGINNING TO JERK WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND FELT AS IF THE ENGINE WAS SPUTTERING WHILE ON LOCAL ROADS. WE TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND TWO ISSUES WERE DISCOVERED: THE SPEED SIGNAL CIRCUIT AS WELL AS THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, WE FOUND THAT SEVERAL THOUSAND 2005 NISSAN ALTIMAS WERE RECALLED DUE TO THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR MALFUNCTIONING WITH A POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE AND INJURY. WE CONTACTED NISSAN VILLAGE AND WERE INFORMED THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT ON THE LIST OF RECALLED VEHICLES. I HAVE OWNED QUITE A FEW CARS AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PART NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE $300-$400 TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE AND I BELIEVE, EVEN THOUGH THIS RECALL WAS INITIATED BACK IN DECEMBER 2007, THESE REPAIRS SHOULD BE COVERED AS THIS IS NOT A MAINTENANCE ISSUE BUT RATHER A SERIOUS OVERALL DEFECT IN THIS PARTICULAR MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AS WE HAVE CHILDREN BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS COMPLAINT WAS LODGED FOR REPORTING PURPOSES. WE WILL ALSO BE CONTACTING NISSAN TO INFORM THEM OF THIS ISSUE AND OUR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE FACT THAT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE US FOR A REPAIR THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A PAST RECALL. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE WHILE SHIFTING IN REVERSE GEAR AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK EXCESSIVELY. THE SIMILAR FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TWICE WHO REPLACED THE OXYGEN AND WHEEL SPEED SENSORS AT DIFFERENT TIMES FOR THE SIMILAR FAILURE. THE DEFECT RECURRED THREE MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT WILL HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. RVK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE I-95 I BEGAN TO APPROACH SLOWER TRAFFIC. AS I PROCEEDED TO SLOW DOWN, ALL THE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON, MY STEERING GOT STIFF, AND THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY OFF. WHEN I PULLED OVER AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AGAIN IT HESITATED BUT EVENTUALLY IT STARTED. HOWEVER, THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT THAT HAS OCCUR, THE CAR NO LONGER STARTS AT ALL AND ONLY CRANKS BUT WON'T TURN OVER. *TR

THIS CAR WAS PART OF A RECALL DUE TO A ENGINE COOLING DEFECT, THEY CLAIMED IT WAS FIXED. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN LAST YEAR MY HEAT WOULDN'T WORK, INSTEAD THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULD JUST KICK ON, COULD NOT BE FIXED. I HAD NO HEAT LAST WINTER. I HAD A FRIEND WHO WAS A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT THIS YEAR TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND MADE A TEMP FIX AND I HAVE HEAT SOME OF THE TIME. HE DISCONNECTED THE A/C FOR NOW. THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN TO A 5 NOW 6 YEAR OLD CAR. TRY BEING IN 0 DEGREE WEATHER WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWING AT YOU AND BEING TOLD THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG. THIS HAS TO BE A DEFECT BECAUSE I HAVE HAD MANY 10-15 YEAR OLD CARS AND NEVER HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO THAT I CAN HAVE HEAT, AND NOW THAT MY A/C IS DISCONNECTED I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MY DEFROSTER WORKING, BUT A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR NOT GETTING FROST BITE IN THE FRIGID TEMPS. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING FROM DELAWARE TO NEW YORK, I HIT THE I-95 AROUND 5PM; TYPICAL RUSH OUR TIME. AS I BEGAN TO APPROACH HEAVY TRAFFIC I PROCEEDED TO SLOW DOWN. BY THE TIME MY SPEED DECREASED TO 25MPH, MY STEERING WHEEL GOT STIFF AND THE CAR FELT LIGHT AS IF THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY OFF AND LEFT IN NEUTRAL AND ROLLING DOWN A HILL. INDEED THE CAR HAD STALLED, AND ALL MY DASH LIGHTS SWITCHED ON (ALT, OIL, BRAKE AND BATTERY LIGHTS). I TRIED MY BEST TO STEER INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED WHO CAME AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES BUT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FIRE WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

MY VEHICLE BEGAN EXHIBITING THE FAMOUS NISSAN VQ35 TIMING CHAIN NOISES EARLY ON, MOSTLY IT WAS JUST A RATTLE WHICH I WAS TOLD WAS NOT A BIG DEAL. LATER, AT AROUND 100K MILES IT BECAME A VERY LOUD WHINING NOISE. I AM CONCERNED WHEN DRIVING MY CAR BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE VEHICLE, IF DAMAGE OCCURS TO IT THIS COULD DESTROY MY ENGINE. PRICE QUOTES FOR REPAIRING THIS ARE AS HIGH AS $2500! THE PARTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED WHICH PROVES NISSAN KNOWS OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS HAD A PLAN OF SOME SORT TO FIX IT FOR THOSE THAT EXHIBIT THE PROBLEM. IT'S JUST TOO EXPENSIVE TO GET DONE! NISSAN SHOULD COVER THE BILL FOR THIS! *TR

THIS YEAR I AM REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A SMOG TEST FOR MY 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA THA I PURCHASED USED FROM POWER VOLVO IN CALIFORNIA. MY CAR IS THROWING OFF A P0420 CODE WHICH REQUIRES A REPLACEMENT TO THE PRE-CATALYTIC CONVERTER. PER THE OWNERS MANUAL, MY CAR SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS FOR 15 YEARS, 150,000. YET WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE CONVERTER REPAIRED, I WAS INFORMED THAT MY CAR ORIGINALLY CAME FROM NEW YORK AND CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DID NOT APPLY AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED UNDER THE STATES EMISSIONS WARRANTY. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 4 YEARS AND HAVE DRIVEN IT AND LIVED IN CALIFORNIA SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT A DEALER COULD BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF A REPAIR TO THIS PRE-CAT DEFECT BECAUSE THE CAR WAS "FIRST SOLD IN NEW YORK". I HAVE FILED A CLAIM WITH NISSAN REQUESTING ASSISTANCE BUT HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK (CLAIM #7271179). I HAVE ALSO STARTED CONSUMING OIL WHICH IS NOT DUE TO AN OUTSIDE LEAK AND MY DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR BOARD IS RUSTING. PLEASE HELP!

CAM SHAFT SENSOR FAILURE. SIMILAR IN FUNCTION TO THE RECALLED CRANKSHAFT SENOR, THE CAM SHAFT PART CAN STALL A CAR, OR PREVENT FROM RESTARTING DUE TO OVERHEATING. IT ALSO IS VITAL TO ENGINE TIMING AND OTHER ITEMS WHICH PERTAIN TO ENGINE PERFORMANCE. SEPT 12, 2011 67000 MILES REPLACED THIS THE SECOND TIME IN UNDER 3 YEARS PART NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHY IS THIS NOT A RECALL LIKE IT'S CRANKSHAFT COUNTERPART. *TR

MY "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND I LATER NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS HARD TO START. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THERE WERE TWO INCIDENTS WHERE THE MOTOR ALMOST DIED - I CALLED AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP. MEANWHILE, I LOOKED UP ANY RECALLS FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL AND THERE WAS ONE ON THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FROM 2007 AND I ALSO NOTICED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED A PROBLEM WITH THIS SENSOR AND THEY REPLACED IT BUT THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT MY VIN WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF. I CALLED NISSAN AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, STATING THAT THE RECALL WAS ISSUED BASED ON WHERE THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. THE PART FAILED REGARDLESS OF WHERE THE CAR WAS ASSEMBLED. I THINK NISSAN SHOULD CONSIDER EXPANDING THIS RECALL TO INCLUDE ALL MODELS INVOLVING THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *KB