2008 Nissan Altima

WHILE MY HUSBAND AND CHILDREN WERE DRIVING THROUGH ELY, NV ON THEIR WAY TO THE LAKE, 300+ MILES FROM HOME THE CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE. UPON PULLING THE RELEASE TO POP THE HOOD, THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES. MY FAMILY ESCAPED THE VEHICLE INJURY FREE. MY CAR IS NOW A PILE OF MELTED METAL. SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THIS HAPPENS? AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? I HAD A YEAR LEFT TO PAY ON THIS VEHICLE AND BARELY 120,000 MILES. WHAT IS MY RECOURSE? HOW DO I REPLACE MY VEHICLE? PLEASE HELP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, A RATTLING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE. THERE WAS DECREASED ON ENGINE RPMS WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM WHO STATED THAT THEY HAD TRIGGER AN UNKNOWN VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR THE ISSUE SPECIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

HAD THE OIL CHANGED AT DEALERSHIP. UPON DRIVING BACK HOME THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I RECEIVED THE YELLOW KEY LIGHT ON THE DASH AND COULD NOT DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL OR START THE CAR. I ATTEMPTED TO PUT IN A NEW BATTERY TO THE INTELLIGENT KEY AND ALSO JUMPSTART THE VEHICLE. STILL WOULD NOT START. NOTHING WARNS YOU OF THIS ISSUE AND GLAD THAT I WAS NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED OR PART FAILED. ON THE FOLLOWING DATE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. ON MONDAY THE 7TH THE CAR WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE ELECTRIC STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY FAILURE. SAME DAY I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO FIND OUT THERE WERE NO RECALLS NOR WOULD THEY OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE OR RECALL THIS PART AS THEY HAVE ON OTHER SIMILAR MODELS. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING ON THIS DATE FROM CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA WHERE I WORK AS AN ENGINEER AT WESTINGHOUSE HEADQUARTER OFFICE TO WEST CHESTER, OHIO WHERE MY FAMILY RESIDE FOR A FAMILY THANKSGIVING GATHERING. IT WAS 6:30 AM AND IT WAS SNOWING. THE TRAFFIC AHEAD BEGIN SLOWING DOWN FOR SOME REASON. THE VISIBILITY WAS BECOMING QUITE POOR. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 3-LANE I-79 HEADING SOUTH-WEST. HENCE I WANTED TO PUT ON MY HAZARD SIGNAL TO ALERT THE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME OF THE DANGER AHEAD. IN THE PROCESS I PUSHED ON THE ON/OFF START BUTTON. THE ENGINE DIED RIGHT AWAY WHILE I WAS TRAVELING AT 50 MPH. ALL CONTROL WAS IMMEDIATELY LOST IN THE PROCESS. UNABLE TO STEER MY CAR EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT I PUSHED ON THE HAZARD BUTTON TO ALERT THE VEHICLE BEHIND OD MY DISTRESS. LUCKILY FOR ME, THE FELLOW BEHIND SLOWED DOWN AND STAYED BEHIND ME UNTIL I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND PUT IT IN PARK TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND SLOWLY CONTINUE MY TRIP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I WAS EXTREMELY SCARED AND SURPRISE THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE AT ALL TO KILL THE ENGINE WHILE AT SPEED ON THE ROAD IN THIS VEHICLE. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR FLAW THAT COULD HAVE BEEN QUITE SERIOUS UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. IMAGINE IT HAPPENED DOWN THE MOUNTAIN IN WEST VIRGINIA WHERE I WAS HEADING NEXT..... THANK YOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF, AND AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE CRANK SHAFT AND SPEED SENSORS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

I PULLED IN A PARKING SPACE, FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AND BEFORE I COULD PUT IT IN PARK THE CAR ACCELERATED AND TOOK OFF. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR. I WENT ABOUT TWENTY FEET, OVER CURBS, SIDEWALK, ANOTHER PARKING SPACE, AVOIDING CARS, SKID MARKS MADE, AND FINALLY DIRECTED THE CAR TOWARD A DUMPSTER AND IT STOPPED. IT IS A MIRACLE THAT SOMEONE IN MY PATH WASN'T KILLED. THE ENGINE WAS PUSHED BACK AND SO THE BODY SHOP CONNECTED WITH NISSAN CONSIDERED IT A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

THE FOLLOWING HAD TO BE FIXED ALL ON ONE VISIT: MY ALTERNATOR REPLACED; TOP MOTOR MOUNT REPLACED, BRAKE SENSOR REPLACED, BATTERY REPLACED, AND HAD AN OIL COOLER LEAK FIXED. ALL WAS COVERED WITH MY EXTENDED WARRANTY ($858 OTHERWISE). IT HAS HAD A TOTAL OF 4 BATTERIES, 2 ALTERNATORS, 2 MANNA FOLDS (A RECALL), NEW SHOCKS AND STRUTS (I PAID FOR) AND MY TRANSMISSION WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO 120,000 MILES. (THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER RECALL TO THE FUEL TANK BUT CAN'T REMEMBER ANY SPECIFICS). I TAKE GREAT CARE OF MY CAR, HAVE IT MAINTAINED REGULARLY, AND ONLY USE QUALITY GAS. THIS IS MY FOURTH NISSAN AND I AM GREATLY DISAPPOINTED IN THE QUALITY. I AM DEBATING AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I SHOULD TRADE IT IN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT CARBON MONOXIDE WAS LEAKING INTO THE VENTS FROM THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO STATED THAT THE MANIFOLD WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 87,000. UPDATED 02/13/13*LJ UPDATED 02/14/13

MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE ABOUT 30 MINUTES NORTH OF SAN ANTONIO ON OUR WAY HOME TO DALLAS. IN AN INSTANCE MY CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING AND THE MPH DECLINED. I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THE CAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE AND IT WAS. I PULLED OVER AS TO NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND TURNED OFF MY CAR. IT TOOK A FEW TIMES TO START IT BACK AS IT WOULD START AND DIE. ABOUT THE 3RD TRY IT STARTED AND I REVVED THE GAS - IT SOUNDED NORMAL SO I DROVE TO AN AUTOZONE - IT WAS THE CLOSEST. I ASKED IF THEY WOULD CHECK THE COMPUTER TO SEE WHAT IT SAID AND THEY SAID IT WOULDN'T READ W/O A CODE. I TOOK THE CAR 10/1/12 TO BANKSTON NISSAN IN DALLAS (THE CAR DROVE FINE ALL THE WAY HOME) AND THEY SAID IT MAY BE TOO MUCH CVT FLUID. TOOK IT IN AND THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE AND THE FLUID WAS FINE - DID NOT NEED TO BE CHANGED OR ANYTHING. THE TECH SAID WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN TO PULL OVER AND HAVE IT TOWED TO A NISSAN - HE THINKS MAYBE SINCE I RESTARTED IT MAY HAVE CLEARED THE CODES. I ASKED IF HE THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN AND HE SAID YES. LOOKING ONLINE I SEE THIS SAME DESCRIPTION AND ISSUE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I EVEN CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND RECEIVED A CALL BACK... THIS DID NOT HAPPEN BEFORE WHEN I HAD A MASTER CYLINDER ISSUE THAT WAS RECALLED 6 MONTHS LATER. NISSAN AT THAT TIME JUST SAID SORRY. THIS TIME I GOT A CALL BACK INQUIRING, BUT THEN STILL GET A SORRY. I THINK SOMETHING IS UP. THEY ALL SEEM TO KNOW THE ISSUE BUT W/O A CODE THEY WONT REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY. WHAT IF THERE IS NEVER A CODE??!!! *TR