1999 Nissan Maxima

I BOUGHT A NISSAN MAXIMA 1999 FOR MY DAUGHTER ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT SHE GOT IN HER CAR ONE MORNING AFTER JUST HAVING HER VEHICLE AT A MECHANIC FOR A CHECK UP/SERVICE. THEY TOLD HER THE CAR WAS FINE. SHE THEN PROCEEDED DOWN THE ROAD TO THE FREEWAY, STOPPED FOR GAS AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. PANICKED BY THE 'AREA' OF TOWN SHE WAS IN I HAD A TOW TRUCK FROM AAA DISPATCHED TO MEET HER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE MECHANIC AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE KEY TO THE VEHICLE HAD BECOME DEPROGRAMMED. I PROCEEDED TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFUSED TO HELP ME UNLESS I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEM. A SCAM ALERT TO ENSURE THAT YOU MUST USE A DEALERSHIP AT HIGH COST. MY FEAR IS THAT SHOULD MY DAUGHTER BE HEADED THROUGH THE ARIZONA DESERT IN 120 HEAT AND THIS SAME SITUATION WOULD HAVE COME UP WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO CONTACT SOMEONE, HER (OR ANYONE ELSE'S) LIFE COULD HAVE BEEN IN DANGER. I FIND THIS KEY MALFUNCTIONING TO BE A SEVER SAFETY HAZARD AND THAT MORE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT THEY COULD ENDANGER THEIR LIVES IF THE KEY MALFUNCTIONS AND THEY ARE NOT NEAR A DEALERSHIP. I BELIEVE A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. I HAVE ANOTHER NISSAN FX45 THAT I DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE FOR FEAR THAT THE KEY COULD MALFUNCTION IN A SIMILAR MANNER LEAVING ME STRANDED AS WELL. *TR

I HAVE A POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM WITH MY 133,000-MILE, 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. IT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE CRANK SENSOR ON NEWER MAXIMA, A STEERING COLUMN LOCK, A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH, FAULTY CLUTCH DEPRESSION SWITCH, AND THE ANTI-THEFT KILL SWITCH, PERHAPS EVEN A RANDOM GROUND. THE PROBLEM WAS CONCEIVABLY CATASTROPHIC.*AK UPON ENTERING MY CAR USING THE REMOTE, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WON'T RESPOND, AND MUST BE UNLOCKED MANUALLY. IN THESE INSTANCES, NEITHER THE DOME LIGHTS NOR THE HEADLIGHTS SHINE. WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS ROTATED TO THE START POSITION, AS THE CLUTCH IS BEING DEPRESSED, SOMETIMES THE GAUGE LIGHTS APPEAR AND THEN QUICKLY FADE AND DISAPPEAR; THE CAR JUST DOESN'T CRANK. A FAINT, DIMINISHING TELLTALE BUZZING SOUND CAN BE HEARD. WHAT'S WORSE, THIS CAN HAPPEN SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING, IN WHICH CASE THE CAR'S STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND THE BRAKES BECOME INOPERABLE. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN ON THREE OCCASIONS, TWICE WHILE DRIVING IN A MALL PARKING LOT (FEBRUARY AND MARCH ''07) AND THE OTHER TIME (JUST LAST WEEK) WHILE TURNING INTO MY NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY, TO TAKE OUT HER OAK TREE. THE IGNITION CRANK SENSOR MUST SLIP INTO AN INOPERABLE MODE DURING DRIVING OR WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR, OR THE ANTI-THEFT SWITCH SOMEHOW INTERFERES WITH STARTING, OPERATION OR DRIVING. MAYBE THE MASTER IGNITION COIL IS FAILING (BUT THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN THE HEADLIGHT AND DOME LIGHT PROBLEMS). THE CLUTCH SWITCH MAY NOT ENGAGE WHEN ITS PEDAL IS BEING DEPRESSED. SOMETIMES, I CAN RESTART THE CAR AFTER AN INCIDENT IN WHICH IT WAS PARKED FOR A WHILE. MY BATTERY IS BRAND NEW, AND THERE DON'T SEEM TO BE ANY SHORTS AS FAR AS I CAN TELL. BUT NOTHING ELECTRICALLY WORKS (NOT EVEN THE RADIO) WHEN I HAVE TO UNLOCK THE CAR MANUALLY. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR BEYOND MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I MIGHT HAVE TO BECOME A HERMIT, OR WORSE, A COLLEGE PROFESSOR. ANY IDEAS? THE CAR IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE OTHERWISE AND HAS ALL SERVICE RECORDS.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ENTIRE AIR BAG SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 5/30/2006 - THE BRAKES MADE NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE TCS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE A/C DIDN'T SEEM COLD ENOUGH TO THE CONSUMER.*NM

I NEED TO REPLACE THE FOLLOWING FOR MY 99 NISSAN MAXIMA SO FAR:- (1) 2 OXYGEN SENSORS. (2) 1 ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (3) 6 IGNITION COILS AND 1 CONDENSER NOW, THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING. MY MAXIMA HAS ONLY 52,000 MILES. ALL THESE REPAIRS RIGHT AFTER 36,000 MILES. NISSAN SHOULD RECALL ALL THESE. HOWEVER, I KNOW NHTSA WON'T RECALL IT BECAUSE THERE IS NO INJURIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.*AK

RECENTLY, ONE IGNITION COIL FAILED. MY NISSAN DEALER TOLD ME THAT SINCE ONE FAILED, ALL OF THEM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY WOULD PROBABLY ALL FAIL SOON AFTER THE FIRST ONE FAILED. IF DEALERS CAN'T KEEP REPLACEMENT IGNITION COILS IN STOCK BECAUSE SO MANY OF THEM ARE FAILING ON THE MAXIMA, THEN SHOULDN'T IT BE A RECALL. IT COST ME OVER $800 TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. ALSO, IF I PRESS THE UNLOCK BUTTON TOO MANY TIMES ON MY WIRELESS KEY REMOTE, THE WINDOWS ROLL DOWN PARTIALLY. DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK THAT'S AN ODD AND ANNOYING THING THAT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING. HELLO, RECALL! *LA