1996 Nissan Sentra

ALL POWER LOST, INCLUDING ENGINE, POWER BRAKES, AND POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS. CAUSE IS AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ON WIRING HARNESS INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING AN OPEN CIRCUIT ON A POWER WIRE. IN PARTICULAR, THE FAULTY CONNECTOR IS E104 ON THE HEC (THE BACK OF THE FUSE PANEL IN DRIVER SIDE COMPARTMENT). FAILURE OCCURS MORE OFTEN IN HOT WEATHER. FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE WHILE DRIVING, AND DOZENS OF TIMES WHEN PARKED. JIGGLING THE CONNECTOR OFTEN RESTORES POWER. ALSO, A SIMILAR POWER WIRE OPEN CIRCUIT OCCURS ON ANOTHER CONNECTOR ON THE SAME HEC THAT CAUSES ALL LIGHTING TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND MOST INTERIOR LIGHTING TO FAIL. FAILURE HAS OCCURED AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS, PREVENTING THE DRIVER FROM SEEING HOW FAST THEY ARE TRAVELING.

CPSP: MY CAR, A 1996 NISSAN SENTRA, LOST ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING. NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES, ENGINE TURNED OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WHILE DRIVING, AND NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN I GO TO START UP THE CAR AND NOTHING HAPPENS. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAULTY INTERMITTENT CIRCUIT. UPDATED 10/16/2017*JS

1996 NISSAN SENTRA, WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND WHEN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW. THE DRIVER WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK THE MEDIAN WALL. HE RETURNED TO THE ROADWAY AND DROVE OFF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE STOPPING ON THE NORTH BERM. *BF THE DRIVER STATED HE HAD TO KEEP PUTTING AIR IN THE TIRE PRIOR TO THE BLOWOUT. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0913-90) UPDATED 02/15/11 *BF UPDATED 05/24/11*LJ UPDATED 05/31/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ENTIRE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE LOWERED ONTO ITS FRONT AXLE AND WAS TOWED TO A TIRE SHOP. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK AND THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD THUMPING NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHEELS HAD ALUMINUM RIMS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 196,000.

INSUFFICIENT HEADREST FOAM COVERAGE. FOAM DEGRADES OR SELF MOVES OUT OF POSITION TO REVEAL INTERNAL METAL FRAME WHICH RUNS ACROSS ENTIRE HEADREST AT POINT OF HEAD IMPACT. PART DOES NOT SEEM SERVICEABLE FOR REPAIR, AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY MANUFACTURER WITH UPDATED VERSION. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND AIRBAG LIGHT ARE BOTH TRIGGERED TOO EASILY BY TOO MANY SENSORS, SO VEHICLE IS CONSTANTLY IN SHOP WITH NO TROUBLE FOUND. SEEMS LIKE IT WAS DESIGNED BY AN OVERLY-WORRIED CAR MANUFACTURER, OR FOR THE PURPOSES OF MAKING OWNERS FEEL THE CAR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT ALSO GREATLY INCREASES THE LIKELY HOOD OF FAILING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE SAFETY ISSUE STEMS FROM ALL THE BLINKING LIGHTS ON THE DASH WHICH ARE VERY DISTRACTIVE, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT, AND USUALLY COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY. IN 1996, THERE WAS A RECALL FOR INSUFFICIENT BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATION ON THE SENTRA MODEL. NISSAN'S FIX FOR THIS WAS A BRIGHTER BULB. SINCE MY CAR WAS BOUGHT USED, AND THE PRIOR OWNER DID NOT UPGRADE TO THE NEW BULBS, AND THERE IS NO LISTING FOR THE REPLACEMENT BULBS, OWNER'S MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO UPGRADE THEIR BRAKE LIGHTS. NISSAN DEALERS DO NOT SEEM TO KNOW WHAT BULB TO REPLACE IT WITH FOR BETTER ILLUMINATION. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AS THERE ARE MANY 1996 NISSAN SENTRAS ON THE ROAD TODAY. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE WAITING IN THE RIGHT LANE TO MAKE A TURN, THE VEHICLE WAS RAMMED FROM BEHIND. THE DRIVER FROM THE OTHER VEHICLE INDICATED THERE WERE NO TAIL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO NOTICE IF IT WAS MOVING OR NOT AT NIGHT. THE POLICE WAS PRESENT AT THE SCENE, AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS TO ALERT THE CONTACT FOR AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. AFTER NINE YEARS OF THE ACCIDENT, THE CONTACT ENCOUNTERED A NHTSA RECALL # 98V008000 WHICH MATCHED THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO INFORMED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.