1997 Nissan Sentra

FAILURE AT 40,000 MILES ON 80,000 MILE GOODYEAR AQUATREAD REPLACEMENT TIRES NOT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT 1NORMAL DRIVING. MONTHS BEFORE HIT SPEED BUMP AT 20 MPH. ANOTHER TIME VEHICLE WAS OVERLOADED BY 200 LBS FOR 7 MILES. 2 STESS CRACKS ON SIDE WALL OF ONE OF THE AQUATREAD TIRES, SLOW LOSS OF AIR PREASURE IN TIRE. 3 REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AT RECOMENDATION OF MANAGER AT GOODYEAR TIRE HE EXPLAINED HE HAD NEVER SEEN STRESS CRACKS ON THE SIDE WALL OF A PASSENGER VEHICLE TIRE IN HIS 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE.HE HAD ONLY SEEN THEM ON TRUCK TIRES . HE THOUGHT IT MAY BE A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND SENT THE TIRES TO GOODYEAR FOR XRAY ANALYSIS. HE ALSO SAID ITS POSSIBLE THAT A SPEED BUMP OR OVERLOADING COULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. *AK

(1) IT WAS A LIGHT RAIN. THE WIPER IS IN THE LOWEST SETTING. BOTH WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. I CAN HEAR THE WIPER MOTOR RUNNING BUT THE WIPERS DOESN'T OPERATE. (2) AS IT WAS NO RAINING HARD, I WAS STILL ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE SAFELY HOME. I FOUND THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES FOR 1997 NISSAN SENTRA. (3) CONTACTED NISSAN ABOUT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE BUT I AM TOLD THE RECALL DOESN'T APPLIED TO MY VIN NUMBER. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP REPAIR SHOP. THEY REPLACED THE WIPER TRANSMISSION WHICH CONSISTS OF THE PIVOT-ASSY-WIPE(R), AND 2 LINK ASSY-CONNE(CTOR). THE OLD PARTS ARE UNAVAILABLE.

THIS COMPLAINT IS REGARD TO THE VOLUNTARY RECALL ON THE '97 NISSAN SENTRA'S WIPER SEAL. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEN THE 1-800 NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE I WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL DIDN'T APPLY TO MY VEHICLE DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT FALLS WITHIN THE RANGE OF NUMBERS GIVEN ON NISSAN'S OWN WEBSITE (CLIPPED FROM WEB PAGE - [XXX]TO [XXX] (SENTRA) WITH A VIN#[XXX]. I PURCHASED THIS AS A USED VEHICLE AND SO IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT THE WIPERS COULD HAVE FAILED THROUGH NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE A BETTER EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE RECALL DOESN'T APPLY WHEN BY ALL INDICATIONS ON NISSAN'S OWN WEB SITE IT APPEARS TO APPLY. *JB UPDATED 07/26/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

1997 NISSAN SENTRA HAS HAD (4) FOUR RUN-AWAY CRUISE CONTROL INCIDENTS. CRUISE REFUSES TO DISENGAGE WHILE ACCELERATING SPEED TO 90-100+MPH. ONCE THE GOVERNNOR SHUT THE CAR DOWN, EACH OTHER TIME THE TEENAGE DRIVER HAS MANAGED TO STOP THE CAR BY EITHER, SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL, SHUTTING THE CAR OFF OR USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND REGULAR BRAKE AT THE SAME TIME. EACH TIME THE INCIDENT HAS REQUIRED A DIFFERENT METHOD TO STOP THE CAR. FORTUNATELY THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY INJURIES OR ACCIDENTS. HOWVER, NISSAN SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM YET REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LIFE THREATENING INCIDENTS. THE HEAD MECHANIC AT NISSAN IN LEBANON TOLD MY 18 YEAR OLD TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE CAR AND IF IT DID IT AGAIN TO BRING IT BACK IN !!! *AK

MY STARTER IN MY 1997 NISSAN SENTRA IS ALWAYS MESSING UP!! I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE IT FOUR TIMES WITHIN ONE YEAR. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY, SO I EVEN REPLACED THAT. BUT AT THE END, IT IS ALWAYS THE STARTER THAT FAILS. I PUT THE KEY IN, TURN IT TO START, AND THE CAR JUST HISSES. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. I AM SEVERLY CONVINCED THAT THERE IS SOMEWORT OF STARTER/ELECTRICAL DEFECT THAT NO ONE (NISSAN AUTHORITIES) HAVE REPORTED. EVEN MY MECHANIC THINKS IT'S ODD THAT HE HAS HAD TO REPLACE IT 4 TIMES. I PUT 20 FAILURES BECAUSE IT BEEN AROUND 20 TIMES WHEN IT WOULD NOT START, THEN IT WOULD, ID GET IT TOWED, AND GET A NEW STARTER EVENTUALLY. *LA

MY NISSAN SENTRA RECENTLY NEEDED TO HAVE BOTH WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGES REPLACED DUE TO THE PROBLEM WITH WATER ENTERING AND RUSTING OUT THE BEARINGS. I NEW OF THE SAFETY RECALL BUT ALL THE DEALER DID WAS ADD A RIDICULOUS 10 CENT STRIP OF FOAM TO THE PANEL ABOVE THE FALLEN APART BEARINGS. BOTH ME AND MY STEPFATHER ARGUED WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND NISSAN MOTORS BUT THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE BEARINGS FREE OF CHARGE. MY STEPFATHER ENDED UP BUYING AND REPLACING THEM HIMSELF BUT IN THE MEANTIME I GOT A $50.00 TICKET BECAUSE DURING THIS DELAY MY INSPECTION STICKER RAN OUT AND I COULDN'T GET A NEW ONE UNTIL THE WIPERS WERE FIXED. *LA

UPPER RADIATOR HOSE LEAKS AT EITHER POINT OF CONNECTION. COOLANT DRIPS DOWN DIRECTLY INTO ALTERNATOR SHORTING THE ALTERNATOR OUT. TRIED REPLACING OLD HOSE AND HOSE CLAMPS WITH A NEW HOSE AND NEW, HIGH QUALITY HOSE CLAMPS, BUT PROBLEM PERSISTED. SOLUTION: MADE OWN COVER TO PROTECT ALTERNATOR FROM COOLANT DRIPPING FROM LEAKY UPPER RADIATOR HOSE OUT OF SHEET METAL. BOLTED SHEET METAL COVER TO EXHAUST MANIFOLD. NOW IF THE UPPER RADIATOR HOSE LEAKS, THE COOLANT DRIPS ON SHEET METAL COVER AND RUNOFF GOES ELSEWHERE SAFELY. HAVEN'T HAD A PROBLEM SINCE. *LA

UPPER RADIATOR HOSE LEAKS AT EITHER CONNECTION. TRIED INSTALLING NEW RADIATOR HOSE AND BRAND NEW, HIGH QUALITY HOSE CLAMPS, BUT PROBLEM PERSISTED. COOLANT THEN DRIPS DOWN DIRECTLY INTO THE ALTERNATOR SHORTING THE ALTERNATOR OUT. SOLUTION: MAKE A COVER FOR ALTERNATOR OUT OF SHEET METAL, AND BOLT IT TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD COVER. IF WATER DRIPS FROM THE ABOVE RADIATOR HOSE, THE COVER WILL PROTECT THE ALTERNATOR BY DIRECTING THE RUNOFF ELSEWHERE. *LA