2000 Nissan Xterra

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE SHOULDER WHERE THEY GOT OUT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AND POURED WATER ONTO THE VEHICLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE HOWEVER THE FIRE INCREASED SLIGHTLY. THE CONTACT STATED BIGGER EFFORTS WERE MADE FROM HER AND ANOTHER DRIVER TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT MADE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED THE CONTACT LEARNED THAT THEIR VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V230000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE), HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE 241,496.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER I EXITED MY BUILDING GARAGE AND MADE RIGHT TURN ON CITY STREET ON A CLEAR SUMMER DAY AFTERNOON THE ENGINE SOUND BEGAN ROARING AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATING. I TRIED TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE FORCIBLY HITTING ON THE BRAKES, SHIFTING GEARS TO NEUTRAL, TURNING OFF THE ENGINE BUT THE VEHICLE KEPT ON GOING AND RAN-AWAY UNCONTROLLABLY TILL I MADE TWO LEFT TURNS AND ENDED UP ON A SIDE WALK WITH THE REAR TIRE BLOWN OUT AND THE CAR STOPPED AFTER COLLIDING WITH SOME PUBLIC UTILITY BOX. THE VEHICLE HAS INCOMPLETE RECALL #R0402 AND NHSTA RECALL #04V-230 REGARDING THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. THERE WAS A LOCAL POLICE REPORT #200057082. SUSPECTED CAUSES COULD BE FLAWS IN THE VEHICLE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM THAT PRODUCED FAULTY SIGNAL OF FULLY DEPRESSED ACCELERATOR PEDAL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 270,000.

ON SATURDAY I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY BUT IT WENT AWAY QUICKLY AND I COULDN'T FIND ANY SOURCE IN THE VEHICLE, SO I ASSUMED I JUST DROVE PAST SOMETHING THAT SMELLED BADLY. ON SUNDAY THE SMELL RETURNED, STRONGER. I STOPPED AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AND SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH AS I RAN TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. ONCE THE SMOKE CLEARED AND THERE WAS NO CONCERN OF A FIRE BREAKING OUT I BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE AND FOUND THE "SMART ENTRANCE CONTROL UNIT," WHICH IS MOUNTED TO THE FAR LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE UNDER THE DASH AND CONTROLS THE POWER LOCKS AND KEYLESS ENTRY, TO BE NOTICEABLY HOT. I UNPLUGGED THIS BOX AND REMOVED IT FROM THE VEHICLE. THE BOX HAD HEAT VISIBLE DAMAGE ON ITS EXTERIOR. I OPENED THE BOX TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND FOUND A LARGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT I BELIEVE WAS A METAL OXIDE VARISTOR WAS THE SOURCE OF THE HEAT/SMOKE/POSSIBLE FIRE, AND NEARBY COMPONENTS SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT HEAT DAMAGE. I THINK THAT THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A COMPUTER MODULE MAY BE A SAFETY DESIGN FLAW. IF I HAD NOT BEEN AWARE OF THE ODOR AND PULLED OVER AND QUICKLY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THIS COMPUTER IS POWERED EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF, SO IT COULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND CAUSED A HOUSE FIRE AS WELL. I CHECKED EVERY FUSE IN THE VEHICLE AND ALL FUSES ARE THE CORRECT AMPERAGE (NOBODY HAS INSTALLED A HIGHER CURRENT FUSE IN PLACE OF A LOWER CURRENT ONE). IT WOULD SEEM LIKE THE CIRCUIT PROTECTION IS INADEQUATE TO INTERRUPT POWER TO THE COMPUTER IF IT FAILS. MY POWER LOCKS/KEYLESS FUNCTIONED UP UNTIL THE INCIDENT AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE KEYLESS ENTRY COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER'S PART LABEL READS AS FOLLOWS: CONT ASSY'SMART ENTRANCE PART NO. 28595 7Z000 UTA PART NO. 601-1190-001 FCC ID: KOBUTAHZR