2008 Nissan Altima

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I WROTE THIS LETTER TO CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND TO THE CEO OF NISSAN: DEAR [XXX], MY NAME IS [XXX]AND I AM A CURRENT OWNER OF A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS, I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH NISSAN'S WEST COAST REGIONAL OFFICE IN REGARDS TO ISSUES I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING WITH MY CAR. I HAVE BEEN TREATED VERY POORLY AND I AM ASTONISHED AND DISGRACED BY BOTH ONE OF YOUR NISSAN DEALERSHIPS HERE IN LOS ANGELES AND BY YOUR CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVES. AS A LEADER MYSELF FOR ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE COMPANY'S IN THE WORLD, I HAVE FOUND MYSELF AT A LOSS FOR WORDS. [XXX], A MAN WHO HAS BEEN EMPOWERED TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR NISSAN, STATED BY BRETT LOCHER, HIS SUPERVISOR, HAS DECIDED THAT NISSAN SHOULD NOT FIX THE ISSUE THAT I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING SINCE THE FIRST DAY I LEASED THE CAR. I WAS LIED TO BY THE SALES REPRESENTATIVE THAT MY VEHICLE HAD TEMPORARY BATTERY ISSUES. LATER ON IN THE YEAR, I EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ISSUES. I WAS ADVISED BY YOUR DEALERSHIP IN GLENDALE, CA TO PAY FOR A NEW BATTERY EXCHANGE. AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUES UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN MY CAR BECAME INACTIVE TO THE THE START/STOP IGNITION SWITCH NOT RESPONDING WITH THE BRAKE HARNESS. ALTHOUGH I ADVISED YOUR REPRESENTATIVES THAT I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM WAY BEFORE MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY CONTINUED TO EXPLAIN TO ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FIX THE CAR WITHOUT CHARGE BECAUSE NOW ITS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CAR HAS AROUND 29,000 MILES AND HAS NEVER NEEDED SERVICE. I AM DISAPPOINTED FROM AN ETHICAL STANDPOINT AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MY CAR FIXED. IT'S TIME FOR NISSAN TO STOP SERVING CRACKERS AND CHEESE AND BEGIN TO SERVE CAVIAR FOR CUSTOMER RETENTION. [XXX] CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IS NEEDED! MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS ALL OVER THE NET. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAVE 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S WHICH HAS PUSH BUTTON START. I.E. PERSON HAS TO PUSH BUTTON AND PRESS BRAKE AT SAME TIME TO START THE ENGINE. THERE IS A SWITCH / SENSOR NEAR BRAKE PEDAL WHICH SENDS SIGNAL THAT BRAKE HAS BEEN PRESSED (AND ALSO TURNS ON REAR BRAKE LIGHTS). ONE DAY, ALL OF SUDDEN, WHEN I TRIED TO START CAR IT DIDN'T START. IT KEEP SAYING PRESS BRAKE (ACCESSORIES / RADIO ETC ALL TURN ON). SO THE CYCLE OF ACCESSORIES - ON- OFF KEPT ON HAPPENING. I THOUGHT BATTERY IS WEAK AND EVEN TRIED JUMP START. SO, AFTER TRYING PUSHING BRAKE + BUTTON FOR 30MINUTES , CAR FINALLY STARTED. THIS HAPPENED 2-3 TIMES AND I GOT VERY FRUSTRATED....FINALLY I STARTED READING ONLINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. MANY PEOPLE HAVE POSTED SAME COMPLAIN / ISSUE. THEY SUGGESTED TO CHECK WHETHER REAR BRAKE LIGHTS TURN ON WHEN I PRESS BRAKE OR NOT.. IF NOT THEN THE SWITCH IS BAD .. I SAW MANY PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO FIX PROBLEM BY REPLACING SWITCH ($50 EXPENSE). I DID THE SAME AND CAR HAS BEEN WORKING FINE SINCE THEN (2-3 MONTHS). DEALER TRIES TO CHARGE $150 ONLY FOR SWITCH AND THEN $500 FOR OTHER STUFF TO ELIMINATE ROOT CAUSE OF ISSUE.. AS MANY PEOPLE ARE EFFECTED BY THIS ISSUE, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT NISSAN SHOULD RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE AT THEIR COST. DEALERS ARE MAKING TONS OF MONEY OFF 2007-2008 ALTIMA OWNERS. *TR

VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ALONG WITH OTHER NORMAL TRAFFIC WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND STALLED ON AN INCLINE. DRIVER CAREFULLY STEERED VEHICLE TO A SAFE PLACE DOWNHILL AND CALLED A TOWING COMPANY TO TOW VEHICLE TO DRIVER'S RESIDENCE. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT, A RUBBER SEAL ON THE ECM WIRING HARNESS WAS FOUND BUCKLED UP. ON TRYING TO REMOVE AND RE-INSERT THE HARNESS, IT WAS FOUND THAT ECM TERMINALS HAD CORRODED AND SOME PIN CONTACT HAD ACTUALLY FALLEN OFF. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH, THIS WAS FOUND TO BE AN ISSUE COVERED UNDER FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY. DRIVER/OWNER CALLED THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHO IMMEDIATELY, PRESUMABLY AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE, TOWED THE CAR TO THEIR FACILITY, CHECKED AND FOUND THE ECM TO BE FAULTY BUT BLAMED THE FAULTY WIRING HARNESS FOR THE FAILURE. AND FURTHER, THE DEALER CLAIMED SINCE THE HARNESS CARRIES A 3 YEAR WARRANTY AND WAS THE "CAUSE" OF THE ECM FAILURE, THIS WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY RESULTING IN A BILL OF $2,000+ FOR REPLACING THE FAULTY - CORRODED - WIRING HARNESS AND THE FAULTY ECM. ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE DEALER DO MORE RESEARCH OR CONTACT NISSAN USA FOR ADVISE FELL ON DEAF EARS. IF THE CAR HAD STALLED ON HIGH SPEED AND CAUSED FATALITIES ON THE HIGHWAY, WOULD THESE REPAIRS THEN HAVE BEEN "PART" OF FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR PUBLICITY PURPOSES? IT IS OUT OF SHEER LUCK THAT 1. THE CAR STALLED WHILE GOING DOWNHILL AND, 2. THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR. I DESPERATELY NEED ADVISE ON THIS WHILE I AWAIT FOR DELIVERY OF A SPECIAL ORDER FOR THE ECM AND HARNESS. IN THE MEANTIME, MY RENTAL CAR EXPENSES ARE PILING UP AND ARE NOT COVERED BY ANY WARRANTY. *TR

I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL INCIDENCES WHERE WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE & TRYING TO START THE CAR (BY THE PUSH START IGNITION) THE CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER. ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE WILL TURN ON (RADIO, POWER WINDOWS, AIR, ETC) BUT THE CAR WILL NOT START. I'VE HAD THE BATTERY TESTED NUMEROUS TIMES AND IT ALWAYS PASSES AS A GOOD BATTERY. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND SEVERAL FORUMS WHERE OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR 2008 NISSAN ALTIMAS. FROM THE SOUNDS OF IT, IT MIGHT BE A PROBLEM WITH A BRAKE CABLE. WITH AS MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE SEEN ON THIS, HOW COME THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ISSUED? *TR

THIS VEHICLE IS A 2008, NISSAN ALTIMA WITH 45,500 MILES DRIVEN AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN EARLY 2008. THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, MY WIFE COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO START. THEN ON NOV. 4, 2011, I WITNESSED THE FAILURE MYSELF. AFTER CONTACTING THE TEXAS AAA MOTOR CLUB AND HAVING THEM COME AND VERIFY THAT THE CAR'S BATTERY WAS FULLY CHARGED AND COULD RUN THE STARTER, THE CAR STARTED WITHOUT ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION BEING TAKEN. THE CAR WAS THEN DRIVEN TO THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE REPORT COMPLAINT WAS ENTERED AS: "CUSTOMER STATES VEHICLE WILL NOT START AT TIMES". ON THE INVOICE IT STATES "CAUSE: BRAKE LAMP SWITCH FAILED - NOT SENDING SIGNAL TO BCM FOR START".' THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS LISTED AS A "25320-AX00C SWITCH ASM"'. THE COST OF THE SWITCH WAS $39.17 WITH $52.50 LABOR. PRIOR TO REPAIR, I WAS GIVEN THE CHOICE OF THE $91.67 SWITCH INSTALLATION, OR THE INSTALLATION OF A DIFFERENT SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND A REPLACEMENT CABLE HARNESS FOR APPROXIMATELY $250.00. I CHOSE THE REPLACEMENT SWITCH OPTION BECAUSE THE FIRST SWITCH LASTED 45,500 MILES, AND IF THE SECOND SWITCH LASTED THAT MANY MILES, IT WOULD NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED UNTIL AROUND THE 90 OR 95 THOUSAND MILE MARK. *JS

I RECENTLY HAVING ISSUE WITH MY BRAKE LIGHT COMING ON AND OFF AT RANDOM TIMES. WHICH AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE FOR MANY OTHERS, WITH BRAKE LEAKS. I HAVE NOTICED A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE IN THE BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS, WHICH CAUSES CONCERN FOR ME. I HAVE AN 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 SE WITH ROUGHLY 56,000 MILES. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED WITH ONLY 22K MILES ROUGHLY IN 2009 AND HAVE OTHER ISSUES WITH ELECTRICAL WORK IN THE RADIO. THE RADIO HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN WHERE MY VOLUME DIAL DOESN'T TURN THE VOLUME UP OR DOWN IT LOCKS BETWEEN THREE VOLUME NUMBERS AND AT TIMES THE SCREEN FADES IN AND OUT. *TR

I RECENTLY HAD A SERVICE CALL WITH MY NISSAN DEALER TO FIX A INTERMITTENT STARTING ISSUE (PUSH BUTTON START) ON MY 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT SINCE NISSAN DOES NOT BELIEVE IT WARRANTS A RECALL. IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE INTERMITTENT STARTING PROBLEM I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. GIVEN THAT THIS IS INTERMITTENT THE VEHICLE DOES HAVE THE POSSIBILITY TO START YET LATER NOT HAVE BRAKE LIGHTS FUNCTIONING. WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SWITCH THE ISSUE HAS GONE AWAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE KEYLESS IGNITION PUSH BUTTON START AND REMOTE KEYLESS FOB FAILED TO OPERATE APPROXIMATELY FOUR TIMES. IN ADDITION, BOTH KEY AND BATTERY WARNING SYMBOLS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT REPLACED TWO KEY FOB BATTERIES AND THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETECT A FAILURE CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHICH RESULTED IN NO RESOLUTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.