Nissan Altima electrical problems

MY NEW NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 SL HAD A DEAD BATTERY 4 TIMES WITHIN 20 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO NISSAN FACTORY SERVICE THREE TIMES (ONE TIME THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS CLOSED) - BUT THE PROBLEM NEVER RESOLVED. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED ON THE INTERNET AND IS NOT THE BATTERY ITSELF, BUT RELATED TO FAILURES IN THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND "SMART KEY" ELECTRONICS. NISSAN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR REPAIR THE PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR DOWN THE ROAD, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND PUT THE CAR INTO PARK. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR BACK UP, AND WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. I THEN HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED, AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR CRANKED AGAIN. THE NEXT DAY, I WENT INTO TOWN, AND THE CAR DID THE SAME THING. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT AFTER A FEW TRIES, BUT IT THEN DROVE FUNNY THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE CAR, BUT I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF ANY RECALL. I FOUND IT AFTER SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET WHEN I GOT HOME. I WILL BE CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP TOMORROW. APPARENTLY THE RECALL IS FOR THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THESE CARS. I AM UPSET BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS RECALL, AND I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS CAR. I BOUGHT IT NEW. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AT ALL NOW, WHICH MEANS I HAVE NO MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. *TR

I WAS ON VACATION, DRIVING TO CLEVELAND, OH WITH MY WIFE & PARENTS ON 6-13-09, SAT IN 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA, 2.5 SL. AROUND 9.00 PM, ON I-80, APPRX 40 MIL FROM CLEVELAND, SUDDENLY SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE CAR HOOD, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. TEMP AND OIL LEVEL INDICATORS DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGN OF PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. AFTER NARROWLY ESCAPING CRASH WITH OTHER VEHICLES BY GRACE OF GOD, WE COULD STOP THE CAR WITH SMOKE STILL COMING OUT. BY THE TIME I MOVED EVERYBODY AWAY FROM THE CAR, THE SMOKE STOPPED. THIS SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE ENGINE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE DISASTROUS, ENDANGERING PRECIOUS LIVES. ON CRANKING THE ENGINE, LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE MADE US BELIEVE THAT CAR WAS IN BAD SHAPE, SO CAR WAS TOWED TO NISSAN OF NORTH OLMSTED, OH (DEALER). AFTER INSPECTION ON MON, 6/15/09 I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE CASTING HAD A BIG HOLE APPRX 2" BIG. WE WERE ASKED TO EITHER SCRAP THE CAR OR REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH ESTIMATED COST OF $4500. WE WERE NOT TOLD ANY GOOD REASON FOR THIS ENGINE FAILURE. BEING STRANDED WITH MY FAMILY FOR 3 DAYS AND DESPAIRED, I DECIDED TO REPLACE ENGINE HOPING TO GET COMPENSATION FROM NISSAN. INITIAL POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM NISSAN CUSTOMER AFFAIRS BECAME VERY DISSATISFYING AND FRUSTRATING AFTER I PAID THE DEALER. IT WAS A SHOCK TO US THAT AFTER CALLING SO MANY TIMES NISSAN DID NOT TOOK ANY RESPONSIBILITY STATING ON 6/24 THAT "THE VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE OF MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY" LATER I FOUND MANY PUBLICATIONS STATING THAT 2002, NISSAN ALTIMA-2.5L ENGINES HAVE FACED SIMILAR ENGINE FAILURES BUT NISSAN HAS NOT DONE ENOUGH TO AVOID SUCH INCIDENTS. IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR LIKE THIS IS NOT EXPECTED FROM SUCH A REPUTED ORG. THERE HAD BEEN MULTIPLE RECALLS ON MY CAR INCLUDING "ENGINE SENSOR KIT" AND " ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM". I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST YOU TO LOOK IN TO THIS MATTER SO AS TO CONTAIN FURTHER DAMAGE TO PRECIOUS LIVES OF PEOPLE AT LARGE. I FURTHER REQUEST YOU TO IMPRESS UPON NISSAN TO REIMBURSE US FOR TOTAL COST OF REPLACING ENGINE AND MENTAL AGONY. *TR

THE GAUGES ALL GO DEAD IN THE DASH ON MY 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA. THIS IS REALLY VERY SCARY AS I HAVE REALLY NO IDEA HOW FAST I'M GOING AND JUST TRY AND GO WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC WHEN THIS HAPPENS. LIVING IN A VERY BUSY CITY AND TAKING THE EXPRESSWAY WHEN NECESSARY POSES A THREAT TO MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS. I HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER AND LET THE CAR COOL AND THEN COMPLETE MY TRIP SO AS TO HAVE WORKING GAUGES. NO NISSAN DEALER OR MECHANIC HAS BEEN ABLE TO OFFER A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AND BASED ON MY RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH NISSAN. ALSO, THE O2 SENSORS AND THE GASKETS ARE BAD ON THIS CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V521000 AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL BECAUSE THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE AIR BAG MAY NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 21,000. UPDATED 06/27/09 *BF UPDATED 06/23/09.*JB

2003, NISSAN ALTIMA, 3.5L, 60,000 MILES. JANUARY 2009, TRAVELING IN SOUTH FLORIDA TRAFFIC, ALL DASH WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND CAR STALLS. CAR RESTARTS, HARD, AND IS DRIVEN TO FT LAUDERDALE DEALERSHIP. $100 DIAGNOSTIC REVEALS CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND 2 CAM SENSORS NEED TO BE REPLACED. OUR SON, SERVICE WRITER FOR NISSAN IN TEXAS, TELLS US THE DEALERSHIP HAS DOUBLED THE ESTIMATE AND TO KEEP LOOKING FOR A MECHANIC (SINCE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY). TELLS US THE MAXIMA FOR THIS YEAR HAS A RECALL FOR THIS BUT NOT THE ALTIMA WITH 3.5L. WE DRIVE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC,STALLING SEVERAL MORE TIMES, IN RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC, HE ESTIMATES $600+/- AND WE LEAVE CAR FOR REPAIR WHILE I ENTER THE HOSPITAL FOR BREAST CANCER SURGERY. CAR IS REPAIRED WHEN I LEAVE HOSPITAL, HUGE BILL COMES OUT OF MY POCKET, AND NISSAN WILL NOT CONSIDER REIMBURSEMENT, ALTHOUGH MANY HUNDREDS OF THESE VEHICLES ARE EXPERIENCING IDENTICAL PROBLEMS! NO RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED, NO NOTICE OF THE ECM RECALL WAS RECEIVED AND THE CAR IS NOW SLUGGISH ON ACCELERATION. CAR IS METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED, USES ONLY PREMIUM GAS AND OTHERWISE A GOOD VEHICLE TO OWN. NISSAN'S REFUSAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AND DEALERSHIPS GOUGING CUSTOMERS MAKES THIS SITUATION EVEN MORE DISTASTEFUL! *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN ROAD A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE WOULD FILL THE INSIDE OF CAR ALSO HAD SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE INSIDE CAR TOOK IT TO PAUL BARNETT NISSAN IN BROOKHAVEN THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM CAR WAS SLUGGISH WHILE DRIVING AND THE RADIO WENT OUT TWICE . THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD BECOME VERY BRIGHT AND DIM WHILE DRIVING. *TR