1999 Nissan Maxima

TWO SUCESSIVE AIR BAG DISCONNECT FAILURES ON A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. ON 3/29/03 AT 36,834 MILES THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND I WENT TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS, THE TOLD ME THE BAG CIRCUITRY WAS "OPEN" AND THE BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY. THEY REPLACED THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG MODULE UNDER WARRANTY. ON APRIL 20TH 2004 AT 50,300 MILES THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER. THIS TIME THEY TOLD ME THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG CIRCUITRY WAS " OPEN" AND THE RIGHT SIDE MODULE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. INITIALLY ,THEY TOLD ME IT WAS STILL WITHIN THE 60 MONTH WARRANTY, SUBSEQUENT TO THAT STATEMENT THEY HAVE INSISTED IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I HAVE TO PAY $422 . MY COMPLAINT IS THAT A EXPENSIVE CAR WITH ONLY 36,000 MILES HAS A AIR BAG FAILURE AND THEN AGAIN AT 50,300 MILES THE OPPOSITE SIDE FAILS AGAIN. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND THE CIRCUITRY COULD BE IN THE FAILURE MODE AND THE LIGHT MAY NOT COME ON OR THE ACCIDENT COULD OCCUR AND THE AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOY. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION BY NISSAN AND AT LEAST HAVE THE WARRANTY EXTENDED . *AK

VEHICLE FAILED TO START AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS. WHEN VEHICLE STARTED, THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. ENGINE WAS MISFIRING. DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND RETRIEVED FAULT CODE P1320 FROM THE ECU. WAS INFORMED THAT ALL SIX IGNITION COILS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. NISSAN ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB #01-060) IN SEPTEMBER, 2001, WHICH ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM INVOLVING THE IGNITION COILS. DEALER REFUSED TO COVER REPAIR UNDER MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY OR GOODWILL PROGRAM. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE ENGINE STALLING WHILE BEING DRIVEN, POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. I REQUEST THAT THE NHTSA LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION AND ORDER NISSAN TO RECALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS, FREE-OF-CHARGE. *AK

ENGINE COILS - I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT I HAVE AN ENGINE COIL PROBLEM IN MY 99 NISSAN MAXIMA. I FOUND THIS VERY DISTURBING CONSIDERING WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR IT WAS ONE OF THE LEADERS WHEN IT CAME TO ENGINE PERFORMANCE. WHAT I FOUND EVEN MORE DISTURBING WAS WHEN THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THEY USUALLY GO OUT AROUND THIS TIME, WHICH DOES NOT SEEM TO BE NORMAL TO ME. ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF REPLACEMENT COSTS. I SPENT SOME TIME ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THIS IS A REOCCURING PROBLEM AND THERE IS EVEN A PETITION FOR IT. THIS MAKES ME RETHINK MY CHOICE OF PURCHASING A NISSAN FOR RELIABILITY. ESPECIALLY, GIVEN THAT NISSAN IS NOT STANDING BY THEIR PRODUCT AND ENSURING THIS PROBLEM IS RECTIFIED FOR THE CUSTOMER AT NO ADDITIONAL COSTS. I AM A LOYAL NISSAN CUSTOMER AND HAVE GOTTEN SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS TO PURCHASE NISSAN'S HOWEVER THIS EXPERIENCE IS CHANGING MY OUTLOOK COMPLETELY. IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT WHEN I LOOKED FOR RECALL INFORMATION ON NISSAN'S WEBSITE IT WAS SURPRISING TO SEE THE COMMENTS "WE'RE OUR OWN TOUGHEST CRITICS", IF THIS IS TRUE WHY AREN'T THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING MY PROBLEM BEING TAKEN CARE OF, WHY ARE ENGINE COILS A REOCCURRING ISSUES THAT THE CONSUMER HAVE TO BEAR THE EXPENSE FOR? I WILL BE ESCALATING THIS MATTER, BUT WANTED TO LODGE A COMPLAINT HERE AS WELL. I DO NOT THINK THAT A HUMAN LIFE SHOULD BE SACRIFICED IN ORDER TO CATCH THE EYE OF A MANUFACTURER WHEN IT COMES TO VEHICLE PERFORMANCE.*AK

I NEED TO REPLACE THE FOLLOWING FOR MY 99 NISSAN MAXIMA SO FAR:- (1) 2 OXYGEN SENSORS. (2) 1 ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (3) 6 IGNITION COILS AND 1 CONDENSER NOW, THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING. MY MAXIMA HAS ONLY 52,000 MILES. ALL THESE REPAIRS RIGHT AFTER 36,000 MILES. NISSAN SHOULD RECALL ALL THESE. HOWEVER, I KNOW NHTSA WON'T RECALL IT BECAUSE THERE IS NO INJURIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.*AK

I HAVE HAD MY 1999 MAXIMA FOR 4 MONTHS,HAVE FOUND PROBLEMS SWAYING OR DRIFTING SUSPENTION WHILE DRIVING,HESITATION IN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHEN ACCELLING FROM A ROLLING STOP,SEATBELT LOCKING AND WOULD NOT RELEASE,LEFT HAND TURN BUMPY FRONT END SUSPENTION SHAKE...ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE VERY SCARRY AND DANGEROUS..EMMEDIATE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN (BY MANUFACTURER) TO FIX THESE SAFETY ISSUES AT NO COST TO LOYAL CONSUMERS. *AK

I HAVE A 99 NISSAN MAXIMA AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THIS WEEK. THE LOCAL GARAGE DID A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND FOUND CODES FOR KNOCK SENSOR AND IGNITION SIGNAL. THE LOCAL GARAGE WAS PUZZLED BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER SEEN A KNOCK SENSOR FAIL BEFORE. CALLED 2 LOCAL NISSAN DEALERS AND BOTH SAY IT'S IGNITION COILS (AND THE KNOCK SENSOR WAS OK) AND UNLESS THE DIAGNOSTIC SAYS WHICH ONE WENT BAD I'D HAVE TO REPLACE THEM ALL FOR $600 TO $800 BECAUSE MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND WONDER WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR A RECALL? *NLM