2000 Nissan Maxima

I AM CONTACTING THE NHTSA IN REGARDS TO TSB # NTB01-076B AFFECTING 2000-2001 MAXIMAS INVOLVING THE EGI HARNESS BREAKAGE. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT NISSAN'S HOME DIVISION VIA E-MAIL ON 3 SEPERATE OCCASIONS WITH NO RESPONSE/REPLY BACK FROM THEIR HEADQUARTERS. THIS PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED ON MY VEHICLE LAST YEAR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. UPON TAKING IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS A KNOWN MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AND MANY HARNESSES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BUT AT THE COST OF THE CONSUMER RANGING FROM $1,500-3,000 (DEPENDING ON THE DEALERSHIP). I HAVE NOW PERSONALLY HAD MY CAR OVERHEAT AND SHUTDOWN ON THREE SEPERATE OCCASIONS, THE MOST RECENT NEARLY BEING A SEVERE ACCIDENT IF NOT DUE TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DRIVERS INVOLVED. NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS TO AN EFFECTED NISSAN THE OUTCOME MAY NOT BE SO MINOR. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS TSB WITH NISSAN HEADQUARTERS, BEING THEY ARE UNWILLING TO MAKE ANY EFFORTS TO REPLY BACK TO THE CONSUMER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONCERNS, LONNIE BEBERNISS 5839 WESTMONT RD MILTON, FL 32583 850-626-0853 L.BEBERNISS@MCHSI.COM

(1) ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON BUT ENGINE RUNS FINE. RESET POWER AND LIGHT GOES AWAY. (2) ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON 1 WEEK LATER AND ENGINE SPUTTERS. (3) IGNITION COIL WAS FAILING. HAD TO REPLACE ALL 6 SINCE AND PLATINUM PLUGS. NISSAN COULD NOT RECOMMEND HOW TO FIND FAILED ONE, OR KNEW THAT ALL WOULD FAIL? COST $ 650. THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE COILS, BUT PLENTY HAVE FAILED. A TECHNICAL REPORT SHOULD BE GENERATED BY NISSAN TO INSTRUCT PEOPLE HOW TO LOCATE WHICH COIL TO REPLACE TO REDUCE COST. TO IGNORE INHERENT PROBLEMS WILL REDUCE RECALLS AND CUSTOMERS.

JAN. 2004 - PA INSPECTION W/O INCIDENT FEB. 2004 - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON - $700.00 FOR ECM PROBLEM, FRONT BRAKES, BRAKE FLUID FLUSH, REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT APR 2004 - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN - NEED TO CHANGE IGNITION COILS - ALL 6 AS DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE WHICH COIL IS DEFECTIVE + REPLACE THE OXYGEN SENSOR. CHECK OUT THIS WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/NIS_IGN/PETITION.HTML 329 PEOPLE SIGNED UP WITH THE SAME IGNITION COIL PROBLEM. LOW MILEAGE (MY CAR HAS 28,800 MILES). IT SEEMS LIKE NISSAN KNOWS THESE COILS ARE DEFECTIVE AND IS MAKING THEIR DEALERS REPLACE ALL 6 DEFECTIVE COILS AT ONE TIME AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CONSUMER. SOMETHING STINKS!

I HAVE READ THE COMPLAINTS ON THE 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA REGARDING IGNITION COIL FAILURES. I RECENTLY HAD A "CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COME ON. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS AND IGNITION COIL FAILURE. NISSAN RECOMMENDED I CHANGE ALL IGNITION COILS. MY VEHICLE HAD 19,050 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS OCCURRED. ALTHOUGH IT WAS OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY, I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD ONLY COVER THE BAD COIL, NOT THE COILS BEING REPLACED AS A PRECAUTION PER NISSAN'S RECOMMENDATIONS. I DECIDED TO DO IT ANYWAY AND THEN BATTLE WITH THE 1-800-NISSAN1 CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER. I WAS TREATED VERY PROFESSIONALLY AND FAIRLY BY NISSAN. THEY PAID FOR ALL OF THE COILS AND INSTALLATION. *JB

FAILURE OF ALL 6 IGNITION COILS, DIAGNOSED BY CONCORD NISSAN, AS A REULT OF "CHECK ENGINE" COMING ON, I WAS TOLD THAT ALL 6 COILS WERE FAULTY, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY DUE TO RISK OF CAUSING OTHER PARTS TO FAIL, AS STATED BY AL KOHL, ASS'T SERVICE MANAGER. CAR HAS 35970 MILES, AND COST WAS $741.93,I CONTACTED NISSAN, MS LARASON, TO SEE IF THEY WOULD HELP, AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD OFFER NO HELP WITH THE COST, CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I FIND THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM WITH NISSAN MAXIMAS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME PRESSURE APPLIED TO NISSAN TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THESE FAILURES. I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG, AND SO DOES NISSAN, AND THIS IS WRONG.*AK

DEFECTIVE MAF SENSOR ON 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA SE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT THE OWNERS COST. NISSAN HAS IN ESSANCE ADMITTED THAT THE ORIGINAL PART WAS DEFECTIVE BY REVISING THE PART. THE EXACT SAME SITUATION APPLIES TO THE IGNITION COILS AS WELL.*AK NISSAN HAS ISSUED A TSB ON BOTH ISSUES, BUT WILL ONLY REPLACE THE PARTS IF THE VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY. THEY SHOULD RECALL THE DEFECTIVE PARTS AND REPLACE THEM AT THEIR COST. BOTH CAN CAUSE EXTREME DRIVEABILITY PROBLEMS AND AFFECT THE DRIVER'S CONTROL OVER THE CAR.

THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT TURNED ON WHILE DRIVING AND HAS REMAINED ON. WHEN I FIRST TOOK IT IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A TUNE UP. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT WAS RESET AND CAME ON AGAIN AFTER ONLY ONE DAY. I RECENTLY TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND P1320 WAS DETECTED AND I WAS TOLD THAT MY IGNITION COILS WERE BAD. DEALER RECOMMENDS REPLACING ALL 6 COILS AS THEY CAN'T DETERMINE WHICH COIL IS ACTUALLY BAD. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS AND FOUND THAT THIS IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE DEALER ADVISED ME THAT THE PARTS ARE VERY COSTLY AT LEAST $75 FOR EACH COIL, PLUS LABOR. THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE SAFE AS THE CAR DRIVES NORMAL, AND THEN WILL EVENTUALLY SPUTTER, AND VIBRATE RESULTING IN DECREASED SPEED. THE ENGINE FEELS LIKE IT IS ABOUT TO FALL OUT, AND YOU CAN'T PICK UP SPEED UNTIL THE VIBRATION STOPS. THIS PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED, THERE HAVE BEEN TOO MANY CONSUMERS HAVING TO PAY THE PRICE FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART. *AK