2000 Nissan Maxima

MY SON WAS DRIVING THIS CAR AND HEARD THE ENGINE MAKING UNUSUAL NOISE AND A CLUNKING NOISE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND FOUND OUT THE FRONT SUB FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT ISN'T ATTACHED TO ANYTHING. THE MOTOR ISN'T SUPPORTED UP FRONT. HE TOLD ME THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE ISN'T A RECALL ON SOMETHING SO DANGEROUS. I'M FILING THIS REPORT IN CASE I HAVE TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AT A LATER DATE. *TR

DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION AT NISSAN DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THAT THE STUCTURAL SUPPORT FOR THE RADIATOR WAS ROTTED. THE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT ALSO SUPPORTS THE ENGINE. DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE ENGINE MOUNT IS COMPROMISED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON DEFECT, AS I OBSERVED AT LEAST 5 OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS POSTED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION.

I CHECKED MY OIL AND TRANSMISSION FLUID ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AFTER BUYING THE CAR AND RIGHT WHEN I SHUT THE HOOD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT POPPED ON AND STAYED ON OBVIOUSLY VERY TEMPERAMENTAL. ABOUT A WEEK LATER WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT THE ENGINE FELT A LITTLE WEIRD THEN WHEN I STARTED DRIVING RIGHT AWAY THE CAR LOST POWER SHUT DOWN AND ALL THE LIGHT POPPED ON I HAD MY 2 YEAR OLD AND 3 YEAR OLD AND FIANCE IN THE CAR AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I ALMOST GOT HIT TRYING TO STEER IT OUT OF TRAFFIC INTO A MCDONALD'S. CALLED THE DEALER AND HE JUST LEFT US SITTING THERE IN THE HEAT. CALLED THE TOW TRUCK AND I WAS TRYING TO RESTART THE CAR BUT IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT STAY ON. SO I WAIT AND WAIT AND DECIDE TO TRY STARTING IT LIKE 20 MINUTES LATER AFTER LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD AND IT STARTS RIGHT UP AS THE TOW TRUCK IS PULLING UP BUT HE CHARGED ME ANYWAY EVEN THOUGH I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT FROM THERE TO THE DEALERS ON MY OWN THE DEALERS MECHANIC KEPT TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THIS THING AND KEPT SAYING OH ITS FIXED NOW ABOUT 4 DIFFERENT TIMES...FIRST HE SAID IT WAS THE COIL PACK,THEN HE SAID IT WAS THE MAF MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR,THEN THEY SAID BAD GAS WAS PUT IN IT BY THEM AND THEY CLEANED THE GAS RAIL,THEN FINALLY THEY LISTENED TO ME AND REPLACED THE ISC (IDLE SPEED CONTROL) MOTOR NOW IT STARTED WORKING AND NOT DYING ON ME WHEN I SLOW DOWN OR STOP AT RED LIGHTS BECAUSE THEY GAVE IT BACK TO ME LIKE THREE TIMES SAYING IT WAS FIXED AND IT WASN'T BUT NOW WHEN I'M IN THE PARK POSITION WITH THE CAR RUNNING WITHIN ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS THE RPM DROPS AND THE CAR LIGHTS UP AND DIES BUT AT LEAST IT STARTS RIGHT BACK UP AND DRIVES NOT LIKE BEFORE BUT THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM. LOOK ON IDENTIFIX WEBSITE AND YOU WILL SEE THAT 4 COMPONENTS NEED TO BE RECALLED. THE MAF,IGNITION COILS,ISC,AND MOST EXPENSIVE OF ALL THE ECM WHICH IT SAYS IS USALLY DAMAGED ONCE THE ISC IS DONE FOR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RECEIVING TRANSMISSION SERVICE WHEN THE RADIATOR FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE DUE TO CORROSION. THE RADIATOR SUPPORT WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 152,000. UPDATED 03/24/11*LJ UPDATED 05/02/11

MY NISSAN WAS PARKED ON THE STREET ABOUT 11:00 PM. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, JUST BEFORE 7:00 AM, I HAD KNOCKING AT MY DOOR AND IT WAS THE FIREMAN WANTING THE KEYS TO MY CAR SO THEY COULD ACCESS THE LATCH TO OPEN THE HOOD. SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE SIDES OF THE HOOD AND THE FIREMEN WERE ALREADY SPRAYING MY HOOD AS THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. SINCE THE LATCH DID NOT WORK, AN ELECTRIC SAW WAS USED TO OPEN IT. THE ENGINE WAS DOUSED WITH THE FIRE HOSE TILL THE SMOKE STOPPED. YOU COULD SEE THAT THE WHOLE ENGINE WAS BLACK. THE FIRE WAS SO STRONG THAT THE FRONT WAS SITTING ON TOP OF THE FRONT TIRE. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED AS AN ACCIDENT WITH CAUSE UNKNOWN AND MUST HAVE BEEN BURNING ANYWHERE FROM 30 TO 90 MINUTES. ODD THAT A FIRE WOULD START SINCE THE CAR WAS SITTING OVERNIGHT FOR 6 TO 7 HOURS, COLD. I WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO BE IN THE CAR. IT WAS LUCKY THAT IT WAS A RAINY DAY AND CAUGHT EARLY BY A NEIGHBOR BEFORE IT AFFECTED ANY OTHER CARS, PEOPLE, AND RESIDENTIAL AREA BY BLOWING UP. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE NISSAN'S EXPLANATION TO THIS INCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE WOULD MISFIRE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO SHAKE ABNORMALLY WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WOULD SPORADICALLY BEGIN TO LOSE POWER. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSIS ON THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE IGNITION WAS DEFECTIVE. MOST RECENTLY, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR 20 MINUTES, GOT OFF HIGHWAY AND PULLED INTO GAS STATION. AFTER PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE CAR SHUT OFF. AFTER COMING OUT OF THE STORE, IT FAILED TO START. WENT BACK TO THE CAR LATER, AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. TOOK TO MECHANIC, BLAMED THE SERVICE LIGHT ON THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. CAME ON AGAIN 2-3 WEEKS LATER, TOOK TO A DIFFERENT MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WAS THE IGNITION COILS. QUOTED ME $1300 TO REPLACE ALL 6. OPTED NOT TO PERFORM REPAIR AT THAT TIME. 2 WEEKS LATER, THE COIL FAILED AND CAUSED THE CAR TO RUN VERY ROUGH, AS WELL AS CONSUME LARGE AMOUNTS OF GAS. REPLACED BROKEN COIL AND O2 SENSOR. CAR CONTINUES TO GET FAR BELOW AVERAGE MPG. ABOUT 15 MPG HIGHWAY DRIVING. *TR