2001 Nissan Sentra

ON DECEMBER 28, 2003, MY 2001 NISSAN SENTRA CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING THROUGH RENO NEVADA. ANOTHER CAR BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT OUR CAR WAS ON FIRE. WHEN MY DAUGHTER PULLED OVER AND OPENED THE HOOD, SHE NOTICED A SMALL FIRE IN THE REAR OF THE ENGINE. SHE MANAGED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH WATER. UPON INSPECTION AT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN NEVADA, THEY NOTED SOME OBJECT WAS CAUGHT BETWEEN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THE CAR FRAME. THE FIRE MELTED ONE CV BOOT.

MY ENGINE FAILED AGAIN WHILE DRIVING 70 MPHS ON THE FREEWAY, THE VERY DAY AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN REPAIRED FOR YET ANOTHER DEFECT SENSOR. IT WAS A MIRACLE I DID NOT CRASH AND KILL ANYONE INCLUDING MYSELF. EACH AND EVERY TIME I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN, I HAVE REQUESTED IT BE CHECKED FOR A SHORT IN THE WIRING. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD NO. I LATER LEARNED THAR MEANT IF IT DIDN'T SHOW UP ON THE COMPUTER, THEN THEY WOULDN'T LOOK FOR IT SPECIFICALLY. FOLLOWING THE LATEST HAZARD, I GOT IN NISSAN'S FACE. NISSAN FOUND A DEFECT OXYGEN SENSOR THIS TIME. UPON RETESTING THE VEHICLE, THE EMC (THE BRAIN OF THE VEHICLE) WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. I WAS ALSO TOLD HAD I DRIVEN THE CAR ANY LONGER, THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WOULD HAVE BLOWN TOO. WELL, THAT EXPLAINS ALL THE LOUSY GAS MILEAGE THIS PAST YEAR. SO, HERE IT IS A WEEK LATER AND MY VEHICLE REMAINS IN THE SHOP WITH A BACK ORDERED EMC WITH NO AVAILABLE STOCK DATE IN SIGHT. I AM RENTING A VEHICLE AND AM RECEIVING VERY LITTLE ASSISTANCE FROM NISSAN AS TO GETTING A RENTAL VEHICLE IN THE MEANTIME. I AM QUITE CONCERNED I HAVE PURCHASED A BRAND NEW SPANKING YELLOW LEMON. I AM QUITE CONCERNED THIS VEHICLE, EVEN WITH A NEW EMC, WILL PRODUCE OTHER DEFECTIVE SENSORS ONCE THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR FROM THE OLD ONE. THERE ARE 45 SENSORS IN THE VEHICLE AND ONLY 5-10 HAVE BLOWN SO FAR. I AM QUITE CERTAIN OTHERS ARE CLOSE TO FAILURE TOO. I AM JUST AS CONCERNED WHEN BOTH THE NISSAN REPRESENTATIVE AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THIS PART HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER FOR A VERY LONG TIME AS SO MANY VEHICLES HAVE ENDURED THIS PROBLME, THAT THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN RECALLED.

I HAVE RECEIVED ONLY ONE RECALL REQUEST ON MY VEHICLE SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT IN 2001. THERE ARE NOW SEVERAL RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE MAKE AND MODEL. I HAVE THE PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE THAT ARE DESCRIBED IN A COUPLE OF THE DIFFERENT RECALLS. I CALLED NISSAN TO FIND OUT WHY I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE RECALLS LISTED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE VIN NUMBER DID NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAVE THE EXACT PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. THE TOLD ME THAT I AM JUST HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL. *NLM

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING IT STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIME, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED UNDER RECALL 01V357000. *AK THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED 7 DAYS AFTER THE RECALL ENDED. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE STALLED AND SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. BEFORE TOTAL SHUT DOWN STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES LOCKED UP, ALMOST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO IN TURN INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE CRANK POSITIONING SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE, BUT NOT FOR CONSUMER'S VIN NUMBER. THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE CONSUMER FOR RECALL REPAIRS. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. *AK