2000 Nissan Frontier Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2000 NISSAN FRONTIER CREW CAB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL BOARD LOCATED BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED AND CAUSED THE HEADLIGHT TO FAIL BEYOND REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE REPAIR BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT SUPPLY PARTS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS OVER TEN YEARS. THE CONTACT TRADED THE VEHICLE IN FOR A NEWER VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE FUSE BOX THAT CAUSED A FIRE THAT BURNED UP THE BATTERY, THE HOSES AND MOST OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. PRIOR TO THE FIRE THE VEHICLE WAS STALLING DURING TURNS. THIS OCCURRED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN TO A GARAGE. THE FIRE STARTED AS THE TRUCK TURNED INTO THE GARAGE PARKING LOT SO IT WAS PUT OUT QUICKLY. I CONTACTED NISSAN, AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT INVESTIGATE OR LOOK AT THE VEHICLE UNLESS I PAID TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALER AND PAID THE NISSAN DEALER TO HAVE A MECHANIC WITH NO C&O TRAINING LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. I CALLED NISSAN BACK AND THEY SAID THAT WAS THERE FINAL DECISION AND NO ONE FROM NISSAN COULD DO ANYTHING ELSE. *AK

MY NISSAN 2000 SE 4X4 EXTENDED CAB HAS AROUND 27000 MILES. I PURCHASED IT NEW FROM CARMAX ON 6/9/2000. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE TRUCK I EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. I NOTIFIED MY NISSAN DEALER BUT COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I'VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM BUT IT NOW OCCURS JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME I DRIVE. IT TURNS OFF FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND THEN COMES ON AGAIN. MY LIGHTS OR OTHER SAFETY EQUIPMENT ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THIS FAILURE. DURING THE FAILURE I CAN'T TELL HOW FAST I'M DRIVING. *NM

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAT AT 70 MPH ALL GAUGES EXCEPT THE FUEL GAUGE DROPPED TO ZERO FOR APPROX 10 MINUTES, THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL DRIVING POSITIONS. THIS HAPPENED TWICE IN A 12 MONTH INTERVAL. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE WAS AT NIGHT WHEN ALL LIGHTS ALSO WENT OFF. DEALERS FOUND NO PROBLEMS ON EACH OCCASION.*AK THE VIN #[XXX]. MILEAGE IS NOW 27,300.*AK UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND THAT THE BATTERY EXPLODED. THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK *SC THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AND INSPECT THE DAMAGE..*JB

(1). AT HIGHER SPEEDS, MY 2000 NISSAN FRONTIER TRUCK'S DASHBOARD DIALS MALFUNCTION. THIS OCCURS FREQUENTLY. (2). THE DIALS EITHER DROP TO ZERO -- THE ODOMETER, SPEEDOMETER AND TEMPERATURE GUAGES -- AS IF THE VEHICLE WERE NOT RUNNING, OR THEY GET STUCK AT THE SPEED. THEY REMAIN STUCK OR INACTIVE FOR PERIODS OF UP TO 4 HOURS. ALSO, THE DIGITAL MILEAGE DISAPPEARS OR SKEWS SO THAT IT IS NOT READABLE. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY DECELLERATED AS IF IT WERE RESPONDING TO THE DASHBOARD DIALS DROPPING. (3) THE DEALERSHIP -- GUNN NISSAN OF SAN ANTONIO TEXAS -- WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE DEFECT IN FOUR VISITS. ON THE FIFTH VISIT, THE DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER WAS ABLE TO DETECT THE DEFECT. GUNN ADVISED THAT THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY ATTRIBUTED THE DEFECT TO THE VEHICLES MILEAGE -- NOW 89,000 -- HOWEVER, AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST OCCURENCE THE MILEAGE WAS LESS THAT 50,000. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW FROM GUNN NISSAN. THE PROBLEM WAS NTO DETECTED UNTIL THE WARRANTY PERIOD EXPIRED. *AK

2000 NISSAN CREW CAB PICKUP. BOUGHT IN APRIL, 2003. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE INTRUMENT PANEL HAS STOPPED WORKING. CRUISE CONTROL ALSO DISENGAGES. AFTER 10 TO 15 MINUTES EVERYTHING STARTS WORKING AGAIN. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HARD TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS?*AK

BATTERY EXPLODED WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION ON. *AK

AFTER WASHING VEHICLE AND STARTING IGNITION BATTERY EXPLODED UNEXPECTEDLY. DEALERSHIP HAS YET TO EXAMINE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE A CAUSE FOR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK

HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING AT ANY GIVEN SPEED. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, CONSUMER WILL OPEN HOOD AND MOVE WIRES LOCATED BEHIND HEADLIGHTS WHICH WILL SOMETIMES CAUSE HEADLIGHTS TO COME BACK ON. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WHEN CAB STARTED TO FILL UP WITH SMOKE, AND NOTICED UNDERHOOD FIRE HAD STARTED. *AK

2000 NISSAN FRONTIER IS A PICKUP WITH A HOLE FOR A TOWING BALL YET IT HAS NO "PIGTAIL" TO ALLOW SAFE OPERATION OF TRAILER WITH LIGHTS. I WAS NOT INFORMED IT IS A $65 ADD ON BUT THAT DIDN'T MATTER. WHILE ON VACATION HALF DOZEN DEALERS AND ALL NAPCO STORES CONTACTED DID NOT HAVE CONVERSION UNIT ON HAND. 2,500 MILES WITHOUT TAIL LIGHTS IS NOT SAFE.

NISSAN FRONTIER IS A PICKUP TRUCK WITH REAR BUMPER FITTED FOR TOW BALL YET IT HAS NO ELECTRICAL "PIGTAIL" TO PROVIDE SAFETY LIGHTING TO TRAILER. I WAS NOT ADVISED I NEEDED A $65 ADD ON TO SAFELY OPERATE ON THE ROADWAYS. WORSE HALF A DOZEN DEALERS AND ALL NAPA STORES ENCOUNTERED WHILE ON VACATION DID NOT HAVE NECESSARY UNITS. 2,500 MILES WITHOUT TAIL LIGHTS IS NOT SAFE.