1999 Nissan Maxima Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR AND VARIOUS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED FLAMES. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH ICE WATER SHE HAD INSIDE THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE 1997 AND 1998 MODELS WERE INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 02V171000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS A 1999, SHE FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH THE RECALL. AUTONATION NISSAN MARIETTA (925 COBB PKWY SE, MARIETTA, GA 30060, 770-674-6081) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHO STATED THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

STARTED THE CAR. HEARD A STRANGE NOISE WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY ABOUT 10 MPH, THEN SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, STOPPED THE CAR AND SAW SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE ENGINE. TURNED THE CAR OFF, OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS ON FIRE. AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, FOUND SEVERAL CASES WHERE THE 1999 MAXIMA HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ALTERNATOR CATCHING ON FIRE, IN SOME CASES CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BURN. ALSO FOUND OUT THAT NISSAN HAD A RECALL ON THE 1998 MAXIMA FOR ALTERNATOR FIRES. CALLED NISSAN ABOUT THE PROBLEM. A NISSAN REP CALLED BACK AND CALLED IT A "THERMAL INCIDENT." I EXPLAINED THAT A FIRE IS NOT A "THERMAL INCIDENT" BUT IS A FIRE (THIS IS LIKE DESCRIBING A SHOTGUN WOUND AS ACUTE LEAD POISONING). THE NISSAN REP SAID THAT DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN. I EXPLAINED THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT COMPONENTS DO FAIL OVER TIME, BUT THAT A FIRE IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THIS EVENT COULD HAVE CAUSED A HOUSE TO BURN DOWN OR A CAR ACCIDENT. THE NISSAN REP SAID THAT THE LIFE OF A NISSAN IS 100,000 MILES AND BASICALLY SAID THAT ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN AFTER THAT. I ASKED HER IF THAT WAS NISSAN'S POSITION AND SHE ASSURED ME THAT SHE SPOKE FOR NISSAN. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD SEVERAL CARS WITH OVER 100,000 MILES AND THAT I HAD REPLACED COMPONENTS, BUT NONE OF THE VEHICLES CAUSED A FIRE. SEARCH THE INTERNET FOR MAXIMA ALTERNATOR FIRE--THERE ARE SEVERAL INSTANCES FOR YEARS BEFORE AND INCLUDING 1999. THIS SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE MAXIMA AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED. CAR FIRES ARE UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

THE IGNITION COILS ARE DEFECTIVE. THE COILS WILL, AFTER A BRIEF TIME, BEGIN TO MISFIRE AGAIN EVEN AFTER BEING REPLACED. MANY PEOPLE HAVE BLOGGED WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR

I HAD CHECK IGNITION LIGHT ON WHILE MY 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND FOR YEARS AFTER THAT. YOU GET TIRED OF GOING BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE PROBLEM IS NEVER SOLVED. THE PROBLEM TURNS OUT TDO BE THE IGNITION COILS; ALL REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $800.00. THE RECEIPT IS IN THE CAR AND I CAN PRODUCE MY EXACT COST OF REPAIR IF A RECALL WOULD BE ISSUED. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. MY LIGHT HAS NOT COME ON SINCE REPLACING ALL THE COILS. HOPEFULLY MY COMPLAINT WILL BE THE ONE THAT BEGINS AN ACTION BY YOU. *TR

THE COILS ON MY NISSAN MAXIMA 1999 CAN NEVER GET FIXED. THIS A "NISSAN PART" PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. I HAVE THE CAR FOR ALMOST 6 YEARS AND THE COILS HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM EVER SINCE I FIRST GOT THE CAR. THE DO NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBLY ON THIS AND THE PROBLEM SEEMS NOT BEING RESOLVED BY ANYBODY. PLEASE LOOK ON THE INTERNET AND YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE BEING RIPPED OFF BY THE NISSAN DEALERS. I WILL GIVE YOU A WEBSITE AND YOU WILL SEE THAT I AM NOT TELLING YOU JOKES. HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/REVIEWS/NISSAN/MAXIMA/R64073/. AGAIN, THERE IS NO SOLVE TO THIS PROBLEM, EVEN IF WE CHANGE THE COILS TEN TIMES, THE PROBLEM WILL STILL REMIND. PLEASE, YOU ARE THE GOVERNMENT AND THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. I HOPE THIS HELPS TO GET MORE PEOPLE AND FINALLY MAKE THEM PAY FOR THIS PART IGNITION COILS ARE A DEFECTIVE PARTS ON NISSAN MAXIMAS 1999!!!!!! *TR

1999 NISSAN MAXIMA - RUNS ROUGH AND LOSES POWER. HAS LESS POWER WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM STOP SIGN INTO INTERSECTION. HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER 1 YEAR. IGNITION COIL PROBLEMS NEED TO REPLACE ALL 6 COILS, HAVE REPLACED EGR VALVE, O2 SENSORS AND PLUGS TO NO AVAIL. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA AND HAVE 145,000 MILES ON IT. IGNITION COIL HAS GONE BAD AND NISSAN WANTS TO CHARGE ME 1200 DOLLARS TO REPLACE. IT SEEMS I HAVE READ THIS AS A PROBLEM IN ALOT OF MAXIMA'S. CONSIDERING RECALLING THIS ISSUE IN OLDER MAXIMAS? *TR

CAR BEGAN RUNNING VERY ROUGH. NEEDED IGNITION COIL REPLACEMENT. $800.00 WHY DOES EVERY MAXIMA HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM? *TR

I HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH AL 6 IGNITION COILS OF MY 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA THAT I NO LONGER HAVE. I HAVE WRITTEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON AN ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, IT STARTED TO MISS, SPUTTER, RUN BAD, VIBRATE AND ALMOST TURN OFF. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND AFTER HAVING THE CODES READ (P1320) AND RESEARCHING DTC P1320 AND/OR SPARK KNOCK (DETONATION) DUE TO IGNITION COIL (S). I FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL YEARS OF MAXIMAS. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE NEWER COILS WITH A GRAY DOT, THAT IS TO BE USED TO REPLACE THE OLDER DEFECTIVE ONES. NOT ONLY ARE THE BAD ONES RECOMMENDED FOR REPLACEMENT, BUT ALL 6 ARE RECOMMENDED FOR REPLACEMENT. WHY IS THIS? I BELIEVE IS WAS BECAUSE OF A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE PARTS. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED SEVERAL OF THESE COILS AND IT DON'T TAKE LONG BEFORE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS BACK ON, AND THE CAR IS ONCE AGAIN MISFIRING AND GETTING BAD GAS MILEAGE BECAUSE OF CODE P1320, ANOTHER BAD COIL. NISSAN SHOULD RECALL THESE CARS AND FIX THIS CONTINUOUSLY ONGOING PROBLEM . THIS MISFIRING ON INTERSTATES AND BUSY ROADS AT HIGH SPEEDS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE IT SLOWS THE CAR DOWN ALL OF A SUDDEN AND COULD RESULT IN A REAR END CRASH. THIS MISFIRING ALSO RESULTS IN FUEL NOT BEING BURNED IN THE CYLINDER AND IS WASTED. *TR

THREE FAULTY IGNITION COILS IN 1 1/2 YEARS. TWO IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH ON MY 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA GLE. *TR

IGNITION COIL FAILURE, DEFECT AND REPLACEMENT. *TR

THE IGNITION COILS ARE DEFECTIVE. *TR

MIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. KNOCK AND SPARK FAILURE TROUBLE CODES. ERRATIC IDLE AND POWER SURGE AT OR ABOUT 2000 RPM. IN SOME CASES THE IDLE HAS BEEN ERRATIC ENOUGH FOR THE ENGINE TO STALL. THE PROBLEM IS NOT CONSISTENT AND IS TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT. COLD MORNINGS (LESS THAN 50 DEGREES F) CREATE THE MOST PROBLEMS. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER ON ACCELERATION HAS PROVEN DANGEROUS. REPLACED IGNITION COIL PACKS, SIX PER CAR. *TR

PRIOR TO GETTING MY 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA INSPECTED, THE 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON' LIGHT TURNED ON AND I EVENTUALLY FOUND OUT THAT THE LIGHT IS ON BECAUSE A FEW OF MY IGNITION COILS ARE NO LONGER WORKING. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WILL BE ABOUT A $1500 REPAIR (BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE ALL OF THE COILS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DETECT WHICH ONES ARE OUT) AND I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT WHO DOESN'T MAKE MUCH MORE THAN TWICE THAT IN A YEAR. I WAS RESEARCHING ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY CHEAPER IGNITION COILS I COULD PURCHASE, AND CAME TO FIND OUT THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM THAT A PETITION HAS BEEN CREATED WITH OVER 3,000 SIGNATURES(HERE IS THE PETITION: HTTP://WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/MOD_PERL/SIGNED.CGI?NIS_IGN&851). I AM GOING TO CONTACT MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP TOMORROW (AS I WAS BUSY GETTING ESTIMATES FROM OTHER MECHANICS EVER SINCE I FOUND OUT ABOUT MY FAILED IGNITION COILS UNTIL TODAY WHEN I LEARNED THAT MANY OTHERS WITH '99-'03 NISSAN MAXIMA'S HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM) AND HOPEFULLY SOMETHING WILL BE DONE, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING I BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD DO WHAT'S MORALLY RIGHT AND ISSUE A RECALL. *JB

ANYONE CAN SPEND JUST A MOMENT OF TIME ON THE INTERNET AND FIND THAT NISSAN MAXIMAS FROM 1999 TO 2003 , PERHAPS A LENGTHIER TIME PERIOD, MINE IS A 1999. HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IGNITION COILS AND STARTERS. YET NO RECALL HAS EVER BEEN ISSUED! I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF CONSUMER WEBSITES OF PEOPLE REPORTING THESE PROBLEMS WITH COILS AND STARTERS. I JUST HAD TO REPLACE STARTER AND COILS. SOME PEOPLE REPORT REPLACING THEM EVERY 10,000 - 20,000 MILES!!! THIS IS A PRICEY REPAIR AT ABOUT $1000 TO $1500 PER EVENT! PLEASE URGE NISSAN TO RECALL THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS AND REFUND THOSE WHO HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THIS SERVICE.*AK

I HAVE 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA AND IT STARTED GIVING PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION COIL WHEN IT HAD ONLY 50000 MILES AND THE MECHANICS WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND WHICH COIL WAS HAVING THE PROBLEM, AND FINALLY ASKED ME TO CHANGE ALL THE SIX COILS FOR AROUND $1000.00. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THIS IS SEEN IN MANY MAXIMA'S AND INFINITY I30. *AK

1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON. FAULT CODE INDICATES ENGINE MISFIRE. SEVERAL COILS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT THEY NOW INTERMITTENTLY FAIL ON CYLINDER 4 AND 6. *JB

I BEGAN HAVING MISFIRES ON MY 1999 MAXIMA IN MAY 2005. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT ONE OF THE IGNITION COILS WAS GOING BAD BUT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON BEFORE BEING ABLE TO TELL WHICH COIL WAS MALFUNCTIONING. LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE COIL AT A COST OF AROUND $250. LESS THAN TWO MONTHS LATER, IN JULY, ANOTHER COIL BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING (MISFIRING), THE DEALER REPLACED IT FOR AROUND $250. NOW A THIRD COIL IS MISFIRING. *NM

AT ABOUT 30,000 MY 1999 MAXIMA GLE STARTED TO MISFIRE RANDOMLY. I WAS TOLD BY A DEALER THAT THERE WAS NO TEST THAT COULD ISOLATE A BAD IGNITION COIL AND THAT ALL SIX COILS WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $900. I DID NOTHING FOR A WHILE, BUT WHEN THE PROBLEM BECAME WORSE I CONTACTED MY LOCAL MERCHANT TIRE DEALER AND ASKED IF THEY COULD REPLACE THE COILS WITH NEW COILS BOUGHT BE ME FROM AN AUTO PARTS DEALER. MERCHANT TIRE AGREED TO MAKE THE REPLACEMENT FOR $130. I PURCHASED REPLACEMENT COILS FROM BRIGHTAUTO.COM FOR A TOTAL COST OF $364.63. THE REPLACEMENT COILS ARE IDENTIFIED BY NISSAN AT NISSANHELP.COM AS 22448-31U11, RH COIL (#89057915) AND 22448-31U16, LH COIL (#89057914). I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM SINCE THE REPLACEMENT. *NM

ALL 6 IGNITION COILS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AT 70,000 MILES ON '99 NISSAN MAXIMA DUE TO POOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND SES LIGHT. THERE IS AN ONLINE PETITION AT HTTP://WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/NIS_IGN/ WITH OVER 2300 COMPLAINTS FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM ON '99-'03 CARS EACH COSTING THE CONSUMER BETWEEN $500 AND $1500 DOLLARS FOR THESE NISSAN MAXIMA SERIES (MOST NOT COVERED UNDER GENERAL WARRANTY). IN ADDITION, THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AT NISSAN IS UNRESPONSIVE TO CONSUMER COMPLAINTS. A SIMILAR PROBLEM WAS FOUND AND RECTIFIED BY VOLKSWAGEN AND AUDI OF AMERICA, INC. FOR A GENERAL RECALL RELATED TO FAILED IGNITION COILS. HTTP://WWW.THEAUTOCHANNEL.COM/NEWS/2003/02/04/154251.HTML

1999 NISSAN MAXIMA HAS BEEN IDLING ROUGH, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, TOOK TO MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC. NEEDS ONE IGNITION COIL AND KNOCK SENSOR REPLACED. FROM RESEARCH THIS IS AN APPARENT COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS CAR. *NM

MY VEHICLE,A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA WAS EXPERIENCING A SEVERE ENGINE MISFIRE CONDITION. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE IGNITION COILS WERE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE PLENTY IN STOCK AS THIS WAS A COMMON PART FAILURE WITH THIS MODEL. I ORDERED THE NEW AND IMPROVED PARTS WITH A TOTAL PRICE OF AROUND $ 500.00. I AM AMAZED AT WHAT A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THIS IS WITH THE IGNITION COILS AND YET NISSAN HAS ACCEPTED NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART. I LIKE NISSANS BUT I'M AFRAID IF THEY DON'T STEP UP TO THE PLATE I WILL BE LOOKING AT A HONDA FOR MY NEXT CAR PURCHASE. *NM

COULD GET INSIDE OF VEHICLE WITH KEY, BUT COULD NOT START VEHICLE THROUGH IGNITION SWITCH. ELECTRONIC DEVISE WOULD NOT READ KEY, AND COMPUTER HAD LOST THE COMBINATION. *AK DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE KEY. *SLC