2002 Nissan Sentra Electrical System

I WAS DRIVING ON THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE AT ABOUT 65 MPH IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE. I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL, BUT ATTRIBUTED IT TO A FACTORY I DROVE BY. MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS PEDAL, AND ALL AT ONCE MY CAR WAS POWERING DOWN, AND THE SPEDOMETER WAS DROPPING AT A RAPID SPEED, DESPITE MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. THEN, THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, THE ENGINE LIGHT, AND I CRUISED MY CAR OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. THANKFULLY, NO CARS WERE BEHIND ME TO REAR-END MY VEHICLE. THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PUT MY HAZARDS ON, BUT EVERYTHING POWERED OFF. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND RAN FAR AWAY FROM THE CAR, NOT KNOWING WHAT IT WOULD DO. I CALLED 911, AND PATRONS STOPPED TO ASSIST ME BEFORE THE POLICE AND FIREMEN ARRIVED. BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED, THERE WERE FLAMES BOTH UNDER THE HOOD AND UNDER THE CAR, AND LOTS OF BLACK SMOKE, WHICH WAS MAKING ITS WAY OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY, HARBORING OTHER DRIVERS' VIEWS. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT AFTER MUCH FORCE, AND I WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE ITEMS OUT OF THE TRUNK AND BACK SEAT ONCE THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT. MY CAR WAS TOWED AWAY TO AN AUTOMOTIVE COMPANY.*AK

HAD JUST EXITED OFF HWY - WAS DRIVING AB 45 MPH - AS I SLOWED DOWN TO APPROACH A STOP LIGHT - CAR CUT OFF/SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY - CAR WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL APPROX 45 MINUTES LATER. CAR TOWED TO VICTORY NISSAN DEALER - CRANK POSITION SENSOR FAILED - WAS REPLACED. (CRANK POSITION SENSOR - RECALL FOR PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS.) EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE WAS ADJUSTED - CHARGE TO CUSTOMER $39.80. HAD PREMIUM MAINTENANCE AND STATE INSPECTION AT PENCE NISSAN OCT 29, 2003 - AT WHICH TIME NEITHER PROBLEM WAS RECOGNIZED. BROUGHT TO PENCE'S ATTENTION THAT GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR LIGHT WAS OUT. WAS TOLD THAT BULB NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT CUSTOMER EXPENSE. PENCE NISSAN (APPROX 5 MILES TO RESIDENCE) - POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE - SERVICE MANAGER HAS NOT RETURNED MY PHONE CALL (LEFT VM MESSAGE). REPAIR INVOICES NEED TO BE MORE DETAILED/COMPLETE. VICTORY NISSAN (APPROX 25 MILES) - VERY ACCOMMODATING. VICTORY NISSAN ORDERED AND WILL REPLACE BULB UNDER "GOODWILL BY NISSAN." * FOR PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS: ODI NUMBER 10052456 AND ODI NUMBER 10052460, BOTH COMPLAINTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MARKED "OEM." PURCHASE DATE SHOULD BE REVISED TO OCT 27, 2003. CURRENT MILEAGE WAS AN APPROXIMATION.*AK

I AM CONTACTING YOU WITH REGARDS TO NHSTA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V4777000 FOR THE 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE REPAIR PROPOSED BY NISSAN IS NOT APPROPRIATE SINCE THE COMPONENTS IN QUESTION MAY ALREADY BE PARTIALLY AFFECTED AND REMOVING THE FOAM WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR THE LONG TERM. ALSO IT IS VERY BAD PRACTICE TO OPEN AN ELECTRONIC MODULE AT A DEALER SINCE A LATENT DEFECT MAY BE INTRODUCED IN THE SENSITIVE ELECTRONICS BY THE SERVICING IN AN INAPPROPRIATE ENVIRONMENT. THE ELECTRONIC MODULES CAN ONLY BE PROPERLY REMANUFACTURED AT A PROPER ELECTRONIC FACILITY AND THEN RETESTED FOR FUNCTION AND QUALITY. THE MODULES SHOULD ONLY BE REPLACED AT THE DEALER FACILITY. I AM A RETIRED DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING FOR FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS AND I KNOW THE PROPOSED PROCEDURE BY NISSAN IS UNPROFESSIONAL AND CAN LEAD TO MANY FUTURE VEHICLE PROBLEMS WITH SERIOUS CRASH AND INJURY IMPLICATIONS. PLEASE GIVE THIS PROBLEM YOUR URGENT ATTENTION BEFORE A SERIOUS INCIDENT OCCURS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED DRIVER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE, GOT OUT, AND SMELLED PLASTIC BURNING. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. *AK *SC

RECALL NOTICE RECEIVED FOR THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENGINE WOULD STOP RUNNING ON 2002 NISSAN SENTRA.*MR THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A WAITING LIST FOR THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT SHE WOULD BE CONTACTED AS TO WHEN TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS. BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED IT STALLED EXACTLY AS THE RECALL STATED IT WOULD (RECALL# 03V-477000). *NM

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON I-270 DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, WITH MY TWO YEAR OLD SON IN THE CAR, WHEN MY 2002 NISSAN 5 SPEED JUST SHUT OFF. I WAS IN THE CENTER LANE AND HAD TO VEER RIGHT TO GET MY CAR OFF ONTO THE BERM. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS, AND $310 LATER I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD A BAD WIRING HARNESS. THIS IS WHAT MADE MY CAR SHUT OFF. TO ME THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN, MY SON AND I COULD HAVE LOST OUR LIVES, NOT TO MENTION THE PEOPLE I CUT IN FRONT OF TO TRY TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS OF THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE, THE CAR LITERALLY JUST SHUT OFF. *LA

THE CAR STARTED STALLING AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY NEWBORN CHILD AND IT STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE IF THE WAY. THE CAR HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR 3 DIFFERENT ISSUES + THEY FOUND OUT THE MAIN COMPUTER HAD A PROBLEM. IT IS ALMOST A MONTH AND THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER AND WILL BE FOR ANOTHER 3 WEEKS ACCORDING TO THE NISSAN PARTS REPRESENTATIVE. *LA

ECU FAILURE CAUSED FUEL PUMP RELAY TO CYCLE ERRRATICALLY WITH ACCOMPANYING ENGINE HESITATION. NISSAN COSIDERED THIS A SAFETY ISSUE AND REQUESTED THAT I DID NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE. MANY ECU FAILURES SEEM TO BE OCCURING SINCE NISSAN TOLD THE DEALER THAT THEY HAD ISSUES WITH THE UNIT AND THAT THEY WERE ON BACK ORDER.

I AM A PROFESSIONAL FIRE INVESTIGATOR. THIS VEHICLE FIRE ORIGINATED WITH THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE BURN PATTERNS CLEARLY INDICATE THIS TO BE THE AREA OF ORIGIN AND THE SUPPORTING BURN PATTERNS INDICATE THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. EVEN THOUGH THIS RECALL DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD, I BELIEVE THE FIRE IS RELATED TO THE RECALL PROBLEM.*AK