Nissan Altima Reviews

Needless to say we were very upset, due to the fact that this was on a Sunday and we had no idea how my husband was going to get home. I finally able to get a ride and thankfully the other key ring worked. We took the non-working key ring in to the dealership and they said it would have to be replaced and the key ring must have been near a cell phone or some other digital device. Needless to say the key cards would go out at any given time without any for warning, with the potential of leaving you stranded.

By July we had been back to the dealership 4-5 times with the key ring going out. During the week of July 4th we had scheduled vacation and were going to drive to our destination, but once again one of the key rings went out yet again. My husband brought the car to the local Nissan dealer on a Saturday. We left the car the dealership, so they could troubleshoot to see what was the problem. We were given a rental and left for vacation that Monday in the rental car. While on vacation our vehicle was ready for pickup. When the dealership called, my husband explained that we were on vacation and would not be back until the end of the week. Upon our return we returned the rental and picked up our vehicle.

However, we were billed for rental charges after the vehicle was ready, even though we were on vacation, our car was six months old and we could not drive it on vacation due to the malfuntioning key rings. We complained about our credit card being billed for the remaining balance to Nissan and consumer affairs stated they were not in a position to reimburse the balance. My husband and I could not believe it. We purchased a brand new car, and were having problems with the keyless start/stop from almost the beginning of ownership. By the way, Nissan has done a recall on the keyless ring, because apparently a lot customers were having the same problems. So, I ask why should my husband and I have to pay for Nissan's defect?

2 weeks later the squeak came back. took it to the car dealership and told me they don't hear anything that they would not do anything to it that I would have to contact Nissan. so I did on 5/8/07.

I took the car later on to another dealership an hour away to see what they could do for me. after I sat there for 4 hrs. for them to tell me their shop manager could not hear anything so I am out of luck again.

So,Me being a single mother,I don't have $3,000 dollars to just give.What made me bring it in was,I was driving on the freeway I-45 in Dallas,Tx and my car shut down on me and I had to pull over out of harms way and call for help. I kept trying it and it started back up and wouldn't go no faster than 40mph.Next,I had a mechanic to put in on the diagnostic check machine and they said it was inside the engine and numerous of things.And while checking it ,they had to remove the valve cover that over the engine and the engine has a SALVAGED part number written on it and as well as the inside fender.I was not made aware that this car was a salvaged vehicle or had salvage parts when I purchased this car.I've had several occasions to happen when a red flag warnings have been raised.I made an attempt to trade the car off @ a Toyota dealership and they test drove the car,did a check inspection under the hood and the appraised the vehicle.

But after that they asked me had the car ever been wrecked?And in return I said no,not to my knowledge because I've never wrecked it.Another instance was I was on my way out of town and was stopped by the Highway Patrol,and he told me that I need to close my hood and I told him that it was closed.I took my car to Trophy Nissan on 10/5/07- Friday and I was treated like crap.

The managers/director has the worst attitudes that I've ever seen.My car is giving me problems and now you want a $3,000.00 down payment on a Nissan Titan truck which is more expensive in price and in gas.If you can put me in a vehicle at that price,why can't put me in what I want and is going to have to pay for.I didn't go there for another car/truck/suv/van.I want my fixed and first of all not to be ran off the premises with a threat from the law.

I brought the vehicle in and they told me it was the battery!! Being a busy single working Mom of two children and not knowing any better I believed them. I picked the truck up although the AC worked (temporarily) the transmission had the same banging upon pressing the accelerator to pass in moving traffic. This was immediately after driving from the Amity Nissan service center. I mentioned it to my Male friend and he said he would test drive it and see. He came back and told me it seems like it is the transmission and although the trucks and cars today rely on an electronic brain center, something like this is not electrical, it's mechanical..!! We decided to test the truck fully and see how often it would happen and exactly when..

Well, I was in fast moving traffic again approx. 1 week later with my young daughter in the back seat when I went to pass a turning vehicle. I hit the accelerator and poof, the truck almost stopped dead right there. It made me jolt forward in my seat and jerked my daughter in her seat (Thankfully we always wear our safety belts). The thing that really ticked me off this time is that I was just barely missed being rear ended by a large tractor trailer truck and I was also immediately pulled over by a highway patrol officer.

After explaining the mechanical issues with my car he said to bring it in at that moment for servicing (even offering to follow me there to drop it off at Amity Nissan..!!). Now they call me to say it was the Radiator and I owe them $800.00..!!! I refuse to drive this lemon any more and I am sincerely scared for the safety and welfare of not only myself, but my children and other young passengers. Someone please help me as I do not know where to turn for help regarding this matter..

On 9/24/07, I noticed a mechanism error on the cars LCD when I attempted to use the CD player. On 9/25/07, I started experiencing some difficulty with starting the vehicle. When I turned the ignition, the vehicle would stall for 3+ seconds before finally starting. My wife also noticed that the car would not accelerate smoothly. The starting problems seemed to occur when I left the vehicle alone for an hour or longer and it happened about 4-5 times before I decided to take it in. At about 7:00 pm on 9/25, my wife and I took the car in to get looked at.

The mechanic could not replicate the problem and told us to bring it in the next day so it can be left overnight. I brought the car back in on 9/26/07 and it was left overnight. We were given a loaner car through Enterprise.

called the dealership later that day and spoke with Bruce, a sales manager for the dealership. I expressed my concerns with our new car and stated that I don't feel safe with this particular car, as we only had it for 4 days before it needed repairs.

On 9/28, I was told by a service worker that the needed part would not be available until 10/10/07 and that he can't give an accurate timeline as to when it will be ready. Angered at this response, I filed a complaint with Nissan's customer service number and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

On October 2, 2007, I went back to the dealership. I calmingly stated that all I needed was some kind of measure of good will that the dealership or Nissan will take care of their new customer, as no one seemed to take my predicament seriously. John then received a cell phone call, excused himself, walked away and talked on the phone for several minutes.

I need your help in contacting Toyota and relaying to them what I plan to do. In hindsight, I should've opted to get a Toyota Yaris or a Scion XB, as Toyota is known to have excellent cars and service. My plan is to ask Toyota if they could pay for the remainder of the car while I purchase an XB or Yaris with the same features as my Versa. In return, I will go on camera and destroy the Versa with a hammer in front of the dealership where I purchased it.

Ive read online many other complaints similar to mine. Perhaps I could even convince them to join me. A crazy idea? Perhaps. But this way, I will completely rid myself of the car and the company while providing Toyota with some free advertising. I truly appreciate any help you can offer me in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at any time.

It is very annoying, the car shakes at idle and I cant pass a smog check until I fix it because of the check engine light. It costs between $400 and $700 to fix! OUCH! ANy suggestions? Im concerned it will happen a 3rd time!

I am going through a lemon law case right now.

I travel and planned to use the navigation quite often. Instead, this $2,000 option was replaced by Mapquest.com Any continuous driving for more than 30-45 minutes resulted in a low-tire pressure warning, making me constantly pull over the check the pressure. The window broke three times, going up as expexted than lowering again 4-5 inches.

So far we have paid $500 in repairs that were not need. $200 in rental but have two more weeks until maybe its fix. Then will have to pay to have the new part installed that MAY fix the problem. Wont find out until we drive through another stop sign. Nissan doesnt know what is causing the saftey issue. They are playing trial and error with my safety, time and money. Nissan Corp no help.

I was told the warranty was not in effect anymore. Complaint to Nissan North America was answered with a letter saying they were sorry. ( No Action!!) This leaves me with a $600 repair. Also in same time period heater coils were makng noise from air in the system. This was addressed when the struts were repalced under warranty.

They stated the radior cap was defective. I still have the same problem and the heater does not work proplerly unless you race the engine. They also said they were sorry about this problem. I fell that since this seems to be some type of defects in the car they should be made to stand behind it.

we have been fighting with them for 2 weeks wasting gas and going back and forth already I have almost had many collisions because when its cold the car wont shift into second gear. They refuse to withold the warranty and are very rude to us and we feel the car is unsafe. We now use our other car in the mornings and are very unhappy with our car and find it unsafe to drive.

I was able to get a few of my daughters items out of the car, but lost all of mine and still some of hers. While attempting to get items out of the car I did damage to my back that has made walking or sitting for long periods of time almost unbearable. In addition, my 10yr daughter is still scared to ride in cars and it is a constant chore trying to convince her everytime that it will be ok. The whole ordeal has been very upsetting to say the least, especially for something I feel could have so easily been prevented.

We took the car in and learned that the transmission was shot, kaput, done for, junk. We had to have the transmission replaced at a cost of over $2600.

I paid out over $200.00 for 2 tires and $70.00 for alignment. I am not happy with Nissan. I have owned other Nissan cars and had never had a problem like this. Needless to say I will not take my vehicle back to Briggs for any kind of service. I might possibly buy another car but it won't be there. Nissan should put out a notice to people if this is a very large problem. Basically we were told oops sorry there is nothing we can do for you. I have been satisfied with Nissan in the past but make look into buying a competitor car in the future. I expect to get a response back from this Company.

Unfortunately they could do nothing for me. I contacted corporate Nissan and spoke with the regional manager, Joe Guaraszio. He told me that although similar defects were found in other engines, it was not a big enough problem to warrant good will replacement of engine. Unfortunately I was able to run about 50,000 since the car was recalled......so I was out of luck....the car was past warranty.

Perhaps Nissan will consider it a big enough problem when a life is lost or someone is seriously injured due to an accident from an engine blowing...how reckless is that?

During the week of June 1, 2006 (10 months later) the handbrake cable broke on the Altima while at an event. We were stuck with a grinding sound by the rear wheel. We drove the car (no other choice we were not offered roadside assistance) was driven around 5-8 miles to the dealership and the keys were left in the drop box.

A follow up call was made to service as well as to the salesman that sold us the 2 cars. The salesman of course was of no help and said service needed to look at the car. Service stated on a Monday that they could not get to the car until Thursday.

Finally Thursday arrives and we get a call stating that the damage was inconclusive and that we would have to pay $678. Very frustrated, I explained if the cable which may have been a defect didn't break we would not be in this position. As usual I was put off and they stated that they would re-review the matter.

Knowing this was going to be an issue I immediately contacted Nissan directly and opened up a case file, hoping Nissan would want to keep a good customer happy and fix the car under warranty as it should. In a day or so the dealership service department called again stating that the work could not be done under warranty but they would lower the price to $317.

I guess if I rolled over the 1st time I would have been suckered out of $361. This offer actually made me more upset and I stated that I contacted Nissan and wanted the work covered under the warranty.

I waited 3 days for Nissan to call and had to place another call as they refused to respond. Again I got the runaround and was told someone would get back to me, of course no one did and after being without the car for a week the blood was boiling.

On the 7th business day after I put in another call I got a call back and the Nissan rep stated he could not conclude that the work be done under warranty and was asking for payment again in the amount of $317. I told my story again about the possible defect (the car had a recall for a rusting subframe) and stated this may have been a reason why the cable broke and why did only one side (the driver side) break?

The defect apparently caused the pins to break on one side which led to having the brake shoe stay closed. Of course by driving the car the shoe and rotor were damaged. But how can this be our fault, if the cable did not break we would not be in this position.

After laying down a pretty penny for 2 cars, Nissan must be in need of cash and cannot afford $317 to satisfy a good customer. Not a very wise business decision by Nissan Corp, or the dealership.

Yes, I had to pay.

I have spent a lot of money, time and have experienced headaches, shortness of breath and breathing problems due to my Altima.

1. First week of ownership - panel on driver's side door kept flipping up - took three times seperate attempts to have it repaired.

2. After two months of ownership transmission began to jump and check engine light came on. Cause unnknown.

3. Glass from sunroof exploded while driving on highway. Cause: manufacturer installation defect.

4. Water on floor in back seat (soaking wet). First attempt to repair: cause unknown. Replaced carpets.

5. Water on floor in back seat. Second attept to fix: found crack in floor and sealed crack. Replaced carpets again.

6. When carpets were replaced the drivers seat was not bolted down properly and was rocking back and forth. Dealership fixed this after I brought it back again.

8. Water on floor in back seat for 3rd time. Dealership currently investigating.

My vehicle has been in and out of the dealership atleast 8 times in the last two weeks. Nissan refuses to provide a rental vehicle to me.

I had to pay $244.39 to have the Crank POS sensor replaced.

30 days later it did the same thing and he performed the same fix, only this time cylinder one and four were misfiring. Both sparkplugs were replaced and error codes reset. Last week as I was in town the car began running roughly again and I brought it to my mechanic again. It turned out that the intake manifold had dropped two of the four butterfly valves into the engine compartment due to the fact that the two screws that affix each valve became loose and fell off completely.

$700 later, I still have problems and Nissan Consumer Affairs claims that no one other than myself has called to inquire about this problem. Thats a lie since I have proof that a friend had the exact same thing happen to his 2002 Nissan Sentra SE. Today, while driving to work, guess what happened? Service Engine Soon light came on again...Error code was PO420 Catalyst System Efficiency below threshold....bank one. Guess who's never going to buy another Nissan again.....ME!

Had to get a ride for the six days it was in the shop. Nissan wasn't open for business when the car broke down so I had no choice but to bring it to someone else to attempt to repair it. Nissan Dealerships and call in centers have obviously been coached to deny any knowledge of such problems. They were of no help whatsoever, bordering on not caring or being sincere about my problem.

The first time, the dealer replaced the throttle body. The second and third times, the dealer insisted there was nothing wrong and that the car drove beautifully. The fourth time, the car finally acted up while the dealer test drove it and they replaced the air flow meter. It still continues to stall. NNA's position is essentially since their technical assistance folks can't identify the problem, there's nothing to fix and the car, as far as they're concerned, is fine.

According to Nissan, I am essentially on my own since the vehicle is out of warrany. The only option offered to me was that I keep driving the car until it stalls and then have it towed immediately to the dealer, of course, at my expense. I refuse to do this as it is a waste of my time, not to mention potentially dangerous driving around a defective vehicle!

Well, lo and behold the new 2003 Altima on Saturday January 10, 2004, radiator started to leak. I took the car back to COX nissan. The service tech told me the car started to leak because Nissan used a cheap cap for the radiator. The cap will not release the pressure from the raditor and your radiator just goes bad. This is the second time this has happen to me with a different car. I really did not get any help from Nissan Consumer affairs department. I wrote several letters and all I received was a standard form about were my needs satisfied.

I had it towed to the closest Nissan dealer in Scottsdale which was Scottsdale Nissan. They had the car until the 14th of July, 2003 and reported that they could not duplicate the problem but their paperwork states they THOUGHT the problem was caused by "internal open circuit in airflow meter with consult test" so they installed a new airflow meter and airfilter and test drove the car. I picked the car up on July 14, 2003.

Then on Oct. 28, 2003 the car was again parked after a short drive and again the same problem took place and the car was towed back to Scottsdale Nissan and again they could not duplicate the problem so we picked it up on Oct. 29, 2003. Then on Nov. 19, 2003 the car was parked after a short drive and again it did the same thing. This time instead of calling a tow truck I left the car for a short period of time and then tried to start it again. It took numerous tries but I was able to nurse the engine back to life and I limped it home for the day.

This time I decided to take the car back to the original dealer on Nov. 20, 2003 which was Pinnacle Nissan of Scottsdale. They could not duplicate the problem again and per their paperwork they cleaned the fuel injector per some bulletin from Nissan USA. We picked the car up on Nov. 21, 2003. On Dec. 29, 2003 the car was driven a short distance to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, the engine was turned off for approximately 5 minutes and once again it could not be restarted. Police intervened and it was towed to a safe location at the airport until it could be towed back to Pinnacle Nissan of Scottsdale.

Pinnacle Nissan informs me that they THINK, I repeat, they THINK they know what the problem is and they can only offer a temporary fix with no guarantees that this will not happen again. They say further that it looks like it's a software problem with the on board computer that runs everything in the car. The software fix is not available from Nissan USA and may not be available for another 3 to 6 months. So Pinnacle, per a call to a Tech Line at Nissan USA, added fuel system cleaner to the tank for temporary repair until final repair is available.

I have kept Nissan USA informed of each and every incident described above. They really haven't made any comment on any of this yet. They just listen and say keep us informed. In Arizona the Lemon Law states that after 4 attempts to solve the same problem and with no positive results that I can return the car for a replacement or they can buy the car back. Because the last incident in Dec. 03 was the fourth time I have been through this I am in the position to follow through with the Lemon Law claim if it happens again. With the statement from Pinnacle Nissan that this is only a temporary fix with no guarentees I have a funny feeling that we will be addressing this again for the 5th time soon. I picked the car up this morning, Jan. 2, 2004.

Jeffrey should contact an experienced, aggressive Lemon Law attorney.

I called Consumer Affairs last week and talked to Angela. This reference number has to do with the fact that my upholstery in the back seat is coming undone. Per Angela, I contacted a local dealer here in Austin Texas, but they informed me that Nissan wouldnt warranty the defect in the material. Thanks for nothing on this issues.

2nd issue, I went to the local car wash the night before I took my car over to the Nissan Dealer (Maxwell) to wash it and clean it up, while washing the front end to remove bugs, a large spot of paint just flew off the front bumper, I couldnt believe it. Nissan has informed me that they may or may not warrant this issue.

At approx 11,000 miles while driving 65 MPH my vehicle completely shut off almost causing an accident. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership. After having my car 4 days they satted they did not know why the vehicle shut off while driving ... they replaced the entire computer system, catalytic converter, and exhaust system.

In the next 6 months my vehicle failed to start approx 15 times, and stalled while driving 5 times (causing my vehicle to hit the guardrail). The dealership replaced the entire engine. I unfortunalty still have this vehicle, and am reluctant to drive it. I am filing a civil lawsuit as well as complaining to the Ny BBB for a full refund and compensatory damages.

Anyway with all of this happening, we have put some mileage on this car due to traveling for softball tournaments for my daughter. Service on this car has been kept up faithfully. In June of 2003 we were on vacation in California when the car started to stall out. We took the car to Sorrettos Nissan and they said it was the throatle body - the part would take 3 days to get in but it was okay to drive home to Las Vegas. We asked are you sure, we didn't want to get stranded in the middle of the desert. They assured us it would be fine, just take it to our dealership when we get back to have it replaced.

Well wouldn't you know - we made it to Victorville, CA and the car started to stall and hesitate. We drove it all the way to Barstow, CA still hesitating where we made the decision to stop due to the hesitation getting worse.

As soon as we turned off on the off ramp it died. We got it to a gas station and called a local Nissan dealership and they referred us to a tow truck company. We were towed to a motel and the car to the dealership. The next morning we called to get a courtesy ride to the dealership and they told us they wouldn't because they didn't want us down there arguing with them over the car. We had to talk to the owner of the dealership to get a ride.

We finally get there and they told us it would be approximately 5 days before they could even look at the car. We explained to them that we were out of town and we needed to get it fixed. They suggested we rent a car and drive back when it was ready. The whole jist of this is that I found a tow truck driver who I had to pay to have the car towed back to Las Vegas to United Nissan. The next morning we go to the dealership to see the status of the car and we are told we do not have an extended warranty on the car. I said yes we do I have the paperwork.

Well come to find out we had two contracts from the sales office manager dated the same day. One with an extended warranty, one without. We spoke to the General manager to get this figured out. Well what had happened to the car was that we had a defective heat shield, broken O2 sensor. The general manager agreed to fix that for free but if we wanted an extended warranty we could pay for 1/2 of it at his cost $400.00. Even though we had proof showing his Sales Manager had made a mistake regarding the warranty. To this day we are still arguing over this. The General manager refuses to make amends.

Well the next day I get in the car and the Service Engine light comes on. We call the service dept. and they suggest we bring it back in, it's probably something that didn't get reset after replacing the O2 sensor. Come to find out the catalytic converter needs to be replaced. (Now this is only the day after having everything else replaced) The general manager fixes that because it stems from the O2 sensor being burnt out.

I had my car back for a day and the same problem recured on a Saturday and the shop was closed. I had to go all weekend with no vehicle. I took my vehicle in Monday morning and had to ask for a rental car. This time they changed the throttle. To make a long story short one and 1/2 months later I still do not have my car and my rental, to put it nicely, sucks. I have a new computer, wiring sytem, and countless other parts in my car, but no car. They really do not know what is wrong and it has been in and out of the shop 6 times. They do not call and let me know the progress in the vehicle. I am in the process of trying out the lemon law, but really have no idea what I have gotten myself into.

Nissan actually had to gaul to call me and offer me an extended warranty on a car that still is not fixed. I guess I paid 20K plus to drive a Dodge Neon, Toyotta Corolla, and Ford Escort. I have had to miss meetings and I am a Math teacher that has trouble offering tutoring to my kids because I am in and out of the shop constantly for my car.

I was fortunate that this happened during a time that I didn't need to have the car but my wife had to deal with this by paying a $250 fee upfront out of pocket. All of this happened while I was deployed to Iraq during the war.

Car has interrmittent problem - sometimes doesn't want to start. Starter doesn't move. I was scared at first, then I heard of "sticking starter inhibitor switch in transmission lever". After moving to neutral and back, sometimes a few times, car starts. Same problem experienced by two other 2002 Altima owners that I know. Dealer tried to find the problem but couldn't "duplicate" it. I told them the switch has to be readjusted or replaced, but no.

Now the car is at the dealer for "fuel flooding problem" - it failed to start today, starter operational but got flooded. At 11000 miles and $18500 it seems like a bad buy. During the last year it failed to start about 20 times, two of which it was flooded. Nissan has to have a recall done on that switch.

I opted to get my own tow truck and had the car towed about 50 miles to Elkhart, IN (the closest Nissan dealership) on a Sunday morning. I later discovered that since the part that failed was under warranty Nissan will pay for the tow, so Roadside Assistance is clueless. I called the dealership Monday Morning to inform them that my car was there and to tell them about the problem I was having. On Monday afternoon I learned that the Main Fusible Link on the car had tripped. The dealer didn't have the part in stock but had ordered it. They also told me that because of the Blackout the distribution center was running about 3 days behind. The dealership has had my car for 5 days and the part still has not been delivered. In fact, the Service Manager told me the nearest part he could find was in California and that it probably wouldn't even be at the shop until Monday.

As a result of this incident, I missed work on Sunday and have had to rely on friends and relatives for basic transportation needs. When the car is ready, I will need to find somebody to drive 6 hours to Elkhart and back with me to pick up my car and drive my sisters' car back.

Only after the threat of litigation, did they pay 100% to correct the problem. My guess is there are many other 1995 Altimas with the same problem!

This defect turns the Altima's fuel tank into a literal "time bomb"!

On February 4th I was at work and I was proceeding to the Pentagon for a meeting. I notice that as I attempted to acclerate the car was slowing up. The more I pressed the accelerator the more it slowed up. Again, as if it was about to cut off. Also, if I attempted to go up a hill the car nearly stopped. I was able to get it back to Mike Pallone NISSAN where I discussed the matter with the service rep who wrote the ticket up and gave me a rental car, which I am not sure I will have to pay for.

I received a call from him on February 5th indicating that they could not find anything wrong. He and I called the NISSAN corporation in California and talked to Leslie, who became irritated when we tried to explain the situation. It was clear that she knew about it, when asked by the service rep, but she was trying to conceal any knowledge of it. When confronted about the fact that there have been other NISSAN customers who have come in to the dealership with the same problem she became verbally augmentative.

Both the service rep and I attempted to explain to her that there is a problem and not just with my car. And the question is what is NISSAN doing about fixing the problem. You can smell gasoline after driving the car awhile and this lends itself to the possibility that the car could explode or catch fire. NISSAN needs to fix the problem and stop trying to hide it. There should be a recall which they are trying not to do.

I have been without my car for 11 consecutive days. I am making a 410.00 payment on a car I can't even drive. I have lost all faith and confidence in my car and in Nissan. I have had to take time off work to run back and forth to the dealership. I have three rental cars in the past two weeks. None of which are on the same level as a Nissan Altima.

Then I drove my car to Big Bear Lake for Memorial Day weekend upon arrival the rear end of the car started making a terrible noise, it was the rear suspension bar or something like that. Again I took my car back and received my 3rd rental car from them, that time they had my car for approximately 11 days. Now my hazard lights are switching off and on without touching the hazard light switch so I will be taking my car back for my fourth rental car this Monday 7/9/01.

I have taking time off of work to take my car to Nissan and pick it up. This has caused much stress. Driving home from Big Bear with my car sounding like rocks were in the tires was quite stressful, now I can't drive anywhere without my hazard lights turning off and on by themselves. Economically I am struggeling with a new car payment and I feel as if I purchased a lemon.

Later that day the steering locked again upon which we called the Nissan dealership from whom we purchased this vehicle. The had it towed to their shop and they kept it for a little over a week and then returned it to us saying that there was nothing they could do. THey had driven it and it just didn't lock up on them. THey weren't "authorized" to do anything to it and released it back to us. Naturally we were furious that nothing had been done and this car is still under warranty!

We got the number of the national office and began calling them to see if we could get some action out of them. They NEVER returned our calls and so we then began corresponding with the dealership again. THeir reply to us was that "THis is a Nissan problem, NOT a Pat Peck problem!" We kept calling however and nothing was done.

Yesterday as we were driving in this car again, the steering locked up when I applied the brakes. I had no control of the car and when I stopped I was almost rear-ended by an eighteen-wheeler. I was in the middle lane of a four lane highway. My daughter and I were terrified! I had to turn the ignition off and then on again in order to "unlock" the steering. (this has been the case in the past as well...the car never stops running when it locks).

I finally pulled to the side of this busy highway and we contacted Pat Peck Nissan and told them that they needed to come get this dangerous vehicle ... we would not drive it anywhere! They came and got the car but nothing has been done so far. We feel that this is an extremely dangerous vehicle and should be taken off the road! If we were to trade it we would have to pay in excess of $5K in negative equity and it simply isn't ethical to have anyone get into this vehicle! Nissan will not acknowledge the fact that this car should be off the road and only gives us the runaround. We don't even have a vehicle to drive while they "examine" our car ... no arrangements were made concerning a rental,etc.

We want to let everyone know that the '99 Altimas have the potential to be very unpredictable vehicles. The mechanic we have spoken with said "The Altimas are flawless cars ... this makes no sense".

Follow-Up
After we suggested Clay consult a Lemon Law attorney, we received this response:

Since we first contacted you, Nissan Corp. has refused to take responsibility for the "phantom" problems our car is experiencing. They told us that in the event that we were killed in that vehicle they would have our problems on file in their computer system! UGH! What good will that do us if we are dead? Needless to say we have contacted our attorney and the wheels are in motion, so to speak. Thanks again for your advice and we will let you know the outcome of our case!