1996 NISSAN ALTIMA Electrical System Problems

MY CAR CRASHED INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP, BUT MY CAR JUST DIDN'T & MY AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. EVEN BEFORE THE CRASH, THE DASH LIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF, & I CAN BARELY SEE WITH MY HEADLIGHTS! ALSO, MY CAR MAKES LOUD CRANKING NOISES WHEN I TURN. EVERY CAR I SEE LIKE MINE, HAS A SMASHED UP FRONT END & HAS ALL THE SAME ISSUES. I CAN'T CURRENTLY AFFORD A NEW CAR, BUT I'M SCARED TO DEATH TO DRIVE MINE, BUT I HAVE NO CHOICE. HELP ME PLEASE! WHO CAN I CONTACT? I STRONGLY BELIEVE THESE CARS ARE NOT FIT FOR DRIVING. I NEED MY PROBLEMS SOLVED FAST BEFORE SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS HAPPENS! IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN HOW DANGEROUS THESE CARS TRULY ARE, I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT SOMETHING ELSE TO KEEP MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD SAFE. I DON'T HAVE THE MEANS AT THIS TIME IN MY LIFE TO BUY A SAFER AND MORE RELIABLE VEHICLE. I EVEN HAD TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM COLLEGE, BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION TO GET MYSELF THERE. IT'S VERY DEVASTATING. *TR

MY ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE !!!!!! AND BURNED EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD INCLUDING THE HOOD NO PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS AT ALL WITH THE CAR NO GAS LEAKS, NOTHING TO INDICATE THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. *AK

I HAD JUST MOVED OFF FROM THE LIGHT, WHEN ABOUT HALF-WAY DOWN THE BLOCK, THICK WHITE SMOKE BEGAN BILLOWING FROM UNDER MY HOOD ONTO MY WINDSHEILD. I QUICKLY PULLED OVER, AND ABANDONED THE CAR. BECAUSE I YANKED THE HOOD RELEASE ON MY WAY OUT OF THE CAR, I SAY BRIGHT YELLOW FLAMES UNDER THE SIDE OF THE HOOD. PER THE FT. LAUDERDALE FIRE DEPT INSPECTOR, THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE AREA OF THE RADIATOR FANS. THAT SHORT CAUGHT THE NEIGHBORING WIRES, RADIATOR FAN AND OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS ON FIRE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND THE NISSAN DEALER REPAIR SHOP ALL AGREED THAT THIS WAS WHAT HAPPENED. THE REPAIRS COST ABOUT $7100 AND 2 MONTHS TO FIX. I THANK GOD FOR SAVING MY LIFE. I THINK IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT CAUSED IT. THE MANUFACTURE CAN CONTACT PLANTATION NISSAN IN PLANTATION FLORIDA REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. I PRAY THAT NISSAN CAN USE THIS INFORMATION TO HELP DESIGN SAFER CARS. I JUST TRADED THE CAR BECAUSE I FELT I COULD NO BELIEVE IN ITS REASONABLE SAFETY. PLEASE NOTE: IN FOUR YEARS, THIS WAS THE FIRST MAJOR PROBLEM THAT I HAD WITH THE CAR.*AK

DISTRIBUTOR LEAKED ENGINE OIL INTO THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, WHICH RESULT IN COMPLETE DISTRIBUTOR FAILURE WHILE DRIVING

THREE TIMES IN THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS VEHICLE HAS ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. NISSAN COULD NOT DUPLICATE THIS PROBLEM. *AK THE PROBLEM STARTED AFTER TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT, AND THE RADIATOR, AUTO TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY AND THROTTLE VALVE SWITCH WERE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING FROM SECOND GEAR TO THIRD DUE TO CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY FAILURE. NEXT, THE GAS PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE IT. HOWEVER, THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING ASSEMBLY. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *YH

THE IGNITION IS MALFUNCTIONING AND THE VEHICLE WILL ONLY START IN NEUTRAL POSITION. *MJS

I CONTACTED A NISSAN DEALER PARTS DEPT. THEY REPORTED TO ME THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON, AND THE CAM SENSOR IS NOW REPAIRED IN A NEWLY DESIGNED DISTRIBUTOR, BUT ALL THE ORIGINAL CAM SENSORS IN THE FACTORY DISTRIBUTORS WERE EXPERIENCING A HIGH FAILURE RATE. I KNOW OF TWO OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE.

STARTER FAILS TO START PROPERLY WHEN ENGINE IS HOT.

BATTERY FAILED.

WHEN TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH ON THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS UP, WHEN DASH LIGHTS ARE OUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON CONTINUOUSLY FLASHING, RED LIGHT NEVER GOES OUT. *AK

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AFTER BEING PARKED, HAVE TO GET OUT AND PUSH BUMPER, THEN HEAR A CLICKING SOUND, VEHICLE WOULD THEN START, VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER. WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (INVOICES). *AK