2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Defect. NISSAN IS RECALLING 204,361 MY 2007-2008 ALTIMA, ALTIMA HYBRID, 350Z, 350Z ROADSTER, MY 2008 ALTIMA COUPE, ROGUE, MY 2009 MURANO, AND INFINITI MY 2007-2008 G35 SEDAN, MY 2008 G37 COUPE AND EX35 PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS' OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) CONTROL UNITS. A VARISTOR IN THE OCS CONTROL UNIT LOCATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THIS COULD CAUSE AN INTERRUPTION OF SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT (ACU).

Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING SUPPRESSED WHICH COULD FAIL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL TEST THE SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND ACU SYSTEMS USING A SPECIAL TOOL TO CHECK THAT IT IS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. IF NECESSARY, THE SEAT CUSHION (CONTAINING OCS HARDWARE) WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE MANUFACTURED TO SPECIFICATION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 4, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG COULD DEPLOY. THE CONTACT CALLED PAUL MILLER NISSAN AT (203) 335-3181 (LOCATED AT 5420, 930 KINGS HWY E, FAIRFIELD, CT 06825) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WOULD BE A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 171,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT *TR

I HAVE A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID AND AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP FOR A SIGNAL. THE PEDAL WENT DOWN WITHOUT SLOWING THE CAR UNTIL IT WAS NEAR THE BOTTOM OF ITS TRAVEL AT WHICH TIME THE CAR CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT, THE ABS, VDC AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I CONTINUED HOME WITHOUT TROUBLE UNTIL I WAS COMING INTO THE GARAGE AT WHICH TIME THE SAME THING HAPPENED.I HAVE CHECKED AND FOUND OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY I WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW SPEED WITH NO TRAFFIC.

TRAVELING SOUTH INTERSTATE 95 PASSING LANE ON CURVE @ EAST LYME CT. CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED RAPIDLY. ACCELERATOR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO DEPRESSION. I COULDN'T IMMEDIATELY COAST INTO RIGHT LANE & NO BREAKDOWN LANE ON MY SIDE. CARS BEHIND ME, APPARENTLY BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BRAKE LIGHTS ACTIVATED, DROVE RIGHT TO MY BUMPER & BEGAN HONKING. WHEN SURPRISINGLY THE ACCELERATOR RESPONDED FROM COMPLETE HALT , RIGHT LANE CLEARED AND I MOVED THROUGH IT IMMEDIATELY ONTO EXIT RAMP. I WAS BAFFLED & CAR WAS RESPONDING SO I ROUNDED INTO EAST LYME STOP & SHOP PARKING LOT WITH BLINKERS ON. AFTER COMPOSING MYSELF, I CONTINUED HOME ON BACK ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. TWO WEEKS LATER LEAVING MY DEVELOPMENT THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 30 (SLIGHT UPHILL) AND SAME THING HAPPENED WITH MY WIFE PRESENT; VEHICLE BEHIND WAS ALERTED BY HAND SIGNALS TO PASS. AFTER ACCELERATOR RECOVERED FUNCTION WITHIN MINUTES (SLOWER THAN PREVIOUS INCIDENT) I CONTACTED NISSAN REPAIR GROSSMAN'S OLD SAYBROOK FROM HOME. THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN. I SAID IS IT SAFE? THEY SAID I COULD CONTACT AAA. I CALLED A FRIEND WITH A DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER WHICH INDICATED A "TRANSMISSION MODULE" FAILURE. THEN, AT NISSAN, SHOP FOREMAN CLAIMED THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO DASH INDICATOR OR TROUBLE CODE WITH HIS DEVICE THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. 1/4 MILE AWAY, THE CAR STALLED IN MIDDLE OF LARGE INTERSECTION MAKING A TURN BLOCKING EVERYONE. WHEN IT RECOVERED, I RETURNED AND HE AGAIN CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND KEPT ASKING ME WHERE I B

NISSAN DEALER IS SAYING I MUST REPLACE PART # 48700-9N00B, THIS SAME PART IS UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE ALTIMA 2009-2012. CAN I GET A NEW VERSION OF THESE. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. OBD2 CODE WAS P0303 AND INTERMITTENTLY CODE P0300 INDICATING CYLINDER #3 AND MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRING. TOOK THE CAR TO LOCAL GARAGE. INSTALLED NEW SPARK PLUGS AND WITH NISSANS GUIDANCE,THEY PERFORMED UPPER INTAKE CLEANING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON FOR SAME CODES. NOTIFIED NISSAN AND BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER AS ADVISED. DEALER REPLACED COIL PACK #3 AND PERFORMED FUEL INDUCTION CLEANING. CEL CAME BACK UP AND DEALER RECOMMENDED REMOVAL OF HEAD TO INSPECT FOR WARPAGE AFTER ALREADY SPENDING $1200 ON THIS ISSUE. NISSAN SAID THEY COULDN'T LET ME KNOW IF ANY OR NO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ON THE ISSUE UNTIL I PAY ANOTHER $600 TO INSPECT THE HEAD WHEN A COMPRESSION TEST SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED WHEN NISSAN FIRST WORKED ON THE VEHICLE. OVERALL, NOT SATISFIED WITH NISSAN FOR DROPPING THE BALL ON AN OBVIOUS RECALL UNDER SERVICE BULLETIN NTB-10-056. *TR

A CARBON BUILDUP IN THE CYLINDER HEAD CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE AND DURING INITIAL START UP AND STUTTER/SHAKE DURING ACCELERATION. THIS BUILD UP IS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. IT CAUSE MULTIPLE UNSAFE INSTANCES WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND SAFELY NAVIGATE IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE TO NISSAN AND THEY HAVE REDESIGNED THE HEAD BUT ARE UNWILLING TO HELP WITH THE ISSUE. THIS OCCURRED ON OUR VEHICLE WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

HI, I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE INTERMITTENTLY MALFUNCTIONING BECAUSE OF AN UNRELIABLE BRAKE LIGHTS SWITCH. I BECAME AWARE OF THE ISSUE BECAUSE THE PUSH BUTTON IGNITION WAS INTERMITTENTLY FAILING. AFTER A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR NISSAN ALTIMA 2007-2008 OWNERS, BUT WAS NEVER ADDRESSED BY NISSAN. I HAVE A THREE MONTH OLD BABY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED IN A REAR END COLLISION. PLEASE MAKE SURE THIS ISSUE GETS ADDRESSED BEFORE ANY ACCIDENT OCCURS. THANK YOU SO MUCH! *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DIAGNOSTIC ERROR CODE WAS P0300 INDICATING INTERMITTENT MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRING. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH ALTIMA HYBRIDS DUE TO CARBONATION OF THE ENGINE DUE TO FREQUENT STARTS AND STOPS. NISSAN HAS REDESIGNED THE CYLINDER HEAD AND AT ONE TIME CONSIDERED A RECALL BUT THEN DECIDED AGAINST IT AND ARE HANDLING IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. INITIATED CONTACT WITH NISSAN CORPORATION. NISSAN RESPONDED BACK IN 10 DAYS THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER IT BECAUSE THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE (WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 60,000 MILES). NEWLY DESIGNED CYLINDER HEAD WAS GOING TO COST $2700. DECIDED TO DECARBONIZE THE CAR ENGINE USING A KIT. CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE SINCE THEN. COST $185. BOTTOM LINE: NISSAN SHOULD HAVE COVERED THE REPAIR COST BECAUSE IT WAS CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. NISSAN SHOULD HAVE ADVISED ABOUT TRYING DECARBONIZATION. OVERALL VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY I WAS TREATED BY THE COMPANY AND THE DEALER. THIS IS THE 6TH NISSAN PRODUCT I HAVE BOUGHT IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, AND WILL MORE LIKELY BE THE LAST ONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED WHEN APPLIED, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A WALL AND ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE POLICE WERE NOT CONTACTED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE FLOOR MAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,700. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,800. UPDATED 2/20/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BODY WORK WAS COMPLETED. UPDATED 02/21/13

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD ONLY BE STARTED SPORADICALLY. THE FAILURE PROGRESSED UNTIL THE VEHICLE COULD NO LONGER BE STARTED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE SENSOR CABLES CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000....UPDATED 10/17/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE START ENGINE BUTTON FAILED ABOUT 30 TIMES, WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED AAA KNEW EXACTLY WHAT CABLES TO TIGHTEN UNDER THE STEERING. UPDATED 10/17/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC STOP WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

2008 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. THERE WERE TWO INCIDENTS OF THE CAR RUNNING EVEN THOUGH I LEFT IT FOR QUITE A WHILE. FIRST, IN A SHOPPING MALL I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS OFF, AND IT REMAINED RUNNING FOR QUITE A WHILE. IN A SECOND INCIDENT IT STAYED RUNNING AT THE CURB FOR 3 HOURS UNTIL I RETURNED. I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS OFF WHEN I LEFT IT, BUT IT WAS NOT OFF. *TR

NISSAN 2008 ALTIMA HYBRID WINDOWS ROLL DOWN (DRIVERS SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE) BY THEMSELVES AFTER THE ENGINE IS SHUT OFF AND WE LEAVE THE CAR LOCKED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. IMMEDIATELY, THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE AND THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR. THERE WAS NO POWER RESPONSE WHICH RESULTED IN A CRASH. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE WERE NOT CALLED TO THE SCENE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP FOR DAMAGES SUSTAINED IN THE CRASH. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT A SPECIALIST WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

2008 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID SEDAN : WHILE DRIVING THE WARNING INDICATOR FOR ABS ILLUMINATED. WHILE SLOWING VEHICLE TO LEAVE ROADWAY A LOUD METALLIC IMPACT NOISE WAS HEARD, FOLLOWED BY VIBRATION. UPON PULLING OFF OF ROADWAY ONTO SOFT SHOULDER THE VEHICLE SLID AND WAS BARELY CONTROLLABLE. WAS ADVISED BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT DEALERSHIP THAT RIGHT FRONT ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SENSOR WAS DAMAGED BY POSSIBLE ROCK/DEBRIS IMPACT. WIRE LEADING TO SENSOR WAS SHEARED. HAD DEALERSHIP RETURN OLD PART. WIRE TO HARNESS WOULD INDICATED SHEARED BY IMPACT SINCE ENDS ARE FRAYED. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE LOUD METAL TO METAL NOISE COMING FROM RT FRONT. NOT A WARRANTY ITEM SINCE PART DAMAGED FROM ROAD DEBRIS. IT IS MY CONCERN THAT THIS WIRE HARNESS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY COMPONENT AND APPEARS TO BE UNPROTECTED FROM TYPICAL DRIVING, SUCH AS ROCKS AND OTHER ROAD DEBRIS. UPON FAILURE OF THE ABS, THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO CONTROL WHILE BRAKING, ESPECIALLY IF THIS FAILURE OCCURS ON WET OR OTHERWISE SLIPPERY SURFACES. THE WIRE LEADS TO EACH WHEEL ABS SENSOR SHOULD BE INSULATED AND SHEATHED, AND LOCATED IN A LESS VULNERABLE AREA WITHIN THE STRUT/WHEELHOUSE AREA. *TR

MY 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA, WHEN PARKED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE ROLLED INDEPENDENTLY AND COLLIDED WITH AND DAMAGED A PARKED VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND LOCKED AND I WAS WALKING AWAY WHEN I NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. FOLLOWING THE CRASH I UNLOCKED THE CAR, STARTED THE CAR AND MOVED IT FROM THE SCENE. I HAVE SINCE HAD IT EXAMINED BY THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP. THEY FOUND NO DEFECT WITH THE TRANSMISSION, BRAKES OR OTHER SYSTEMS. THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE 2 POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS. THE FIRST THAT THE CAR WAS NOT PROPERLY SET INTO PARK AND THAT THE SLIGHT INCLINE KEPT THE DRUM OF THE BRAKE MOVING SUCH THAT IT DIDN'T SET. THE SECOND IS THAT THEY THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT IN CARS WITH THE INTELLIGENT KEYS. THE CAR CAN BE STOPPED WHEN THE CAR IS STILL IN GEAR AND SINCE THERE IS NO KEY TO REMOVE THERE IS NO SAFETY FEATURE TO PREVENT SOMEONE FROM LEAVING THE CAR IN GEAR AND LEAVING THE VEHICLE. THEY SUGGESTED THAT I ALWAYS USE THE PARKING BRAKE. SOMETHING THAT I INTEND TO DO. I WAS NOT IN THE CAR AND THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE VEHICLE THAT MY CAR HIT HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO LODGE A COMPLAINT FOR THE RECORD AND REQUEST THAT THERE BE SOME SORT OF REVIEW OF CASES LIKE THIS. *TR