1996 Nissan Maxima problems

“THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON DASH JUST STARTED FLASHING INTERMITTENTLY THEN I JUST SEE THAT THERE IS A RECALL. HOWEVER MY CAR IS 1996. I AM A NERVOUS WRECK TRYING TO DRIVE. *TR”

“MY 1996 NISSAN MAXIMA CAUGHT ON FIRE BY ITSELF IN THE MIDNIGHT, AND IT WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. I RECEIVED THE VEHICLE FROM MY FRIEND AS A GIFT, WHICH WAS IN A VERY GOOD CONDITION. AND I ALSO PAID THE BUCKNER'S AUTO SERVICE CENTER AT KNOXVILLE, TN FOR CHECKING THE CAR IN DETAIL AND GETTING IT REPAIRED. BUT 8 DAYS AFTER, THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. DURING THE 8 DAYS, THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF MY APARTMENT, AND NOBODY EVER TOUCHED THE CAR. IT'S CLOUDY OR RAINY IN ALL THESE DAYS. THOUGH FORTUNATELY MY WIFE AND I WERE SAFE, WE WERE REALLY SCARED AND MY WIFE WAS AFRAID OF VEHICLES FROM THEN ON. WE HAVE ARRIVED AT THE U.S LESS THAN 2 MONTHS, AND THIS INCIDENT ALMOST COMPLETELY DISRUPTED OUR LIVES. THE FOLLOWING IS THE DESCRIPTION FROM THE KNOXVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT CRIME REPORT: THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR EIGHT DAYS. INTERVIEWED CAR OWNER, WHO STATES HE HAS BEEN IN THE US FOR ABOUT ONE MONTH, AND HAD RECEIVED THE VEHICLE AS A GIFT FROM A FRIEND. HE SAID THAT HE HAD TAKEN THE CAR FOR REPAIRS AND TO BE SERVICED AT BUCHNERS AUTO REPAIR ON 9/8/2009 AND HAD AN INVOICE OF THE WORK PERFORMED. HE SAID THAT THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN…”

“CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON EVEN AFTER ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS DONE. THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING AFTER THE 1ST YEAR I BOUGHT IT. IN THE 5 YEARS I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, THE STARTER HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, THE DIFFERENTIAL WAS REPLACED, TIE ROD ENDS WERE REPLACED, STRUTS WERE REPLACED, A NEW MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE WAS REPLACED, AND THIS YEAR, 2 OIL LEAKS DEVELOPED, 1 INSIDE THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS WAS A DEFECT OF NISSAN, NOT ANYTHING THAT I DID OR DIDN'T DO. IT COST OVER $700 TO FIX THE LEAKS. THE LEAKS BLEW OUT THE SENSORS, AND THE CAR DIDN'T PASS THE EMISSIONS. I SPENT ANOTHER $850 IN GETTING NEW SENSORS. ONCE THE SENSORS WERE REPLACED, THE MECHANIC SAID THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE FUEL INJECTOR AND HE HAD TO REPLACE THAT. THERE IS STILL A SHORT IN THE CAR SOMEWHERE AS ONE OF THE BACK LIGHTS TURNS OFF AND ON WHEN IT FEELS LIKE IT, AS DOES THE LIGHT FOR THE RADIO CONSOLE (WHICH ITS THE ORIGINAL RADIO THAT CAME WITH THE CAR, SO IT'S NOT LIKE SOMEONE MESSED AROUND WITH IT.) AFTER REPLACING THE SENSORS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE 2ND EMISSIONS TEST, WHICH IT REJECTED THE CAR BECAUSE IT WASN'T READY YET. THE MECHANIC SPENT 7 (YES, SEVEN) DAYS…”

“CAR FIRE. MY SON'S CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE HE WAS DRIVING IT DUE TO A PART NISSAN KNEW WAS DEFECTIVE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR 1997-1999 NISSAN MAXIMAS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THEIR ALTERNATORS THAT CAUSED THEM TO CATCH FIRE. DETAILS ABOUT THE RECALL ARE BELOW. MY SON WAS DRIVING HIS 1996 MAXIMA WHEN THE ALTERNATOR CAUGHT FIRE. LUCKILY, HE ESCAPED WITHOUT INJURY. ALTHOUGH HIS CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, CLEARLY THE PART THAT STARTED THE FIRE IS THE SAME AND IT IS THE PART THAT IGNITED THE FIRE. I SPOKE WITH NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS THREE TIMES OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET NISSAN TO DISCUSS THIS EVENT IN TERMS OF THE SECURITY ASPECT OF IT. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY CHOSE TO LOOK AT IT STRICTLY AS A WARRANTY ISSUE. IT STANDS TO REASON, IF THIS PART WAS IN MY SON'S CAR, IT IS ALSO IN OTHER 1996 MAXIMAS. THE NEXT PERSON WHO EXPERIENCES A CAR FIRE DUE TO A FAULTY ALTERNATOR MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY AS MY SON. NOTE: I BOUGHT BACK THE ALTERNATOR FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND I HAVE IT AT HOME. WWW.AUTOMOBILEMAG.COM/AM/1997/NISSAN/MAXIMA/RECALLS.HTML RECALL ID # 02V171000 - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR…”

“PLEASE REFER TO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (NTB98-001) WHEN ROUNDING A CURVE OR GOING OVER A DIP IN THE ROAD, AT 40 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR STARTING WOBBLING AND SWAYING AND YOU THINK IT IS GOING TO FLIP OVER. IT IS VERY SCARY. THE WOBBLE IS NOT INDUCED BY THE STEERING WHEEL, IT JUST HAPPENS. THERE IS NO REAL WARNING. I BELIEVE IT IS THE REAR LINK ARM BUSHINGS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS STORIES FROM OTHERS PERTAINING TO THIS SAME PROBLEM ON THE WEB SITE (TOPIX.NET) SEARCH PATHFINDER PROBLEMS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN A MUST FIX FOR MANY AND IT IS VERY SCARY AND COULD BE VERY VERY DANGEROUS IF IT HAPPENED AT HIGHER SPEEDS. IT WOULD DEFINATELY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND/OR CRASH.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SLOWING DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AS THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,300.”