1999 Nissan Maxima electrical system problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR AND VARIOUS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED FLAMES. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH ICE WATER SHE HAD INSIDE THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE 1997 AND 1998 MODELS WERE INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 02V171000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS A 1999, SHE FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH THE RECALL. AUTONATION NISSAN MARIETTA (925 COBB PKWY SE, MARIETTA, GA 30060, 770-674-6081) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.”

“CAR HAD JUST BEEN SHUT OFF FROM RUNNING TO STORE I RAN INSIDE MY HOUSE REAL QUICK CAME BACK OUT TO LEAVE AGAIN BUT CAR DIDN'T START. BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. SMELLED LIKE ELECTRICAL PARTS WERE BURNING SO I OPENED HOOD TO NOTICE FIRE COMING FROM ALTERNATOR. I USED MY SHIRT TO PUT OUT AND DURING INSPECTION OF DAMAGE FOUND THE FIRE BURNED WIRE HARNESSES AND PART OF VALVE COVER ASSEMBLY WHERE OIL CAP IS LOCATED. THIS IS AN ORIGINAL OEM PART AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 118,000 ORIGINAL MILES. FOUND THAT A RECALL WAS DONE ON THE YEARS PRIOR FOR SAME ISSUE BUT DEALER STATED THEY WOULD NOT DO NOTHING DUE TO NO RECALL. ALTERNATOR S DON'T JUST CATCH FIRE...”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHO STATED THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.”

“STARTED THE CAR. HEARD A STRANGE NOISE WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY ABOUT 10 MPH, THEN SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, STOPPED THE CAR AND SAW SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE ENGINE. TURNED THE CAR OFF, OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS ON FIRE. AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, FOUND SEVERAL CASES WHERE THE 1999 MAXIMA HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ALTERNATOR CATCHING ON FIRE, IN SOME CASES CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BURN. ALSO FOUND OUT THAT NISSAN HAD A RECALL ON THE 1998 MAXIMA FOR ALTERNATOR FIRES. CALLED NISSAN ABOUT THE PROBLEM. A NISSAN REP CALLED BACK AND CALLED IT A "THERMAL INCIDENT." I EXPLAINED THAT A FIRE IS NOT A "THERMAL INCIDENT" BUT IS A FIRE (THIS IS LIKE DESCRIBING A SHOTGUN WOUND AS ACUTE LEAD POISONING). THE NISSAN REP SAID THAT DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN. I EXPLAINED THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT COMPONENTS DO FAIL OVER TIME, BUT THAT A FIRE IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THIS EVENT COULD HAVE CAUSED A HOUSE TO BURN DOWN OR A CAR ACCIDENT. THE NISSAN REP SAID THAT THE LIFE OF A NISSAN IS 100,000 MILES AND BASICALLY SAID THAT ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN AFTER THAT. I ASKED HER IF THAT WAS NISSAN'S POSITION AND SHE ASSURED ME THAT…”

“I BOUGHT A NISSAN MAXIMA 1999 FOR MY DAUGHTER ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT SHE GOT IN HER CAR ONE MORNING AFTER JUST HAVING HER VEHICLE AT A MECHANIC FOR A CHECK UP/SERVICE. THEY TOLD HER THE CAR WAS FINE. SHE THEN PROCEEDED DOWN THE ROAD TO THE FREEWAY, STOPPED FOR GAS AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. PANICKED BY THE 'AREA' OF TOWN SHE WAS IN I HAD A TOW TRUCK FROM AAA DISPATCHED TO MEET HER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE MECHANIC AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE KEY TO THE VEHICLE HAD BECOME DEPROGRAMMED. I PROCEEDED TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFUSED TO HELP ME UNLESS I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEM. A SCAM ALERT TO ENSURE THAT YOU MUST USE A DEALERSHIP AT HIGH COST. MY FEAR IS THAT SHOULD MY DAUGHTER BE HEADED THROUGH THE ARIZONA DESERT IN 120 HEAT AND THIS SAME SITUATION WOULD HAVE COME UP WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO CONTACT SOMEONE, HER (OR ANYONE ELSE'S) LIFE COULD HAVE BEEN IN DANGER. I FIND THIS KEY MALFUNCTIONING TO BE A SEVER SAFETY HAZARD AND THAT MORE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT THEY COULD ENDANGER THEIR LIVES IF THE KEY MALFUNCTIONS AND THEY ARE NOT NEAR A DEALERSHIP. I BELIEVE A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. I HAVE ANOTHER…”

“I HAD CHECK IGNITION LIGHT ON WHILE MY 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND FOR YEARS AFTER THAT. YOU GET TIRED OF GOING BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE PROBLEM IS NEVER SOLVED. THE PROBLEM TURNS OUT TDO BE THE IGNITION COILS; ALL REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $800.00. THE RECEIPT IS IN THE CAR AND I CAN PRODUCE MY EXACT COST OF REPAIR IF A RECALL WOULD BE ISSUED. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. MY LIGHT HAS NOT COME ON SINCE REPLACING ALL THE COILS. HOPEFULLY MY COMPLAINT WILL BE THE ONE THAT BEGINS AN ACTION BY YOU. *TR”