2001 Nissan Maxima engine and engine cooling problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE LOWER RADIATOR TIE BAR WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,000.”

“DRIVING TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR BUCKED AND RANDOMLY ACCELERATED AND IDLED HIGH. LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE IAC VALVE HAD ANTIFREEZE THAT LEAKED THROUGH A GASKET CAUSING IT TO SHORT OUT. SHORTLY AFTER ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE VALVE SHORTING OUT ($200 PART) CAUSE THE ECM TO SHORT OUT. AFTER LABOR AND PARTS THIS TURNS A $200 REPAIR INTO OVER A $2000 REPAIR AND CAUSES FOR UNSAFE DRIVING DUE TO THE ERRATIC IDLE AND SURGING AT THE TIME WHEN THE VALVE SHORTS OUT. *TR”

“WE OWN A 2001 NISSAN MAXIMA, WHICH WE PURCHASED NEW FROM A NISSAN DEALER. IT HAS, ON 3 OCCASIONS, EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH "SURGING"/HIGH REVVING.*DT THE CAUSE IN EVERY CASE HAS BEEN A PART KNOWN AS AN "IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE" (IACV), WHICH FAILS AND IN DOING SO, CAUSES THE "ECM" (THE "ENGINE COMPUTER") TO FAIL. WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT HITACHI IS THE SOLE SOURCE FOR THE IACV, WHETHER THE PART IS OBTAINED FROM A NISSAN DEALER OR ANY OTHER SOURCE UNDER ANY OTHER BRAND. THIS ISSUE IS APPARENTLY A PARTICULARLY WELL-KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL SERIES OF VEHICLE, BOTH NISSAN AND INFINITI. THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE HAD THIS ISSUE, IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED BY NISSAN. HOWEVER, THE SAME ISSUE HAS RECURRED ON 2 SUBSEQUENT OCCASIONS, AND BOTH TIMES NISSAN HAS WHOLLY FAILED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. WE HAVE REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH NISSAN, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NISSAN CONSUMER RELATIONS, NISSAN'S VP OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, THE "EXECUTIVE OFFICES" ESCALATION DEPARTMENT, ETC., ALL WITH NO SUBSTANTIVE RESPONSE FROM NISSAN BEYOND THEIR STATING THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, IT ISN'T NISSAN'S PROBLEM.…”

“MY CAR SEEMED TO NOT BE GETTING ENOUGH GAS AND NUMEROUS LIGHTS INCLUDING CHECK ENGINE ARE ON. MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP COULD ONLY FIGURE OUT IT WAS ONE OF THE COILS BUT TOLD ME NISSAN WOULD BE ABLE TO TELL ME WHICH ONE SO I WOULD NOT HAVE TO REPLACE ALL OF THEM. AFTER BRINGING MY CAR TO NISSAN I AM NOW TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE ALL THE COILS SINCE THEY ARE DEFECTIVE. NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS REPAIR. *TR”

“IN FEB. 2008, MY MAXIMA 2001, WITH 55000 MILES, STALLED OUT AT A STOP LIGHT--IT WOULD START UP AGAIN BUT THEN STALLED OUT WHEN I TRIED TO GO. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE IAC VALVE AND THE ECM WERE BOTH REPLACED FOR ABOUT $1700. THEN, ON OCT. 20, 2008, 8 MONTHS LATER WITH THE MILEAGE JUST UNDER 60,000 MILES, THE SAME THING HAPPENED BUT IT WAS PRECEDED BY A SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ($2000 PARTS AND LABOR) AND THE IAC VALVE AND THE ECM AGAIN NEEDED TO REPLACED (ANOTHER $1700). AT FIRST, THE DEALER SAID THAT THE IAC VALVE AND ECM WERE COVERED UNDER THE NEW PARTS WARRANTY, BUT THEN I WAS TOLD THAT IF IT WAS THE ENGINE HARNESS THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE OF THE IAC VALVE AND THE ECM, THEY WERE NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND I'D HAVE TO PAY THE TOTAL BILL OF $3700! I STARTED A CASE FILE WITH NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND WAS TOLD BY A REGIONAL SPECIALIST THAT NISSAN COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME SINCE THE PARTS WERE NOT UNDER WARRANTY. FROM THE INTERNET (AND NOT FROM THE DEALERSHIP), I LEARNED THAT THE ECM IS COVERED UNDER THE EPA SPECIFIED MAJOR EMISSION CONTROL…”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND THEN IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AIR CONTROL VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $550. THE CONTACT HAS NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE HE BELIEVES IT IS A SAFETY DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000.”