This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
While going 75mph on cruise control all of a sudden all the gauges (RPM, mph, fuel, engine temp) dropped down to zero. Only the cruise control lights remained on. All while a combination of #'s and letters came up on the odometer (even the odometer went blank). It was a shock and I did not know how to react to this. My first reaction was to turn off the cruise control via the buttons on the steering wheel, as soon as I did it this caused all the gauges to come back to life including the odometer. Very weird issue.
While driving the dashboard goes out completely. You can not tell how fast you're going or what the RPM is or anything, including the gas gauge. When this happens, sometimes the car begins to lose power as if the gas pedal isn't working and then all of a sudden it comes back and you get propelled forward. This happens very frequently and I'm afraid that I am going to get a speeding ticket one day because there is no way for me to tell how fast I am going when the dashboard goes dead and even worse I'm afraid I'm either going to lose speed and get rear-ended or gain speed and be propelled into the vehicle in front of me. I have researched this, and this is a very common problem with this year, make, and model vehicle. In all the other complaints that I have found online, they all go to the mechanics and they can not figure out the problem. I believe this is a vehicle defect and the electrical unit on the dashboard needs to be recalled and fixed before someone gets injured or killed due to this malfunction. Also, this electrical issue causes the service engine light to turn on and gives a misread when you take it in to be diagnosed.
The contact owns a 2000 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle automatically accelerates when idle and he must slam on the brake pedal to keep the vehicle from moving. The failure occurs at random. The current mileage is 37,000 and failure mileage was 32,000.
Throttle assembly continues to fall apart while driving vehicle, disengaging the throttle and rendering the vehicle helpless and unable to accelerate at all.
I bought this 2000 Nissan Altima new. Since approximately December of '03 the instrument cluster has repeatedly (too many times to keep track of) malfunctioned at arbitrary times giving either no info (gauges all go to 0) or incorrect info (130 mph at 1K RPM w/no water temp and suddenly full tank of gas). Problem can last any where from minutes to 24 hours+. the cruise control also malfunctions whenever this occurs. First took to dealer on 12/31/03, they could not diagnose problem, told me to bring it back while malfunctioning. Finally was able to get the car while malfunctioning to same dealership on 8/1/05. Problem has started to increase in frequency and duration. The second they hooked diagnostic equip to it the cluster corrected. They kept for 2 days, did not malfunction again so they could not diagnose 100%. they want to try replacing the speedometer head at $320, but 1) can't guarantee it will solve problem and 2) can't get part. They estimate 6-8 wks minimum to get part. When I went to leave dealership cluster malfunctioned showing no information, but no technician was available to diagnose. Showed zero on all gauges except gas which arbitrarily read 3/4 tank for entire 20-25 mile trip home. This car is an accident, or worse, waiting to happen.
- Cedarville, OH, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
When driving, gauges suddenly stop working. The tachometer, engine temperature gauge, fuel gauge freeze in place. The speedometer registers the max and the digital odometer went to zero.
I have experienced 2 dangerous incidents of sudden unanticipated acceleration with my 2000 Nissan Altima SE [xxx]. the first, witnessed by my husband & son, occurred on December 26, 2003. Approaching a red light, I slowed to a stop with my foot squarely on the brake. The engine suddenly raced alarmingly and the car tried to lurch through the light. I put the car in neutral and the engine racing increased. I turned the car off. The head mechanic at our local dealership had no ideas. Against my better judgment, I took the car back. The next weekend, it happened again. I pulled backwards out of a parking spot, put the car in drive, and the engine suddenly took off. The rpms registered within seconds up to 6500 rpms. Put in neutral, the rpms increased to 7000 rpms. I turned the car off. I told our local Nissan dealership that I would not drive the car until this dangerous problem was diagnosed and fixed. On the Nissan hotline (1-800-Nissan-1), the customer relations representatives told me: (1) their technical services department was unfamiliar with this problem (Nissan later said that, although they had received customer complaints, they had never been able to replicate the problem in a shop); and (2) if the problem could not be "replicated" in shop, then, in effect, "there was no problem" and no remedy. I went online and found that S.U.a. is a major problem nationally. I could not drive this car, could not allow a family member to drive this car, and could not sell the car. After almost six weeks without my car, I traded it back to the local dealership at considerable loss with the understanding that they would continue to try to replicate the problem and would not re-sell the vehicle to an uninformed consumer. I have 35 years of solid driving experience. There is no possibility of driver error here. The public needs your help. Updated 07/26/2012 information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Car suddenly accelerates when stopped or stopping. There was no possibility my foot was on the brake and accelerator at the same time. Car was shifted to neutral and engine turned off. On restart engine performed normally.
Stopped at red light, car raced to 4500 rpms, foot on brake. Put in netural, kicked gas pedal, raced even higher, kicked it again, it slowed down. Went 500 feet, raced to 7000 rpms. Took to dealer, nothing found wrong. Happened again on the 12 of October, then again on the 14 of October. At dealership now they are going to drive it until it happens to them. Scary situation. Any help would be appreciated....thanks for your time and consideration.
Vehicle started to lurch foward while pulling into a parking space. Vehicle taken to a dealer, and dealer was unable to locate cause of problem. Consumer stated the throttle sensor was replaced the first time the incident happened.
Car automatically rapidly accelerates when stopped. The anti-lock off light appeared. This rapid acceleration has happened to me three times in a two week period. I am 50 years old and have never had an accident. Now I have rear ended two people when I was completely stopped. The first time, the car stopped when I hit the car in a drive through mcdonald's. the second I was stopped 2-4 feet behind a pick up truck at a light and my car accelerated and hit him. I had to put my car in park to stop it after I hit him. The third time it occurred I was the first one in line at an intersection. I did not hit anyone, but had to shut the car off for it to come back to a complete start. The dealership has had my car on two occasions and it did not malfunction when they had it in their possession. However, the service manager told me that they have had problems with the Sentra model. I now am fearful of driving my car and put it in park whenever I stop. I am going to write to the president of Nissan. This is my third Altima and I love my car I am just petrified to get behind the wheel. The next time it happens it may be when I am dropping my son off at school.
Consumer had to use a lot of force when applying brakes. Engine revved up to 2500 rpms, not stopping at any occasion. Dealer just fixed it & twice it has done the same. There was surge in engine while stoped at light, and the RPM went from 750-2500. Although the vehicle was seviced, the problem reoccured. The dealer found out that the cause was a faulty throttle position switch. However, the problem still exists after the switch was replaced.
Consumer was approaching a red light applied brakes, and vehicle suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed while foot was on brakes, causing vehicle to hit tree/ rocks, and ran into a canal. Upon impact, airbags deployed, and consumer unbuckled seatbelt. Also, jumped into canal from passenger's side because driver side door was stuck.
The throttle/accelerator stuck, 3 times, the RPM's or the car roared, I was in the garage once, at the end of my driveway the second time moving forward, and the 3 rd time in reverse the vehicle was spun around 360 degrees, I hit a stationery vehicle going about 40-50 mph. Within 15-20 feet.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Louisville, KY, USA