2000 Nissan Altima Cruise Control Problems

I OWN A 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA GXE, AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A FAILURE IN THE SPEEDOMETER, TACH, ODOMETER, AND TEMP GAUGE WHILE DRIVING. THE GAUGES WILL FREEZE UP AT ANY TIME AND STAY AT THEIR LAST POSITION, WHILE THE CAR CONTINUES TO OPERATE AS NORMAL. THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL ALSO KICK OFF IF IT IS BEING USED AT THE TIME. THIS LEADS TO A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY DRIVABLE BY USING THE NAKED EYE AND JUDGING YOUR SPEED BY OTHER CARS, AND A FAILURE IN CORRECT REPORTING OF MILEAGE. A SOLUTION IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION, AND A DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSIS IT YET. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM ON SEVERAL MODELS OF NISSANS OF THIS YEAR (FRONTIER, SENTRA, PATHFINDERS) POSTED AT VARIOUS ONLINE CAR FORUMS. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED BY NISSAN USA. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 2000 NISSAN QUEST, WHEN THE CAR CONTINUED TO IDLE AT ABOUT 1200 RPMS AND WOULD NOT COME DOWN WHEN SHE LET UP ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE VAN HAD TO BE TOWED TO OUR MECHANIC, AND THE MECHANIC STATED THE IDLE AIR MOTOR WAS STUCK AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THE SPEED OF THE CAR AT 1200 RPM'S WAS ABOUT 40 MPH, AND TRYING TO STOP THE CAR WAS VERY HARD. MY WIFE WAS VERY LUCKY SHE WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT AND WAS VERY LUCKY SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VAN OVER AND STOP. FURTHERMORE, ON YOUR COMPLAINT FORM I AM UNABLE TO PUT DOWN THE VEHICLE WAS A NISSAN QUEST, AS THAT MODEL IS NOT ONE OF THE OPTIONS UNDER THE VEHICLE INFORMATION.*AK

THE ACCELERATOR CONNECTING ROD CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING.UPON INSPECTION I NOTICED THE SOCKET WAS CRACKED.*AK

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.*AK UPDATED 07/26/2012 *JS 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. *JB

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. MR

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. *AK CONSUMER STATED THE THROTTLE SENSOR WAS REPLACED THE FIRST TIME THE INCIDENT HAPPENED.*JB

I HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE ENGINE IDLE BECOMES ERRATIC AT TIMES, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU START IT THE IDLE WILL GO UP AND DOWN FROM 1000 TO 2100 CONTINUOUSLY. MOST OF THE TIME THE IDLE REMAINS HIGH WHEN YOU PUSH IN THE CLUTCH AROUND 1600RPM UNTIL YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. OTHER TIME THE IDLE GOES VERY LOW NEAR 400 RPM ALMOST TO A STALL CONDITION. NISSAN SAYS ITS NORMAL. I HAVE SEEN THIS SAME COMPLAINT NOT ONLY WITH THE ALTIMA BUT WITH THE NISSAN FRONTIER 2.4L WITH MANUAL AS WELL (SAME ENGINE AS THE ALTIMA).*AK

CONSUMER HAS TO PUMP GAS PEDAL TO GET VEHICLE STARTED. CONSUMER SOMETIMES HAS TO LEAVE SOMEONE IN VEHICLE TO KEEP IT RUNNING. VEHICLE IS TOO NEW TO BE DOING THIS. DEALER CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WIHT IT.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING 15-20 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 50 MPH, EVEN AFTER SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UP TO 50 MPH UNTIL VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE,AND WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

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. *AK

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.*AK