The defect
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.5L ENGINE, THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR IS AFFECTED BY TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, THESE VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURE CAN BE LARGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE A BRIEF INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL OUTPUT FROM THE SENSOR.
The risk
IF THE INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL FROM THE SENSOR IS SO BRIEF THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) LOGIC DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE CONDITION, THE ENGINE MAY STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AT A LOW SPEED INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ECM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 21, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Nissan Altima | 2003, 2004 |
| Nissan Sentra | 2003, 2004 |
Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Altima | 2003 | 883 | 4 |
| Nissan Altima | 2004 | 276 | 1 |
| Nissan Sentra | 2003 | 180 | 7 |
| Nissan Sentra | 2004 | 197 | 4 |
Other engine and engine cooling recalls in 2006
47 of the 490 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2006 concerned the engine and engine cooling; NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. filed 216 campaigns in all.
| 06V471000 12 Dec 2006 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 06V451000 28 Nov 2006 | DAMON CORPORATION |
| 06V435000 16 Nov 2006 | AIRSTREAM, INC. |
| 06V413000 31 Oct 2006 | SPARTAN CHASSIS, INC. |
| 06V407000 26 Oct 2006 | KOVATCH MOBILE EQUIPMENT |
| 06V388000 4 Oct 2006 | FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC. |
| 06V376000 25 Sept 2006 | UNIVERSAL SPECIALTY VEHICLES, INC. |
| 06V364000 21 Sept 2006 | R-VISION |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2006