2004 Nissan Sentra Steering Problems

ENGINE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. DRIVING ON BUSY HIGHWAY ENGINE STARTED TO STALL. HAD TO USE CLUTCH TO KEEP ENGINE RUNNING, NEARLY MISSING OTHER VEHICLES TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE TRYING TO RESTART ENGINE. IMMEDIATELY TOOK TO DEALER AND FUEL PUMP FAILURE DIAGNOSED. FUEL PUMP BEING REPLACED RIGHT NOW AT $700.00.

I WAS DRIVING EAST ON I494 NEAR A MAJOR INTERCHANGE, IN VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC. I WAS IN THE CENTER LANE GOING APPROXIMATELY 60-65 MPH WHEN MY ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. I QUICKLY CHECKED THE LANE ON MY RIGHT AND IT WAS CLEAR SO I MOVED OVER AND ONTO THE SHOULDER. MY BRAKES AND STEERING WERE GOING QUICKLY, BUT I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A FULL STOP NEXT TO THE GUARD RAIL. I WAS RIGHT NEXT TO A TWO-LANE EXIT TO I35, WHERE THE TRAFFIC WAS FLYING PAST ME; SEVERAL CARS ALMOST RAN INTO ME, WITH ONE EXTREMELY DISTRACTED DRIVER CROSSING THE LINE ONTO THE SHOULDER AND HEADING RIGHT AT ME. IF HE HAD NOT LOOKED UP IN TIME I DOUBT I WOULD BE HERE TO REPORT THIS. I WAS ABLE TO GET A TOW TRUCK, BUT TRAFFIC WAS NOT EVEN SLOWING OR YIELDING FOR THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART MY CAR AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, BUT WAS TOO AFRAID TO TRY DRIVING IT IN THOSE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. THE REPAIR SHOP I WENT TO DIAGNOSED A FAULTY O2 SENSOR CAUSED BY A LEAKY FLEX PIPE AND WANTED OVER $800 TO REPLACE THE PIPE W/ CATALYTIC CONVERTER, GASKETS, O2 SENSOR. AND SPARK PLUGS. SINCE MY CAR WOULD START BUT I DID NOT TRUST IT, I DECIDED TO DRIVE HOME (25 MILES) BY CITY STREETS AND BACK ROADS. ON THE WAY THE ENGINE AGAIN FAILED WHILE WAITING FOR A LIGHT TO CHANGE. AFTER 10 MINUTES IT STARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC, WHO FIXED THE FLEX PIPE. A FEW DAYS LATER THE ENGINE DIED AGAIN AND RESTARTED AFTER ANOTHER HARROWING WAIT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS TIME THE CAR GAVE A CODE FOR THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, WHICH MY MECHANIC REPLACED. SINCE THEN MY CAR HAS NOT QUIT WHILE DRIVING, BUT DOES HESITATE AND I AM AFRAID WHILE DRIVING IT. I MAY HAVE MY MECHANIC REPLACE THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR AS WELL, SINCE THAT IS ALSO A KNOWN ISSUE. I AM SUPPOSED TO MOVE TO CALIFORNIA, BUT DON'T TRUST MY CAR TO MAKE THE TRIP SAFELY.

ON 12/08/14, I WAS DRIVING THROUGH I-85 N. AT ONE POINT I CHANGED A LANE TOWARDS MY LEFT AND NEEDED TO STRAIGHTEN MY CAR TO THAT LANE. BUT SURPRISINGLY THE CAR WOULDN'T GOT STRAIGHTENED AND STEERING HAD NO IMPACT/CONTROL OVER THE CAR WHEELS. AS A RESULT MY CAR HIT THE MEDIAN OF THE HWY AND AFTER THAT I WAS STILL TRYING TO PUT IT BACK IN THE LANE. BUT I HAD NO CONTROL ON IT. IT WAS SHAKING AND SPEEDING UP; HIT THE MEDIAN WITH THE LEFT MIDDLE AND AGAIN AFTER TRAVELING A FEW FEET HIT THE MEDIAN WITH REAR LEFT. AT THAT POINT BOTH AIRBAGS POPPED OUT AND CAR CHANGED DIRECTION ( FROM MY DIAGONAL LEFT TO DIAGONAL RIGHT). AND IT TOOK ME TO ALL THE WAY (6 LANE)ACROSS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND HIT THE MEDIAN ON THAT SIDE AGAIN WITH THE FRONT RIGHT AND STRAIGHT FRONT. AFTER THAT THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED. IT WAS ALL SMOKY AND THE CAR DOOR WOULDN'T OPEN. I SQUEEZED MYSELF OUT THROUGH THE APPROX. SIX INCHES OPENING. I WAS SO SCARED AND STILL SO MUCH DEPRESSED THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT I DIDN'T HIT ANYBODY OR I GOT HIT BY ANY OTHER CAR OR WHEN THE CAR WAS DRAGGING ME TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY I DIDN'T GO UNDER ANY TRAILER. MY BIGGEST QUESTION IS WHY THE STEERING STOPPED WORKING AND LOST CONTROL OVER THE WHEEL? WHOSE FAULT WAS THIS? AND FINALLY I GOT CITATION FROM DEKALB POLICE FOR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN LANES. WHEN I ASKED THE POLICE OFFICER, SHE TOLD ME THAT I HAVE TO PROVE IT THAT IT WAS A MECHANICAL ERROR. THEN THE CITATION WILL BE TAKEN OFF. THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE SIGN OR ANYTHING THAT I FELT UNUSUAL. SO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK INTO THE MATTER AND LET ME KNOW SO THAT I FEEL A LITTLE BETTER! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SPINNING SUDDENLY (THE CONTACT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY) AND CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL TWICE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY HAD NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 40,000. UPDATED 03/24/11*LJ UPDATED 04/01/11 THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. UPDATED 04/29/11

20 FEET AFTER PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, SUDDENLY THERE WAS A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING, THE BRAKES FAILED TO FUNCTION, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT AND WENT INTO A DITCH AND IMPACTED A SEWER DRAIN. THE DRIVER WAS SEVERELY BURNED BY THE AIRBAGS WHEN THEY DEPLOYED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE OF THE ABOVE FAILURES IS UNDETERMINED. *JB