1999 Nissan Maxima Transmission Problems

LURCHING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. BRAKING DID NOT SLOW THE CAR! TERRIFYING! USED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO SLOW ENOUGH TO PULL OVER AND TAKE NEXT EXIT. COULD NOT STOP AT STOP SIGN OF EXIT RAMP. PULLED INTO GAS STATION AND CHANGED AUTO TRANSMISSION GEAR. STOPPED WITH A VIOLENT LURCH AND THUD. TURNED ENGINE OFF. AAA WAS ABLE TO START CAR AND LOAD ONTO TOW RAMP. TAKEN TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP. THEY FOUND "NO CODES." DRIVING AND INSPECTION DID NOT FIND CAUSE. WHEN BROUGHT IT IN, SAID IT WOULD COST $98.00 TO CHECK IT OVER. AFTER NISSAN ENGINEER FROM NATIONAL DID INVESTIGATION, WOULD NOT RETURN OUR CALLS.. DEALER SAID CAUSE NOT FOUND- !CAR FINE TO DRIVE." CAR WAS THERE A WEEK. NO CHARGE. NO EXPLANATION. WHEN ASKED FOR TRADE-IN VALUE, GOT VERY LOW QUOTE. FELT LIKE A COVER-UP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10402012

Incident

May 7, 2011

Mileage

138,000 mi

I HAVE A POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM WITH MY 133,000-MILE, 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. IT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE CRANK SENSOR ON NEWER MAXIMA, A STEERING COLUMN LOCK, A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH, FAULTY CLUTCH DEPRESSION SWITCH, AND THE ANTI-THEFT KILL SWITCH, PERHAPS EVEN A RANDOM GROUND. THE PROBLEM WAS CONCEIVABLY CATASTROPHIC.*AK UPON ENTERING MY CAR USING THE REMOTE, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WON'T RESPOND, AND MUST BE UNLOCKED MANUALLY. IN THESE INSTANCES, NEITHER THE DOME LIGHTS NOR THE HEADLIGHTS SHINE. WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS ROTATED TO THE START POSITION, AS THE CLUTCH IS BEING DEPRESSED, SOMETIMES THE GAUGE LIGHTS APPEAR AND THEN QUICKLY FADE AND DISAPPEAR; THE CAR JUST DOESN'T CRANK. A FAINT, DIMINISHING TELLTALE BUZZING SOUND CAN BE HEARD. WHAT'S WORSE, THIS CAN HAPPEN SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING, IN WHICH CASE THE CAR'S STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND THE BRAKES BECOME INOPERABLE. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN ON THREE OCCASIONS, TWICE WHILE DRIVING IN A MALL PARKING LOT (FEBRUARY AND MARCH ''07) AND THE OTHER TIME (JUST LAST WEEK) WHILE TURNING INTO MY NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY, TO TAKE OUT HER OAK TREE. THE IGNITION CRANK SENSOR MUST SLIP INTO AN INOPERABLE MODE DURING DRIVING OR WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR, OR THE ANTI-THEFT SWITCH SOMEHOW INTERFERES WITH STARTING, OPERATION OR DRIVING. MAYBE THE MASTER IGNITION COIL IS FAILING (BUT THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN THE HEADLIGHT AND DOME LIGHT PROBLEMS). THE CLUTCH SWITCH MAY NOT ENGAGE WHEN ITS PEDAL IS BEING DEPRESSED. SOMETIMES, I CAN RESTART THE CAR AFTER AN INCIDENT IN WHICH IT WAS PARKED FOR A WHILE. MY BATTERY IS BRAND NEW, AND THERE DON'T SEEM TO BE ANY SHORTS AS FAR AS I CAN TELL. BUT NOTHING ELECTRICALLY WORKS (NOT EVEN THE RADIO) WHEN I HAVE TO UNLOCK THE CAR MANUALLY. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR BEYOND MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I MIGHT HAVE TO BECOME A HERMIT, OR WORSE, A COLLEGE PROFESSOR. ANY IDEAS? THE CAR IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE OTHERWISE AND HAS ALL SERVICE RECORDS.

NHTSA ID

10185666

Incident

Feb 11, 2007

Mileage

132,300 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED THREE TIMES SINCE LAST YEAR. A DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. *AK THE ALTERNATOR AND IGNITION COIL WERE REPLACE PRIOR TO THE DEALER DETERMINING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSMISSION. *NM

NHTSA ID

10079671

Incident

Jun 1, 2004

Mileage

58,000 mi

I HAVE HAD MY 1999 MAXIMA FOR 4 MONTHS,HAVE FOUND PROBLEMS SWAYING OR DRIFTING SUSPENTION WHILE DRIVING,HESITATION IN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHEN ACCELLING FROM A ROLLING STOP,SEATBELT LOCKING AND WOULD NOT RELEASE,LEFT HAND TURN BUMPY FRONT END SUSPENTION SHAKE...ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE VERY SCARRY AND DANGEROUS..EMMEDIATE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN (BY MANUFACTURER) TO FIX THESE SAFETY ISSUES AT NO COST TO LOYAL CONSUMERS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10056706

Incident

Feb 6, 2004

Mileage

54,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES BURNING TYPE SMELL FROM ENGINE OR CLUTCH AREA AND VEHICLE LACKS POWER. DEALER REMOVED TRANSMISSION AND FOUND CLUTCH DISC WORN OUT. CLUTCH ASSY. REPLACED, CONSUMER HAS HAD TO HAVE THE CLUTCH REPLACED FOR THE THE THIRD TIME BECAUSE BUSHING THAT HOLDS THE CLUTCH BETWEEN THE FLYWHEEL AND THE TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS INSTALLED WAS NOT THE RIGHT PART FOR THE MODEL OF THE TRANSMISSION IN CONSUMERS VEHICLE, BUT WAS INSTALLED ANYWAY, BECAUSE OF INPROPER FITTING IT CAUSED THE CLUTCH TO WEAR PREMATURELY AND HAS CAUSED SOME DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. *TT

NHTSA ID

566762

Incident

Oct 30, 2000

THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY EMITS AN INTERMITTENT GROANING SOUND WHEN THE CLUTCH IS ENGAGED IN 1ST AND REVERSE GEARS. I HAVE VISITED TWO NISSAN DEALERSHIPS OVER 14 TIMES AND HAD THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY REPLACED TWICE AND THEY CANNOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. FENCO PARTS (HTTP://WWW.FENCOPARTS.COM/BULLETIN_9924.HTM) HAS ISSUED A TSB ABOUT POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. NISSAN HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

758388

Incident

Nov 29, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

755855

Incident

Aug 1, 2000

THE RECALLS & TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS WEB SITE LISTS TSB # NTB9811A FOR A "THROTTLE SHOCK" "HESITATION" IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. BOTH NISSAN MOTOR CO AND THE LOCAL DEALER HAVE NO RECORD OF THE PROBLEM. HELP ME CONFIRM THE TSB NUMBER AND DETERMINE WHY NISSAN MOTOR CO DOES NOT HAVE ANY REFERENCE TO THE PROBLEM. THANKS, JL. *AK

NHTSA ID

741147