Nissan recall totals 650,000 Altimas and Sentras

Nissan will recall more than 650,000 sedans for a faulty engine part that can overheat and cause the sedans to stall at low speeds.

The recall, posted Wednesday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site, includes 2002, 2005 and 2006 Altimas and Sentras with 2.5 four-cylinder engines.

"It's a voluntary campaign and it's relating to an electronic control module reprogram," Nissan products spokesman Darryll Harrison said.

"We're not aware of any reports of anyone being injured because of this. Letters will be going out early next month to owners. They will be notified to come into the dealerships and have their ECM reprogrammed."

The stalling problem stems from the engine's crankshaft position sensor, which can overheat and stop sending its signal. If the interruption is too brief for the ECM to decode, the engine may stall while the vehicle is being driven at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash, the NHTSA bulletin said.

Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge.

Jack Willoughby, parts manager at Gray-Daniels Nissan in Brandon, hadn't received notice of the recall Wednesday but said the dealership would do everything to ensure safety and to get the work done with as little inconvenience to owners as possible.

The latest recall continues a line of problems Nissan has experienced with its 2.5 liter engines. In June 2006, Nissan recalled about 200,000 Altima and Sentra sedans from the 2003 model year for the same problem. An unrelated recall of 2.5 liter cars that same month the company moved to recall about 97,000 of the cars because of excessive oil consumption and engine fires in some cars.

More than 140,000 vehicles with the 2.5 liter engines were recalled earlier this year because air filters were found to be flammable.

The Altima is the company's best-selling model, and the four-cylinder is the most popular engine choice with buyers. About half of the company's Altima output comes from the Canton plant. The 2.5 liter engines are made in Decherd, Tenn., and installed at plants in Smyrna, Tenn., Canton and Mexico.

Owners of affected vehicles can contact their local Nissan dealership or call Nissan North America at 1-800-647-7261.