Mine is in Melville now for the meter problem. Here's the deal, straight from the horse's mouth:
I spoke to a Nikon tech, "off the record" (so don't tell him that I told you this...) and he told me that there was a specific problem with some of the early production cameras. There is a flexible circuit board (FCB) that controls the light meter - this FCB is connected to the main board via a plug-type connector, and that connector can work its way loose over time. When the connector comes off, all sorts of weird things can happen because the pins short against other components, eventually resulting in "dead camera syndrome". They discovered and fixed the problem in September, so cameras manufactured after that have the connector soldered in place to prevent the problem from happening. Some older ones might still be out there on store shelves, however.
The important thing to remember is that NOT ALL EARLY CAMERAS WILL HAVE THE PROBLEM, so don't panic. In most cases the connector fits tightly, like it should, so it won't come loose under normal use. The problem is that in some cases, the connector fits loosely - those are the ones that will eventually have the problem. There is no specific serial number range that I know of, but any camera manufactured prior to September 2004 can POTENTIALLY have this problem at some point.
Nikon is a good company, and they take care of their customers. When there is a known issue like this, they will fix it free, even if it is out of warranty. I know this because they have done that for me in the past. So if you have an early camera, DON'T PANIC. Chances are you will never see this problem. But even if you do, they will fix it for you, and they will make it right.
That's the story.