2002 Nissan Altima

FILE #6258697 2002 ALTIMA MY COMPLAINT INVOLVES A QR25DE ENGINE INSTALLED IN MY ALTIMA. I LIKE TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON THE ENGINE AND THEN TALK ABOUT MY PROBLEM. THE QR25DE IS IN THE 2002-PRESENT NISSAN ALTMAN 2.5, 2.5S, 2.5SL 175HP, HYBRID 158HP. THE QR25DE SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PROBLEMS IN ITS SHORT LIFETIME. A VARIETY OF MECHANICAL FLAWS HAVE LED TO NUMEROUS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS, RECALLS, REPAIRS, AND OUTRIGHT ENGINE REPLACEMENTS. VEHICLES WITH THE QR25DE MAY INGEST MATERIAL FROM A DAMAGED PRE-CATALYST RESULTING IN INCREASED OIL CONSUMPTION. THE PRE-CATALYST WAS REPLACED AT 79,000 MILES AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER REALIZE THE ENGINE WAS CONSUMING MORE OIL BUT NOTHING THAT SIGNIFICANT. I STARTED TO NOTICE MORE OIL BEING CONSUMED AT 117,000 CALLED NISSAN AND STARTED A FILE THEY SUGGESTED I TAKE THE CAR TO A NISSAN DEALER AND CHECK OUT THE PROBLEM. THE CAR BROKE DOWN AND I HAD IT TOWED TO NISSAN AND THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR AND TOLD ME THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS GONE AT 118,151 MILES AND IT WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $825.65. AT THE SAME TIME THEY CHECKED FOR OIL LEAKS AND SAID THERE WERE NO LEAKS AND TOP OFF THE OIL AND TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN 1062 MILES BROUGHT IT BACK TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS DOWN 3 QUARTS. THEY FILLED THE OIL BACK UP AND AFTER 261 MILES THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON BROUGHT IT BACK TO NISSAN AND FOUND IT TO BE DOWN 4 QUARTS AND WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WAS GONE. UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS HAVE LET THE OIL RUN COMPLETELY DRY WHICH COULD LEAD TO ENGINE FIRE OR COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF ENGINE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS REVIEWED THE CASE AND DENIED RESPONSIBILITY FOR A POOR DESIGN AND NISSAN IS LETTING MANY CONSUMERS IN MY SITUATION PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE. I LITTLE RESEARCH ON THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE WILL YIELD MANY MORE UNSATISFIED CONSUMERS. THE CAR HAD OIL CHANGES AT 3000 MILES INTERVALS.*TR

NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 2002 IN 2006 MY CAR WAS USING 2 OR 3 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY THREE THOUSAND MILES. LUCKILY MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT NISSAN AND THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WERE VERY RELUCTANT TO PROVIDE HELP. FINALLY AFTER MONTHS OF TESTING, TEN TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP, CALLS TO CORPORATE, AND A TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH MY FATHER, THEY FINALLY REPLACED MY ENGINE. THEY WOULD NOT, HOWEVER, TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND WHY THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. NOW, TWO YEARS LATER, I AM FACING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS I NEED A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND NEW O2 SENSOR. ANOTHER ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS! AFTER RESEARCHING THIS CAR AND OTHERS WHO ARE FACING THE SAME PROBLEMS I AM CONVINCED NISSAN SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND A RECALL SHOULD BE MANDATORY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. *TR

JUST COMMUTING TO WORK AND USING MY CAR FOR LEISURE; HOWEVER, EVERY OTHER MONTH I HAVE TO PUT OIL INTO MY CAR BECAUSE THE OIL LIGHT COMES ON. THIS IS WITH ME DOING MY QUARTERLY IF NOT EARLIER OIL CHANGES. MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA ONLY HAS 73000 MILES AND IS CONSUMING OIL AND NOW HAS BEGUN SHAKING WHEN AT A STOP AND SHAKES EVEN MORE WHEN THE A/C IS ON. I'VE HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND HAVE BEEN TOLD IT NEED A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE THE OIL HAS TO DO WITH THE ENGINE AND THE SHAKING THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. NISSAN REFUSES TO TAKE OWNERSHIP IN THIS MECHANICAL ERROR. I'VE BEEN DOING RESEARCH AND I SEE THAT I'M NOT ALONE IN THIS COSTLY SITUATION. IT'S HARD FOR ME TO TRUST NISSAN WHEN I FEEL AS IF THEY REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THE CONSUMERS. *TR

BOUGHT MY 2002 ALTIMA NEW IN MAY \'02. THE CAR HAS RECEIVED ALL MAJOR AND MINOR SERVICES, OIL CHANGES, AND RECALLS THROUGH A NISSAN DEALERSHIP. RECENTLY THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS AN ONGOING HEAD GASKET LEAK THAT HAD GONE UNDETECTED PAIRED WITH A SOUND FROM THE TIMING CHAIN THAT INDICATED IT WAS SOON TO GO. RECOMMENDATION: ENGINE REPLACEMENT. MIND YOU, THE CAR WAS IN THIS NISSAN DEALERSHIP A MONTH PRIOR FOR A ROUTINE MINOR SERVICE AND 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS \"DIAGNOSIS\" FOR A RECALL. NOTHING WAS INDICATED ON EITHER OCCASION. AFTER PLEADING, THE DEALERSHIP SUBMITTED TO NISSAN A PROPOSAL FOR THEM TO COVER THE COST (WHICH WAS DENIED BY NISSAN HEAD QUARTERS) THEN NISSAN APPROVED A 50/50 COMPENSATION (ME PAYING 1/2 AND NISSAN PAYING 1/2) I THEN OPENED A CLAIM WITH NISSAN\'S REGIONAL OFFICE IN THE HOPES THAT THEY WOULD COVER THE COST BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE 50/50 OFFER WAS THE BEST THEY COULD DO.. DAMAGE RESULTING = A NEW ENGINE WAS QUOTED AT APPROX: 3500.00. I ENDED UP PAYING 1700 PRE-TAXED OUT OF MY POCKET. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE ENTIRE EMISSION SYSTEM AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ACCORDING TO A VOLUNTARY RECALL. THE CONVERTER WAS NOT REPLACED BECAUSE THE DEALER WOULD NOT DO IT FOR FREE. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 86,323.

I HAVE A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S MODEL, THE CAR STARTED TO USE EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL AND COOLANT. TOOK CAR TO A NISSAN DEALER AND THE SERVICE DEPT. TOLD ME I NEED A NEW ENGINE AND WITHOUT HAVING THE SERVICE DEPT. DISASSEMBLE THE ENGINE THEY CAN'T DETERMINE WHAT THE FAILURE OF IS. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 98K ON IT AND IS AND WAS TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF. I'VE HEARD OF OTHERS WHO OWN NISSAN ALTIMAS HAVING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND PROBLEMS. THE NISSAN DEALER TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY OR NISSAN OF AMERICA CAN OR WILL DO. I KNOW THAT NISSAN HAS HAD PROBLEMS AND THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING MORE OIL AT A RAPID PACE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN OUTSTANDING RECALL ON HER VEHICLE, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND PARTIALLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. THE ENTIRE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT PERFORMED BECAUSE THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ECM SOFTWARE WAS UP-TO-DATE AND DID NOT NEED THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED DUE TO AN ENGINE FIRE AND THAT SHE NEEDED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. SHE REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE), WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PARTIALLY. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE HANGER PIN WAS REPLACED, BUT NO HEAT SHIELDS WERE INCORPORATED TO COMPLETE THE RECALL REPAIR. SHE SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AGAIN TO OPEN A CASE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 121,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.