2002 Nissan Altima

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD AIR POCKETS IN THE RADIATOR, PREVENTING IT FROM HAVING HEAT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,639. THE DEALER/MECHANIC CHANGED THE ANTIFREEZE AND REMOVED THE AIR POCKETS. THE FAILURE RETURNED AFTER FOUR MONTHS. THE DEALER/MECHANIC AGAIN REMOVED THE AIR POCKETS, CHANGED THE ANTIFREEZE ,AND THIS TIME FLUSHED THE RADIATOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 55,200. THE CONTACT HAS THE REPAIR INVOICES. *AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000. THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING OIL AS STATED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HAD THE SAME FAILURES AS STATED IN THE RECALL ISSUED BY NISSA CONCERNING : EXHAUST PIPE HANGER PIN AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE RECALL DID NOT PERTAIN TO THIS VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000. THERE IS A RELATED ODI INVESTIGATION, PE02078. *AK

MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S APPEARS TO HAVE PIECES OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN THE ENGINE CYLINDER, CAUSING AN ENGINE MISFIRE. WHEN DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FIND HUNDREDS OF OWNERS OF THIS SAME MODEL VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND IN MOST CASES THEY ARE BEING DENIED ANY HELP FROM NISSAN DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A DEFINITE PATTERN OF PREMATURE PROBLEMS/FAILURES WITH THIS MODEL THAT NISSAN REFUSES TO ADDRESS. IT IS TIME THAT NHSTA USES THEIR INFLUENCE TO GET THIS COMPANY TO STAND BEHIND THESE DEFECTIVE VEHICLES! *JB

FOLLOWING THE FORMAT REQUESTED ABOVE: 1: EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: SIMPLY BOUGHT THE CAR AND DROVE IT... SEEMS THAT ALL 02 4 CYLINDER ALTIMA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING ISSUE B/C OF DESIGN FLAW! 2. FAILURE: THE PRE-CATALYST COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATES INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSES THE ENGINE TO FAIL! CONSEQUENCE: NEED A NEW ENGINE. 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE: NOTHING BUT HIDE! THEY MASK THE PROBLEM TO GET PAST ALL WARRANTIES. NISSAN USA IS ABSOLUTELY HIDING FROM THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE A SAFE VEHICLE! THEY STARTED BY HIDING THE PRE -CATALYST INTERNAL DISINTEGRATION NOTIFICATION WITHIN A RECALL FOR A POTENTIAL EXHAUST PIPE HANGER PIN PROBLEM. THEY KNEW THE PRE-CATALYST WAS DISINTEGRATING INTO ENGINES CAUSING DAMAGE, BUT DIDN'T RELEASE THAT CLEARLY TO AVOID NEEDING TO GET PAST WARRANTIES AND REPLACE ENGINES. MY CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND THE DEALER THEN REPLACED THE PRECAT (49K MILES) AND THE CAR WAS NEVER QUITE THE SAME, BUT IT DID RUN SO I THOUGHT ALL WAS FINE. OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST ONE HAD DISINTEGRATED INTO THE ENGINE AND THE NISSAN DIDN'T WARN ME OF WHAT WAS TO COME! I HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF THIS CAR AND NOW HAVE 98K ON IT.. BUT THE END IS VERY CLOSE. I HAD SES REPORTS OF P0420 AND THEN LATER A REPORT FOR A 4TH VALVE ISSUE... NOW THE CAR DRINKS OIL AT 1 - 2 QUARTS A WEEK OR IT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF OIL! THERE IS NO SMOKE, SMELL, OR DRIPS. THE OIL IS JUST GONE! THE DEALER SAYS I NEED A NEW ENGINE AND SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THEY DIRECTED ME TO NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS- THEY HAVE BEEN VERY SLOW TO RESPOND. I AM HOPEFUL THAT THEY WILL REPLACE MY ENGINE SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY ENGINE SEIZING WHILE I AM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR TURNING ACROSS IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC! THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 10 DAYS AND I AM WAITING ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO RETURN MY CALLS. *JB

THIS COMPLAINT IS IN REFERENCE TO THE FOLLOWING: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE02078 NISSAN NA MADE SOME PREVENTIVE CHANGES TO THE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA AS REQUESTED TO BY LAW. HOWEVER THE CHANGES NISSAN NA MADE WERE NOT SUFFICIENT NOR SUCCESSFUL. IT APPEARS THAT THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE NISSAN PROVIDED HAS ONLY PROLONGED THE OUTCOME. THOUSANDS OF 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA OWNERS ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEMS WITH A DIRECT RELATION TO A FAILURE IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. AFTER INSPECTION OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NOTICEABLE CHUCKS OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ARE MISSING. NISSAN NA IS VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY ARE SELECTIVELY FIXING SOME CONSUMERS VEHICLES. IF THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE THEIR POWER TRAIN WARRANTY NISSAN NA REFUSES TO ASSIST THE CONSUMER IS FIXING THE PROBLEM. SAFETY SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO A PERCENTAGE OF MILES OR TO A PERIOD OF TIME. *NM

THIS VEHICLE WILL BURN OIL AT A RATE OF 1-2 QUARTS EVERY 1000 MILES. THIS IS A KNOWN RECALL SITUATION FROM NISSAN RELATED TO FAILURE OF THE PRECAT AND MATERIAL FROM THE FAILURE BEING SUCKED BACK INTO THE ENGINE. ENGINE REPLACEMENT IS USUALLY NECESSARY. NISSAN HAS YET TO REPLACE THE PARTS OR ENGINE ON A VEHICLE THAT NOW NEEDS OIL EVERY 2000 MILES. *NM

I WAS RECENTLY NOTIFIED THAT MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA IS IN NEED OF A NEW ENGINE. IT HAS 72K MILES ON IT. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS ALREADY REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP. IT HAS HAD AN OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM THAT HAS OF LATE BECOME QUITE A CAUSE FOR CONCERN. (I NOW CHECK MY OIL EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS.) I FEAR THAT IF I KEEP DRIVING IT, I WILL RUIN ANOTHER CATALYTIC CONVERTER. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE NO OTHER TRANSPORTATION AND I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE SELL IT TO ANOTHER PARTY. NOR CAN I AFFORD THE REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS WAS THE FIRST NEW CAR THAT I EVER BOUGHT OFF THE LOT. I HAVE KEPT EXCELLENT SERVICE RECORDS AND HAVE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE VERY WELL AND HAVE HAD ALL OF THE RECOMMENDED RECALLS DONE. I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN DUPED. THE DEALERSHIP ACTS AS IF I HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE ADD ME TO YOUR LIST OF DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS! I WOULD WELCOME YOUR INPUT AS WHAT MY NEXT COURSE OF ACTION MIGHT BE IN THE PURSUIT OF A JUST RESOLUTION. I WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTED HEARING ABOUT ANY CLASS ACTION LAW SUITS THAT MAY EXIST AS A RESULT OF NISSAN'S NEGLIGENCE IN THIS MATTER. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIM,A AND STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION OF ENGINE OIL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE USED A QUART OF OIL EVERY 350 MILES. THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS COMPLETED WHEN IT HAD 40,000 MILES, BUT HAD THE SAME FAILURE AS STATED ON RECALL 03V455000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULDN'T COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR BECAUSE IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER SHOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THE REPAIR THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE HAD TO DO WITH THE RECALL . *AK UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB

2002 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH A LIST OF PROBLEMS INCLUDING LOST POWER, ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH 02 SENSORS, EXHAUST, CRUISE CONTROL**CC WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, SHE WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE HAD 2 RECALLS. AFTER THE TWO RECALLS WERE COMPLETED, THE CONSUMER STILL EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLES LACK OF POWER. THE VEHICLE HAD ALSO STARTED TO CONSUME LARGE AMOUNTS OF OIL. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE OIL RINGS WERE STUCK ON THE PISTONS. THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD CONSTANTLY BEEN ON. THE CODE STATED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN SENSOR. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH UNDER DRY CONDITIONS WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT A CRASH. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS BEFORE THE FAILURE, BUT ONCE THE VEHICLE RESTARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. THERE WAS RECALL 03V455000 FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR, AND WAS IS THE SAME FAILURE THAT AUTOWAY OF NISSAN TOLD HIM HE HAD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A CALL ON 12-4-06 FROM THE DEALER, STATING THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN . THE CONTACT HAS A DIAGNOSTIC REPORT, AND REPAIR ORDER STATING THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. *AK THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED UNDER RECALL BACK IN MARCH OF 2004, THE RECALL REPLACEMENT FAILED ON JAN 9, 2007. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES. UPDATED 02/02/07. *JB