2006 Nissan Altima

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A LETTER WAS RECEIVED FROM THE MANUFACTURER WAS RECEIVED CONCERNING EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AND RISK OF POSSIBLE FIRE. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER THERE IS CONCERN OF THE POTENTIAL RISK. THE MANUFACTURER HAS PUT A HOLD ON THE SALE OF NEW ALTIMA'S WITH A 2.5 LITER ENGINE PENDING THEIR INVESTIGATION OF THE POSSIBLE PROBLEM. UPDATED 07/07/06. *JB

I PICKED UP MY NEW NISSAN ALTIMA ON THE EVENING OF MAY 31. I WAS GOING TO BUY A USED CAR BUT THE DEALER CONVINCED ME THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE ANY PROBLEMS IF I LEASED IT NEW INSTEAD OF BUYING A USED VEHICLE. THE NEXT DAY I FIND THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION AND POSSIBLY ENGINE FIRES. THE PROBLEM IS SO BAD THAT NISSAN HAS STOPPED SELLING THIS VEHICLE 24 HOURS AFTER I PICKED UP MY VEHICLE. I QUESTIONED THE DEALER WHO SWEARS HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY PROBLEMS. THIS MUST BE A LIE. I WAS NOT PERMITTED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE. I CHECKED MY OIL AFTER 580 MILES DRIVEN AND IT IS ALREADY DOWN TWO QUARTS. THE DEALER MUST HAVE KNOWN OF REPORTED PROBLEMS. *NM

I BOUGHT A 2006 NISSAN ALTIMA ON FEBRUARY 25, 2006. THE FIRST OIL CHANGE I WAS ALMOST A QUART LOW, THE SECOND OIL CHANGE ABOUT THE SAME THING. I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM NISSAN STATING THAT THERE IS AN ENGINE PROBLEM RELATING TO OIL CONSUMPTION AND ENGINE FIRES. I ALSO SAW AN ARTICLE IN AUTOWEEK ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THEY ARE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES AND WANT ME TO CHECK MY OIL EVERY 700 MILES. ARE THEY KIDDING, A CAR THAT BURST INTO FLAMES IF YOU DON??T CHECK THE OIL ALMOST EVERY TIME YOU FILL WITH GAS AND ALL THEY ARE WILLING TO DO IS EXTEND THE WARRANTY. I HAVE ONLY 8,000 MILES ON THE CAR, AND FEEL COMPLETELY UNSAFE DRIVING IT NOW. NIACIN NEED TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM NOW IF THAT REQUIRED CHANGING THE ENGINE SO BE IT. THIS WILL BE THE LAST NISSAN I PURCHASE EVER AND I HAVE OWNED 4 BEFORE. *NM

NISSAN HAS ADMITTED VIA A LETTER THAT CERTAIN VEHICLES (MINE IS ONE) ARE SUBJECT TO HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION AND THE RESULT COULD BE A FIRE IN THE VEHICLE. NISSAN HAS ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THIS BY: CHANGING THE OIL AND FILTER, PROMISING TO MONITOR THE LEVEL - SUBJECT TO ANOTHER TRIP TO THE DEALER- AT 700 SUBSEQUENT MILES, THEY WILL THEN PROVIDE AN UNKNOWN 'FIX' TO THE ISSUE IF THE OIL LEVEL HAS DECREASED TO THEIR SATISFACTION, IF NO NOTICEABLE DECREASE IN THEIR PERCEPTION, THEN MONITOR ANOTHER 700 MILES - RETURN TO DEALER AGAIN AND HAVE THEM REVIEW, POSSIBLE FIX IS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AT THAT TIME. THE CONCERN IS THAT WHEN ONE PURCHASES A NEW VEHICLE, IF THE MANUFACTURE KNEW OF THE DEFECT AND POTENTIAL HAZARD, THEN THE SALE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED. FURTHER, A NEW VEHICLE NOW NEEDS TO BE MONITORED AND RETURNED TO THE DEALER EVERY 700 MILES - I CAN NOT THINK OF AN EXAMPLE OF MORE INCONVENIENCE. THE SAFETY HAZARD OF A FIRE OR BREAKING DOWN - ALL IN A VEHICLE WITH 1500 MILES ON IT IS INCREDULOUS. I CAN NOT LET MY FAMILY DRIVE IN THE CAR AND AM CONCERNED WITH MY OWN SAFETY. A 22000 VEHICLE THAT IS BRAND NEW SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE SOLD AND HAVE CONSUMERS ASKED TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. I DO HOPE THIS IS INVESTIGATED. I UNDERSTAND THAT A TOTAL OF 80000 ALTIMAS WERE AFFECTED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, WHY IT DID NOT STOP SALES IMMEDIATELY AND WHY THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT JUST FIX THE ISSUE. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE VEHICLES WITHIN THE VIN RANGE THAT ARE ON NISSAN DEALER LOTS ARE BEING SENT BACK TO HAVE THE ENGINES REPLACED. NEXT, A PROBLEM AT 1500 MILES WITH THE TRANSMISSION OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS IN SHIFTING AND MAINTAIN GEAR. THIS RESULTED IN THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATING AND THE DEALER 'GETTING A PART' TO FIX IT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT HAD ONLY 1500 MILES ON IT TO MALFUNCTION. *NM

PURCHASED 2006 NISSAN ALTIMA LAST DAY OF APRIL. SINCE THEN THE FOLLOWING HAS OCCURRED....1. FIVE DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASED DATE FUEL PUMP REPLACED. CAR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO START 2. SINCE THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM ANY DETAILING SERVICE ON THE DATE OF PURCHASE IT WAS AGREED I COULD BRING IT BACK AT A LATER DATE. ON 20 MAY DURING DETAILING SERVICE A 6" STRIP OF PAINT PEELED OFF THE FRONT BUMPER. BUMPER WAS SENT TO LOCAL PAINT SHOP IN DAPHNE AL. FOR REPAIR...ASK THE DEALERSHIP FOR PAPERWORK ON THE RE-PAINT, TO DATE HAVE NOT RECEIVED PAPERWORK. 3. NOW THE FIRST OF TWO REAL SERIOUS CONCERNS. STEERING / HANDLING AT SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH IS UNSAFE WITH ANY MEASURABLE WIND. THE CAR W/O CONSIDERABLE CORRECTION VEERS FROM LANE TO LANE. THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FROM DAY ONE....DEALERSHIP STATED TIRE AIR PRESSURE WAS THE LIKELY CAUSE....I'VE TRIED THE RECOMMEND 29 PSI DOWN TO 24 PSI. UP TO 34 PSI. DID NOT HELP. MY INTENT WAS TO PASS THIS CAR ALONG TO MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER BUT FEEL IT'S TOO UNSAFE DURING HIGHWAY/FREEWAY DRIVING. THREE DAYS AGO I RECEIVE THE OIL CONSUMPTION LETTER FROM NISSAN. I DRIVE APPROX. 120 MILES PER DAY 5 DAYS A WEEK. TO DATE MY CAR HAS 2700 MILES DURING THE FIRST OIL CHECK AT APPROX. 1000 MILES I NOTICED THE OIL LEVEL WAS APPROX. ONE QUART LOW BUT WAS NOT CONCERNED DUE TO NOT KNOWING FOR SURE HOW MUCH OIL WAS PRESENT DURING PURCHASE....ADDED 1 QRT AND HAD NOT CHECKED THE LEVEL AGAIN UNTIL I RECEIVED THE LETTER...1700 MILES TOTAL....DURING THIS SECOND OIL LEVEL CHECK THE OIL LEVEL ON THE DIP STICK WAS FOUND JUST BELOW THE ADD MARK. NO LIGHT INDICATOR HAD COME ON THE CONTROL PANEL...HAD I NOT RECEIVED THE LETTER IT WOULD HAVE BEEN T 2000 MORE MILES BEFORE MY FIRST SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE WAS DUE AND WOULD NOT HAVE CHECKED IT PRIOR TO THAT POINT....THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN TO MY FAMILY AND I. I TRULY HOPE THE NHTSA AND NISSAN DOES THE RIGHT THING BEFORE SOMEONE PAYS WITH THEIR LIFE. *NM

I BOUGHT A 2006 NISSAN ALTIMA ON MAY 22, 2006. YESTERDAY, I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM NISSAN STATING THAT THERE IS AN ENGINE PROBLEM RELATING TO OIL CONSUMPTION AND ENGINE FIRES.(I ALSO SAW AN ARTICLE IN THE PAPER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM) I HAVE ONLY 700 MILES ON THE CAR, I CHECKED THE OIL AS SOON AS I RECEIVED THE NOTICE AND THE OIL WAS DOWN BY 1/2 QUART, WHICH IS UNHEARD OF FOR A CAR WITH ONLY 700 MILES. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT NISSAN IS INCREASING THEIR WARRANTY AND TO KEEP MY OIL LEVELS UP. FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I PAID FOR THIS CAR (CASH), I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE CONCERNED WITH AN ENGINE CATCHING ON FIRE. I THINK NISSAN SHOULD BUY MY CAR BACK AND SELL ME A MODEL THAT IS NOT DEFECTIVE(ONLY HAD THE CAR 3 WEEKS). I AM STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON HOW THEY WILL HANDLE THIS PROBLEM. *NM

RISK OF ENGINE FIRE IN NISSAN ALTIMAS AND THE AUTOMAKERS RESPONSE TO POSSIBLE FIRES AND INJURIES HAS BEEN "CHECK OIL EVERY 700 MILES". THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. I HAVE A FAMILY AND WILL NOT RISK POTENTIAL INJURIES TO MY KIDS BY EXPOSING THEM TO MY NEW 2006 ALTIMA. I HAVE OWNED IT FOR ONLY TWO MONTHS AND THE REASON I PURCHASED IT WAS AS A FAMILY CAR. THERE SHOULD BE SOME ACTION ON PART OF NISSAN USA. WILL A DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY BE THE MOTIVATOR? *JB

I HAVE A 2006 NISSAN ALTIMA THAT WAS MANUFACTURED ON 2/06. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTED FIRE ISSUES DUE TO THE OIL CONSUMPTION. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE DIVING THE CAR. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT HILLTOP NISSAN ON RT 10 IN E HANOVER AND WAS TOLD THEY WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING FOR ANOTHER 60 DAYS. I WANT TO GET OUT OF THE CAR BEFORE THERE IS AN ISSUE TO REPORT. I WILL ADD THE DATE I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2006 2.5 S NISSAN IN GOOD FAITH. I AM NOW BEING TOLD THAT AS LONG AS THE OIL CHANGES ARE ALWAYS CURRENT I WILL NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR BLOWING UP. I AM A 25 YEARS OLD YOUNG WOMAN WITH A CHILD, AND I AM NOT WILLING TO TAKE THAT RISK. OF COURSE I WILL CHANGE MY OIL, BUT THAT IS NOT THE POINT. THE POINT IS THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THIS CAR CAUSING IT TO EXPLODE. I TRIED TALKING TO SOME ONE AT YOUR CAR SAFETY COMMISSION AND WAS TOLD THAT UNTIL THE CAR BLOWS UP, THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. WELL I CAN'T COME BACK FROM THE GRAVE AND HAVE IT FIXED. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU ALL ARE WILLING TO LET SOMEONE DIE BEFORE REACTING ON SUCH A SERIOUS PROBLEM. *JB