Nissan Altima transmission problems

THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT BEGAN TO APPEAR IN MID TO LATE JUNE. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND THEY HAVE RAN THE VEHICLE THROUGH THEIR SCANNERS AND CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE RESISTER ON THE TRANSMISSION HOWEVER THE CAR CONTINUES TO SHIFT HARD. NISSAN HAS A BULLETIN ABOUT PROBLEMS ON THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED AS A RECALL. MY CAR HAS REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND HAS STOPPED ON ME ONCE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED THOROUGHLY AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS STILL ON. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE; THERE WAS EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AND THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE NOISE FROM THE ENGINE WAS OBSERVED BEFORE THE ENGINE EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION WAS DISCOVERED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED AND DIRECTED THE CONTACT TO ADD OIL EVERY 700 MILES. THE DEALER EXPLAINED SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE PISTONS THEREFORE; THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT WILL TAKE UP TO TWO MONTHS FOR THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE TO BE AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED AND EXPLAINED OIL SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE ADDED.

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

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ACCELERATING THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES TO SHIFT. AND WHEN IT SHIFTS, IT IS A ROUGH TRANSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO CHANGED THE GROUND WIRE. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM THEREFORE THE DEALER DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL THE BRAKES SQUEAKED AND WHEN DRIVING AT 10 MPH THE BRAKES MADE A SQUEAKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME DUST WAS BLOWN OFF THE BRAKES. ON THE SECOND AND THIRD VISIT THE BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACE. THE FOURTH TIME, THE BRAKES WERE DETERMINED TO BE 'GLAZED' AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM.

PURCHASED A 05 ALTIMA IN JUNE OF 2004. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE CAR IN AT 19,000 AND TOLD THEM MY CAR SHAKES AND THERE IS A TICKING IN THE FRONT END. SOUNDS LIKE IT IS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. YOU CAN FEEL THE SHAKING IN THE SEATS, GEAR SHIFT AND STEERING WHEEL. NOT TO MENTION THE SHAKING CONTINUES TO KNOCK MY WINDOWS OUT OF PLACE. THE SHAKING HAPPENS WHEN YOUR ARE SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHILE DRIVING. THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE TIRES AND ALIGNMENT. I DID THE ALIGNMENT. THEY THEN SAID THAT THE TICKING WAS NORMAL AND THE SHAKING WAS NORMAL. SO BEING A YOUNG FEMALE I WAS TOOK THEM FOR THERE WORD. I THEN WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH AND THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, NO ONE WAS HURT. CALLED NISSAN SAID TIRES WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. SO I WENT TO AN OUTSIDE TIRE DEALER TO HAVE REPLACED, WAS TOLD RIM WAS BENT. AGAIN CALLED NISSAN WAS TOLD THAT WAS MY PROBLEM. SO I PURCHASED A NEW SET OF RIMS. JUST STARTED TO FACE THE FACT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SHAKING AND NOISE. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO RETURNED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE ALONG WITH THE SHAKING AND NOISE NOW THERE IS A LOUD CLUNKING ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE. WAS TOLD TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACE, ALIGNMENT AND BALANCE. ALSO GET THIS RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER RIM BENT. AGAIN! SAID IT WAS THE ROADS. TOOK TO TIRE DEALER. RIM WAS BENT. HE DID HIS PART, TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR MORE TIMES IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS THEN I CARE TO REMIND MYSELF. BUT HAS BEEN NO FIX TO ANY OF MY ISSUES. AT CLOSING OF REPAIR TICKET WAS TOLD TICKING NOISE THEY DID NOT KNOW WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM BUT THEY WERE PRETTY SURE IT WAS NOT THE ENGINE. THE SHAKING WAS FROM A BROKE RACK AND PINION. SO NOW THAT I AM OVER MY 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. I NEED TO PAY OVER 1300.00 TO HAVE REPAIRED. I FEEL LIKE THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND I AM NOW STUCK. I AM VERY UPSET WITH THIS LACK OF CONCERN NISSAN HAS WITH MY ISSUES. I NEED HELP GETTING MY CAR REPAIRED. *NM

I RENTED VEHICLE FOR THE WEEKEND AND USED IT FOR 1 DAY. I DROVE IT DOWN STATE TO CHAMPAIGN 250 MILES AND MADE A STOP. WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND STARTED IT UP, IT HESITATED TO CHANGE GEARS BUT DID, SO I TURNED AND DROVE THE CAR HOME TO CHICAGO. THE WEATHER TEMPERATURE WAS VERY FRIDGET OUTSIDE . WHEN I GOT TO CHICAGO THE VEHICLE STOPPED I COULD START IT UP BUT IT WOULD GO INTO GEAR. THE ENGINE SOUNDED VERY FINE THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE NOTICEABLE, NO LOUD NOISES IN THE CAR. I CALLED ENTERPRISE AAA TOWED THE CAR TO THE ENTERPRISE RENTAL PLACE. I RENTED A SMOKE COLOR VEHICLE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY SAID THAT HE IS CHARGING ME $5,000.00 FOR A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION FOR A 2005 NISSAN AND FOR A SERPENTINE BELT AND A OIL CHANGE . THE VEHICLE HAS ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED. I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY INFORMATION ON ANYTHING OR ITS WHEREABOUTS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH FLASHED CONSTANTLY. THERE IS A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN, # 02I001000, REGARDING THE AIR BAG. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 4/17/2006 - THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT EH AIR BAG WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS 2000 MILE OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER FOUND ANTIFREEZE LEAKING INTO THE CYLINDERS. THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP WAS INOP. THE TECH REPLACED THE RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT BULB. RADIATOR LEAKED COOLANT. THE HEATER BLEW OUT COOL AIR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. THE TECH FOUND AN AIR POCKET IN THE COOLANT SYSTEM. REPLACED CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. CYLINDER HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL SYSTEM AND CLUSTER MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH LESS THAN 800 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A PINGING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE MID SECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THIS NOISE WAS NORMAL. A LOCAL MECHANIC DETERMINED IT WAS A BROKEN CATALYTIC CONVERTER. BASED ON COMPLAINTS ON A WEBSITE SHE FELT THAT A CLAMP NUT MAY BE LOOSE. THIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER 90 MINUTES IN THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT BECAME DIZZY BY WHAT SHE FELT MAY BE RELATED TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE TRANSMISSION JERKED, AND HESITATED IN LOW GEARS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER PARTIALLY DEFROSTS THE DRIVER'S SIDE, BUT DID NOT WORK AT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE DEFROSTER. *AK