NHTSA Complaint #10070984 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

WE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FUEL MILEAGE WITH THE NISSAN ALTIMA. IT'S A BRAND NEW 2003 ALTIMA WITH A 2.5/4-CYLINDER ENGINE THAT NISSAN ADVERTISES ON ALL THEIR WINDOW STICKERS AS GETTING 23/29. AFTER THE BREAKING PERIOD, MY FATHER STILL WAS GETTING ONLY 20 MPG SO RETURNED THE CAR ALONG WITH THE ORIGINAL WINDOW STICKER TO THE NISSAN DEALER IN HILLIARD, OH & THEY AGREED TO CHECK IT OUT WHICH THEY DID & REPORTED THAT THE CAR WAS FINE & OPERATING PROPERLY. WHEN HE PICKED THE CAR UP, HE WAS GIVEN SOME PAPERS & ASSUMED THE STICKER WAS AMONG THEM, BUT WASN'T. WHEN HE REALIZED HE WAS MISSING THE STICKER, HE RETURNED TO GET IT & WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T FIND IT. HE TOOK HIS CAMERA TO THE DEALER & TOOK PICTURES OF LIKE STICKERS ON LIKE MODEL ALTIMAS CLEARLY SHOWING THE 23/29 MPG RATING. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, HE TOOK IT IN AGAIN EXPLAINING IT WAS STILL NOT GETTING ANY BETTER MILEAGE & SOMETHING MUST BE DONE SO BONNIE, THE SERVICE MGR. THERE TOOK OVER. AGAIN THEY CHECKED IT OUT & TOLD HIM THE SAME THING...THE CAR IS PERFORMING JUST FINE & THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHY HE IS NOT GETTING THE ADVERTISED MILEAGE. HE TAKES IT IN FOR A 3RD TIME, THEY BRING HIM HOME & KEEP THE CAR FOR SEVERAL HOURS. I TAKE HIM BACK TO PICK IT UP & WE WAIT FOR BONNIE WHO TELLS US THEY HAVE EXHAUSTED EVERY METHOD THEY HAVE FOR TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY THE CAR IS ONLY GETTING 20MPG. SHE AGREES TO CALL NISSAN HEADQUARTERS TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR WOULD TRADE OUT CARS FOR MY DAD. SEVERAL DAYS LATER SHE CALLS STATING SHE MADE THE CALL. HE'S REALLY TRAPPED & AT HIS WITS END. I SUBSCRIBE TO CONSUMER REPORTS SO CHECKED TO SEE IF THEY HAD TESTED THE CAR & SURE ENOUGH THEY HAD. THEY REPORTED GETTING ONLY 22MPG ON THE EXACT SAME 2003 4-CYLINDER MODEL, WHICH MADE ME START THINKING THAT PROBABLY NOBODY WAS GETTING THE ADVERTISED MILEAGE. I STARTED ASKING EVERY PERSON I FOUND WHO HAD A 2003 4-CYLINDER ALTIMA WHAT MILEAGE THEY WERE GETTING, NOT 1 PERSON EVER EVEN TOOK A MILEAGE CHECK!