NHTSA Complaint #10140507 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

ON MARCH 27,05 MY ALTIMA BEGAN TO STUTTER WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE VERY BADLY. I DECIDED TO RETURN HOME TO SWITCH CARS, AND IT BEGAN TO STALL WHILE TRAVELING AT SLOWER SPEEDS (GLAD IT DID NOT STALL WHILE I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE). I TOOK IT TO NISSAN THE NEXT MORNING AND THEY SAID THAT BOTH OF THE SCREWS BACKED OUT OF ONE OF THE BUTTERFLY VALVE PLATES IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE PLATE ITSELF AND THE SCREWS HAD FALLEN INTO THE ENGINE, THUS CAUSING SEVERE MISFIRING AND BANGING INTO THE SPARK PLUGS AND DESTROYING THEM AND ALSO SCORING ALL THE WALLS OF THE ENGINE. NISSAN SAID I WOULD NEED TO BUY A NEW ENGINE BUT I REFUSED AND TOWED IT ANOTHER NISSAN DEALER AFTER TALKING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THERE AND HE SAID HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP MORE. IT HAS BEEN SITTING THERE EVER SINCE BECAUSE I REFUSE TO PAY. THE SERVICE TECH SAID THAT ALL 8 OF THE SCREWS HOLDING THE BUTTERFLY PLATES IN WERE ALL LOOSE. MANY PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO APPLY THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF LOCTITE TO THE SCREWS SO THEY DON'T ENCOUNTER THE SAME PROBLEM. NISSAN OBVIOUSLY TAKES THE BLAME ACCORDING TO RECALL P5202 BUT IT ONLY APPLIES TO 04'S AND 05'S EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME ENGINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE 02'S AND 03'S. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER BECAUSE IF I HAD BEEN CROSSING AN INTERSECTION AND THE ALTIMA HAD STALLED ONCOMING TRAFFIC COULD HAVE KILLED ME. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A SMALL PROBLEM AND NISSAN NEEDS TO ADDRESS IT. I HAVE TAKEN SOME OTHER STEPS ALREADY ON MY END TO GET NISSAN TO ACCEPT FAULT, BUT PLEASE FOR MY SAKE AND OTHER OWNERS SAKE THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE PLENTY OF PRINTOUTS OF HOW COMMON THE PROBLEM IS WITH OTHER OWNERS AND CAN EMAIL TO ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED. THE SAME ENGINE (QR25DE) IS IN THE 02 AND UP NISSAN SENTRA SPEC-V SO PLEASE CHECK THOSE COMPLAINTS FOR SIMILAR ISSUES SINCE THAT IS WHERE MOST OF THE FIRST COMPLAINTS I HAVE FOUND CAME FROM.*JB