NHTSA Complaint #10142461 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

I WANT TO REPORT A FAILURE IN MY NISSAN ALTIMA 2002. THEY DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING TO MY EVENING WORK AND I WAS CHATTING ON THE PHONE WITH MY SISTER WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME UP. I KEPT ON DRIVING AROUND 10 MORE MILES, AND BY THE TIME I WAS ABOUT TO GET TO THE PARKING LOT OF MY WORK PLACE THE CAR START SHOCKING ON ME LIKE IF IT WAS GOING TO STOP. AT THAT TIME I WAS ALREADY IN THE PARKING LOT AND I PARKED. THEN I SAW A HUGE SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT AND SINCE I'M A WOMEN THAT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND MUCH ABOUT CARS, I JUST GOT SCARED AND CALLED MY HUSBAND SO HE COULD PICK ME UP AFTER WORK. WHEN I WAS AT WORK I TALK ABOUT THE INCIDENT TO MY BOSS AND HE WENT TO CHECK THE CAR, AND HE TOLD ME THE RADIATOR PRETTY MUCH BROKE!!, HE TRIED TO PUT WATER, AND THE CAR COULDN'T HOLD IT. IT WAS JUST LEAKING, HE TOLD ME I SHOULD TOW IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THEY COULD FIX IT, BECAUSE IF I DRIVE IT THE ENGINE WILL DIE AND MY CAR WILL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BECAUSE IT WILL OVERHEAT. I TOW IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WANTED TO KNOW WHY DID THE RADIATOR BROKE, I WAS THINKING I SHOULD GET A REASONABLE EXPLANATION WHY THAT HAPPEN. THE CAR IS PRETTY NEW, IT JUST HAS 50K MILES. ANYWAYS, THE DEALER WASN'T ABLE TO GIVE ME ANY GOOD REASON. THEY JUST SAID THE RADIATOR STARTED LEAKING AND EVENTUALLY BROKE. EXCUSE ME? SO WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT IN THE NEXT 50K MILES? THE SAME?... I JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS SAFE... WHAT IF I DIDN'T GOT LUCKY AND MADE IT TO MY WORK PLACE BEFORE THE CAR DIED ON ME ON A FREEWAY?... I COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT... THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A NISSAN ALTIMA RADIATOR DEFECT.... AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL, I TAKE CARE OF CHANGING OIL AND PUTTING WATER IN THE CAR AS I SHOULD.... SO WHY DO I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS?... PLEASE HELP. I HAD TO PAY $1058.00 TO GET MY CAR FIXED. *JB