NHTSA Complaint #10160391 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

RADIATOR LEAK WAS DISCOVERED BY TECHNICIAN WHILE PERFORMING A DIAGNOSTIC INSPECTION ON MY ALTIMA FOR SOME ENGINE PROBLEMS I WAS EXPERIENCING. AT THAT TIME MY CAR HAD 43K MILES. I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD A RADIATOR LEAK AND THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. THEY FILLED IT WITH COOLANT, BUT I DID NOT REPLACE THE RADIATOR. FOUR DAYS LATER, MY CAR STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO GET IT TOWED. I TOWED IT TO A DIFFERENT PLACE THAN WHERE I HAD BEEN 4 DAYS AGO. I WAS INFORMED A SECOND TIME THAT MY RADIATOR WAS LEAKING AND THAT IT WAS ABOUT 1/2 EMPTY. HE FILLED UP THE RESERVOIR. JUST TO NOTE, MY VEHICLE STALLED BECAUSE OF 2 SENSORS THAT HAD GONE BAD. DURING SECOND DIAGNOSTIC INSPECTION I WAS INFORMED OF THE RADIATOR AGAIN. ON MAY 17TH I TOOK MY CAR TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN AN EFFORT TO GET MY RADIATOR REPLACED BY GOODWILL THAT DEALERSHIPS EXTEND. NISSAN CHECKED THE RADIATOR AND CONFIRMED IT WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED VERY SOON, BUT WOULD NOT USE THE GOODWILL TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE RADIATOR TO DATE. I'VE BEEN FILLING IT WITH COOLANT AS THE RESERVOIR GETS LOW. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO HAVE THIS REPLACED AT NO COST. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS PART OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, BUT I ABSOLUTELY DON'T AGREE. FOUR OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW THAT HAVE THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR HAD TO GET THEIR RADIATORS REPLACED WHILE UNDER THE 36K MILE WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THAT IS ENOUGH PROOF TO SHOW THAT THE RADIATORS NISSAN IS INSTALLING IN ITS NEW ALTIMAS ARE LOW QUALITY. *NM