NHTSA Complaint #10174977 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN MIDDLETOWN, CT. AUG. 2006 BECAUSE I WAS LOOSING ANTIFREEZE. THEY TOLD ME I HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND MY ENGINE SEEMED TO BE USING OIL. THEY WANTED TO DO AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST AND ASKED ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK IN AT 500 MILES. I DID THAT AND WAS TOLD IT WASN'T CONCLUSIVE ENOUGH SO BRING IT BACK IN ANOTHER 1000 MILES. WHEN I BROUGHT IT BACK THEY TOLD ME I WOULD NEED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE SINCE IT WAS BLOWN. THEY TOLD ME THE HEAD GASKET IS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THE ENGINE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY SINCE IT WAS CAUSED BY THE PRE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WHEN I BOUGHT THIS CAR I WAS SOLD ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTY SINCE IT COVERED THE WHOLE CAR EXCEPT FOR MUFFLERS, SPARK PLUGS, BRAKES ALL THE THINGS THAT NORMALLY WEAR OUT ON A CAR. BACK IN JUNE OF 2004 I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR RECALL # R30071 THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED AT LIA NISSAN IN ENFIELD, CONN. IN THE RECALL IT STATES THAT IF THE MATERIAL FROM THE RECALLED PRE CATALYST GETS INTO THE ENGINE IT COULD DO DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND MAY CAUSE A FIRE. I NOW HAVE AN ENGINE THAT HAD THE RECALL FIX DONE AND THEIR FIX DID NOT WORK. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE WILL CATCH FIRE AND HURT ME OR ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS. I HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL THE CHANNELS AVAILABLE TO ME AT NISSAN AND HAVE GOTTEN NOWHERE. I EVEN GOT A LETTER BACK FROM NISSAN TELLING ME THAT I HAVE INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE RECORDS. I CHANGE MY OWN OIL AND FILTERS BUT THE REST I BRING TO THE DEALER IF I HAVE A PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THIS SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FAILURE OF THEIR FIX. ON A SIDE NOTE I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING THE INTERNET CONCERNING THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND MANY CASES OF PEOPLE HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR NISSAN ALTIMA 2002. THEY HAVE HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM WITH NISSAN ALSO. ANY HELP FROM YOU WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED MY CAR IS FAILING FAST AND IT IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORT TO WORK. *JB