NHTSA Complaint #10176972 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

I OWN A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA, WHICH FALLS UNDER THE ENGINE & COOLING SYSTEM RECALL, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER RECALLS. I DID NOT RECEIVE THE RECALL NOTICE, HOWEVER, BECAUSE MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DUBLIN NISSAN FOR INSPECTION. THEY NOTED THE RECALL AND APPARENTLY REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. AFTER I PICKED UP MY CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN THE EVENING, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE NEXT MORNING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY APPARENTLY DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS AND JUST RESET THE SENSOR FOR THE LIGHT. THE NEXT TIME I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THAT THEY DID THEIR JOB AND TO DO AN INSPECTION ON THE VEHICLE THEY WOULD NEED TO CHARGE ME. AT THIS TIME I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER DEPT. TO SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO CONSUMING OIL VERY EXCESSIVELY (OF WHICH I WAS NOT AWARE OF SINCE I JUST HAD AN OIL CHANGE DONE), THEREFORE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND DAMAGE THE RADIATOR. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A PRIVATE, LICENSED MECHANIC TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR. THEY ALSO RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, BUT IT STILL CAME BACK ON. AT THIS TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FREMONT NISSAN, WHERE THEY DID DIAGNOSIS OF THE VEHICLE AND INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND 2 OF THE CYLINDERS ARE MISFIRING ON THE TEST. THEY SAID THAT IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND DETERMINE THE EXACT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, THEY WOULD NEED TO TAKE APART THE ENGINE AND PHYSICALLY EXAMINE IT INSIDE (COST APPROXIMATELY $900). I AGAIN CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER SERVICES, THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO HELP ME IN ANY WAY. THE LADY TOLD ME THAT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO COMMIT TO ANY REPAIRS, I WOULD NEED TO PAY THE DEALERSHIP TO EXAMINE THE ENGINE AND IF THEY DEALERSHIP DETERMINES THAT THE PROBLEM IS WARRANTY RELATED THEN NISSAN WOULD LOOK INTO REPAIRING. I SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE ARE ALL THOSE DESCRIBED ON THE NISSAN'S WEBSITE. *JB