NHTSA Complaint #10189991 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

ON NOVEMBER 8, 2006 I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO NISSAN OF RIVERGATE WITH 78,903 MILES ON IT WHICH WAS WELL WITHIN THE EXPIRATION DATE OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. AT THAT TIME I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE CAR BACK AFTER I HAD DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 1,000 MILES. ON NOVEMBER 22 , 2006 I RETURNED AND SPOKE WITH A SERVICE ADVISOR AND A MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD THE OIL WAS ABOUT QUART LOW. THE MECHANIC LOOKED UP SOME QUALIFICATIONS ON THE COMPUTER AND DETERMINED THAT I WAS QUALIFIED TO RECEIVE A NEW ENGINE. HE SAID THERE WAS AN ENGINE ALREADY IN STOCK, SO HE DID NOT HAVE TO ORDER ONE. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING THE CAR BACK ON NOVEMBER 28, 2006. WHILE THERE I WAS HANDED A BUSINESS CARD WITH A NOTATION ON THE BACK THAT READ DROP OFF ON TUESDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2006 FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT. ON NOVEMBER 28 I DROPPED THE CAR OFF AT THE SHOP, EXPECTING IT TO BE THREE DAYS IN SHOP TIME FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL ON NOVEMBER 29, 2006 STATING THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO ANOTHER OIL CONSUMPTION TEST . AT THIS TIME THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT I DID NOT QUALIFY FOR A NEW ENGINE OR EVEN TO FIX THE EXISTING ENGINE. ALSO, HE CLAIMED SINCE THE RECALL OF 2004 ALTIMAS FOR OIL CONSUMPTION EVERYBODY Y HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET A NEW ENGINE. THEN, HE ADDED THAT THE PURPOSE OF A DIPSTICK WAS TO SEE HOW MUCH OIL NEEDED TO BE ADDED BECAUSE ALL CARS BURN OIL. A VEHICLE CONSUMING OF A QUART OF OIL WAS ACCEPTABLE OIL CONSUMPTION FOR 1100 MILES. I CONTACTED NISSAN OF NORTH AMERICA, WHO ADVISED ME TO GO TO NISSAN OF GALLATIN. I WENT TO NISSAN OF GALLATIN, AND WAS TOLD TO DO ANOTHER OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. I RECEIVED THE SAME RUN AROUND FROM NISSAN OF GALLATIN ,AND AS OF 4/24 I ADDED 3 QUARTS OF OIL AFTER DRIVING 1046 MILES. *AK