NHTSA Complaint #10212852 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

I HAVE A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA THAT BEGAN CONSUMING OIL. PREVIOUS TO HAVING ANY PROBLEMS, NISSAN HAD A RECALL ON THE PRECATALYST WHICH SAID THAT MATERIALS COULD BE CAUSED TO GO INTO THE ENGINE AND INCREASE OIL CONSUMPTION. I HAD THIS RECALL DONE ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER PROBLEMS. NOW, I AND OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING OIL CONSUMPTION. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH HAS NOW MESSED UP MY ENGINE AND BOTH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE DEALERSHIP REGARDING THE PREVIOUS RECALL, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE LOOK FOR DAMAGE WHEN THE RECALL WAS DONE. OBVIOUSLY NOT, SINCE NOW A NUMBER OF ALTIMAS ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM AFTER THE RECALL WAS DONE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH A FORMER ENGINEER THAT SAID THERE WERE A NUMBER OF DESIGN ISSUES WITH THE 2002 MODEL. I HAVE ALSO FOUND ON THE INTERNET THAT THE CATALYLIC CONVERTER MAY BE LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE WHICH IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. SO IF IF THE ENGINE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WERE REPLACED, THE PROBLEM CAN START AGAIN. SOME OWNERS WHO HAVE PAID FOR REPLACEMENT HAVE EVENTUALLY STARTING EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE 2002 MODEL YEAR IS NOT THE ONLY MODEL WITH ENGINE PROBLEMS. *TR