NHTSA Complaint #10216932 — 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AROUND CYLINDER #4 FAILED 2-3 YEARS AGO (~65,000 MILES), CAUSING ROUGH IDLE/STALLING AS WELL AS POOR GAS MILEAGE AND TRIGGERING FAULT CODE P0304. THE DEALER REPLACED THE GASKET FOR ~$650. WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS (~85,000 MILES), THE SYMPTOMS HAVE RETURNED, ACCOMPANIED BY THE SAME FAULT CODE. SPRAYING CARB CLEANER AROUND THE GASKET AREA CAUSE A SMOOTHING OUT OF THE IDLE WHEN APPLIED NEAR CYLINDER #4, INDICATING A RECURRING FAILURE OF THE GASKET. SEARCHING THE INTERNET INDICATES THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE PARTICULAR TO THIS ENGINE MODEL, LEADING TO RECURRING EXPENSE TO OWNERS DUE TO POOR ENGINEERING. THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF THIS FAILURE SEEMS TO BE THE ROUTING OF THE EGR GAS LINES TOO CLOSE TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, CAUSING PREMATURE DEGRADATION OF THE SEAL. A LIKELY, AND COST EFFECTIVE FIX WOULD SEEM TO BE THE ADDITION OF A HEAT SHIELD IN THE AFFECTED AREA BETWEEN THE EGR GAS LINES AND THE MANIFOLD. THE HIGH INCIDENCE RATE OF THIS FAILURE AND THE CAUSE OF POOR ENGINEERING, WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE A RECALL ISSUE TO FIX THE POOR FUEL ECONOMY AND EXCESSIVE EMISSIONS IT CAUSES. *TR