NHTSA Complaint #10240238 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

I OWN A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5L. I HAD MY CAR LOOKED AT IN EARLY 2008 BECAUSE MY HEATER WAS NOT WORKING. THE MECHANIC SAID THE COOLANT WAS LOW BUT COULD FIND NO PROBLEM SO HE TOPPED IT OFF AND TOLD ME TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT. IN THE SUMMER OF 2008 I NOTICED IT WAS GOING THROUGH COOLANT AGAIN. IT WOULD ALSO SHUDDER WHEN FIRST STARTED AND A FOUL BLACK SMOKE WOULD COME OUT OF THE TAILPIPE. MY MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THE HEAD GASKET WAS OUT. SO HE IS REPLACING THE HEAD GASKET. HE JUST ORDERED THE PARTS AND HIS SUPPLIER SAID THEY WERE SENDING OUT ABOUT ONE A MONTH, WHICH IS A LOT. THEY ALSO HAVE A DIFFERENT NUMBER, SO IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE DESIGN OF THE HEAD GASKET. INITIAL COSTS PUT IT AROUND $1500. I DID INTERNET RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON WITH THIS CAR STARTING AROUND 87,000 MILES. THE INTERNET ALSO MENTIONED PROBLEM WITH THE PRE-CAT AND OXYGEN SENSORS. I FEEL THAT A CAR ONLY 6 YEARS OLD SHOULD NOT BE EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS. I LOVED THE CAR UNTIL I STARTED HAVING SERIOUS ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH IT. *TR