NHTSA Complaint #10241876 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

I HAVE A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S. MY CAR HAS 140K MILES AND I HAVE AN IMPECCABLE SERVICE RECORD AND HAVE ALL OF MY RECEIPTS FROM EVERY OIL CHANGE AND SERVICE I HAVE EVER DONE--ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AT NISSAN DEALERS. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THAT MY CAR BEGAN BURNING OIL VERY QUICKLY. IT WAS NOT LEAKING OIL AT ALL, I JUST STARTED GOING THROUGH A QUART OF OIL EVERY WEEK. THE ENGINE ALSO BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH SOMETIMES. SO I BROUGHT IT IN TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER TO BE FIXED. I PAID $1200 AND THEY SAID THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM (REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, ETC). HOWEVER, THE CAR STILL USED A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF OIL (BUT DOES NOT LEAK OIL) AND RUNS ROUGH. IT NOW ALSO RUNS AT A HIGH TEMPERATURE (MAXED OUT ON THE THERMOSTAT) AND I GET NO HOT AIR OUT OF MY VENTS. SO I BROUGHT IT BACK IN TO THE SAME NISSAN DEALER TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THIS TIME, THEY TELL ME THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I DECIDED TO LOOK ONLINE FOR OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE LITERALLY FOUND HUNDREDS (IF NOT THOUSANDS) OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH 2002 NISSAN ALITMA 2.5 ENGINES WHO HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S THAT CAUSES THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO FAIL AND THEN TEAR APART THE ENGINE. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 AND HAS HAPPENED TO MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BOUGHT THIS CAR. NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR CAR AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ENGINES FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S. IT IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW WITH THEIR CAR AND THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND YOU NEED TO ACT NOW BEFORE MORE CONSUMERS ARE TAKEN BY NISSAN ON THIS PROBLEM! *TR