NHTSA Complaint #10248876 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

I HAVE A 2003 ALTIMA. THE CARS ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD $850 FOR CAT CONVERTER. I THEN TOWED IT TO MY GARAGE WHEN THE NISSAN CORP. WOULD NOT HELP PAY. MY MECHANIC AFTER HE TOOK IT APART SAID ALL THE INSIDES OF THE CAT CAME OUT AND MORE THAN LIKELY HAD GOTTEN IN THE ENGINE. HE SAID HE KNEW IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. HE PUT THE CAR BACK TOGETHER WITHOUT REPLACING THE CAT BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE CAR WOULD RUN NOW BECAUSE THE CAT CONVERTER GUTS WAS OUT. WE TOPPED IT OFF WITH OIL SO I COULD DRIVE IT HOME AND BY THE TIME I GOT HOME 15 MILES LATER AND ALOT OF SMOKE THE OIL WAS EMPTY. I'VE READ ON SEVERAL SITES THAT THOUSAND ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND NISSAN IS NOT HELPING. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH 2002/2003 NISSAN ALTIMA'S AND THE CORPORATION IS DOING NOTHING. HTTP://FORUMS.AUTOMOTIVE.COM/70/1106267/NISSAN/2002-NISSAN-ALTIMA-OIL-DROPPING-AT-108,000MILES-I-W/PAGE10.HTML THE AVERAGE PERSON CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A NEW ENGINE AT 124,000 MILES. *TR