NHTSA Complaint #10250143 — 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA

THIS VEHICLE EXHIBITS A COMMON SET OF PROBLEMS WITH THE NISSAN QR25DE ENGINE (ACTUALLY THE SELF-DESTRUCTION OF THE PRE-CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH IN TURN DESTROYS THE CYLINDERS, CAUSING OVERHEATING, HEAD AND MANIFOLD DAMAGE). THE ENGINE OVERHEATS AND BURNS COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF OIL; SOMETIMES FAILS TO START; RUNS ROUGH AFTER STARTING; A/C CUTS OUT DUE TO HIGH ENGINE TEMP. AFTER HALF A DOZEN SERVICE VISITS AND REPLACEMENT OF MANY ITEMS, NOW THE DEALER RECOMMENDS ENTIRE ENGINE & CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACEMENT. WE NOTICE THAT THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE AS INSTALLED IN THE ALTIMA AND ON SEVERAL OTHER NISSAN VEHICLES, IS HAVING THIS PRECATALYTIC CONVERTER DISINTEGRATION-AND-INGESTION PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH NO LIVES ARE BEING LOST (OF WHICH WE ARE AWARE) DUE TO THIS WELL-KNOWN AND WELL-DOCUMENTED NISSAN MANUFACTURING (OR SUPPLIER) DEFECT, MUCH FINANCIAL LOSS IS BEING EXPERIENCED BY COUNTLESS AMERICANS, MOST OF WHOM VERY LIKELY BELIEVE THAT THEIR EXPENSIVE ALTIMA PROBLEMS ARE UNIQUE TO THEIR OWN CAR AND NOT A WIDESPREAD DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR