NHTSA Complaint #10261113 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

RECENTLY TRAVELING TO NC AND THE CAR LOST POWER AND WON'T START. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ENGAGED CONSTANTLY AND THE CAR BURNS OIL WITH NO ENGINE LEAKS. I PURCHASED BRAND NEW MANUAL TRANSMISSION 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 3.5. THE VEHICLE SHIFTED VERY HARD WHEN PURCHASED AND CLUTCH WENT STRAIGHT TO FLOOR AFTER 1 MONTH. TOOK CAR TO NISSAN DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND HE SAID THE PRESSURE PLATE WAS BAD AND I HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY IN AUG. 2006 AT 115K MILES ($850). THEO2 SENSOR WAS REPLACED PRIOR TO THE RECALL, HAD IT REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL, AND IT'S STILL CRAP! TO BOOT, THE GEAR SHIFT ASSEMBLY BROKE WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF PURCHASE, AND NISSAN RECALLED. THEIR 'FIX' BROKE TOO. I WAS TOLD THAT I'LL HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEIR 'RESOLUTION' FIXED BECAUSE IT'S NOT UNDER WARRANTY. SINCE THAT TIME, BETWEEN 6/08 AND 11/08, I HAVE REPLACED THE RADIATOR, OIL COOLER, ALL MOTOR MOUNTS, FAN BELTS, DRIVER'S AXLE, POWER STEERING BOX, VALVE COVER GASKET ($7K WORTH OF WORK). CAR CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 145K MILES AND I BELIEVE THE CAR IS JUST A LEMON. I HAVE ALWAYS DRIVEN NISSAN, BUT NOW DECLARE IT WILL BE MY LAST ONE. I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER $5K TO PUT IN TO CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, SENSORS OR AN ENGINE. DON'T THINK SO. NISSAN NEEDS TO STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF THESE ISSUES. *TR