NHTSA Complaint #10281563 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

I BEGAN TO BURN ABOUT 1 QUART OF OIL PER 1000 MILES THAT I DROVE AT THE BEGINNING OF 2009. THERE WAS ALSO A STRANGE GROWLING NOISE WHEN STARTING MY CAR. EVENTUALLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE OIL USAGE ALSO BEGAN TO INCREASE. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THAT MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THERE WERE SOME ENGINE ISSUES THAT WAS BEYOND THEIR CAPABILITIES. THEY RECOMMENDED TAKING IT TO A NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I DROPPED MY CAR OFF ON 8/15 AND WITHIN LESS THEN 2 HOURS THEY SERVICE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT I NOT ONLY NEEDED A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER BUT I ALSO NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. HE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE OF A FAULTY DESIGN THE FRONT CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS TO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE CAUSING IT TO OVER HEAT. ONCE IT OVERHEATED IT WOULD BREAK DOWN AND BECAUSE THERE IS NO EGR VALVE ON THE CAT THE PARTICLES OF THE CONVERTER WOULD GET SUCKED BACK INTO THE ENGINE WHICH ENDED UP SCORING THE CYLINDER WALLS. THEY TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE THE RECALL CAMPAIGN # 03V084000 WAS "PERFORMED" AT 13,208 MILES NISSAN WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER EVEN THOUGH IT IS DIRECLTY RELATED TO THE DEFECTIVE PART THAT NISSAN IS ALREADY AWARE OF. THE SERVICE ADVISOR QUOTED ME 4586.OO PLUS TAX FOR MY OUT OF POCKET COST AND THE PARTS AND LABOR WOULD ONLY BE COVERED FOR 12 MONHS OR 12,000 MILES EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE THAT COMES WITH THE CAR WHEN IT IS NEW IS COVERED FOR 5 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES. I AM CURRENTLY FILING A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN AND CONSLUTING A LAWYER. *TR