NHTSA Complaint #10310011 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 2/5/10, NEXT MORNING (SATURDAY) WENT OVER CAR LOOKING FOR ISSUE, FOUND LOW OIL LEVEL IN ENGINE, ADDED OIL, MONDAY SCHEDULED WITH DEALER FOR SOONEST APPOINTMENT, WEDNESDAY DEALER CHECKED OUT THE CAR. FOUND THAT THE PRE-CATALYST HAD CRUMBLED INTO DUST WHICH WAS PULLED IN TO THE ENGINE. ENGINE IS RUINED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN AND THEY WILL DO NOTHING. THERE IS A RELATED RECALL (NISSAN R3007) - THIS HAD BEEN DONE BY THE DEALER IN JANUARY 2004. ALL OTHER MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE. MY STATEMENT TO NISSAN WAS A. RECALL WAS NOT ACTUALLY DONE (DEALER SAYS IT WAS - HAVE NO REASON NOT TO BELIEVE THEM) B. RECALL WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY OR C. RECALL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM COMPLETELY - I BELIEVE IT WAS C THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT REALLY FIXED, JUST DELAYED. UNDERSTAND THAT THE CATALYTIC WARRANTY WAS 80,000 MILES, BUT SHOULD A CATALYTIC BREAKDOWN ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO RUIN THE ENGINE? IF NISSAN KNEW IT DID NOT TOTALLY RESOLVE THE ISSUE, THEY SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED OWNERS TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC AT XX MILES, OR AT XX YEARS. NEVER HEARD OF THIS WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE THAT THE CATALYTIC FAILURE CAN RUIN THE ENGINE. NOW RATHER THAN $700 OR $800 FOR THE CATALYTIC, FACING THAT PLUS ANOTHER ENGINE (ESTIMATE $3000 TO $4000) FOR A USED, SALVAGE ENGINE. BUT THEN WOULD STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WAITING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. RECALL STATES THAT THIS CAN RESULT IN ENGINE FIRE. I BELIEVE IT IS FAULTY DESIGN. *TR