NHTSA Complaint #10317705 — 2002 NISSAN SENTRA

THIS IS PERTAINING TO AN EXISTING CAMPAIGN (#03V084000). I BOUGHT A USED 2002 NISSAN SENTRA SER SPEC-V IN MAY 2007. SHORTLY AFTER MY PURCHASE (JUNE 2007), I HAD THIS OUTSTANDING RECALL, INCLUDING SEVERAL OTHERS PERFORMED. THE ABOVE RECALL STATES THAT THE PRE-CATALYST COULD OVERHEAT AND DISINTEGRATE, BLOWING PARTICULATE INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER, SCORING THE CYLINDER WALLS, AND CAUSE EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AND POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE, REQUIRING ENGINE REPLACEMENT. THERE WAS APPROX. 65,000 MILES ON THE CAR AT THIS POINT. LAST FEBRUARY, I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST POWER. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND FOUND THE ENGINE WOULD BARELY RUN AND WOULD NOT REV OVER 2000 RPM. I HAD THIS CAR TOWED 20 MILES TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PRE-CATALYST THAT I HAD ALREADY HAD REPLACED ON THE RECALL, HAD DISINTEGRATED, PLUGGING MY EXHAUST, BLOWING CHUNKS OF DEBRIS INTO MY ENGINE, THEREFORE DESTROYING THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD I'D NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE AT A COST OF $4300.00. THIS CAR ONLY HAD ANOTHER 50,000 MILES ON IT AFTER THE INITIAL RECALL WORK WAS DONE. SINCE WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS VEHICLE WAS EXACTLY WHAT THE ORIGINAL RECALL WAS SUPPOSED TO PREVENT, I WENT TO NISSAN, REQUESTING THAT THEY STAND BEHIND THIS OBVIOUS DESIGN DEFECT AND AT THE VERY LEAST ASSIST ME IN REPLACING THIS ENGINE. I WAS GIVEN SEVERAL DIFFERENT STORIES RANGING FROM ACCUSATION THAT I DID NOT MAINTAIN THIS VEHICLE (EVEN THOUGH I DO SO RELIGIOUSLY AT NISSAN DEALERSHIPS) TO STATING THE DEALER I HAD THE WORK PERFORMED AT WAS AT FAULT AND I SHOULD PURSUE RESTITUTION FROM THEM, TO THE FACT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND I WAS SOL AND THIS WAS 'NORMAL' WEAR AND TEAR. NOW, I CAN UNDERSTAND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT NO CATALYTIC CONVERTER SHOULD BE DESIGNED SO THAT IT WILL DESTROY AN ENGINE IF IT FAILS AND THIS WAS SUPPOSEDLY ADDRESSED IN THE ABOVE CAMPAIGN.