NHTSA Complaint #10376234 — 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA

I HAVE A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 50,000 MILES ON IT, AND GOT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. AT 52,000 MILES, I HAD MAJOR SHAKING AT IDLE, TOOK IT IN, AND THEY REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET UNDER WARRANTY. NOW, AT 74,000 MILES, ONLY 22,000 MILES MORE, THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO AUTOZONE, AND THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK, WHICH INDICATED THE PROBABILITY OF A VACUUM LEAK, POSSIBLY DUE TO A FAULTY GASKET, ETC. THIS PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY VERY COMMON WITH THIS YEAR ALTIMA, AND NISSAN HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL. FROM WHAT I CAN GATHER, THERE IS EXCESSIVE HEAT IN THE AREA NEAR THE MANIFOLD GASKET (WHICH IS A 15.00 PART), LEADING TO PREMATURE BREAKDOWN OF THE GASKET. SIMPLE HEAT SHIELDING WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT NISSAN HAS DONE NOTHING. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE CAR COULD DIE AT IDLE AT A STOP LIGHT, AND THE DRIVER COULD BE REAR ENDED. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE JOB, DUE TO 5 OR MORE HOURS OF LABOR TO GET THE GASKET REPLACED. *TR