NHTSA Complaint #10389408 — 2003 NISSAN SENTRA

THE NISSAN 2003 SENTRA WAS BOUGHT FROM A PRIVATE DEALER IN 2009 AND WAS DRIVEN ALMOST A YEAR UNTIL IT STARTED CONSUMING EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL. IT ALSO HAD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE WHEN RUNNING. IT WAS SERVICED TWICE UNTIL IT WAS DISCOVERED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS CAR BY NISSAN FOR THE EXACT SYMPTOMS IT WAS HAVING. THE RECALL STATES THAT CERTAIN ENGINE OPERATING CONDITIONS MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE PRE-CATALYST. MATERIAL FROM INSIDE A DAMAGED PRE-CATALYST COULD ENTER THE ENGINE AND RESULT IN INCREASED OIL CONSUMPTION. IF THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL IS NOT CHECKED ON A PERIODIC BASIS AND DROPS BELOW THE LOW LEVEL ENGINE DAMAGE MAY OCCUR WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. THIS IS A CONCERN SINCE THIS IS MY SON'S CAR AND I DO NOT WANT HIM IN A CAR THAT COULD CAUSE HIM HARM. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH NISSAN AND THEY SAY THERE ARE NO OPEN RECALLS ON THIS CAR AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO. THE RECALL CAMPAIGN WAS DATED 7/29/2003. I HAVE LOOKED INTO THIS MATTER AND MANY OWNERS OF SENTRA'S AND ALTIMA'S WERE EFFECTED BY THIS RECALL AND APPARENTLY THE FIX FOR THE RECALL WAS A BAND- AID FOR A MAJOR DEFECT. THE RECALL WAS TO REPROGRAM THE EMC CARD THE PROBLEM IS THE DAMAGE WAS ALREADY DONE TO THE ENGINE AND A NEW MOTOR AND PRE-CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS THE FIX FOR THIS DEFECT.