NHTSA Complaint #10405429 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 WITH APPROX. 155K MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT IT USED WITH APPROX. 20K MILES IN 2006. AT AROUND 60K I NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS USING A LITTLE MORE OIL THAN NORMAL. I HAD IT SERVICED AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS GETTING OLDER AND IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I CONTINUED TO DO THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND AT ABOUT 130K MILES IT STARTED TO USE EVEN MORE OIL. TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE IS GETTING OLDER AND THIS WAS NORMAL AGAIN. FAST FORWARD TO THIS YEAR. AT ABOUT 145K MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I TAKE IT IN AND I AM TOLD IT IS A P0420, WHICH MEANS THAT THE CATALYST SYSTEM IS BELOW THRESHOLD, BUT NOT TOLD THAT THIS IS COMMON IN 02 - 03 NISSAN ALTIMAS. I STARTED HEARING RATTLING NOISES IN THE ENGINE AND OIL CONSUMPTION WENT THROUGH THE ROOF. I JUST HAD MY OIL CHANGED LAST WEEK AND HAD TO PUT 3 QUARTS IN IT THIS MORNING AFTER ONLY 400 MILES. ENGINE COMPRESSION IS ALSO GONE. SO I START DOING SOME RESEARCH AND FIND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS AND THAT NISSAN IS WELL AWARE THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DISINTEGRATES IN THIS MODEL YEAR CAR, DESTROYING THE ENGINE AND LEADING TO EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION BUT REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. THEY ARE ALSO AWARE THAT IT HAPPENS OVERTIME AND I BELIEVE USE THIS TO THEIR ADVANTAGE IN AVOIDING WARRANTY REPAIRS. IT SEEMS THAT THEY HIDE BEHIND THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND REFUSE TO TAKE ACTION SINCE THIS PROBLEM ISN'T DISCOVERED UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE AND BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD. IT DEVELOPS IN MOST CARS SLOWLY OVER TIME. I AM ALSO VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT EVERY MECHANIC I WENT TO TOLD ME IT WAS NORMAL. THEN I GET ONLINE AND DO A GOOGLE SEARCH LEADING ME TO HUNDREDS OF MESSAGE BOARDS WITH PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND BEING BLOWN OFF BY NISSAN. I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MY CARS. I AM NOW GOING TO HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR BECAUSE I AM REFUSING TO PAY $4,000 TO REPLACE AN ENGINE FOR A KNOW DEFECT. APPARENTLY THIS DEFECT HAS ALSO CAUSED FIRES IN CARS. *TR