NHTSA Complaint #10406751 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

THIS COMPLAINT IS A CONTINUATION OF YOUR INVESTIGATION PE02078. NISSAN ONLY ADDRESSED A PART OF THE PROBLEM BY RECALLING CAT CONVERTERS. HOWEVER, THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AS THE ENGINES WERE DAMAGED CAUSING EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE PROBLEM IS ALL CONNECTED BUT THEY DIDN'T REPLACED THE ENGINES WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN UPGRADED. HERE'S A LINK TO THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS EVEN AFTER THE RECALLED PARTS WERE REPLACED (KEEPING IN MIND THAT NOT EVERYONE MAKES A REPORT). HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NISSAN/ALTIMA/2002/ENGINE/EXCESSIVE_OIL_CONSUMPTION.SHTML NISSAN KNEW THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS CONNECTED BUT THEY ONLY ADDRESSED A PART OF IT. AS YOU REVIEW THE COMPLAINTS, YOU WILL SEE THAT THEIR RECALL DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. SOME HAD THIS EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM AS EARLY AS 20-40K MILES. I THINK NISSAN SHOULD REPLACE THE ENGINES, ALONG WITH A NEW CONVERTER AND MANIFOLD. IF THE WHOLE THING IS NOT REPLACED THE PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE TO REPEAT ITSELF AS ONE PART WILL CAUSE THE OTHER TO FAIL. A NEW ENGINE FOR THIS CAR IS ROUGHLY $2900 + TAXES, MANIFOLD $500 INSTALLED, NOT SURE OF THE COST FOR THE CONVERTER. I AM NOT BASHING THE COMPANY, I HAVE OWNED A NISSAN FOR 16YRS WITH NO PROBLEMS OTHER THAN NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. REPLACING THE ENGINE IS SOMETHING THEY KNOW THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE BUT ONLY CHOOSE TO ADDRESS A PART OF THE PROBLEM. I PLEAD THAT YOU INVESTIGATE THIS AS THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE UPSET AND ANGRY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT GET A FULL AND PROPER RESOLUTION FROM THE COMPANY. AGAIN THIS PROBLEM IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS ISSUE. THE DEBRIS FROM THE CAT GETS SUCKED UP INTO THE ENGINE AND DAMAGES THE CYLINDER WALL CAUSING EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AND EVENTUAL ENGINE FAILURE. I HAD TO REFILL (NOT ADD) MY CAR WITH OIL EVERY 200 MILES DRIVEN.