NHTSA Complaint #10421944 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR, MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA BEGAN TO JERK BACK AND FORTH, AS IF IT WAS MISFIRING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN STARTED FLASHING. AT THE NEXT EXIT I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY TO DRIVE TO A SAFE PLACE TO STOP THE CAR. GETTING OFF THE FREEWAY, MY CAR STALLED IN A BUSY INTERSECTION (ALL RED LIGHTS CAME ON AND THERE WAS NO POWER TO MY CAR). I COULD NOT RESTART IT AND WAS STRANDED JUST PAST THE BUSY INTERSECTION NEAR THE CENTER DIVIDE. I PUT ON MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS AND WAS ALMOST HIT SEVERAL TIMES, AND I AM VERY LUCKY TO NOT HAVE BEEN HURT. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR, PULL OVER TO THE SIDE IN A SAFER AREA AND HAD MY CAR TOWED BY AAA STRAIGHT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP, WHO HAD PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE ON THE CAR A DAY BEFORE. IT TOOK THEM 2 DAYS TO FIGURE OUT THAT A POWER VALVE SCREW FAILED AND WAS SUCKED UP INTO THE ENGINE, CAUSING IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE -THE PISTON TOP, CYLINDER WALLS, SPARK PLUGS, VALVES AND CATALYST. NISSAN RECOMMENDS A LONG BLOCK REPLACEMENT WITH NEW EXHAUST MANIFOLD WITH CONVERTER ($4500). AFTER MUCH RESEARCH AND SPEAKING WITH THE NISSAN SERVICE MANAGER, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE WITH ALL ALTIMAS (MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT) UNTIL THE SCREWS WERE REDESIGNED FOR THE 2006 MODEL YEAR. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 2004 NISSAN SENTRAS AND 2004-2005 ALTIMAS WITH THE 2.5 L ENGINE FOR THIS REASON. BUT THE 2003, WHICH HAS THE SAME ENGINE, WAS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY NISSAN THAT SINCE I AM PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT. I AM THANKFUL I WAS NOT HURT, AND I AM VERY UPSET THAT NISSAN KNEW ABOUT THIS DEFECT AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT FOR MY MODEL YEAR. I HAVE SEEN OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON-LINE AND HOPE THAT THEY WILL BE ANALYZED AS WELL FOR POSSIBLE RECALL & COMPENSATION.