NHTSA Complaint #10443218 — 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA

WE HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA, WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CATALYIC CONVERTER, WE CHANGED IT, IN AUG 2011, WE LEARNED ABOUT THE PROBLEM ON-LINE. WHAT WE DID NOT READ ABOUT IS HOW THE CONVERTER GOES BAD AND THROWS PARTS OF IT INTO THE ENGINE AND HAS THE ENGINE BURN OIL AND EVENTUALLY THROW A ROD. WE TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE IN NOV 2011, TRAVELED 500 MILES AND THE ENGINE GOES OUT WE TOLD THE SERVICE ADVISOR THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE, HE SAID THIS COULD BE DUE TO LOW OIL, IF THE NOISE CONTINUES AFTER OIL CHANGE WE WILL DIAGNOSE THE NOISE. WELL, THE NOISE STOPPED, AFTER THE ENGINE GAVE OUT, THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING US THAT WE ARE AT FAULT CAUSE WE DID NOT GET THE DIAGNOSIS DONE ON THE VEHICLE. I ASKED THEM IS THE TEST WOULD DETERMINE THAT A ROD WAS GOING TO BLOW, HE SAID NO, THEN WHY PAY FOR THE TEST. I HAVE BEEN READING ON LINE AND SEE THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE, AND NISSAN CORP WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT FILING A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT, BUT THERE IS NO RECORD OF ANYONE FILING ONE. I RECENTLY TALKED TO A FRIEND, WHO'S DAUGHTER HAS THE SAME VEHICLE, THEY JUST WENT THRU THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BLOWN ENGINE, WE GOT ESTIMATES TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, $3500-$5500 FOR ANOTHER ENGINE AND LABOR, THIS IS CRAZY, I CALLED SEVERAL USED OR REBUILT ENGINE PLACES AND THIS ENGINE IS HARD TO COME BY, GUESS LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE BLOWING THE ENGINES FOR THE SAME REASON, YET NISSAN CORP CAN NOT FILE A RECALL OR HELP OUT WITH THE COSTS, ESPECIALLY WHERE THEY KNEW ABOUT THE BAD CATALYIC CONVERTER AND BLOWING DEBRIS BACK INTO THE ENGINE. THAT IS A SHAME, NISSAN IS KNOWN FOR GOOD STRONG DEPENDABLE VEHICLES, AND FOR THEM NOT WANTING TO HELP THE CONSUMERS IS GOING TO HURT THEM IN THE LONG RUN. I HONESTLY CAN SAY I WOULD NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER NISSAN AGAIN. *TR