NHTSA Complaint #10481291 — 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA

WHILE TAKING MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE (@ DEALER) DUE TO ADDRESS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (CATALYTIC CONVERTER), THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOOK ME OUT TO MY CAR TO POINT OUT 2 LARGE RUST AREAS - 1 EACH ON THE DRIVER/PASSENGER FLOOR BOARDS. THE ENTIRE REST OF THE CAR UNDERCARRIAGE HAS PRACTICALLY ZERO RUST. THE CAR WAS DEALER MAINTAINED FOR THE FIRST 5 YEARS AND OFF AND ON FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, BUT ALWAYS WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE (OIL CHANGES, COOLANT/TRANSMISSION FLUSHES, ETC.) AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR, I USED THE COMPLIMENTARY VEHICLE INSPECTION - WHICH DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY CALL OUT RUST, BUT IT HAD TO BE OBVIOUS. RUST LIKE THAT DOES NOT JUST APPEAR OVER NIGHT. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS NOT ADVISED OF THIS SOONER - IN FACT IT WAS NOT POINTED OUT AT A DEALER INSPECTION JUST 3 MONTHS EARLIER. SINCE I DO NOT PERFORM THE CAR MAINTENANCE I WOULD HAVE NO OTHER WAY OF NOTICING, UNLESS I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED SOME KIND OF RUST INSPECTION -- OR ASKED TO GO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE EVERY TIME IT WAS IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE OR OTHER MAINTENANCE. READING THROUGH THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS BOARD AND THE INTERNET IN GENERAL, I'VE COME TO FIND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM -- SEEMINGLY ATTRIBUTED TO A FAULTY DESIGN RELATED TO A DRAIN PLUG. WHEN THERE IS PRACTICALLY ZERO RUST ELSEWHERE, YOU CANNOT CLAIM THIS TO BE THE FAULT OF THE OWNER. I WAS NOT PLANNING ON GETTING RID OF THIS CAR FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO, BUT NOW AM FORCED TO START LOOKING. THE REPAIR COST IS NOT WORTH THE VALUE OF THE CAR (BASED ON MILEAGE). WHILE I WOULD HAVE ONCE PURCHASED A NEW NISSAN WITH NO HESITATION (BASED ON MY ALTIMA'S RELIABILITY), I NOW AM FORCED TO RECONSIDER. *TR