NHTSA Complaint #10525787 — 2009 NISSAN ALTIMA

CAR HAD BEEN MAKING LOUD GRITTY NOISE. TOOK CAR INTO FONTANA NISSAN FOR DIAGNOSIS. WAS TOLD IT WAS A CRACKED AND LEAKING EXHAUST MANIFOLD. IT WAS AT NO COST TO US DUE TO WARRANTY AND THEY REPLACED IT. THIS WAS IN AUGUST 2012. NOTICED THE SAME NOISE AGAIN IN NOVEMBER 2012 AND DECIDED TO TAKE IT IN TO FONTANA NISSAN. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE TO REPAIR THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD DUE TO CRACKING AND LEAKING. I ADVISED IT WAS RECENTLY REPLACED AND THEY JUST SAID IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. IN MAY 2012 THE CAR STARTED MAKING NOISE AGAIN. TOOK CAR TO FONTANA NISSAN AND THEY FOUND THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING! AFTER THE PART BEING REPLACED, NOT JUST REPAIRED, BUT REPLACED TWICE! THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED WE CONTACT NISSAN USA FIRST TO FILE A LEMON OR SUBMIT APPLICATION FOR BUY BACK. IT TOOK ROUGHLY 3-4 WEEKS FOR THEM TO REVIEW CASE. IN THE MEANTIME WE HAVE FOUND OTHER EXHAUST MANIFOLD PROBLEMS IN EARLIER MODELS, FOUND OUT THAT CARBON MONOXIDE IS THE GAS THAT LEAKS FROM THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND IS SEEPING ONTO THE CABIN OF MY CAR. SYMPTOMS OF LOW DOSE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IS SLEEPINESS AMONG OTHER SYMPTOMS. I AM CONSTANTLY SLEEPY IN THAT CAR AND HAVE TO TALK TO SOMEONE ON THE PHONE MOST OF THE TIME JUST TO GET TO MY DESTINATION. I DO NOT HAVE THAT PROBLEM IN OUR TRUCK! RECEIVED ALL ON WEDNESDAY FROM NISSAN AND THEY HAVE DENIED OUR CLAIM. WILL NOT TELL US WHY! I AM 7 MONTHS PREGNANT WITH A 3 YEAR OLD ASTHMATIC CHILD THAT IS CONSTANTLY IN THE CAR. I AM ATTEMPTING TO APPEAL DECISION BUT NEED HELP. SINCE THE REVIEW PROCESS CAR HAS STILL HAD CRACK AND LEAK. NISSAN IS NOT HELPING. REACHING OUT TO GATHER RESEARCH AS TO WHAT CAN BE DONE. WHAT WOULD CAUSE 3 EXHAUST MANIFOLDS TO DO THIS IN LESS THAN A YEAR? WHAT IF I FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL AND GOT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT? WHAT IF MY 3 YEAR OLD OR UNBORN CHILD IS AFFECTED? *TR