NHTSA Complaint #10534282 — 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DIAGNOSTIC ERROR CODE WAS P0300 INDICATING INTERMITTENT MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRING. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH ALTIMA HYBRIDS DUE TO CARBONATION OF THE ENGINE DUE TO FREQUENT STARTS AND STOPS. NISSAN HAS REDESIGNED THE CYLINDER HEAD AND AT ONE TIME CONSIDERED A RECALL BUT THEN DECIDED AGAINST IT AND ARE HANDLING IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. INITIATED CONTACT WITH NISSAN CORPORATION. NISSAN RESPONDED BACK IN 10 DAYS THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER IT BECAUSE THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE (WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 60,000 MILES). NEWLY DESIGNED CYLINDER HEAD WAS GOING TO COST $2700. DECIDED TO DECARBONIZE THE CAR ENGINE USING A KIT. CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE SINCE THEN. COST $185. BOTTOM LINE: NISSAN SHOULD HAVE COVERED THE REPAIR COST BECAUSE IT WAS CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. NISSAN SHOULD HAVE ADVISED ABOUT TRYING DECARBONIZATION. OVERALL VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY I WAS TREATED BY THE COMPANY AND THE DEALER. THIS IS THE 6TH NISSAN PRODUCT I HAVE BOUGHT IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, AND WILL MORE LIKELY BE THE LAST ONE. *TR