NHTSA Complaint #10731083 — 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA

PURCHASED VEHICLE PRE-OWNED,SELLER APPEARED HONEST & TRUTHFUL ABOUT THE VEHICLE,HOWEVER AFTER ABOUT 2 WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP I NOTICED HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION,PROBABLY ABOUT A QUART A WEEK,,DIDNT THINK MUCH ABOUT IT,EXCEPT THAT I PROBABLY HAVE BAD RINGS,OR LEAKING INTAKE VALVES/SEALS AND WOULD REQUIRE COSTLY ENGINE REPAIR.MY DAUGHTER CAME HOME ONE DAY AND MENTIONED THE CAR WOULDNT GO OVER 15 MPH,SO I TOOK IT FOR A RIDE & AS SHE SAID,INTERMITTANTLY THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY GO 15-20 MPH,RENDERING THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE,,WHEN I GOT BACK WITH THE CAR I OPENED THE HOOD ONLY TO SEE THE FRONT CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS GLOWING BRIGHT ORANGE AND NO EXHAUST EXITING THE TAILPIPE,,,I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT CARS TO KNOW THAT CAN ONLY MEAN THE CONVERTER IS CLOGGED SOLID,,,,INQUIRED AT A LOCAL NISSAN DEALER WHAT THE WARRANTY WAS ON THE THE CAT AND THEY SAID IT WAS 8 YRS,80K MILES,,,DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB AND FIND OUT THERES A RECALL ON IT,THE CAT COMING APART & PIECES OF IT GETTING SUCKED UP INTO THE INTAKE CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE,,,NISSAN WAS REPLACING THE CATS,INSTALLING HEAT SHIELDS,AND REPLACING ENGINES TO TO THE DEFECT OF THE CAT,,,,,DEALER SAYS HE CANT HELP ME,,,,,CHECK THE WEB,ITS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE ALTIMAS AS WELL AS THE SENTRAS,,,THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NISSAN KNOWS IS AN ISSUE AND SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS..