2002 Nissan Altima

MY "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL SHOP. THEY LET ME KNOW THAT THE CAM/CRANK SENSOR WAS THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT HAD BEEN RECALLED BY NISSAN. I TOOK THE CAR AND PAPER WORK ON THE RECALL TO NISSAN AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT RECALLED ON MY CAR. I TOLD THEM TO FIT IT ANYWAY AND WAS QUOTED $385. I RETURNED HOME AND CALLED NISSAN. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CRANK SENSOR HAD ALREADY BEEN FIXED ON MY CAR. I DO NOT RECALL HAVING THES DONE. I EXPLAINED THAT IF IT WAS DONE, IT WAS DONE IMPROPERLY BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED AGAIN. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND GAVE ME A FILE NUMBER AND SAID THAT I SHOULD HEAR SOMETHING BACK WITHIN 24 HOURS. *JB

IN THE BEGINNING OF APRIL 2005 THE ENGINE LIGHT IN MY NISSAN ALTIMA CAME ON - SINCE I WAS TOLD UNLESS THE LIGHT WAS FLASHING IT IS OKAY TO DRIVE - I CALLED FOR THE NEXT APPOINTMENT WITH NEMITH NISSAN. ON THE DAYS PRIOR TO TAKING MY CAR IN I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. I NO LONGER DROVE THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED TO NEMITH NISSAN. UPON INSPECTION OF THE CAR A T NEMITH THEY STATED THAT THE PRE-CATALYST HAD FAILED ( A RECALLED PART NEVER REPLACED ONLY INSPECTED) AND EXHAUST HAD BLOWN INTO THE ENGINE SCORING THE CYLINDERS. ANSWER: NEW ENGINE $4573.45. CAR HAD 87,000 MILES BUT WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF - OIL CHANGES REGULARLY - REG. MAINTENANCE ETC.. NEMITH SUGGESTED WE CONTACT NISSAN DIRECT - FILED A CASE - NO SATISFACTION - COMPLETELY REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE. CAR HAS SINCE BEEN FIXED - MECHANIC CLEARLY STATES PRE-CATALYST CAUSE OF PROBLEM - THIS PART WAS RECALLED AND ONLY INSPECTED BY NEMITH - NEVER REPLACED! HAD I DRIVEN THIS CAR ANY FURTHER CAR WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!. *JB

I HAD BEEN SMELLING GAS FUMES INSIDE THE CAR AND OUTSIDE FOR 2 MONTHS. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE NISSAN DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR $160.00. ON MY SERVICE RECEIPT IT SAID THEY FOUND GROSS EVAP LEAK: FUEL TANK SEAL NOT SEALING: REPLACED FUEL SENDER SEAL. I QUESTIONED WHY WOULD A 3 YEAR OLD CAR START LEAKING GAS FROM THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK AND THEY SAID "IT'S JUST NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR." I CAN UNDERSTAND WEAR AND TEAR ON TIRES AND BRAKES BUT GIVE ME A BREAK, THE ONLY THING I DO TO A GAS TANK IS FILL IT WITH GAS! MY CAR IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD WITH 46,000 MILES AND THEY SAID THAT THE WORK WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I EVEN SPENT $900.00 FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. MY FIANCE IS A SMOKER AND I WAS WORRIED FOR HIS SAFETY IN THE CAR SO I TOLD HIM NOT TO SMOKE IN THE CAR FOR FEARS OF SOMETHING HAPPENING IF THE FUMES WOULD IGNITE SOMEHOW. I COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND GOT NOWHERE. THEY TOLD ME TO CALL NISSAN'S CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER AND STILL AFTER AT LEAST 5 CALLS THEY WILL DO NOTHING. I SWEAR THEY ARE JUST THERE TO "HEAR" COMPLAINTS AND WORK YOU DOWN UNTIL YOU JUST FORGET ABOUT IT. I WILL NOT GIVE UP. ALSO, THE CLEAR COAT ON MY PAINT IS STARTING TO CHIP ON THE FRONT BUMPER AND PLASTIC GRILL> GUESS WHAT THEY SAID? NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I AN FED UP WITH NISSAN AND WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SWAY PEOPLE AWAY FROM BUYING ANY NISSAN OR INFINITI. *JB

(1) I ALLEGEDLY HAD THE ENGINGE CRANK SENSORS REPLACED IN MARCH, AS ACCORDING THE MANDATED RECALL ON 2002 NISSAN ALTIMAS. YET, MY CAR STILL EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES STARTING AND CONTINUED TO CONUMSE LARGE QUANTITIES OF OIL. I WAS HAVING TO ADD 2 OR 3 QUARTS IN BETWEEN SCHEDULED OIL CHANGES. (2) IF IN FACT THE CRANK SENSORS ON THE ENINGS OF MY VEHICLE WERE REPLACED, THE STARTING DIFFICULTIES PERSISTED. ALSO, THE RECALL INFORMAITON LISTED AND SHOWN ON NISSAN USA'S WEBSITE PROVIDE EXLPICIT AND DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT MECHANICAL TROUBLE AND EVENTS WILL OCCUR IF THE SENSORS AND THE CATALYIC (CATALYST) CONVERTER ARE NOT REPLACED SIMULTEANEOUSLY. (3) I HAD MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA TOWED TO PEACHTREE NISSAN ON 7/15/05, AND ON 7/16/05 I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND GAINER SMITH (MAINTENANCE MGR.) INFORMED ME THAT MY CATALYIC (PIECES) CONVERTER HAD BEEN SUCKED INTO MY ENGINE AND CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE AND CRACKED THE PISTONS AND ENGINE BLOCK. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT MY CAR HAD OFTER STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING ON THE FREEWAY, FOR UNEXPLAINED REASONS. MY 02 ALTIMA NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR ENGINE OR PART PROBLEMS SINCE I PURCHASED THE AUTOMOBILE BRAND NEW FROM TRONCALLI NISSAN. PEACHTREE NISSAN INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL NISSAN USA BECAUSE THERE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT AUTHORIZE THEMSELVES TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IN MY CAR. ALSO, A MECHANIC ON DUTY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM THAT DESTROYED THE ENGINE IN MY CAR HAPPENS OFTEN TO 2.5 LITER ENGINE ALTIMAS. HE STATED THE PROBLEM USUALLY OCCURS AT 60,000 MILES AND SINCE MY CAR HAS 103,000 MILES AND NO WARRANTY THEY WOULDNT IMMEDIATELY TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR REPLACING MY ENGINE. LASTLY, MY ENGINE DID NOT MALFUNCTION BECAUSE I ABUSED MY CAR. I CHANGED THE OIL AND KEPT COOLANT IN THE COMPARTMENT AT ALL TIMES. MY CAR IS NOT WORKING BECAUSE WHEN MY CAR WAS AT PEACHTREE NISSAN IN MARCH THE DEALER FAILED TO PROPERLY COMPLETE THE RECALL PORTION ON MY EXHASUT/HANGER PIN AND PRE-CATALYST (CONVERTER). A FAULTY EXHAUST SHOULD NEVER CAUSE AN ENGINE TO BE DESTROYED.

DT: THE WIRE TO THE ALTERNATOR LOOSENED TWICE. CONSUMER WAS NOT DRIVING WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, AND FIRST SUSPECTED IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR AND LATER DETERMINED IT WAS THE WIRING TO THE ALTERNATOR. HAS NOT BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR THIS PROBLEM. AAA WAS CALLED , AND NOTED THE LOOSE WIRING. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. CONSUMER SIMPLY PLACED/PUSHED WIRE BACK INTO TO PLACE. *AK

THE FIRST THING WAS THE OXYGEN SENSOR. THEN THE OXYGEN SENSOR AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE PROBLEM. MEXT THERE WAS, AND STILL IS, THE JERKING TRANSMISSION. WHEN DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC OR DRIVING ON THE OPEN HIGHWAY, THE TRANS SHIFTS HARD COMMING OUT OF FIRST INTO SECOND. I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR INTO SEVERAL NISSAN DEALERSHIPS AND TO THIS DAY, NO ONE HAS FOUND THE PROBLEM. THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT THIS IS NORMAL. I HAVE DRIVEN OTHER ALTIMAS INCLUDING SEVERAL RENTALS WHILE MINE WASIN THE SHOP AND THEY DIDN'T SHIFT LIKE MINE. THE NEXT PROBLEM IS THOSE HEADLIGHTS. THEY HAVE REPLACED ONE OF MY LIGHT ASEMBLIES AN GREAT RIVER NISSAN BUT THE OTHER HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. NEXT, THERE WAS THE HEATER COIL THAT LEAKED AND IT TOOK ALMOST 6 MONTHS TO DETERMINE BECAUSE IT DIDN'T LEAK INSIDE THE CAR. NEXT THERE WAS THE IGNITION COILS THAT WERE REPLACED 2X WITHIN A WEEK AND STILL CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. AFTER THE IGNITION PROBLEM THE MECHANICS AT STERLING MCCALL NISSAN TOLD MY THAT IT WAS MY SPARKPLUGS THAT HAD HUST BEEN CHECKED ABOUT 2 WEEKS PRIOR AT GREAT RIVER NISSAN IN MISSISSIPPI. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND INVITED THE SERVICE MAN TO A NICE LONG RIDE. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 20 MILES, I STOPPED THE CAR AND LE IT SIT FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. THE CAR STARTED AND HE SMILED. HE SAID, "SEE THERE IS NONTHING WRONG." AFTER EXPLAINING THAT HE NEEDED TO LET THE CAR SET FOR A WHILE AND THEN TRY TO START IT, HE SAID THAT IT IS STILL GOING TO START.AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS, I ASKED THE SERVICE MAN TO STEP OUTSIDE AND LETS GIV THE CAR A START... TO NO SUPRISE, WHEN I TURNED THE KEY THE CAR PUTTERED, SPITTED, JERKED, AND EVERYTHING ELSE BUT STARTED. IT WAS DETERMINED THE NEXT MORNING THAT THERE WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE CATALYST THAT WAS JUST REPLACED DUE TO A RECALL.

I TOO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH FRONT HEADLIGHTS IN '02 NISSAN ALTIMA. REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE BULB ONLY ONCE; AND THE PASSENGER SIDE 3 TIMES. LIGHTS WILL WORK FINE FOR AWHILE THEN INTERMITTENTLY; AND THEN NOT AT ALL. CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP & WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE ENTIRE LIGHT ASSEMBLY & NOT JUST THE BULBS BECAUSE THE HOUSING MELTS. REPLACEMENT OF ASSEMBLY WITHOUT PAYING THE DEALERSHIP WOULD BE DIFFICULT (IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE) BECAUSE IT REQUIRES THE REMOVAL OF THE FRONT BUMPER. IF WE COULD REPAIR IT OURSELVES, THE COST FOR THE PART ALONE IS STILL $188. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE IN THE '02'S - NEWER MODELS HAVE BEEN REDESIGNED USING METAL TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM; UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS BEEN AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE.