2002 Nissan Altima

REAR BRAKE CALIPERS CORRODED AND FAILED TO PERFORM PROPERLY. CALIPERS SEIZED IN AN APPLIED BRAKE FASHION (CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE ROTORS). BOTH REAR BRAKES HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED TO THE POINT WHERE THERE IS NO MORE PAD ON THE BRAKES, ONLY METAL-TO-METAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE PAD BASE AND THE ROTORS. THE PADS, SHIMS, AND ROTORS HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS ONLY 1.5 YRS OLD, WITH 35,000 HIGHWAY MILES ON IT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE DEALER HAS INDICATED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES ARE CLOSE TO THE SAME CONDITION. DEALER/NISSAN HAVE INDICATED THAT A $200 MAINTENANCE VISIT EVERY 15,OOO MILES IS REQUIRED TO PREVENT THIS. IN 150K+, AND 190K+ ,MILES ON 2 OF MY OLD HONDAS (I OWNED THEM FROM DAY 1) I NEVER HAD TO PERFORM THIS KIND OF MAINTENANCE, AND NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF FAILURE. SAME GOES FOR MY 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN (60K+ MILES AND NO PROBLEMS WITH FRONT CALIPERS)

CUTCH PEDAL DID NOT RETURN WHILE DRIVING AFTER THE THIRD DAY I PURCHASED. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER (WONDRIES NISSAN IN CITY OF ALHAMBRA)TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS (FOUR TIMES). THEY KEPT SAYING THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEMS. ONE DAY THE CLUTCH STARTED HAVING SOME SORT OF NOISE EVERYTIME I STEPPED ON IT AND I BROUGHT IT BACK TO WONDRIES NISSAN AND THEY FINALLY FIXED IT AFTER FOUR FIVE MONTHS I GOT THE VEHICLE.

ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING MY NEW 2002 ALTIMA I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE WAS CLANKING NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHICH I NOTICED ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL. THE DEALER SAID I NEEDED NEW MOTOR MOUNTS. AFTER THE MOUNTS WERE REPLACED I STILL HEARD THE NOISE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK INTO THE DEALER AND BECAUSE I COULD NOT SIMULATE THE PROBLEM, THE DEALER WOULD NOT LOOK AT THE CAR. I THEN FOUND THAT I COULD SIMULATE THE PROBLEM BY TURING MY STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT WHILE THE CAR WAS STOPPED, THEN ACCELERATING. IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WERE ROCKS ROLLING AROUND IN THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL AREA. THE DEALER SAID I HAD A LOOSE WHEEL NUT AND FIXED THE PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH MANY MECHANICS I HAVE SPOKEN TO SINCE THEN HAVE SAID THE SYMPTOMS SOUNDED LIKE A BAD CV BOOT. MY CAR IS NOW 18 MONTHS OLD AND ABOUT A WEEK AGO I NOTICED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT RESPONDING TO MY KEY FOB CORRECTLY AND I HAVE COME OUT TO MY CAR TWICE AND THE FRONT WINDOWS ARE DOWN. ON SATURDAY MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I TRIED JUMPING THE CAR AND THAT DID NOT WORK. THE DEALER SAID THEY WOULD HAVE IT TOWED SINCE IT IS UNDER WARRANTY BUT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY. I TRIED STARTING THE CAR SUNDAY AND AGAIN TODAY AND NOTHING HAPPENED. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK CAME THE TOW GUY SAID THE CAR SOUNDED FLOODED. HE TURNED THE KEY, PRESSED THE GAS IT AFTER A TON OF SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE EXHAUST, THE CAR STARTED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER ONLY TO HAVE THEM TELL ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS PROBABLY THE TIMING AND BECAUSE I DID NOT TAKE THE CAR TO THEM AT 15,000 MILES TO HAVE THE TIMING CHECKED, IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPARIS AND TOW CHARGE. I RESEARCHED THIS SITE AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON A PART THAT CAUSES THE CAR NOT TO START. IT IS AT THE DEALER RIGHT NOW AND THEY HAVE NOT TOLD ME WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, BUT THEY WILL HAVE TO KEEP IT OVER NIGHT.*AK

MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, TWICE I LOST CONTROL OF CAR AND MIRACULOUSLY AVOIDED A CRASH. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED THE SECOND TIME HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE PLACING MY CHILDREN IN THIS CAR. THIS CAR IS A DEATH TRAP, I'M SURPRISED THE GOVERNMENT (LEMON LAW) REQUIRES A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES SAME OCCURRENCE,REPORT AFTER THE THIRD TIME, THEN THE DEALERSHIP HAS ANOTHER SHOT OF REPAIR #4, ONLY THEN, THEY WILL CONSIDER REPLACEMENT OR BUY BACK , AFTER 5TH TIME OF ENGINE FAILURE. THIS TO ME IS RUSSIAN ROULETTE, THE WORSE PART IS , I'M PAYING FOR IT (CAR PYMT.)WHO IS IT THAT ACTUALLY CHOSE THE CRITERIIA FOR THE LEMON LAWS? AND WHOSE FAVOR ARE THEY IN ? THE CONSUMER AND THEIR FAMILIES AT RISK, OR THE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR A YEAR CAR MANUFACTURERS? I WANT A SAFE CAR!!!! AND I WANT TO BE TREATED LIKE THE LIVES OF MY CHILDREN MATTER AND WE'RE NOT JUST ANOTHER NUMBER. WOULD MR. GHOSN (NISSAN CEO), DRIVE HIS CHILDREN IN A CAR THAT HAS TOTAL POWER LOSS WHILE DRIVING, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL?? DO I PAINT BIG LEMONS ON THE SIDE OF MY CAR,WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET SOMEONE'S ATTENTION, A DEATH??? FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME KIMFLINK@YAHOO.COM *LA

2ND PROBLEM W/ CONTINENTAL BRAND TIRES ON MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. ORIGINAL SET WAS REPLACED (50/50% PAYED) BETWEEN NISSAN CORPORATION & CONTINENTAL CORPORATION AT APPROX. 18,000 MILES ON VEHICLE.*AK REPLACEMENT SET SHOWING/DISPLAYING SAME PROBLEMS....PRE-MATURE WEAR, CRACKS IN TREADS, FLAT SPOTS. TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED AT SUGGESTED MANUFACTURER INTERVALS, AND I HAVE SERVICE RECORDS TO VERIFY AGAIN.

WHILE DRIVING IN SEVERE WIND GUSTS, WE HEARD A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE EMANATING FROM THE FRONT, LEFT POST AREA. SOMETIMES THE SOURCE WAS THE RIGHT FRONT. THE NOISE ERUPTED AS THE WIND GUSTED AT SHARP ANGLES AND THE CAR STEERED INTO OR AWAY FROM THE GUSTS. THE NOISE WAS HIGHLY PRONOUNCED. I RULED OUT ANYTHING MECHANICAL BECAUSE WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME NOISE WHENEVER THE GUSTS INCREASED AND THE CAR WAS THROWN LEFT OR RIGHT. TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL SEEMED TO CUT RIGHT INTO THE GUSTS AND THE SOUND WAS SO INTENSE THAT WE THOUGHT IT RESEMBLED A BUZZSAW TRYING TO CUT ITS WAY INTO THE WINDSHIELD/POST AREA. WE MENTIONED THIS PHENOMENON TO OUR CAR DEALER (HARBOR NISSAN, PORT CHARLOTTE, FL). THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD US HE HAS HAD THIS COMPLAINT FROM OTHER NISSAN OWNERS AND THAT HE, TOO, THOUGHT IT WAS THE WIND REACTING AGAINST THE CONFIGURATION OF THE VEHICLE. OUR VEHICLE IS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE NOISE LASTS ONLY A SPLIT SECOND, SOMETIMES AS LONG AS A SECOND. BUT IT IS PERSISTENT IN HIGH GUSTS. WE LEASED THIS VEHICLE IN JUNE 2002 AND HAD NEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. WE HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED SUCH HIGH GUSTS UNTIL THE PERIOD I REPORT HERE. WE WERE ON AN EXTENDED TRIP AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED OUTBOUND AND INBOUND. I'M CONFIDENT THERE IS NO MECHANICAL PROBLEM. BUT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OF SORTS. *LA

MY RIGHT FRONT BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 (P205/65R16) TIRE CAME OFF THE RIM AS A WHOLE WHILE DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY. MY CAR VIOLENTLY TURNED RIGHT AND BEGAN HEADING SOUTHBOUND AGAINST ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY CAR THEN SMASHED INTO THE GUARDRAIL AT 70 MPH AND SPUN INTO THE LOCAL TRAFFIC LANES ON THE OTHERSIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. *LA