10th Jan 2007, 20:10

EVERYONE READ THIS PLEASE

I have a 2002 Nissan Altima 2.5S sedan, which I purchased private party 8 months ago. The car had 42,000 original miles on it, and was in perfect mechanical and cosmetic shape.

Shorty after my purchase, I had to replace the O2 sensors, due to a check engine light diagnosis that the sensors had gone bad.

Shortly after this, the brake light illuminated, and has been unable to be cleared; brakes have been inspected, E-brake switch checked... to no avail.

2 months after purchasing the car, I check the oil (which I had changed when I bought it), and it had burned 2 quarts in a little over 1000 miles! I now use roughly 2.5 quarts of oil in between 3000 mile interval oil changes.

It gets worse... 3 months into owning vehicle, I notice knocking and rattling sounds coming from under car when going over bumps, and up or down driveways. I climbed under car, found nothing loose or damaged, figured it was just a rattly car in general, and became more unhappy with it.

Fast forward to 8 months after purchase... with 48,500 miles on the car... still adding oil every 1000 miles like crazy... still can't get the brake light on the dash to turn off... Heater and A/C work like total crap... and it gets even worse!

My fiance drives the car 50 miles from home to visit family... and the car just dies and won't restart right in the middle of the freeway. I have the car towed to her parents house, where I scan the computer and it comes up "malfunction cam sensor bank 1 sensor 1". I had heard this was a problem with these early Altimas, so I checked with my friend who happens to be a Nissan tech. He says that it IS under recall for that problem, among many others, and for me to bring the car in so he can pull up all the recalls for me and fix whatever he can.

HERE IS WHERE IT GETS UNBELIEVABLE! I trailer car to his Nissan dealer, and he pulls the VIN# to check for recalls applicable... by the time I sign the papers and leave the dealer, the car is getting a new subframe, new airbag sensors, new headlight assemblies, computer reprogramming, catalytic converter replacement due to faulty pre-cat, cam position sensor recall, crank position sensor recall, VTC sensor recall, fuel pump screen in tank installed, and several other minor service bulletin items replaced, including A/C control gear replaced (why do the heater and A/C work like crap on these cars).

IT GETS EVEN BETTER. He asks me if it consumes oil, I say "hell yes!" He tells me that he can run a consumption test on it, and that I will fail, 'cause they almost all do 90 percent of the time, even new ones. If it fails, he will recommend that the car needs a new motor, which they readily stock, because they change about 3-4 motors a week on 2002 and up Altimas. I told him that I didn't want to pay out of pocket for a motor, and that I have no warranty because I bought the car private party... so just skip the test and get the car running and the recalls taken care of, so I can sell this pile when it comes home. Amazing, huh?

So... he calls me the next day and says that he is giving me a motor for free, because my pre-cat is showing signs of breakdown at 48000 original miles, and that this is a known problem with most of these cars, and is also under recall! The cat has broken down inside, and created debris and small sand like particles, which have been sucked back into the motor this whole time, and ruined the rings and cylinder walls... hence the heavy oil consumption. He says this is very common, and that most Altimas will experience this at some point in their life, usually before 70,000 miles! However, most dealers skirt the issue, and besides, the recall is "voluntary" and not made common knowledge to consumers unless they search for it themselves.

Furthermore, the recall is only for 2002 Altimas, but this affects many cars made in later model years. He tells me that the subframe will be replaced, the motor will be replaced, the sensors will all be replaced, the airbag sensors will be replaced, the headlights will be replaced, the cat and pre-cat exhaust assembly will be replaced, the fuel pump will be replaced with a new one with a screen, the ECM will be re-programed, and the car will be ready to pick up in 3 days. 3 days? How do they tear apart the whole car and rebuild it for pickup in 3 days I ask? He answers "because we do this every day with these cars, every week, and it doesn't matter if they are 2002 or just sold off the showroom floor. Sensors go out with regularity, and most of these cars all burn oil once a few miles are put on them, and the cat starts to do its thing. We get very fast at rebuilding them! In fact, they keep about 15 2.5 motors in stock, to keep the regular motor replacements moving along smoothly.

Before I leave and thank him, he tells me..."when you get this car back... sell it ASAP... or you will be back here with many of the same problems, but not under recall warranty... They will wind up coming out of your pocket! Seriously dude... get rid of this car, and tell your friends who have Altimas to do the same" I will be heeding his word...