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I took my altima(129,000Km) to dealership for rough idling problem which happened  after car stalling and consequently changing throttle body and an off market MAF sensor. Dealer told me off market MAF sensor is no good and he put back my old one which he thinks is better than off market. Dealer changed computer on my car which was under warranty and he aslo found bad catalytic converter which was just changed last year under another recall. He changed catalytic converter under warranty. Rough idling problem has not completely gone but still a lot better. Now dealer is asking me to put origional nissan MAF($640) to fix this which i don't want to as problem is not so obvious now. Remember my car is burning oil since i bought used one in november 2006 and i keep topping up the oil. Now dealer is telling me that he can change engine with a new one but i have to pay the labor($1500 canadian). I think engine is not covered under warranty but this guy is trying to help me out. My fule average has also gone down since i got my throttle body changed and rough idling problem is although not as bad as before but still there after cc change. Now after reading this thread i am concerned even if i change my Engine, would it go bad again.? Is it worthed to change Engine with so many other problems.? Is low fuel average has anything to do with bad engine.?  

Well, I guess I'm just another angry consumer who has a nissan 2002 problem with the motor using oil! It doesn't burn it, or leak it. The oil is always down after normal driving conditions. We've had the car for about 1 1/2 years and the problem started almost immediatly. Our son and his wife owned the car as a lease and we knew the car had been properly maintained. So by the other post, it seems like Nissan isn't listening to it's consumers. What do we do?  

Please post more information about the suit. I have a 2003 altima and I need to replace the engine. I was not included in the recall but it the same part that has to be changed and its the second time I have changed this part. I want my money back for the repairs and rentals. Thanks for your help.  

Does anyone know if Nissan has made any design changes to the engines and/or exhaust manifold in their newer models (particularly the '07 and '08s)?  I have an '02, and my father has an '05.  From browsing other boards, it looks like the '05s are showing some of the same problems that were present with the catalytic converter/precatalyst issues on the '02s.  It would seem that Nissan would make some design changes once they recognized a problem, essentially admitting through a design change, that there was a problem.  Just a thought...  

Regarding 2002 Nissan Altima excessive oil consumption.  My daughter's 2002 Altima (62,000 miles) requires approx. 2 qts. of oil per 1,000 miles.  This has been an existing problem for the past 12,000 miles.  If anyone is aware of a class action lawsuit or any other possible recourse please drop me an email at califdug@gmail.com  

Have a 2004 3.5 SE with just over 77K miles that is burning 1 qt per 1000 miles.  Dealership says this is normal (even nice enough to copy the page out of the owners manual) but, don't see where you can consider that much consumption as normal.  From the research I have found, appears to be a problem with the Altima's.  

I bought an Altima based on the success I had with a 96 200SX.  Put 125K on it with nothing more than minor regular maitenance.  When I needed to go bigger, figured couldn't go wrong with the Altima.  Aside from the crappy interior quality, performance has been adequate, even though I have not fallen in love with it as I did my SE-R.  Oh well, maybe time to make another change.  

What is the status of the class action law suit? I have a 2002 nissan altima, and I am having heavy oil consumption.Please forward the name of the lawyer, along with his number. I woould like to be added to the suit.
Please send info to wadeaziz@comcast.net  

Please let me know what I need to do to be added to the class action suit. I have an 03 Altima 2.5S (about 77K miles) and I am having the many of the same problems as everyone else. I took my car to 3 Nissan dealers after I got the recall notice for the crankshaft position sensor and they all refused to reprogram the computer. Basically, they told me to pay to have the part replaced and contact Nissan for a refund.  

Now posting under this name due to login problems with angry_altima_02.

With the problems I was having with oil consumption, I decided to just sell the car, cut my losses, and purchase a new one.  Then I started investigating and found all this info.  I spoke with a Nissan mechanic a couple of weeks ago, and he said that the problem likely stems from the exhaust manifold design.  The 2.5L engines in the 2002-2004 year models have the same configuration: all four cylinders feed directly into the catalytic converter.  He suspects that this provides inadequate time for the exhaust to cool sufficiently before the cat is exposed to this high temperature, causing the damage to the catalytic converters and subsequent engine damage.  The 2005 and 06 models had a design change that added some length to the exhaust manifold before entering the catalytic converter, and he thinks that this has allowed for a bit more cooling before entering the cat.  It has also allowed a bit of a "cushion," if you will, that may prevent some of the debris from a damaged cat from re-entering the engine.

At this point, I'm trying to contact the Nissan consumer affairs department to see if there is any way to install one of the newer engines in an older car.  While the '05 and '06 engines had some problems with oil consumption, that was due to the piston rings (unrelated to this problem), and Nissan has actually made corrections to that problem and will replace the engines in those cars if you meet their criteria for excessive oil consumption (you may have to push the dealer to do the test, but there is a service bulletin describing what they have to ***

Regardless, unless you've managed to save and document all of your oil changes with the dates and mileage, I think our chances may be dwindling.

Regarding the suit, I've seen a lot of people asking about information, but nobody has responded yet.  Have any of you been contacted directly about involvement in the suit?  If so, please contact me at michael-dot-barfield-at-duke-dot-edu, with the -dot/at- removed.  

Please include me in the class if possible. Ireplaced an engine ($6K) just over a year ago for the same reason and now, once again have a 'check engine light'.
Thanks!
Chris  

I have read and heard at least 25+ complaints about 2002 Altima to-date from websites and from Buick and Dodge dealer servicemen. Clearly, no signs of Recall on this issues. Nissan won't do anything until someone else does.  I have a 2002 Altima S as well, also had the same engine/oil problem in September 07.  I changed my oil on 9/4/07, had to refill it again on 9/10 and again on 9/19.  I was out of town for five days, a friend of mine drove the car (had her 8 yr old daughter with her at 8pm in the evening on a highway) then the engine blew.  It cost me $2000.  How ridiculous that Nissan is not stepping forward to recall this vehicle.  Please respond with your name, state and email address, and I intend to write the BBB and the Illinois Attorney General.  Regards, C Zander  

PLEASE INCLUDE ME, THANKS ~ I have read and heard at least 25+ complaints about 2002 Altima to-date from websites and from Buick and Dodge dealer servicemen. Clearly, Nissan won't do anything until someone else does.  I have a 2002 Altima S as well, also had the same engine/oil problem in September 07.  I changed my oil on 9/4/07, had to refill it again on 9/10 and again on 9/19.  I was out of town for five days, a friend of mine drove the car (had her 8 yr old daughter with her at 8pm in the evening on a highway) then the engine blew.  It cost me $2000.  How ridiculous that there are Nissan is not stepping forward to recall this vehicle.  WHAT TO DO: Write the Better Business Bureau and the Illinois Attorney General.  Remember to:  1) include reciepts and written testimony from mechanics, 2) Print as many complaints from others you can find on blogs, exchange boards, etc. and include them; and 3) write the number of hours and inconvenience and any safety concerns.  Regards, C Zander  

I am another victim with the same problems that everyone else is having, but I have 3 of these in the family (a 2002 and 2 2003's) Nissan Consumer affairs has not been helpful. I have waited for return calls which did not come. The dealership in Paris, Tn. has always been great up until I started with the oil comsumption problem on the 2002 at 87,000 miles. I have contacted the national safety division, consumer affairs, the district attorney for Tn. Still have no answers and a car in the shop, still not repaired. I feel we need a class action suit filed. Where and how do we sign up. Contact me at arg@bellsouth.net Thanks.  

Thanks for this post. Its shocking after reading all these that I have had similiar problems with my 2002 Altima 2.5 SL. Most problems were recalls. But this one with the resonator is a problem I am having now. My catalytic converter was bad and no one at the Nissan dealership here in Raleigh NC could tell me what the problem was. I knew the car was riding strange and not accelerating like it should. The first time I went to the dealership I was told I needed either a software upgrade and that would stop the heavy idle I had in my car or I would need a new engine. I paid a $150 dollars for the software upgrade and the car still had the heavy idle. My second trip to the dealership I was told it was the sparkplugs that were incorrect. Then after that same problem. I go to a different mechanic and they refer me to another Nissan dealership in Durham NC. There I am told I have a blown headgasket. So, Ive been driving around for about two months with a blown headgasket that is just being diagnosed. Months later after I get this fixed I am told Nissan knows there are problems with the headgaskets which were the same in the 2007 models. But no recall even to date. So, know the catalytic converter is replaced by my mechanic who also replaced the seals. Which if you ever need fixed Nissan only replaces the headgasket and not the seals like they are suppose too so beware.
The blown headgasket damaged my catalytic converter which in turn damaged the resonator. Which is the problem I have to date. I am glad for this post. I have a 155,000+ miles on my Altima. Car runs ok but Im starting to notice that oil problem were no oil is in the car. If you here a rattling or clicking sound thats what it is usually hear it very good when you accelerate and it my decrease during deceleration or constant speed. One thing I agree with many of you Nissan owes better to their car owners.  

I have the same problems plus my engine failed. Please contact me at amondez1981@yahoo.com. I have to be in on this. I tried to work it out with the Executive and she told me there was nothing that they as a Company can do.