# Exaust recall on 02



## GElite (Mar 9, 2005)

Man have I got a story for you guys. For the past few months my 02 Altima 2.5S has been running like ass and since the last oil change I have had to add oil 3 times so I figured since it just rolled over 100,000 miles I needed new plugs so I got new plugs and some fuel injector cleaner. Well, nothing I did seemed to help, in fact it was getting worse. Well last week I went to pass another car and when it hit the passing gear it made a noise that sounded almost like a blow off valve. Over the next few days it got to the point that it did it all the time and I realized that there was a clogg in the exaust system and the back presure blew out the doughnut gasket. I took it to a repair shop and the guy said that the catalytic converter was clogged up so we called the Nissan store in Pensacola FL, and they gave me a price of $377 for a new converter. I went ahead and drove it home and decided to do the work myself. After I took off the heat shields and I realized that the converter was made into the exaust header and because of where it was it did'nt make since. The clogg had to be behind the doughnut gasket because thats where it was blowing out. I went ahead and took off the converter and to my amazement it was hollow, totally empty, the only thing in there was a large metal ring and of course 2 O2 sensors. Well, I then realized that the clogg was behind the converter. Well behind the converter is a cylinder that looks like two ice cream cones stuck together and then what I assume is the resonator and then the muffler and I did'nt know where the guts of the converter went. I use to work at a Nissan store and I had gotten the sales manager to go ahead and get me the converter with his discount and for those who care his price was $175 plus tax. so I called him and told him I did'nt need the converter, I figured for now I would just run mine hollow. I called the parts manager to see where he thought the clogg was and he decided to check the vin for recalls which I had already done at Nissan's webb site and all I came up with was the crank position sensor recall but when he came back on the phone after checking he said that there was a complete exaust system recall. NOW AIN'T THAT SOME SHIT! Im a little upset with Nissan because noone bothered to contact me to tell me that I was destroying my engine slowley. It has'nt been that long since I took it in for the crank position sensor recall and they did'nt say anything about it in fact when I got it back the "check engine" light was still on so I took it back and they said that 2 O2 sensors were out. Now that should have rang some bells. Before the warranty ran out I took it in for an oil change and I told them that it was starting to be a little sluggish and that the fuel milage went from 32 to 22 mpg and they told me that there was nothing wrong with the car and that my driving habits would determine my fuel milage, now I admit at times I am an aggressive driver but this was not the problem. I talked to another guy that was selling the engine out of his 03 2.5SE that was recalled because of an above average oil consumption rate that lead to pre-mature catalytic converter failier. Kinda sounds familiar dont it. I dont know if they are going to replace the engine or not but they need too. There is no telling how much perminate damage has been done.


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## Marvin (Oct 16, 2002)

You might have a case, because the dealership is supposed to fix any recalls when you bring the car in for any reason.


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## GElite (Mar 9, 2005)

Mark said:


> You might have a case, because the dealership is supposed to fix any recalls when you bring the car in for any reason.


Ya know, the thing that really bothers me is that I went to Nissans webb site just the other day and checked for recalls and nothing came up. Even if it werent a recall Nissan should inform customers when there may be a problem such as this that way me as an owwner knows why my fuel milage dropped off by 10 mpg and to inform me that im destroying my engine or at the very least cause excessive ware and tear on the engine, hell I just hit 100,000 miles and my car burns oil, runs like crap, and loses water somewhere. Everytime I check the radiator its atleast a quart to a half a gallon low and for some reason the heater dosent blow hot air untill about 4000 RPMs. If its sitting ideling it blows cold air even when its on MAX heat. I feel like its falling apart and at 100,000 it should just now be getting broke in good. Ohh well, Ill keep you guys informed as to what they do to it. L8tr


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## GElite (Mar 9, 2005)

Well I figure I will keep you guys updated incase you care. As it turns out a new engine is part of the recall. Apparently if the damage has already accured then Nissan is liable for the damage to the motor but apparently there not responsible for everything. Apparently I have to pay for a new catalytic converter, Oxygen sensors, and laber for a grand total of $800. Im still trying to figure out why I have to pay for Nissans mistake, if its an exaust recall then why do I have to pay for the exaust parts? Dosent make much since and apparently noone seems to know anything about this recall. I dont understand why there trying to keep this whole recall quiet. How many 2002-2003 Altima 2.5 owners knew that there was a recall on the exaust because it destroys the engine? I bet im the only one here. I guess I could look at it from the angle that my car has over 100,000 miles and its due for a timing chain, and all the services that goes along with the 100,000 service and im certain that that would have been more than $800. They said that the engine alone was over $3000 plus labor so I guess I cant get too pissed off, hell there gonna pretty much make my car new again.


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## Marvin (Oct 16, 2002)

I'd contact a lawyer, explain whats happening. There is no way you should have to pay a dime for this.

I know of two people on this board, one of which had his engine replaced twice, and they didn't pay much, if anything.


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## 05pathfinderguy (Apr 2, 2005)

Mark said:


> I'd contact a lawyer, explain whats happening. There is no way you should have to pay a dime for this.
> 
> I know of two people on this board, one of which had his engine replaced twice, and they didn't pay much, if anything.


The recall you speak of, is an axhaust PIN Recall, where the pins from the exhaust hang too low, and can catch something and possibly start a fire. About the Engine, There is a SERVICE BULLETIN and a RECALL about the oil consumption/catalytic converter that should have been caught BY THE DEALER, the dealer is repsonsible for running SERVICE COMM on each and every vehicle that comes in for service, your Beef is with the dealer, Nissan notified dealers and car owners about a possible problem. The recall num is 3015 (i think this is correct) (internal nissan number) and this bulletin tells the technician to replace the catalytic converter as well as the exhaust shields!


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## GElite (Mar 9, 2005)

05pathfinderguy said:


> The recall you speak of, is an axhaust PIN Recall, where the pins from the exhaust hang too low, and can catch something and possibly start a fire. About the Engine, There is a SERVICE BULLETIN and a RECALL about the oil consumption/catalytic converter that should have been caught BY THE DEALER, the dealer is repsonsible for running SERVICE COMM on each and every vehicle that comes in for service, your Beef is with the dealer, Nissan notified dealers and car owners about a possible problem. The recall num is 3015 (i think this is correct) (internal nissan number) and this bulletin tells the technician to replace the catalytic converter as well as the exhaust shields!


Thank you very much for your input, it explains alot but I do have some more questions if you have time, you seem to know alot more than my local dealer. I just want to know everything since I know now that the dealer isnt going to be straight with me. OK, What do you mean by oil consumption/catalytic converter. Why is it that they have to replace the engine? If the recall tells them to replace the converter why are they trying to charge me for it? I really think the dealer is trying to shoot me a line of crap. Thanks for your help.


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## Marvin (Oct 16, 2002)

The pre cat, or first cat, which is at the base of the exhaust manifold is breaking up into pieces and those pieces are then sucked back into the engine. They are changing out these cat's to circumvent the problem. If they find the cat has already broken up, then they replace the engine even if you aren't showing signs of the problem.

If you have another dealer in the area, I would think it would be well worth your time to give them a call.


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## GElite (Mar 9, 2005)

Man, Now I know that there screwing me around. This morning the dealership called and said that there was water in the exaust and that I would have to pay for the exaust system, from the cat to the tail pipe and thats going to bring the total to $1500 for parts. Now thats some serious crap. Last week we had some flash flooding in the area and they are working on several flooded cars but my car has not been flooded. My car was sitting in my driveway broke down with a clogged up exaust, on jack stands! I told them that every time I check the water level its about a half gallon low, hell I have even stated this in earlier post here dated before I knew that there was water in the exaust and I also stated that I did not know where the water is going because its not leaking out. Well, I know where its going now but since they have not seen this prier they think that it was flooded. Im willing to bet that they havent had one of these damaged motors with over 100,000 miles on it so they cant say for sure that the head gasket is not blown and dumping water in the exaust port. When I look at it in retrospect I remember not to long ago my wife was following me in another car and she said that water was dripping out of the tail pipe, I thought it was condensation. I told the dealership that I had been talking to Nissan's consumer afairs dept and the service righter said that I shouldnt talk to Nissan cause they would have to tell them that the car had been flooded. It really pisses me off that they continue to call me a liar. I called Nissan and they are investigating my report now.


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## 05pathfinderguy (Apr 2, 2005)

GElite said:


> Man, Now I know that there screwing me around. This morning the dealership called and said that there was water in the exaust and that I would have to pay for the exaust system, from the cat to the tail pipe and thats going to bring the total to $1500 for parts. Now thats some serious crap. Last week we had some flash flooding in the area and they are working on several flooded cars but my car has not been flooded. My car was sitting in my driveway broke down with a clogged up exaust, on jack stands! I told them that every time I check the water level its about a half gallon low, hell I have even stated this in earlier post here dated before I knew that there was water in the exaust and I also stated that I did not know where the water is going because its not leaking out. Well, I know where its going now but since they have not seen this prier they think that it was flooded. Im willing to bet that they havent had one of these damaged motors with over 100,000 miles on it so they cant say for sure that the head gasket is not blown and dumping water in the exaust port. When I look at it in retrospect I remember not to long ago my wife was following me in another car and she said that water was dripping out of the tail pipe, I thought it was condensation. I told the dealership that I had been talking to Nissan's consumer afairs dept and the service righter said that I shouldnt talk to Nissan cause they would have to tell them that the car had been flooded. It really pisses me off that they continue to call me a liar. I called Nissan and they are investigating my report now.


You need to get that car out of that dealer, or call the general manager and start screaming, they are trying to screw you over, the recall number was 3007 by the way, and it states to replace the converter, and engine if converter is broken up. Dealers like this Give NISSAN a bad name.


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## GElite (Mar 9, 2005)

I know that Nissan is not the bad guy. When I told the service wrighter that I had talked to Nissan and that they wanted to send an inspector to the dealership that really got them worried, the service manager called me and told me that he talked to his parts manager and that they were going to eat some of the parts and labor charges and that would put us back to the $800 that I already agread too. For some reason they really dont want Nissan involved and there scared to death of an inspector coming. They say that if an inspector comes that he will agree with them and that Nissan wont pay for the new engine because the car was flooded but what they dont realize is that I already know that Nissan is not the one paying for this, the dealer is and because they dont know that I know this there trying to play good cop, bad cop. There acting like there doing me a favor by keeping this info from Nissan and that Nissan is going to make them remove the new engine and we all know that this is crap. They think that im lieing about the car not being flooded and the inspector will confirm this but I really wish an inspector would come because them maby he would verify what I have know all along and that is that the water is coming from the engine but im also concerned that he may not believe me either so what im going to do is go ahead and pay them for the repairs and take it to another dealer and have it inspected because at this point im not concerned about the money, im concerned about why they dont want Nissan showing up at there dealership and inspecting my car. I dont know if its because there affraid that maby they will uncover something else while there their. I think that maby there trying to sub a referbished engine and perhaps some other parts. There is something going on because if they could have gotten out of paying for a new engine by saying that it was flooded they would have. I just really dont know what to do at this point. I think the reason they dont want to pay for all of this is because I did'nt by my car there, the only reason I took my car there was for the crank position sensor and because they did'nt check the cat like they were told to do they are responsible for the damages. Now im pretty familiar with how a car dealership runs, I sold new and used cars for 5 years and I even worked at this dealership and when they have a profit or a loss they look at deal by deal, if they loose $500 on one deal they cant make it up an the next deal so its hard to hid a loss and General Mgrs. dont like to see a loss especially in my case because if they had sold me the car then it wouldnt be that big of a loss because they profited from the deal when they sold it but since they didnt sell me mine its a total loss with no way to make it up and heads are gonna roll because it could have been easily prevented had service done as they were told. So thats why I think there yankin my chain.


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## 05pathfinderguy (Apr 2, 2005)

They don't want that inspector there cause the repair will go in to their DCR file and will wind up causing an audit. They are being sleazy about it, and I would make sure you scream and yell as much as possible, I do hope the place this under warranty so that when you get the CSI survey you can trash them. I hate sleazy people!!! Good Luck and ask to see the invoice from nissan showing they purchased the engine from them!!!


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## Marvin (Oct 16, 2002)

Get everything they are telling you in WRITING. Make copies, and send them to Nissan Corp. That should turn some heads in the right places.


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## GElite (Mar 9, 2005)

Thanks guy, Yall are awsume. When I talked to them Friday morning they said that it was ready and that they were just checking everything and that afternoon they said they were still waiting on parts and that it wouldnt be ready till Monday afternoon. I think that they are pulling the used or rebuilt engine they had in it and putting a new one in, it really pays to be an ASS!


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## Ruben (Oct 15, 2002)

Part of the fix for the cat breakup problem is along with the new heat shields on the new replacement exhaust manifold, they should also reflash the ECU with a new program that helps solve this issue long term. Make sure to ask about that, as this issue could happen again.


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## GElite (Mar 9, 2005)

Ruben said:


> Part of the fix for the cat breakup problem is along with the new heat shields on the new replacement exhaust manifold, they should also reflash the ECU with a new program that helps solve this issue long term. Make sure to ask about that, as this issue could happen again.


Thanks Ruben, I will be sure to ask. When I called today they said the muffler came but it hade a dent in it and they have to re-order it. It will now be Wedsday before I get it back supposidly. This is starting to really piss me off! I want my freakin car back! I wounder what they will come up with next.


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