Catalytic Convertor Problems of Nissan Altima - part 1

Excessive oil consumption starting at 94,000 miles. No leaks or exhaust smoke. Have read catalytic convertors were poorly designed resulting in low oil level and engine damage. Car still runs well but concerned about safety and reliability. Nissan forums full of similar comments including Nissan's awareness of the defect and lack of action. Car has died in traffic on a few occasions but runs well otherwise.

See all problems of the 2003 Nissan Altima 🔎.

Tl the contact owns a 2007 Nissan Altima. While driving 40 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate, stalled, and the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 173,281. The VIN was not available.

See all problems of the 2007 Nissan Altima 🔎.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact was unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter fractured and went into the engine. The contact was repaired per an unknown recall in 2003, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.

See all problems of the 2002 Nissan Altima 🔎.

The contact owns a 2007 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a loss of engine power. The engine still operated, but the vehicle would not accelerate past 5 mph. In addition, there was an abnormal sulfur smell once the vehicle accelerated over 5 mph. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the catalytic converter and transmission malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 211,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. While driving at 60 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the oil pressure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 153,000.

See all problems of the 2006 Nissan Altima 🔎.

My complaints I have with this car. My first is the floor board is staying soaked with water and molding, which is not good for people with allergies to mold as in this case, and the rusted floorboard problem. The second is with the oxygen sensor and catalytic convertors.

2. 5l engine s model Nissan Altima. 2002-2003 has well documented blogs and complaints of excessive oil use. Causes are any thing to poor design valve seals to dust kick back from overheated catalytic convertor into piston/cylinder area causeing ring failures as well. This current vehicle has to been diagnoisised by a Nissan dealer. It burns 2 quarts of oil per 160miles. The dealer recommends a new engine and new catalytic convertor. The regional Nissan manager chris states Nissan will not assist in any way to replace/repair these items because we have not owned the vehicle long enough. The car is worth $3800. The engine +convertor+ labor is over the value of the car. Some one high up somewhere dropped the royal ball on recalling this engine.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. When the vehicle was started, the contact heard a loud abnormal noise. The contact mentioned that after having replenished the engine with oil, the engine light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The approximate failure mileage was 123,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Altima. After the vehicle was serviced by an independent mechanic, the catalytic converter failed. As a result, the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000.

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My 2002 Nissan Altima 2. 5s has around 70k miles on it and so far had been running very well until very recently, when the service engine light turned on last weekend. Within a day or two, the car started running a little rough. A few days ago the car showed low oil pressure light on the dash board. When I checked for the engine oil level, there was barely any oil left. I immediately put 5 qts of mobile full synthetic oil and took it to the Nissan dealership in denville, NJ. There I got a shocker that the catalytic convertor of my car got sucked into the engine and furthermore some of that material was bracing against the cylinder walls. It was the reason why my car was running rough sometimes and burning oil. I was further told that the only fix to this problem is to replace both the engine as well as the catalytic convertor. Job cost was estimated to be around $6000 to $6500. The dealership furthermore warned me about the fire hazard or engine seizure due to overheating. With some investigation I found a nhsta recall on my generation of Altimas-NHTSA campaign# 03v084000. In order to seek further help in this regards, I opened up a case with Nissan motors USA- case # 12257145. I got a callback from the regional representative on Thursday- 10/10/2013 where I was told that my VIN did not qualify for a recall which had been issued by Nissan earlier. I asked her about the nhsta campaign for my car, for which she asked me to hold on to the car for a few more days, before they could resolve the issue. On, 10/14/2013 I got a call from the same representative and this time I was given a different answer stating that although the catalytic convertor has a warranty of 80,000 miles but it is for only 8 yrs. I do not qualify for the warranty, because although I drove very less, but still my car is 10+yrs old. She further told me that Nissan will not bare any expense on my car.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle began to shake and stalled. The contact stated that he had to add two quarts of oil to the engine in order for the vehicle to operate correctly. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 187,000. Updated 09/06/lj.

Suddenly starting using 1 qt. Oil every 600 miles. No leaks, no smoke, no check engine light ever came on. Took it to my local Nissan dealership. They said oil consumption was from catalytic converter breaking down and getting sucked into engine absorbing the oil and scoring lower engine (cylinder block walls), thus causing oil blow by. They recommend catalytic converter and engine replacement at $5,000 dollars. There is a history of these converter failures from 2002 in Nissan products. My local dealer said my vehicle wasn't on recall. The biggest concern in this matter was that check engine light never came on and had I'd gone another 1000 miles this car could have seized up on the interstate.

This year I am required to obtain a smog test for my 2005 Nissan Altima tha I purchased used from power Volvo in California. My car is throwing off a p0420 code which requires a replacement to the pre-catalytic converter. Per the owners manual, my car should be covered under California emissions for 15 years, 150,000. Yet when I took it to the dealer to have the converter repaired, I was informed that my car originally came from new york and California emissions did not apply and therefore not covered under the states emissions warranty. I have owned the car for 4 years and have driven it and lived in California since I purchased the car. I can't believe that a dealer could be able to get out of a repair to this pre-cat defect because the car was "first sold in new york". I have filed a claim with Nissan requesting assistance but have yet to hear back (claim #7271179). I have also started consuming oil which is not due to an outside leak and my driver's side floor board is rusting. Please help!.

See all problems of the 2005 Nissan Altima 🔎.

2003 Nissan Altima. Consumer writes in regards to a reimbursement for engine expense the consumer stated the catalytic converter failed, which caused damage to the engine. There was excessive smoke coming from the exhaust. According the invoice, there was possible ring wear, and possible damage to the pistons.

Catalytic convertor problem resurfaced. Originally fixed in 2004 during the Nissan recall campaign. Local Nissan dealer qouted a price of over $2000 to fix. They do not honor the warranty on their work. Car is unsafe to drive and burns through high amounts of oil. Local Nissan dealer denied any recall, even though a printout of the recall campaign was provided to them. Never, ever will I buy a Nissan car again. These cars are unsafe, and you will pay $$$ to get them fixed as Nissan will not honor any warranty. These cars are priced cheap at the dealerships because of the expensive fix for them. Buy a Toyota or Honda instead.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated the catalytic converter broke and damaged the engine. The engine also burned oil weekly causing the contact to add oil every two weeks. The check engine light illuminated constantly. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic test. The contact was responsible for paying $105. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 140,000.

2004 Nissan Altima. Consumer states problem with catalytic converter the consumer stated she will have the catalytic converter replaced at her expense, because Nissan claimed it did not need to be replaced yet. However, the consumers mechanic stated it was going bad and could cause the engine to seize.

See all problems of the 2004 Nissan Altima 🔎.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. An independent mechanic was performing a diagnostic test on the vehicle to determine what cause the check engine light to illuminate; however, he stated that the exhaust and the catalytic converter were defective. The vehicle was also consuming oil excessively. The independent mechanic informed the contact the vehicle needed a new catalytic converter system, oxygen sensors, a new ecm reflash and a new engine. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that she would have to pay to have the vehicle repaired. The vehicle was not repaired when the complaint was filed. The failure and current mileages were 78,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. While driving at 35 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer advised that the catalytic converter would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 85,100 and the current mileage was 95,996. Updated 08/11/10. The consumer stated the check engine light illuminated. When she arrived home and she check the oil only to discover there was no oil in the vehicle. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer. Upon inspection the consumer was advised a new engine was needed. Updated 08/17/jb.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. He stated that while driving at 65 mph, the engine stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where he was advised that the catalytic convertor was defective and would need to be replaced. However, after additional testing, the dealer discovered that the engine also would need to be replaced. The manufacturer advised that there was an open recall on the vehicle (NHTSA campaign id number: 03v455000: engine and engine cooling) however, the recall would only cover a portion of the repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 128,996.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. While driving at 45 mph, the vehicle began to overheat. There was then a loud, unusual noise followed by the vehicle attempting to stall. The contact shut off the vehicle and restarted. The failure did not persist. The dealer advised that the catalytic converter and engine would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 117,000 and the current mileage was 122,000. Updated 10/25/10 the consumer stated the vehicle was consuming a large amount of oil every week. Updated 10/27/10.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The engine began to consume oil excessively. While driving, he noticed smoke underneath the hood. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who stated that the catalytic converter caused the engine to fail. The manufacturer filed report 6895246 and stated that the vehicle didn't have a recall and the vehicle should be taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure and current mileages were 86,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. Whenever the contact drove the vehicle at any speed he noticed a rattling noise under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who stated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The contact previously noticed that the check engine light appeared on the dashboard. The current and failure mileages were 133,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The check engine light became illuminated on the instrument control panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. The technician stated that the crank shaft position sensor, catalytic converter, and engine speed sensor circuit needed to be replaced. No repairs were made. The current and failure mileages were 95760.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle coasted to the side of the road and roadside assistance was called to the scene. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the failure was contributed to the catalytic converter. The vehicle was previously repaired according to NHTSA campaign id number 03v08400 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe); however, the remedy has not corrected the safety defect. The vehicle is currently inoperable and has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were less than 101,0000.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the catalytic converter was not working properly and the parts damaged his engine. The vehicle was repaired according to NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000; however, the failure continued. Debris from the catalytic converter entered the engine and caused more damage. The failure and current mileages were less than 103,000.

I own a 2002 Nissan Altima, 2. 5l engine. I have had more problems with this car than you can imagine. The car has stopped on me two times in the past year or two. It came to a halt in September 2007 in the middle of traffic and I had to wait over an hour for a tow truck. At that time I had the sensor detector replaced by a neighborhood garage. On last Tuesday, the car stopped again and would not move but I happened to be in parking lot and waited 3 hours to get my car moved. This time the car was repaired by a Nissan dealer and the sensor detectors were again replaced. I was informed that my engine was coming apart internally bit by bit and I would need the engine replaced or run the risk of having the engine stop on me at any time. I have changed the catalytic convertor, have an oil leak and some gaskets have been replaced. I put oil in my car every week because the leak was not repaired. I never seen any oil on my driveway and don't know where it is leaking. When I checked to see if I could find an engine for less than what the dealership quoted me, I found 400 complaints on one website and 99 on another website complaining of the exact same problems with their 2002 Nissan Altima with a 2. 5l engine of which I am complaining. Many of the complaints are reporting engine failure or breakdown. This is very concerning and I think something needs to be done by Nissan as this seems to be a manufacturing problem but I don't know where to go.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While the vehicle was at a service center, the technician observed that the engine oil reservoir was empty. An oil change was performed on the vehicle at that time. One week later, the reservoir was empty again. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the catalytic converter failed. The vehicle was repaired according to NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe) in 2004, but the recall has not corrected the issue. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 100,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). The recall repair was performed in July of 2004; however, the failure is recurring due to the catalytic converter. The failure could cause an engine fire. The contact feels that the vehicle is unsafe to drive. The current mileage was 100,000 and failure mileage was 85,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact was driving approximately 70 mph, the service engine warning light illuminated. The warning indicator remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the catalytic converter was replaced. The identical failure recurred. The dealer replaced the catalytic converter twice within a two year period. The failure mileage was 125,803.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated the engine light illuminated while driving 40 miles per hour. The contact was advised by an independent mechanic of a recall for the catalytic converter. The contact spoke with the dealer who advised there was no recall. The contact received a call from the dealer the next day who advised the catalytic converter was defective and the contact would have to pay out of pocket since the vehicle was not under the recall. The current and failure miles were 81000.

'service engine soon' light came on & would go on & off for the past 3-4 months. I took the car to a dealer due to a recall notice about something else and the dealer said the catalytic converter needed replaced. The exhaust system should not be failing on this car. When picking up the part from the dealer, the dealership told my father that they keep this part (exhaust manifold) in stock b/c they replace so many of them. My dad asked if they were going to recall the part, the Nissan service mgr said no. The catalytic converter should not be cracking or needing to be replaced. I got the part ($400) and my mechanic is fixing it today.

Car misfiring ,took it to Nissan dealer was told that power valve screws located in the intake manifold became loose in to engine damaging #3 spark plug head cylinder and precat dealer estimate repair over $3,000 . Contacted Nissan corp for assistance with no luck,recalls for the same problem on 04 and 05 but not for mine 02 or 03 although the engine is the same,and alot of complaints. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle feels as if it will shut off, but it remains running. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, who stated that there may be recalls on her vehicle. The manufacturer stated that there were four open recalls on her vehicle and advised her to go to a dealer for the recall repair. The repair was made, but the failure continued. The contact returned to her local mechanic and the oxygen sensor was removed. The mechanic discovered that the catalytic converter had shattered into pieces as explained in NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). The failure mileage was 149,000.

While driving my 2002 Nissan Altima to work on March 16th 2008 I noticed that it was bucking severely on the freeway and that my check engine light was flashing rapidly. My car had approximately 85,000 miles on it at that time. I drove my car to the Nissan dealership in tempe and had it looked at on March 17th 2008. I was informed that the head gasket had blown in the engine. After having my warranty company take a look at it I was informed that I would in fact need a new engine in my car. Apparently when the head gasket blew it leaked coolant into my catalytic converter. When that happened and the coolant heated up enough to combust it started to disintegrated the inside of my catalytic converter. My engine then ingested some of the sub strait of the converter. In doing so I now have to replace my engine because all of the components are covered in a fine sandy material from the inside of the converter.