Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Nissan Altima Hybrid Engine Questions

13

Comments

  • wayne8888wayne8888 Member Posts: 19
    Hi ..... My car (mentioned in an earlier post) spent one month (12/15/09-1/14/10) in the shop with the same carbon deposits. All they did was clean out deposits and claimed that there would bE a recall in a month. Feb came and went and no NAH recall occurred. Meanwhile I'm sure the deposits are building up again! It seems to be endemic to Altima hybrids. My car had the problem at 9800 miles. I am at nearly 12K now. Good luck! My opinion of Nissan Corp has plummeted!
    Wayne
  • popny85popny85 Member Posts: 15
    I'm looking for an economical way to change the oil on my 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid, I actually bought it in April, new. I don't want to risk anything with the warranty by not doing the oil changes frequently. So I'm actually going to do the 3 month scheduled oil changes, even though I'm anticipate being nowhere close to the mileage suggestions. I normally change my own oil, so is there an oil out there that is the SAE 0W20 grade that is cheap, and will last the 3000 miles, rather than an extended amount of time, since I don't really want to waste the oil with the 3 month requirements. Thanks :D
  • hhubby1hhubby1 Member Posts: 9
    I find it interesting that so many of us are having the same problems. I bought my car new in May. First 2,000 miles ran like a dream. Then started to rattle. Just went through the Lemon Law return with them on a Sentra with a bad engine. TWICE. :( Thought I would have better luck with an Altima. Yeah, right!!!

    Around 2,000 miles started to rattle and the EV mode wouldn't kick in unless you turn the car on and off again, but will continue to rattle and not operate correctly. Then after a bit, like weeks, it stopped, almost like a miracle. I asked when I took it in for oil change if it had self-adjusting lifters and was told it did. Then it started to rattle again! Took it back, had the service guy listen, took it to tech, tech took ride with me, VERY uncomfortable and stared out the window the whole time telling me it was in ALL the Altima's. I said "Really?""Yes" .

    Well, guess what? Yesterday, it did a 'drag', twice' and it started running on EV mode like it is supposed to, ran like a top and is getting the best gas mileage. My take it is the computer, they KNOW it, AND they don't want to fix it. I am taking in today, asking them to listen, and when they don't hear anything, telling them EXACTLY! So NOW when I bring it back with a rattle, you will know what I am talking about!!!

    NOT thinking Nissan is honest.....
  • wayne8888wayne8888 Member Posts: 19
    Stay on top of them hhubby! I guess the recall that was mentioned (back in Jan 2010) to me by the dealership doing my engine repair, has never happened. Mine has been running relatively fine since they cleaned out the carbon deposits (after a month in the shop in which all the work was done in the last 7 days due to Nissan Corporate Tech support). Six and one half months later, it goes into EV mode fairly easily and is not running rough. But winter is coming......I would not be surprised if they just clean out the carbon deposits once they get bad enough that the "Service Engine" alert lights up.
  • matt4646matt4646 Member Posts: 2
    Did altima hybrid owners have a special owners manual for the altima hybrid or did you just get a regular altima owner's manual. I was given just a regular Altima owner's manual that does not even mention anything about the hybrd.
  • hhubby1hhubby1 Member Posts: 9
    No, you're supposed to have the correct manual, the Hybrid, NOT regular Altima manual. How did they get away with that????
  • wayne8888wayne8888 Member Posts: 19
    Wow! That is really unethical!! The hybrid manual is night and day different from the regular manual. You should report it to Nissan and demand a valid hybrid manual. I'm sure that the pdf is available on the internet.
  • yfc1yfc1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2009NAH. A few months after I bought it, intermittently it idled very roughly when the car is cold. During the last few months, I noticed that EV was not always coming on. This week, the "Service Engine Soon" light came on. When I called the dealers service, they asked me to bring the car back asap. Diagnostics showed that the cylinders in the engine were misfiring. They said this was due to carbon build-up because the springs in the cylinder valves are too strong and this caused the valves not to close (or maybe open?) completely. They replaced all the cylinders with ones that are now re-engineered with weaker springs - apparently, Nissan is aware of this carbon build-up problem. The service mgr told me that mine is the 3rd car they had to make the repairs. After the repairs, the car runs muchmore smoothly and quieter; it used to have this high pitch whine when switching to EV. Now the whine is gone. As annoyed as I was with the problem, I was really pleased with the customer service at the dealership. They were very efficient and seemed to know of this problem. They did the repairs in 1 day and gave me a loaner car without any hassle. Car is under warranty so there were no charges. Friendly service too. Let's hope I don't have to go back again.
  • jojolopesjojolopes Member Posts: 8
    edited January 2008
    I just starting having the issues that many of you are having. On start-up, after about 30 seconds of smooth running, the engine would start to rattle and make a really horrible clanking/grinding noise. The hybrid system does not come on nearly as much as it should anymore. The check engine light comes on for a day or 2, then goes away, but comes back within a week (issue has been going on for 4 weeks now). Took it to Nissan dealership and they hooked up a diagnostic to it. It showed cylinder 3 was misfiring. After letting them do further tests, they came back and said I would need a "Top End Engine Decarb", for which they want to charge me $372 which is not covered even by my extended 6 year warranty! I told them that this issue seems to be known by Nissan (from reading posts here) and was worried the cylinder head might be damaged from the carbon buildup and paying all that money for a top end decarb and then finding out the part needs to be replaced anyway would not be ideal.

    Anyone have advice on how to deal with this? Is it possible to convince the dealership that this should be done under warranty? Is the cost for them to run some chemicals through the engine really $372? I live in Northern NJ, so if anyone knows a dealership that will take care of this in a better way, please let me know!
  • hhubby1hhubby1 Member Posts: 9
    I can assure you that they are trying to get a way with something. I have had some issues with Nissan being honest, to say the least. I ended up calling my area representative, and then ended up dealing with Nissan corporate. I would suggest going straight to corporate. Did you see the post before yours? I says it all. I am still having issues with mine. they won't even do a diagnostic because they don't hear the rattle when I take it in after it is warmed up. I am going to have to leave it over night and go back early in the morning. Yours should be easier, I hope. good luck!
  • jojolopesjojolopes Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for the reply hhubby1. The worst is usually in the morning when it really misfires badly. I actually took a video to show them the issue (or at least let them hear the noise) before I left it overnight. The mechanic didn't look that interested in the video. When I went back after leaving it overnight, the mechanics report said that this is normal hybrid start-up noise. So, either the grinding didn't happen, or "normal start-up" includes horrendous metal on metal type noises. I called a local auto shop that has a "BG" machine and they said the most expensive carbon flush is $250. So, needless to say, even if i can't get this resolved by Nissan, at least I can do it for less than $372 + tax. I will be calling other dealership service centers and Nissan Corporate though since this looks like a known issue even though nobody will admit it.
  • hhubby1hhubby1 Member Posts: 9
    No, you need to BE there when they stat it to prove what it is doing. They are not going to do anything they don't have to. I have taken mine twice. The first time, told me it is 'normal engine noise' when it was dinging all over the place. I took it again, when it was silent. I said, ""Do you hear anything? "no" I won't put what I said next. But to say the least, my car is going in and they are going to have to fix something. I don't know if it injectors or computer, I don't really care. It's under warranty and they are going to honor it. Period.
  • gianni24gianni24 Member Posts: 2
    Hey popny85,

    how did you make out? I am at a dealership in NJ getting depantsed for $89 on an oil change. I think i need to start doing this myself.
  • popny85popny85 Member Posts: 15
    Hey Gianni24,

    I've been doing them myself. I read somewhere that you could still keep your warranty if you can show receipts at the right intervals. I think it's ridiculous to change every 3 months for a synthetic oil, but I'm doing it. I usually buy the oil and filter when they're on sale, usually $29.99 for 5 quarts of Mobil 1 0W20 and a Mobil 1 filter. Sure does beat $89, you should start doing it too. I was NEVER a car person, but it's so easy to do. The first time you do it, just have someone there to let you know if you're doing something wrong, but after that, takes no more than an hour to do by yourself with the minimal amount of tools. Good luck! :D
  • hymanyclanhymanyclan Member Posts: 2
    I purchased a 2007 Altima Hybrid as a used car in Sep 2009 and had no problems until recently when i had similar problems as other readers with vibration/shaking on startup and braking when the hybrid did not aways kick in as it usually did. I had bought the car from a non Nissan dealer and they advised to bring to a Nissan dealer to find the problem. They found the problem as carbon buildup and it could be fixed for a price of $3300.00 plus!!!
    They advised that both the cylinder head and manifold had to be replaced. They further advised that the cheaper solution will not work and that the problem was probably caused by using regular gas instead of premium that they say is required for hybrids. They are correct in that i have been using regular, because i never knew that it needed premium since it was bought as a used car and no mention was ever made that premium was required. Is this just a very expensive lesson or do i have any recource?
  • cptcmpostcptcmpost Member Posts: 25
    edited January 2011
    I don't have my owners manual in front of me, but I'm 95% sure it calls for regular.

    Also, why isn't it covered under the 5 year/ 60K mile power train warranty?
  • hymanyclanhymanyclan Member Posts: 2
    It has 64000 miles on it and interesting if the manual calls for regular gas
  • wayne8888wayne8888 Member Posts: 19
    edited January 2011
    For a Nissan dealer to blame the engine problems known to occur and that have been discussed in this forum and elsewhere on use of regular gas is scandalous! The manual for my 2008 Altima Hybrid (which I purchased brand new in January 2009) states in chapter nine section three (9-3) states:"Use unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rating of at least 87 AKI (Anti-Knock Index) number (Research Octane Number 91)". The research octane number is used outside of the USA and Canada but what we see on the pump is 87 (R+M/2) which is according to this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating : 87 (AKI or R+M/2) = 91-92 (RON). So just like my Camry Hybrid, my Altima Hybrid (which licenses the same hybrid synergy technology) also uses 87 (AKI).
    Please scroll back to my horrendous experience where my Altima (with only 9,600 miles on it) spent 30 days in the Nissan shop with the same carbon deposits that lead to a multiple cylinder misfire. You will see that there was talk of a recall to replace either the valve springs or even reprogram the computer controlling how the valves close to shake loose the deposits.
    Here is a large snippet from page 10 of this thread:
    As far as your vehicle goes there was no "damage" to your engine or to your valves. As with any fuel injected vehicle, the engine builds up carbon deposits in the fuel system. The Altima Hybrid has had an issue with this carbon building up with very low miles though yours is only the second one that I have come accross, Nissan has started to see a problem. Unfortunately I do not have any info. as to when the recall may come out. Any info. that I have on the problem has been given to us via the "tech line" help desk. From what they say the spring for the valve is too soft which allows the carbon to build up along the valve. I just found out from my tech that what they may do is replace the valve springs so that when the valve hits it, the valve will spring back hard enough to break any debris free therefore burning off any carbon. There may also be a reprogramming for the vehicles computer to adjust the air and fuel mixture and opening and closing of the
    valves. Your vehicle has been driven 2 times and the tech will take it out once more before we release it. I am also going to have the vehicle cleaned inside and out before we call you."

    This was after my car had spent a month in the shop (Dec. 15, 2009 through January 14th 2010 ....again I only had 9,600 miles on it). Note: I only have 18,000 now (January 2011). I still get the shaking especially when braking from time to time. Even more disturbingly, the "Service Engine" light illuminates from time to time but then turns off (unlike the constant illumination that lead to the servicing in 2009). I have the 6 year 72K mile extended service warranty (which is the only reason that they gave me a loaner for the 30 days that my car was in the shop). Needless to say the recall never occurred. I see that one person mentioned that his problems were solved by replacement of the springs. "Hymanyclan", even though you are above the 60k mile power train protection, maybe you should contact your state's consumer protection as it is clear that Nissan knew there was a problem with the 2007-2009 Nissan Altima Hybrids and even considered a recall. They should repair or replace your engine for free. Lean on Nissan! This is a customer service fiasco about which they should be embarrassed enough to make your situation right!
    Wayne
  • hhubby1hhubby1 Member Posts: 9
    I just AGAIN took my 2010 hybrid in. It STILL has a knock, won't go into EV mode, etc., etc., etc. What is it they say about the squeaky wheel and getting the grease? You HAVE to stand up for yourself, or you will get NO WHERE with these guys.

    After they had an engineer check it AGAIN, they decided that it has an issue that needs a fix they don't have yet! I have the paper work that states this. They won't admit that they adjusted something after doing a diagnostic; after warming up, is running more efficiently at this time, but knocks until warmed up.

    My advice to anyone is get a diagnostic somewhere else. Know that the dealer is NOT your friend, and they are there to make money. After you find out what is wrong somewhere else, you DO have the option of contacting the dealer again AND Nissan main office with proof, since main office doesn't want unhappy customers. However, it still comes back to the dealer, but they are more willing to listen to what you are saying and NOT charge you for BS work to get money after you contact main office. The dealers are NOT honest. Know that going into it.

    Regular gas. BTW, I have found that the techs will tell you anything to get rid of you also. It's YOUR MONEY, so beware!
  • wayne8888wayne8888 Member Posts: 19
    Hymanyclan, Here is the link to the digital 2009 manual for the Nissan Altima Hybrid: http://www.nissanextendedwarranty.com/owners-manual/nissan/2009-Nissan-Altima-Hy- brid.pdf
    It also states that 87 Octane (using the (R+M)/2 method as we see on our pumps in USA and Canada (=RON of 91-92) is fine.
  • jojolopesjojolopes Member Posts: 8
    While I was at the dealership where my carbon buildup problem is being addressed, they mentioned I should use 91 octane. I said that it states in the manual that 87 is OK and they seemed surprised.

    Anyway, for an update on my issue... After the first dealership tried to rip me off badly, the second dealership actually took the time to look into the cause of the carbon buildup. Nissan Tech Support told them the first step will be to replace the cylinder head. I don't know too much about cars, but I think the cylinder head is the large piece that also contains the springs/valves. So, maybe the new head will address the cause of the carbon buildup. The dealership said Nissan is starting to realize there is really a problem, as the head is on back-order (I'm number 28 on the list now). Maybe there will be a recall in the future but for now, bulletin NTB10-056a covers the issue, and repairs should be under warranty. Luckily I did not listen to the 1st dealership who only wanted to charge me $400 to flush the carbon and not actually fix the problem.
  • popny85popny85 Member Posts: 15
    What symptoms were you receiving??? I don't know if this is the cause for the minor problems on my car, or if it's just the cold weather, I live in New York City, temps have been in the 30s where I'm noticing this...EV mode doesn't come on as often as it did in the summer, also, when I turn the car on, I hear a knock underneath me, not a loud one or anything, but a soft sounding knock, also occurs when I press on the brake a little too hard and release from a stationary position, I don't know if that makes any sense :confuse:
  • popny85popny85 Member Posts: 15
    What I mean by stationary position, is like if I'm at a stop light, and I just brake ALL the way down, and when the light turns green, I just release the brake slowly and try to accelerate to keep EV Mode on, I'll hear the knock
  • cptcmpostcptcmpost Member Posts: 25
    When it is cold the EV won't come on as often or stay on as long. The EV only works correctly when the engine is warmed up, and it takes a lot longer to get to that point when it's cold out, especially if you don't park in a heated garage. Also, when the car is moving in EV mode and it is very cold out, the engine can cool down quickly enough that it needs to run the engine again.

    The situation happens even more quickly when you are running the heat inside the cabin, and who wouldn't be when it's that cold out.

    One thing you will find in the summer is that the EV mode won't function correctly (per se) if it's really hot out (like over 90). This is a safety function so the battery doesn't overheat.
  • sfbaychrissfbaychris Member Posts: 7
    I use synthetic oil 0w-20 and changing them every 3750 miles. Since it costs $70-80, which is much more than regular oil, I switched to a 5000m schedule after 15000m.

    The mechanic at the Nissan told me it is OK to do it every 6000m and synthetic oil is not required for Hybrid. Synthetic oil lasts longer, that all. Is this correct? Do Toyota Hybrids need synthetic oil?
  • shelsonushelsonu Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2009 NAH with 33k miles on it. I purchased it brand new and live in CT. I have the same carbon issue. It was first found when i bought it in to my nissan dealer for the typical engine rattling and grinding noise you hear upon startup while the engine is cold. I can't believe how many people have the same issue. If you all try to put the engine in Neutral while reversing you will definitely hear it more.

    My dealership has replaced the head on my NAH with a re-designed head which is supposed to put an end to this carbon issue. The car still had an issue a day or so later after it was replaced.

    On the second try when I bought the car back, the dealership replaced the Mass Air-flow sensor and reprogrammed the computer and it still has the same noise.

    On their third attempt, the dealership replaced the oil with 0w 20 synthetic oil, which also did not work. Now I started getting worse gas mileage and the engine was not going into hybrid mode as much.

    What makes it worse the rep from Nissan corporate that I was working with closed out my file. That's when I drew the line and called a lemon law attorney.

    I had a meeting this morning with a Nissan specialist at my nissan dealership and duplicated the engine rumbling/grinding noise. After he heard my car, he said it was bad and advised them to remove the head again and check for carbon buildup. My car is at the dealership right now and they are removing the redesigned head to see if there is more carbon buildup and will be working with Nissan Engineering.


    EVERYONE THAT HAS THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO HIRE A LEMON LAW ATTORNEY RIGHT AWAY.
  • jojolopesjojolopes Member Posts: 8
    I just got my car back tonight after having the head replaced. When I started it at the dealership after it had been sitting outside for over 24 hours, it ran smoothly. During the part where it would normally rattle badly, it transitioned smoothly. Now this is only 1 night, so we will see how it acts in the coming weeks.
  • wayne8888wayne8888 Member Posts: 19
    My NAH is at the dealership after the "service engine" light illuminated 3 out of 4 days. The service department contacted Nissan Tech Support (just like they did in the month in the shop from Dec 15, 2009 through Jan 14, 2010.....when all they did was clean out the carbon deposits and promise a recall.... which never came). Now, all of the sudden, Nissan Tech support was telling the dealership that I should have used 91 octane (never having mentioned this one year ago). The Octane misinformation seems to be a new misleading strategy. I pointed out that the 87 octane (AKI = R+M/2) mentioned in the owner's manual was equivalent to 91-92 (Research Octane Number or RON). I pointed out that 91 RON scale is not even used in the USA nor Canada. This is like someone intentionally confusing Fahrenheit and Celsius (ignoring the fact that 100C = 212F). Anyway, they now mention that there is a bulletin (mentioned above) so I will be getting a new cylinder head (which arrived Friday). This is the 3rd occurrence of this problem. I only have 17,700 miles on my car in 2 years and one month (one month, of course in the shop.....and now another week LOL). So I am near the lemon territory aren't I. I think that Nissan was very unethical about this whole issue. Why was there no recall for these engine problems. Did they just want to address one car at a time such that some cars would go pass the 60K power train warranty leading to no free repair for those unlucky owners (as opposed to a free repair with a recall). Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Class action suit anyone?
  • hhubby1hhubby1 Member Posts: 9
    The last time they checked my car and heard the LOUD knocking, they had an engineer come in from somewhere, don't know where. At any rate, their final determination is that something is wrong with the engine but they don't have a' fix' for it yet., which is what they put on my official paperwork. So they adjusted something that was a short-time fix, but is now not a fix. It is AWFUL first thing in the morning. It takes it a long time to re-adjust itself and will eventually now go into EV mode and start to run like it is supposed to, although it does not go into EV mode on acceleration up to 40mph, like it is supposed to.

    So my thought is they wanted to get into the hybrid market but didn't work out all the 'kinks' first and now they are having the same problems over and over again, and still are not addressing it in a way they need to. Which is why some are promised a recall, some are told it's 'carbon', others are told it's the head. My gut tells me it's the computer and it's too costly for them them to fix all of them and they are indeed doing it one-by-one to keep people somewhat placated.

    I have thought of class action myself. I'm sick of the dealers sweeping this under the table, and although I am sure that corporate does know about it, they don't have a fix. Since my car is now making a horrible knocking, I am going to go back AGAIN. Believe me, they do NOT like to see me coming in there. My car before this one was on the third engine when I got the Altima although I did contact a Lemon Law attorney. I was thinking it would be better. What a joke THAT is!

    Yes, class action suit might just bounce them into action, me thinks.... :lemon:
  • mike518_2002mike518_2002 Member Posts: 1
    Hi I live in NJ and have 62K on my altima hybrid. I have had the knocking problem also but did not take it to the dealer as I have learned over the years they don't know what they are doing most of the time! LOL The first thing I noticed when I scanned my car was that the mis-fire was happening in cylinder #3, which I am sure might be true in the other engines on this post. After this discovery I notice I was loosing coolant and I decided to do a pressure test on the coolant system. After pumping up the system over night I noticed the gauge dropped 2 pounds. Not good! I then started the car and the knocking was very severe and my garage was full of white smoke and we all know what that means that I am leaking coolant into cylinder #3. Bad head gasket! I have done some research and Nissan is having and has had head gasket problems, which I believe to be the problem. The problem is more severe when the car sits for long periods of time, because the coolant is leaking slowly into the cylinder and then when you start the car you need to burn off the coolant until it will run smooth. I am happy I least my car as I am returning it and it will be their problem!!
  • shelsonushelsonu Member Posts: 6
    FOLLOW UP TO MY LAST POST: My NAH has been at the dealership since 2/8/2011 and I have been in a loaner since. The dealership has been working with engineering and have decided to replace the cylinder head a 2nd time and also replace the ignition system. This is supposed to bring the car back to a no carbon state and prevent carbon buildup as I was told few months ago. The parts are on order and I should be hearing soon from them. I hear from my dealer they are no longer selling the altima hybrid in CT. HMMM!! :lemon:
  • wayne8888wayne8888 Member Posts: 19
    Wow! I just had my car in the shop for a week due to the fact that the check engine light has been coming on and going off (and its rough running). They said that there was a bulletin (NTB10-056a) (which I guess replaced the "recall" that never happened). They replaced the cylinder head. I was hoping that they had found the problem but judging by your situation, I guess they have not! It is running very smoothly right now (only one week since getting it back). But now I am not optimistic!
  • db59db59 Member Posts: 5
    I'd like to thank Nissan for building my beloved 09 Altima Hybrid, the best car I have ever owned in 35 years of driving. I doubt my NAH is built any differently than the ones people are lamenting about on this forum with carbon, rattles, electric mode etc..etc.. So what then is different? First off Nissan recommends a MINIMUM octane rating of 87. Well this is America after all and we all know what you get when you buy the cheapest.........garbage. I have never put regular in ANY car no matter how junky it is. I use the middle grade and occasionally premium in really hot weather. Why? Because I don't want problems. Nissan says you can go 7500 miles per oil change..... but recommends 3750 for hard use. (Northeast commuting qualifies as hard use in my book). Nissan doesn't require synthetic oil but states best results will be with 0w20 (which is only available in synthetic). I use 0w20 Mobil 1 every 4500 miles or so give or take 500 miles. Why? because I definitely don't want any dealers hands on my engine, again because .....you guessed it, I don't want problems. I bought the NAH because I wanted the luxury and substance of a midsize car with the economy of one of those tin cans you see around. The NAH has not disappointed me for over 55000 miles. It runs like the day I bought it. I also make it a point not to push the gas pedal more than needed, unless I need to pass a drone, since spraying extra fuel is a waste and this driving habit will lead to excess carbon. The bulletin concerning carbon build up clearly states that only the cars driven under very specific circumstances develop this problem. I think its a nice way of saying that those who drive ignorantly and don't take care of their car will have problems. I resent those same people trying to rally others to sue Nissan and drive up prices for those who use their head in driving and maintaining their car. An ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure, even in this "enlightened" age. I've been an auto technician for over 30 years in case anyone wonders about my qualifications to comment. :shades:
  • hhubby1hhubby1 Member Posts: 9
    I'm very happy that you love your NAH. I also love mine.

    However, the complaints that we have on the NAH started very early after we purchased the vehicles; mine at 2,000 miles. Nothing had changed. And although you 'resent' people for trying to rally others to sue Nissan, I resent the inference that we don't know how to take care of our cars and you know best. I am married to a mechanic. He too, has been a technician for many years. We aren't trying to get Nissan to do anything other than to fix a problem that our cars all have and that Nissan dealers are trying not to fix, probably for a variety of reasons.

    My last visit to the Nissan dealer has a report that states in writing that they know that there is a problem, but they don't have a fix for it. Yet. If you got a good car, you're one of the more lucky one's. Maybe the '09's were manufactured with something done differently. I don't know. Mine is a '10 and I am religious about maintenance. I read the manual. So please don't assume that you have all the answers and we don't know what we're doing because we are truly frustrated by the dealers for being given the run around and no fixes for cars with engines that are BANGING so loud that you can hear them a block away coming down the road.....
  • db59db59 Member Posts: 5
    I wrote an educated response to you but having given it further thought I think its a waste of time. Every manufacturer has a small percentage of PIA customers to deal with. Good luck!
  • cptcmpostcptcmpost Member Posts: 25
    edited February 2011
    Hmmm... this is the old, "my car doesn't have any problems, so everyone else must be doing something wrong" argument.

    db, it's obvious that enough people here have the exact same problem that it can't be something that these people are doing, or aren't doing.

    People like you and I have dodged the bullet so far, but that doesn't give you the right to come here and blindly call these people stupid and proclaim Nissan as having made a perfect vehicle.

    To everyone else: Apparently this message board isn't immune to trolls, unfortunately.
  • hhubby1hhubby1 Member Posts: 9
    Thank you!

    :O)
  • shelsonushelsonu Member Posts: 6
    You must work for Nissan to make a comment like that.
    My car is still at the dealership since Feb 8 and its now March 13th. They are working with Nissan engineering and have replaced 2 heads, ignition system, Mass air flow meter, the computer, tested the firing of fuel injectors and now have decided to replaced the fuel injectors. This is my 4th Nissan vehicle and I too have a technical background. I always used synthetic oil and have changed it around 4k miles. BTW... My attorney and I have reached a "good-will" settlement with Nissan. SO OBVIOUSLY they are keeping it quiet. :lemon:
  • kenultikenulti Member Posts: 1
    Just bought my 11 NAH. The sale person told me that the car has two gears. D = drive; B = Battery. I shifted to B driving around city couples miles and noted the battery never went down. I noted something does not add up. I start to do the reading and B = low gear.
    I also note that my $23K car does not come with the floor mat.

    I called the sale person to confirm the B is for battery. He did not return my call.
  • cephraimcephraim Member Posts: 31
    Your sales person is an a-hole.
    B is low gear. Has nothing to do with battery.
  • tomscot2tomscot2 Member Posts: 33
    Last July 2010 my 3 year old 2007 NAH started having intermittent start problems. You had to really mash on the brake pedal to get the Ready light to come on. When the following the car home one evening, I noted that the brake lights were not coming on. I realized that the problems were one and the same.

    I took it to my dealership and they adjusted the brake switch.

    9 months later the problem came back. This time when I took it they told me that the switch could not be adjusted and that Nissan had issued NTB10-139 suggesting replacement of the both swtich and the harness sub-assembly. This cost my $430. I had to get done because you can't drive the car with no brake lights.

    I think Nissan should have covered this because you don't know that your brake lights are not working. It is a safety issue.

    Tom Scott
    2007 NAH with Tech Package
    Mileage as of today: 55,800
    Average MPG Computed: 32.8
  • shelsonushelsonu Member Posts: 6
    Update: After about $5500 worth of work detailed in my last post which was covered under warranty. I still have the same noise issue. I have returned the vehicle back to service department and now have then replacing the fuel pump and the CVT transmission... I almost have everything new under the hood. Let's see when i get it back if it still makes noise. I have my fingers crossed.
  • popny85popny85 Member Posts: 15
    When did you start to notice the infamous noise??? I'm curious, because it's looking like it may be a common problem, however, I don't seem to hear it yet My NAH is about 1 year old and with 7500miles 09MY. I'm hoping that frequent oil changes with synthetic Mobil 1 0W20, every 3 months, and using BP with Invigorate, as they are the only company around me that adds their special detergents to 87 Octane gas (I know, but who knows, maybe it does actually clean the engine) as a way to prevent buildups? However, every 3 months at 0W20 is getting kind of costly, and will probably switch to 5W20 or 0W30 which they say is also approved in the manual.
  • naruto228naruto228 Member Posts: 1
    I'm having the same problems with my cylinder 3 misfiring. What type of lawyer did you hire?
  • matt4646matt4646 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2010 Nissan ALtima Hybrid that i bought in August. I did my first oil change as instructed at 3,750 miles or about 3.5 months. I live in the city so I do not use it that often so I am just passed 6 months, but I only have about 5,500 miles. Do I still need to do an oil change to keep up with the warranty or can I do it at 7,500 miles. The manual says 7,500 miles or 6 months?
  • debbie49debbie49 Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem last week. The car has done this intermittently so of course it never gets addressed until you are stranded and have to be towed and then pay to have something fixed that should have been fixed before! Even though there is a service bulletin on this issue there is no payment for the repair necessary because it isn't a recall.
  • ar_njar_nj Member Posts: 1
    This car is a piece of junk. 4 months ago the car started it self while parked in my driveway. I had to disconnect the battery to get the car to turn off. The dealer and nissan have replaced the cluster, the break controller, the shift controller and 2 shorts and the problem still comes back; it is intermittent. Started a file with nissan consumer affairs and that turn out to be a nightmare experience, my rep Michelle Mercer was extremly nasty. It is May and there is still no resolution. MY ADVICE, NOT NOT BUY THIS CAR, IT IS A PIECE OF JUNK! It might seem great the first 50k miles but it doesn't last beyond that mileage.
  • shelsonushelsonu Member Posts: 6
    I bought it into the dealer around 28k miles but I heard the noise at least a few months before. I just got my car back and it is still making the noise. I give up. They replaced the CVT and the fuel pump and did additional work on adjusting some settings. I happened to see another hybrid there for service and asked the service manager if i can check that car and that car as well had the same noise. I am gonna live with it for a while and maybe bring it in after few months since gas is $4.29 per gallon here in CT. :lemon:
  • royc100royc100 Member Posts: 1
    I just had the same problem with my 2008 Altima Hybrid, with 67K miles. Intermittment start problems this weekend. Took it Nissan dealer service center this morning. They confirmed the problem and stated an electrical short in the brake switch that starts the hybrid system was the problem, and recommended replacement of the wiring harness and brake switch (total parts and labor $472). Importantly, service personnel indicated there is a Nissan service bulletin on this, so Nissan is apparently aware of the problem, but its not covered by warranty because, they said, it was not part of the hybrid system. I'd like to know how many others have had this problem. This really is part of the hybrid system since it can't start without the switch working properly. Nissan should cover this as a hybrid system warranty item. I know I will be hesitant to buy another Nissan if they do not.
  • popny85popny85 Member Posts: 15
    So I've been changing my oil with Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W20 since I got my car, but paying $30 every 3 months was getting a little costly, so I switched to a conventional motor oil with a 5W20 grade, and I've noticed that I'm getting better mileage. I used to get 400-450 miles per tank with 0W20, with the 5W20, I'm getting 550-600 miles per tank, same driving styles, same commutes, everything. Is anybody else noticing this? I found it funny that a motor oil claiming to give me better fuel economy is giving me worse fuel economy than the regular oil :confuse:
Sign In or Register to comment.