2001 Nissan Altima engine and engine cooling problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE ENGINE RPMS AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT AN INTAKE GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”

“WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THERE WAS A PIECE OF TAPE OVER THE AIRBAG LIGHT AND AUTO ZONE HELPED ME TAKE IT OFF. THE NISSAN DIED GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE AND I LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND BRAKES. LATER TO FIND THAT I NEEDED A OXYGEN SENSOR AND NOW ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT BEING ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED EVAC HOSES BUT ALL THE DEALER DID WAS UNHOOK ONE SO THEY COULD CHARGE ME FOR CODES BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND MY PROBLEM WITH NO ENGINE LIGHT PRESENT. SO MY MECHANIC FOUND THE UNHOOKED HOSE AND PUT IT BACK ON AND IT WAS PREVIOUSLY NOT UNHOOKED. THE CAR DIES RANDOMLY IN TRAFFIC AND IS VERY HAZARDOUS TO BE REAR ENDED OR EVEN TO HIT SOME ONE ELSE WITH THE DEALER NOT EVEN KNOWING HOW TO PROPERLY RESOLVE THIS ISSUE???? MY MECHANIC WILL BE HELPING ME TO MAKE THIS CAR SAFER FOR ME TO DRIVE. *TR”

“I JUST HAD TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON THE #4 CYLINDER FOR THE 2ND TIME ON MY 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE FIRST TIME WAS FEB 23, 2005 AT JUST UNDER 57,000 MILES. NOW, THE MILEAGE IS 123,225. LUCKILY, MY FIANCE WORKS AT A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY GAVE ME A BREAK ON THE LABOR RATE! AT A REDUCED LABOR RATE, THE REPAIR WAS $287.00, ALL LABOR EXCEPT $7.13. MY CAR STARTED TO IDLE ROUGH WHEN STOPPED AT LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS, ALMOST LIKE IT WANTED TO DIE. SINCE IT HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE, I KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS THIS TIME!! *TR”

“MY 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA HAD TO HAVE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AT THE #4 CYLINDER REPLACED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 56,955 MILES ON IT IN FEB 2005. THE PART WAS LESS THAN $10.00 BUT THE REPAIR WAS OVER $734.14 DUE TO LABOR. I JUST HAD TO REPLACE THE EXACT SAME PART A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THE VEHICLE HAS A LITTLE OVER 123,000 MILES ON IT. BOTH TIMES, THE VEHICLE WOULD START IDLING EXTREMELY ROUGH WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. WHEN YOU START TO ACCELERATE, AT TIMES, THE CAR WOULD ACT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE. *TR”

“2001 ALTIMA SE IDLE PROBLEM WHEN ON A STOP. SIMILAR IDLE PROBLEMS I HAD IN MAY 2005 IN WHICH THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WHICH IS LEAKING AT #4 CYL. PAID NOTHING BECAUSE ITS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SAME PROBLEM AGAIN IN MAR 2007, WITH 60,802 MILES, DEALER REPLACED THE SAME INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET INWHICH THIS TIME, I PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO GET IT FIX. NOW, ON THE THIRD TIME, WITH 120,000 MILES, I'M HAVING SIMILAR IDLE PROBLEM AND PROBABLY I WILL HAVE THE DEALER TO WORK ON IT. THIS IS REALLY A BIG PROBLEM FOR THIS CAR AND I TAUGHT THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON IT. IT'S REALLY UNSAFE AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF THE DRIVER DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE/OPERATE WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. *TR”

“I HAVE A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 50,000 MILES ON IT, AND GOT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. AT 52,000 MILES, I HAD MAJOR SHAKING AT IDLE, TOOK IT IN, AND THEY REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET UNDER WARRANTY. NOW, AT 74,000 MILES, ONLY 22,000 MILES MORE, THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO AUTOZONE, AND THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK, WHICH INDICATED THE PROBABILITY OF A VACUUM LEAK, POSSIBLY DUE TO A FAULTY GASKET, ETC. THIS PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY VERY COMMON WITH THIS YEAR ALTIMA, AND NISSAN HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL. FROM WHAT I CAN GATHER, THERE IS EXCESSIVE HEAT IN THE AREA NEAR THE MANIFOLD GASKET (WHICH IS A 15.00 PART), LEADING TO PREMATURE BREAKDOWN OF THE GASKET. SIMPLE HEAT SHIELDING WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT NISSAN HAS DONE NOTHING. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE CAR COULD DIE AT IDLE AT A STOP LIGHT, AND THE DRIVER COULD BE REAR ENDED. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE JOB, DUE TO 5 OR MORE HOURS OF LABOR TO GET THE GASKET REPLACED. *TR”