- Vehicles
- 338,000
- Built between
- Aug 2001 – Jun 2003
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 28 July 2003
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 2001 and June 2003. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2002-2003 Nissan AltimaBuilt August 2001 to June 2003
- 2002 Nissan SentraBuilt September 2001 to June 2003
What the defect is
On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin may catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate.
What could happen
Either of these two conditions could result in a fire.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE PROTRUDING PORTION OF THE EXHAUST PIPE HANGER PIN. IN ADDITION TO THE CORRECTIVE ACTION, IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE IN THE EVENT OF POOR OR IMPROPER MAINTENANCE THAT COULD RESULT IN OIL SPILLAGE, HEAT SHIELD(S) WILL BE INSTALLED ON THE PRE-CATALYST AND EXHAUST TUBE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2003.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 2001 to June 2003
- Recall reported to NHTSA11 March 2003
- Owners notified28 July 2003
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 11 March 2003.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261. Nissan recall nos. R3007, R3014, R3015, R3016, R3017. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate. If substrate particles enter the combustion chamber, they could score the cylinder walls, resulting in increased oil consumption. If the engine oil level is not checked on a periodic basis and drops below the low level, and the driver continues to operate the vehicle ignoring noticeable engine noise, engine damage may occur which could result in a fire. The pre-catalyst will be tested to ensure it is working properly and replaced if necessary. If damage is found inside the pre-catalyst, it will be necessary to replace the engine.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- R3007/14/15/16/17
- Recalling manufacturer
- NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.