Vehicle: 2005 Nissan Altima | VIN: [XXX] To the Executive Team and Legal Counsel, I am writing this under extreme duress following a catastrophic, life-threatening vehicle failure on April 23, 2026, in Ripley, WV. While transporting my [XXX] son, my 2005 Nissan Altima suffered a sudden engine stall, followed by the engine bay becoming saturated with oil and emitting heavy smoke. This event is the direct result of Nissan’s failure to remediate known federal safety defects, specifically the federal safety agency Recall 07V527000 (Crankshaft Sensor/Stalling) and the federal safety agency Recall 06V223000 (Oil Consumption/Fire Risk). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Nissan Altima oil consumption problems
302 of the 15,497 owner complaints about the Nissan Altima describe excessive oil consumption, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 302
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical repair cost reported
- $3,792
- typical mileage
- 90,000
Is there a fix? There are 7 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 81Check engine light 70Stalling 24Fire or smoke 21Overheating 16Misfire 12Won't start 8Knocking 8
Trouble codes mentioned
P0420 7P0422 1P0335 1P0021 1
What owners say
Vehicle is experiencing excessive oil consumption. I had to replace rack and pinion steering and vehicle is using excessive amounts of power steering fluid. I purchased both headlight assemblies due to not being able to align properly.
Excessive oil consumption. My car starts to get difficult to drive about every 200-300 miles. Start to hear a clunk, when I add oil it is ok but only gets 16-18 miles a gallon vs the 28-30 it should get. Engine is burning through 2 quarts of oil every week. This make model and year already has a recall on it but the web site is saying that my VIN number has no open recalls. This car is the same as the cars covered by the recall. It can't be a coincidence that my vehicle and hundreds of others, from the same year are doing the same thing but. Nissan is only covering certain ones. Nissan needs to fix this problem for all 2006 altima's with excessive oil consumption. It is costing $12 a week fir oil and my gas mileage is down by 1/3.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 nissan altima. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk and lost power without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the oil consumption fractured and was leaking into the engine. Also, the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,000.
My vehicle equipped with the 2.5l 4 cylinder consumes excessive amounts of oil. I have had to add roughly 1-2 quarts of oil every 200 miles. Engine has no external oil leaks. New valve cover gaskets 500 miles ago, new spark plugs every 10,000 miles due to oil fouling, new pcv valve 500 miles ago. The car does mostly city and country, 55mph driving and under.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan altima. While driving various speeds, the engine suddenly vibrated, the check engine indicator illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel pump was faulty. The fuel pump was replaced and the failure was remedied. Also, the fuel gauge would display inaccurate readings and was inoperable past the half fuel mark. The contact stated that the engine shook and vibrated due to low oil levels. The cause of the failures was not diagnosed. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified. The failure mileage was 136,000.
The seal on the oil cooler of my vehicle has failed and nissan won't repair it. I have researched this and I have found that this problem is common on my vehicle. Here is a link to an example of what I am talking about -- http://www.carproblemzoo.com/nissan/altima/engine-oil-leaking-problems.php nissan told me they would have to have a mechanic at one of their dealerships at a cost to me look at it. I have had a mechanic I trust, who looked it at no charge and who only works on nissans, diagnose it as a problem with the engine oil cooler seal. The problem has been going on for awhile and I have explored options to repair it and have failed discussions with nissan a few times because I refuse to pay a nissan dealership mechanic to look at the vehicle when a mechanic I trust has already done so. The date I put in for when it happened is only an estimate, but my car has had this problem for at least a year. I just thought of contacting the federal safety agency about it after researching this online. This has caused oil to leak out from the oil cooler according to the mechanic who looked at it and that happens all the time, but it hasn't been severe to the point where I have to constantly put oil in the car.
My 2006 altima started making a tick sound around 80,000 miles and around 115,000 miles in 2014 my engine failed. While at a red light my engine sounded like I had rocks in a tin can. My engine was still under federal warranty but nissan wouldnt help me because they said I should have brought the car in but I was out of dealer warranty so I didnt know. I asked them about the excessive oil consumption recall and they said my car was not part of it but after months of research I concluded that it was due to my efn being listed under the recall information report provided by nissan, they still didn't acknowledge my issue. I ended up replacing the engine myself in 2014 for a total of $3600 and $1000 for labor and have been driving it since. I called nissan, I submitted my complaint by mail and I told them my engine was under warranty until 150,000 miles federally (I had 120,000 at the time) but they just overlooked my complaint and never did anything about it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan altima. While driving 45 MPH exiting the highway, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact took the vehicle to wesley chapel nissan (28519 fl-54, wesley chapel, fl 33543, (813) 751-1300) to be diagnosed, but the results were unknown. The dealer flushed the fuel system, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls and the warranties were expired. The failure mileage was 123,000. The consumer stated the vehicle experienced engine stalling, running hard during idle, several engine warning lights illuminated, and excessive oil consumption. The transmission began not shifting or downshifting into a lower gear, and the exhaust needed to be replaced. *js
The vehicles engine is burning oil very rapidly and when I spoke with several mechanics to get a other opinions, and I was told it is a common problem with this vehicle. The dashboard is also very sticky and is melting was told that that happens to the vehicles as well.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.
- Risk
- Engine failure increases the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800‑647‑7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1‑800‑662‑6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.
Recall number 25V437000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crankshaft position sensor can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- Risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the crankshaft position sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. Certain my 2006 altimas which have been previously remedied under recall campaign 06v223 (nissan r0606) are not included in this recall since the reprogramming for 06v223 also included this reprogramming. The recall began on december 31, 2007. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 07V527000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles, if a sufficiently hot object enters the air filter housing through the engine fresh air intake system and contacts the engine air filter, the flammability characteristics of the air filter material are such that the filter may ignite.
- Risk
- If the air filter material ignites, a fire may occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the air filter with a new one that has improved anti-flammability material characteristics. The recall began on july 3, 2007, and will continue through october 1, 2007. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 07V267000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- Risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. The recall began on august 21, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 06V242000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5l engines may experience excessive engine oil consumption as a result of improper performance of the piston rings.
- Risk
- If the oil is not maintained at least at the minimum level, engine damage can occur and in extreme cases result in an engine fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the electronic control module (ECM or engine computer). Your vehicle will also be inspected to determine if it has been consuming engine oil at a higher than normal rate. In a small percentage of vehicles, engine replacement will be needed. On june 9, 2006, nissan notified owners of the possibility of excessive oil consumption and the importance of maintaining the oil at a proper level. Follow-up letter to owners advising them of the status of the recall was sent during august 2006. Followup letter to owners was sent on november 15, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 06V223000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
- Risk
- This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01v357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261 or infiniti at 1‑800‑662‑6200.
Recall number 03V455000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Either of these two conditions could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- 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. 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.
Recall number 03V084000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Altima oil consumption
Which Nissan Altima years have excessive oil consumption problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (168 complaints), 2006 (68 complaints) and 2003 (45 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix excessive oil consumption on the Nissan Altima?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $3,792 (median of 43 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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