- #2228 of 2485
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Altima Hybrid
by dkich
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Apr 20, 2008 (4:40 am)
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I will be picking up my new Altima Hybrid Tuesday and I am a little nervous as to the overall quality ( rattles and squeeks ) that I read about. Are these a common condition of the cars?
dkich
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- #2229 of 2485
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Re: Altima Hybrid [dkich]
by jd10013
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Apr 20, 2008 (6:16 am)
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Replying to: dkich (Apr 20, 2008 4:40 am)
depends on you. if your really picky about those kinds of things, then I'm sure you'll find at least one to complain about. But, if your comfortable with the normal amount of rattles and squeaks that every non-luxury car has, then there's nothing to worry about.
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- #2230 of 2485
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Re: Altima Hybrid [jd10013]
by skinsfan3
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Apr 20, 2008 (7:09 am)
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Replying to: jd10013 (Apr 20, 2008 6:16 am)
try checking consumer reports magazine
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- #2231 of 2485
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Re: Altima Hybrid [dkich]
by busiris
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Apr 20, 2008 (12:11 pm)
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Replying to: dkich (Apr 20, 2008 4:40 am)
I have an 08 Altima 2.5SL, with a little over 2K miles. Only one squeak/rattle issue, and that was a loose headliner behind the sunroof right after I picked it up. I fixed it myself in 30 seconds (4 months ago), and no re-occurance.
That's my experince with the car....
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- #2232 of 2485
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2600 miles and Serpentine belt breaks?
by newnissan
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Apr 20, 2008 (8:05 pm)
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At least that's what the wrecker driver said when he looked under the hood of the car last night about 11 pm. Driving back the 32 miles from dinner with relatives, I heard a loud thunk and simultaneously the battery light came on, along with the 'brake' light and the brand new Altima SE 3.5 (4cyl) didn't want to drive anymore...or steer either, btw...but somehow, fortunately, 4 separate times when the car bucked and didn't want to go, I gently encouraged the accelerator pedal and then it would pick back up to 40-42 mph and I could go another 8 miles or so and repeated that until I made it safely into well-lit gas station area for the wrecker. I've never heard of a brand new car throwing a belt, serpentine or otherwise at 2600 miles...the dealer will get my call tomorrow morning to come get this and fix it, but has anyone ever heard of this with an Altima? GM, yes, absolutely, but Nissan? I thought not. Hopefully the dealer won't call 2600 miles "normal wear and tear" and try to weasel out of fixing it...had I been on the freeway at 70 mph in big city where I'd been 4 days earlier....it scares me to think what could have happened. 
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- #2233 of 2485
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Re: 2600 miles and Serpentine belt breaks? [newnissan]
by gsemike
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Apr 20, 2008 (8:45 pm)
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Replying to: newnissan (Apr 20, 2008 8:05 pm)
the belt is warranted for a year so you won;t be paying for this. The engines in this gen Altima are basically carryovers from the last gen so that goes back to 2002. I've never heard of a problem with the belts like that. My 03 has 46k on it and is on it's second belt. The orginal was replaced when the car had about 20 on it.
You probably just got a defective belt or one that wasn't installed properly. It won't be a chronic issue.
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- #2234 of 2485
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Re: 2600 miles and Serpentine belt breaks? [gsemike]
by newnissan
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Apr 20, 2008 (8:52 pm)
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Replying to: gsemike (Apr 20, 2008 8:45 pm)
good to know it will be covered. the wrecker driver seemed to think the dealer would try the "normal wear and tear" excuse as reason not to warranty and/or reimburse for the towing cost. what disturbed me a bit was at day of signing, the finance manager presented 20 min schpiel on why I should buy the gold preferred extended warranty etc. or the silver if I couldn't afford the gold and it would handle all the oil changes and scheduled maintenance costs. I have 7500 miles to decide...I thought of it as continuous 'ransom' insurance...but now, not maybe as much...I mean it's a brand new car and I stupidly thought I wouldn't need any 'extra' coverage beyond 3 years. Reading the warranty, it's apparently only a 12,000 miles, 12 months bumper to bumper and after that, good luck...it's a lease, too, so I am bound to it for at least 12 months, I think...appreciate the fast response. you don't think I 'hurt' the CVT by driving it the 25 miles back to safety at all? what other checks should I prod the dealer to look for?
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- #2235 of 2485
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Re: 2600 miles and Serpentine belt breaks? [newnissan]
by busiris
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Apr 21, 2008 (9:37 am)
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Replying to: newnissan (Apr 20, 2008 8:52 pm)
Reading the warranty, it's apparently only a 12,000 miles, 12 months bumper to bumper
I'm pretty sure its a 36 month "bumper to bumper", normal maintenance excluded.
Many factors could have caused your problem, from a flawed belt to a piece of foreign matter getting caught up inside the engine compartment. With your miles, I would have been astonished if the dealer had done anything else than what you described. It is a most unusual occurance, but it can happen, as you well know.
As far as the CVT, you are fine...there is no connection between the two. Since you never stated that the car was running hot or over-temperature, you should be just fine.
And remember, the reason that the dealer pushes the extended warranty is because it is a high-profit item, not because he is trying to do you a favor. I certainly wouldn't consider one unless it was a really long-term lease.
Good Luck!
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- #2236 of 2485
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Re: 2600 miles and Serpentine belt breaks? [busiris]
by newnissan
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Apr 21, 2008 (11:38 am)
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Replying to: busiris (Apr 21, 2008 9:37 am)
Service manager said Serpentine belt was still there but the water pump belt wasn't...said he could see where the bolt that held the tensioner in place (I hope that is correct) had broken away and it was just there not in place...which explains why I could drive it, I guess. At any rate, it's still in the shop and they're doing a full check on everything....thanks for the advice against the 'ransom' plan...they are also offering a bundle of oil changes at a discounted price up front vs. buying them one at a time...that is a good deal....reading the posts on the board for the next 5-6 months, I'll decide whether mine was a one-time fluke (which I hope it is) or a proverbial source of errors. The car rides well and I'm getting good mileage, and at $3.39 a gallon, if Nissan will just keep me on the road safely, I'll stay and play til lease ends. Thanks again for the help. 
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- #2237 of 2485
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Re: 2600 miles and Serpentine belt breaks? [newnissan]
by busiris
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Apr 21, 2008 (1:10 pm)
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Replying to: newnissan (Apr 21, 2008 11:38 am)
I really do believe that this was a "fluke" occurance and that you will not see any residual issues. Again, good luck!
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