Who knew that such a good looking car could end up being a lemon so soon? For sure what glitters aint silver or gold. When the "service engine" light came on, I automatically checked the oil level & found it low despite changing it approx 1000 miles ago. I also noticed soot on the tail pipe. I brought the car to auto zone for a free scan. The diagnosis was that the converter had malfunctioned. I brought the car to a Nissan dealership where I was charged $300 for an analysis, and was old that the oil was low due to a faulty oil plug, which was replaced. A day later the service engine light came on again, I returned to the same dealership where they finally admitted that the catalytic converter had malfunctioned. I was unsatisfied by their dx because by then I had read that there was a recall on 2006 Altima 2.5s for excessive oil consumption due to possible faulty piston rings. The soln for that problem was to monitor oil levels; if low, bring the vehicle to a Nissan dealership so they could either reset the engine or replace the engine if piston rings were damaged. Anyway, I brought the car to another dealership for a second opinion. They finally stated the catalytic converter had been sucked in to the engine destroying the engine. I paid an extra $200 for this dx. I called Nissan consumer affairs who have declined my request to replace the engine because the catalytic converter warranty ran out at 80, 000 miles. Online research has revealed complaints from several older Nissan models (2002-2004) owners who have experienced similar problems- catalytic converters being sucked in to their engines. What could possibly cause this problem other than shoddy workmanship and technology? Some one please help me understand the cause. Otherwise, I envision a lot of angry consumers after their Altimas 2.5s reach over 80, 000 miles.