That One Time I...

... Almost Bought A Second Car Out Of Fear

If you've been here long enough then you already know I love Akeno almost as much as life itself. She's a Super Black 2022 Nissan Altima SR VC-Turbo that has been a pleasure to own for the past two plus years, but there were a few moments during the past two weeks when I thought about parting with her.

It all started when I got wind of this Forbes article published last December that detailed the troubles Nissan and Infiniti owners have had with the innovative VC-Turbo engine. Although the NHTSA review does not cover Akeno's model year, it's a little scary to think that one day she might have a catastrophic failure that would require an engine replacement.

It also didn't help matters that Nissan has been pretty aggressive lately in advertising an extended warranty for Akeno. The original warranty is good until late March 2025, but between the Forbes article and Nissan's pestering it's understandable why I felt a little spooked about Akeno's future.

This led me to do a casual search for gently used cars online, and with my current financial situation I could put it on a debit card with a simple phone call... but then the old me that could barely afford a 2016 Nissan Versa Note SV back in the day slapped the shit out of today's version of me back to reality.

I took a deep breath and realized I've babied Akeno since day one. I've had her oil changed at 2,000 miles, 5,000 miles, and 9,000 miles and she always gets synthetic oil. Her Bridgestones rarely go less than a pound beneath their recommended pressure, and she usually looks as clean as she did when I first brought her home. Lets not forget the $1,300 in dealer accessories that I had installed on her right after I took the above photo.

In summary, I have every reason to believe Akeno's engine is unlikely to do its own impersonation of a hand grenade so perhaps I'll stop worrying about her heading to the Nissan dealership on a flatbed tow truck.