2002 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLICKING SOUND FOLLOWED BY A POPPING SOUND. THE CONSUMERS DAUGHTER PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A LACK OF ENGINE OIL. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 109,250. UPDATED 8/3/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE VEHICLE, IN WHICH A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. THE CONSUMER DAUGHTER HAD JUST HAD THE OIL CHANGED. UPDATED 08/10/09.*JB

IN OCT OF 2002 A INVESTIGATION WAS MADE BY (ODI) CONCERNING 2 POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARDS ON 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA( NHTSA)ACTION # PE02078)ACCORDING TO YOUR REPORT NISSAN WOULD REMOVE PORTIONS OF THE EXHAUST PIN AND APPLY A HEAT SHIELD. OVER THE PRECAT. YOU ALSO STATED NISSAN IS DEVELOPING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO ADDRESS PRECAT FROM OVERHEATING .WHAT CORRECTIVE ACTION WERE INTRODUCED TO FIX THIS PRECAT PROBLEM? AFTER READING PAGES OF NISSAN CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE PRECAT DESTROYING THEIR MOTORS I WOULD SAY NISSAN DID NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM .THESE 2 MANUFACTURER DEFECTS ARE NOT THE SAME AND SHOULD BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY IF YOUR CAR HAD A HEAT SHIELD APPLIED YEARS AGO WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAULTY PRECAT.NOW A FEW YEARS LATER YOUR MOTOR IS SHOT AND NISSAN WILL TELL YOU THEY ALREADY HAD IT IN FOR THE RECALL I ASK ONCE AGAIN WHAT WAS DONE THE FIX THE FAULTY PRECAT?? IF YOU HAVE THE ANSWER PLEASE INCLUDE IT IN CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TAKEN SO MYSELF AND EVERY OTHER DISSATISFIED NISSAN CUSTOMER CAN MAKE SOME SENSE OUT OF THEIR STATEMENT WHEN THEY TELL US THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM WHEN THEY PUT A HEAT SHIELD ON IT. *TR

I HAVE A CONCERN INVOLVING MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA IT IS A 4 CYLINDER ENGINE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AND ITS BURNING LARGE AMOUNTS OF OIL (1 QUART EVERY 1000 MILES) I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 2004( SECOND HAND)THE CARS BURNING OF OIL WAS STRANGE TO ME BECAUSE I ALWAYS CHANGED MY OIL APPROXIMATELY EVERY 3000 MILES,SO I STARTED TO DO SOME INVESTIGATING ON THE WEB AND CAME ACROSS A RECALL CAMPAIGN IN 2003 ( #03V084000) I READ WERE FIRE MAY BE CAUSED BY THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND OF 3 INSTANCES OF FIRE TO DATE OF CLOSER OF NHTSA REPORT IN 2003. ALSO NISSAN ACKNOWLEDGING A PROBLEM WITH THE 2002 ALTIMAS CONVERTERS AND ENGINE FAILERS FROM THIS CATALYTIC CON. BEING THAT NHTSA HAS CLOSED THERE REPORT IN 2003 WILL THAT AFFECT NISSAN RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY TYPE OF RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AND KNOW FINDING OUT ABOUT POTENTIAL FIRES AND ENGINE FAILURES IS STARTING TO SCARE ME THIS IS A FAMILY CAR AND I DO HAVE CHILDREN CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE ON NEEDED ACTIONS ON MY PART. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THE PARTS DAMAGED HIS ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V084000; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. DEBRIS FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ENTERED THE ENGINE AND CAUSED MORE DAMAGE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 103,000.

MY CAR STARTED STALLING AND GOT HARDER AND HARDER TO START. PREMIER NISSAN (METAIRIE, LA) SAID A POWER VALVE SCREW CAME LOOSE, FELL INTO THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE WAS RUINED, AND I NEEDED TO BUY A NEW ENGINE. I GOOGLED THE MATTER. MANY OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS FOR SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR (2002). (THERE ARE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS HAPPENING IN THE 2003 MODEL ALSO.) AND THIS WAS EXACTLY THE SUBJECT OF A NISSAN RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR THE 2004 AND 2005 ALTIMAS (NISSAN #: P5202; NTB05-058B). *TR

I PURCHASED A VEHICLE FROM CITY FORD LINCOLN MERCURY LOCATED IN BRONX, NY.. ON 4/11/2009.. THE NEXT DAY WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR IT STARTED MAKING LOUD NOISES. I CALLED AND INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP OF THE SITUATION. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES BEFORE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE IT IN TO THEIR REPAIR SHOP.. THEY NEVER FIXED THE CAR AND THEY'RE GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND. THEY EXPECT TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AND THE ENGINE IS SMOKING AND MAKING LOUD NOISES WORSE THEN IT WAS WHEN I HAD IT.. I NEED HELP ON HOW I GO ABOUT GETTING THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE CAR.. THEY'VE OFFERED ME TO GET ANOTHER CAR & HAVE IT FINANCED RATHER FOR THEM TO FIX THE CAR OR PROVIDE ME WITH A REFUND. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONSUMED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND BY THE TIME HE ARRIVED BACK HOME (WITHIN 300 MILES) THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEED OF MORE OIL. THE LOW ENGINE OIL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT PLACED MORE OIL INTO THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC VERIFIED THE LOW OIL LEVEL IN THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BURNING OIL AT AN ALARMING RATE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF OIL LEAKAGE ANYWHERE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT FOUND OVER 700 COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 178,000.

MY NISSAN ALTIMA 2002 IS SMOKING MY BRAKES HAVE FAILED ALMOST CAUSING A WRECK I HAVE HAD TO PUT BRAKE PADS ON MY CAR 4 TIMES WITHIN A YEAR MY CAR HAS STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND I DON'T KNOW THE REASON WHY. I TOOK MY CAR TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEED A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER A NEW ENGINE AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM FOR MY CAR STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED ONCE. I WAS TOLD BY NISSAN OF GADSDEN AL. THAT I NEED TO HAVE OVER $13,000.00 WORTH OF WORK ON MY CAR BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD . I CALLED THE NISSAN COMPANY AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT THEN THEY STOP ACCEPTING MY CALLS AND SAID DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE THEY WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY REPAIRS MADE TO MY CAR. I PAID CASH FOR MY CAR AFTER THE FIRST YEAR I BEGAN TO START HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT NSSAN NEW ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS AND REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND THEY COULD WORK OUT SOMETHING WITH ME INSTEAD OF PAYING $12,000.00 FOR THE REPAIRS THAT THEY WOULD CHARGE ME $8,000.00 FOR THE REPAIRS I DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO GET MY CAR FIXED AND NISSAN TOLD ME TO DEAL WITH IT. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS PLEASE HELP I PAID $13,000.00 FOR A CAR THAT DON'T WORK PLEASE HELP ME. THANK YOU SHELIA GASTON *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH A 2.5 LITER ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY IN MARCH OF 2006 AND AGAIN IN MAY OF 2009. SHE FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V084000 ON THE INTERNET AND REALIZED THAT SHE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES WITH HER VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. IN 2006, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS CLOGGED AND CHARGED $1,000 TO HAVE IT REPLACED. A RECALL NOTICE IN 2002 DID NOT STATE THAT IT WAS RELATED TO A VIN AT THAT TIME. THE RECALL WAS LATER AMENDED IN 2006 AND 2008 TO PERTAIN TO A SPECIFIC VIN. IN MAY OF 2009, WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND BLACK SMOKE AND OIL POURED OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE ENGINE HAD CONSUMED OIL. THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN AS LONG AS THE OIL DOES NOT LEAK. AN INDEPENDENT TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO BE REPLACED THIS FREQUENTLY. THE FIRST FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE RECENT FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 129,000. UPDATED 062909 *BF UPDATED 07/02/09.*JB

AT 112,000 MILES THE SES LIGHT ON MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5L CAME ON. I HAD IT DIAGNOSED AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED A $1500 REPAIR JOB. AFTER CONSULTING MANY MECHANICS IN THE AREA, VIEWING MANY, MANY WEBSITES THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR FOR THIS SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THE PROBLEM IS BY THE TIME SES LIGHT INDICATES THERE IS A PROBLEM IT IS TOO LATE AS THE DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE TO THE ENGINE AND THOSE THAT HAVE PAID THE $1500 TO HAVE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED ENDED UP HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE JUST A FEW MONTHS LATER!!! THIS COST UP TO $5000 TO HAVE DONE, BRINGING THE TOTAL COST FOR THIS REPAIR TO $6500 DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING THAT IS AN ONGOING ISSUE, BUT NOT DETECTABLE DURING REGULAR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND OFTEN TIMES HAS OCCURRED AFTER THE CAR'S WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THIS CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY AND JUST SHUT DOWN, AS I'VE READ FROM OTHER OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE A 3 YEAR OLD, A 2 YEAR OLD AND NEWBORN AND I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THEM AROUND IN THIS CAR. PLEASE DO THE RESEARCH AND I FEEL REST ASSURED THAT YOU WILL SEE THE COMMONALITY OF THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU FROM A VERY DISTRAUGHT 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA OWNER. *TR