2002 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

NISSAN (WOODFIELD NISSAN, HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL) IS NOT FORTHRIGHT IN ACKNOWLEDGING RECALL # NTB03-070C AND IS NOT WILLING REPAIRING THIS KNOW HAZARD. *TR

MY NISSAN ALTIMA HAS GONE THROUGH 2 CATALYTIC CONVERTS AND IS BURNING 2 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 100 MILES. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S MODEL, THE CAR STARTED TO USE EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL AND COOLANT. TOOK CAR TO A NISSAN DEALER AND THE SERVICE DEPT. TOLD ME I NEED A NEW ENGINE AND WITHOUT HAVING THE SERVICE DEPT. DISASSEMBLE THE ENGINE THEY CAN'T DETERMINE WHAT THE FAILURE OF IS. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 98K ON IT AND IS AND WAS TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF. I'VE HEARD OF OTHERS WHO OWN NISSAN ALTIMAS HAVING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND PROBLEMS. THE NISSAN DEALER TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY OR NISSAN OF AMERICA CAN OR WILL DO. I KNOW THAT NISSAN HAS HAD PROBLEMS AND THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING MORE OIL AT A RAPID PACE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN OUTSTANDING RECALL ON HER VEHICLE, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND PARTIALLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. THE ENTIRE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT PERFORMED BECAUSE THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ECM SOFTWARE WAS UP-TO-DATE AND DID NOT NEED THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED DUE TO AN ENGINE FIRE AND THAT SHE NEEDED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. SHE REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE), WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PARTIALLY. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE HANGER PIN WAS REPLACED, BUT NO HEAT SHIELDS WERE INCORPORATED TO COMPLETE THE RECALL REPAIR. SHE SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AGAIN TO OPEN A CASE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 121,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.

CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH A MISFIRE#4 IN A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. I HAVE REPLACED THE SPARK PLUG,COIL, AND INJECTOR. SAME PROBLEM. ALSO NOTICED A HIGH VOLUME OF OIL CONSUMPTION. NO ONE CAN SEEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. SHAKES DURING A COLD OUR HOT START. SMOOTHES OUT THEN THE CAR RUNS FINE. DEALER IS SAYING IT PASSED THE PRESSURE TEST BUT IS SAYING I NEED A NEW MOTOR. *TR

MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA NEEDS A NEW ENGINE AT 83,000 MILES. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM, I FOUND AND NISSAN IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO RECTIFY THE MATTER. ENGINES THAT ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF SHOULD NOT DIE AT 83,000 MILES. THIS ALL STARTED IN JUNE WHEN MY CAR STARTED BECOMING DIFFICULT TO START. I BROUGHT MY NISSAN INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SOME RECALL ITEMS AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE HARD START WHILE IT WAS IN THERE. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND SUGGESTED A FUEL SYSTEM TUNE UP (WHICH I DID) AND IF THAT DIDN'T WORK I MIGHT NEED A NEW FUEL PUMP. THIS WORKED WELL FOR A WHILE BUT THEN IT STARTED AGAIN. I PAID FOR NEW SPARK PLUGS, OIL CHANGES, AIR FILTERS, ALL SEEMED TO HELP FOR A DAY AND THE HARD START WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. SUDDENLY THE COMPUTER FINALLY GOT A READ OF O2 SENSOR AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM STARTED HAPPENING BEFORE THE 80,000 MILE WARRANTY RAN OUT AND IT WAS MIS-DIAGNOSED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT UNLESS I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE DEALER, WHICH I DID. WHEN I GOT THERE THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE ON TOP OF THE O2 SENSOR AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. AND THAT NISSAN DENIED MY REQUEST TO HONOR THE WARRANTY. *TR

2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5SL WITH 119K MILES, PURCHASED BRAND NEW FROM DEALERSHIP, EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. NISSAN REFUSES TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR POOR EMISSION/ENGINE CONSTRUCTION. APPEARS WE NEED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO CONVERTER BREAKING DOWN AND BEING SUCKED INTO ENGINE. *TR

AT 78K MILES, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND SOON AFTER, IT STARTED EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION FOLLOWED BY A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN POWER, ESPECIALLY IN TAKE-OFF SPEED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT I NEED TO CHANGE THE ENGINE FOR CLOSE TO $5000. APPARENTLY, THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM AFTER I DID A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS FAILURE MODE SEEMS TO BE THE SAME AS WELL AS ATTESTED BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE PROBLEM. CATALYTIC CONVERTER THAT WAS ODDLY DESIGNED TOO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE THERMALLY WEARS AND SENDS CHIPS INTO THE ENGINE WHERE BY SCORCHING THE CYLINDER. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S. MY CAR HAS 140K MILES AND I HAVE AN IMPECCABLE SERVICE RECORD AND HAVE ALL OF MY RECEIPTS FROM EVERY OIL CHANGE AND SERVICE I HAVE EVER DONE--ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AT NISSAN DEALERS. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THAT MY CAR BEGAN BURNING OIL VERY QUICKLY. IT WAS NOT LEAKING OIL AT ALL, I JUST STARTED GOING THROUGH A QUART OF OIL EVERY WEEK. THE ENGINE ALSO BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH SOMETIMES. SO I BROUGHT IT IN TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER TO BE FIXED. I PAID $1200 AND THEY SAID THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM (REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, ETC). HOWEVER, THE CAR STILL USED A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF OIL (BUT DOES NOT LEAK OIL) AND RUNS ROUGH. IT NOW ALSO RUNS AT A HIGH TEMPERATURE (MAXED OUT ON THE THERMOSTAT) AND I GET NO HOT AIR OUT OF MY VENTS. SO I BROUGHT IT BACK IN TO THE SAME NISSAN DEALER TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THIS TIME, THEY TELL ME THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I DECIDED TO LOOK ONLINE FOR OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE LITERALLY FOUND HUNDREDS (IF NOT THOUSANDS) OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH 2002 NISSAN ALITMA 2.5 ENGINES WHO HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S THAT CAUSES THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO FAIL AND THEN TEAR APART THE ENGINE. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 AND HAS HAPPENED TO MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BOUGHT THIS CAR. NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR CAR AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ENGINES FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S. IT IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW WITH THEIR CAR AND THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND YOU NEED TO ACT NOW BEFORE MORE CONSUMERS ARE TAKEN BY NISSAN ON THIS PROBLEM! *TR

ENGINE LIGHT. SEE SERVICE BULLETON 06009. NHTSA# 100119613. CANNOT DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. DEALER REPLACED BATTERY, THEN WANTED TO REPLACE IPDM. HAD CAR CHECKED BY AAA CERTIFIED SHOP. CANNOT DIAGNOSE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH NOW I AM HAVING ISSUES WITH HOW CAR RUNS. AM AFRAID CAR WILL STALL ON HIGH WAY. SEVERAL MECHANICS STATED THAT THEY BELIEVE THE DEALER IS GUESSING ON THE DIAGNOSIS. NO CODES EXCEPT U1000 AND U1001 ARE BEING STORED IN COMPUTER. I HAVE SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TRYING TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. THIS AFFECT ALL 2002-2006 NISSAN. CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURS. *TR