2002 Nissan Altima: engine knocking or ticking

Filed Aug 7, 2015 · Engine · 124,000 miles · NC

I bought this 2002 nissan altima ($4500 at randy marion dealership in hickory, nc) for my wife on january 20th, 2015. The car had 123,000 miles on it. Just 5 or 6 days later, the engine light came on engine started making a loud knocking sound when you crank it up after it had sat for a while. I checked the oil level and it needed a quart of oil, so I added a quart. The noise came back after 2 days. This immediately became a mandatory issue to check the oil level and add more oil every 2 to 3 days. It is now august 7th and I have to check and refill the oil every day! I started my research for complaints on this vehicle and found thousands of complaints on the same issue along with recalls for replacing the ECM, catalytic converter and/or engine. The ECM recall applied to this car, so I had that done on july 30th along with an oil change. On top of that, I just spent $1006.62 to get the catalytic converter replaced yesterday along with a quart of oil. Got the knocking sound again this morning. I took it to the closest dealership this morning and they said it needs a new engine. My wife and I are so upset now. We feel like we were sold someone else's problem (certified lemon) from a dealership that should not have resold it in the first place. How much more complaints is going to be needed for someone to make nissan fix this problem???

Filed Apr 22, 2014 · Engine · 151,757 miles · NJ

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that while idling at a stop light, she heard a knocking in the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the catalytic converter, spark plugs, boots, and coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 151,757.

Filed Sep 29, 2011 · Electrical, Engine · 80,000 miles · NC

Car uses excessive amounts of engine oil and low oil light never comes on to warn driver, can only determine that it is low by engine knocking noise.average oil consumption about 1 - 2 quarts every 300 miles also heater does not work when car is idleling only works when driving.check engine light constantly comes on code states cat converter bad.continous problem has been going on since car had about out 90,000 miles.car also turns off after running and will crank but does not start after multiple tries.

Filed Apr 22, 2011 · Engine · 100,000 miles · MN

No real warning. Engine starting knocking one day and found out it was 2 quarts low after changing it the previous week. Put 2 quarts of oil more in and drove 300 miles to only find that it was low again. I have to put oil in around every 200 miles now to prevent my engine from making loud noises. The mechanic I took it too said the cat converters and motor needed replacement. I am a college student and cannot afford a replacement engine or a new car so am stuck dumping 2 quarts in every 200 miles.

Filed Jan 26, 2010 · Engine · NC

Nissan 2002 2.5 sl has to be checked once a week because the engine loses oil. When the oil is checked it is completely dry. Oil has to be put in the car once a week. The engine knocks and comes close to shutting down.

Filed Dec 7, 2009 · Engine · 78,500 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While driving approximately 55 MPH he heard a loud knocking sound inside of the engine compartment. He then noticed an abnormal absorption of oil from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician recommended replacement of the engine and catalytic converter. The vehicle was partially repaired according to recall campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). No additional repairs were made. The failure mileage was 78,500. The current mileage was 79,200.

Filed Oct 27, 2009 · Engine · 112,000 miles · NH

Vehicle check engine light came on. Took car in to garage and code reads catalytic converter. Converter was replaced, drove car home and engine was making a ticking noise. Brought car in to dealership on sept. 30, 2009. Dealership said I needed new timing chain to get the noise in engine to stop. Timing chain replaced, and same noise still existed. Dealership had my car for 2 weeks and in the end they said they called a technical service line for help and an representative said that they had reports of a similar noise and that I would need a new engine. This diagnoses was made over the phone from a description given by the technician to the service rep. On the phone. I called nissan consumer affairs to explain this and was assigned a rep. Whom didn't get in contact with me for 10 days. He said he contacted the dealership and that I needed a new engine. He explained that nissan would not provide a replacement engine since it is out of warranty. I explained that the dealership technicians said that there could be particles in the cylinder and that is an engine defect. The rep only offered a master technician to inspect the car and was not sure when that would happen. I investigated a recall that shows was completed on my car, but it describes exactly what is currently happening with my engine. I feel that nissan should replace my engine as the faulty engine issue was listed in an engine campaign recall. I am in no way to blame for particles entering into the cylinder or a screw as the tech's described as a possibility. I should not be out of a vehicle due to a faulty engine, especially one that was listed in an engine recall. I would like to know what my recourse is in this situation to get my engine issue covered under the campaign or have nissan place a replacement engine in my vehicle. It is deemed unsafe to drive and is burning excessive oil causing the converter to overheat which may cause a fire. Just as it describes in the recall information #3v084000.

Filed Feb 24, 2009 · Brakes · 80,000 miles · IL

Nissan altima '02-05 2.5/3.5 models have a known issue with a valve check assembly in a brake vacuum tube. When the car is exposed to extreme cold temperatures for prolonged periods of time, like those experienced this past winter in il, the valve freezes up and prevents proper operation of the vacuum and thus complete brake failure. It fixes itself after pumping of the brakes several times. I experienced this problem 3 times within a 2 week period. Imagine rolling up to a stop sign only to pump your brakes to the feeling of a brick stuck under them, no stopping action, helplessly coasting right into the intersection. I researched the problem and stumbled on to a nissan enthusiast forum where it was apparently a known issue to them. They said that nissan won't even acknowledge this to be an issue and to just order the redesigned part and replace it yourself as it was a dye job. The factory part replacement number is #47430-8j100 (3.5 model) or #47430-8j000 (2.5 model). Why did nissan redesign the part in '06 if they didn't know there was an issue with it? When I called the nissan dealership where I bought the car, sure enough they wouldn't acknowledge any problem with that part and even went as far as to claim that they have never even ordered that part. They have either never diagnosed the issue correctly or they outright lied to me. I called a different nissan dealership, ordered the part and installed it myself and have not had the problem despite the subzero temperatures that have occurred since. I'll conclude with the fact that I have zero automotive/mechanical experience. I am a computer systems engineer so I'm used to replacing parts in small spaces on a different type of machinery. But yet I was able to research, diagnose, and fix my own car problem, caused by a known defect in a factory part, with the help of the guys in that forum. How many other people are out there driving ticking-timebomb altimas that don't have the knowledge to do that??

Filed Feb 3, 2009 · Engine · 78,785 miles · MI

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact was experiencing engine failure. He noticed a silent recall on the nissan website. The manufacturer stated that they would not take liability for the repairs due to the fact that he was not the original owner, although his VIN was included in the recall. The engine was replaced at the cost of $3,000, but with less than 2,500 miles, the engine failed again. The contact heard a ticking sound when the vehicle was in motion and it was burning oil at rapid speeds. The manufacturer performed an oil consumption test and found that the engine was faulty. The federal safety agency campaign id number was unknown. The failure mileage was 78,785 and current mileage was 97,000.

Filed Jan 30, 2009 · Engine, Fuel system · 32,500 miles · NY

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator would continuously illuminate. The dealer could not determine why the indicator continued to illuminate and stated that there was rust around the fuel tank. On a separate occasion, the engine began to make a knocking sound and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. It was determined that the knocking noise originated from the overhead cam component of the engine. There was no oil in the vehicle, although the contact maintained regular maintenance and oil changes every 3,000 miles. His VIN was not included in any of the recalls that described the same failures he experienced (the federal safety agency campaign id numbers 03v455000 and 03v455000). The failure mileage was 32,500 and current mileage was 86,600.

Filed Jul 20, 2008 · Engine · PA

I am an owner of a 2002 nissan altima 2.5l that has recently been told my car is not fit for the road and as the mechanic and sales person told me, is a "ticking time bomb". The car was voluntarily recalled in 2003 by nissan and I took my car in to have the issue fixed. The issue is that the catalytic converters are too close to the transmission and they heat up and break down the catalyst causing it to spray pieces back into the engine causing it to be dangerous to drive. The representative at nissan tells me he is "aware of the issue" but my car is now outside of the 80,000 mile warranty and it doesn't matter( I just turned over 100,000). Nissan refuses to address that I did take my car in for the recall and many times after when the sensors went off and the mechanics never mentioned this issue or offered to correct it with the "replacement engine" that nissan claims they would give the customers who experienced this problem. Are there any other instances when my car's catalytic converter would break into pieces and spray throughout my engine? How long does it take for this to happen? I had a 90,000 mile bumper to bumper maintenance and they charged us around $400 and never mentioned any problem with the catalytic converter. Please help! I haven't had a car to drive in three weeks and I don't know what my next move should be. Stacy olexy, reading, pa.

Filed Nov 5, 2007 · Engine · 96,000 miles · AR

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact heard a loud knocking noise coming from the engine compartment. The dealer stated that the engine was consuming a lot of oil due to the catalytic converter and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was affected by the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe); however, the recall was closed and the repair could not be made. The current and failure mileages were 96,000.