My vehicle equipped with the 2.5l 4 cylinder consumes excessive amounts of oil. I have had to add roughly 1-2 quarts of oil every 200 miles. Engine has no external oil leaks. New valve cover gaskets 500 miles ago, new spark plugs every 10,000 miles due to oil fouling, new pcv valve 500 miles ago. The car does mostly city and country, 55mph driving and under.
2002 Nissan Altima: excessive oil consumption
168 of the 1,047 complaints about the 2002 Nissan Altima describe excessive oil consumption.
- owner complaints
- 168
- of this car's complaints
- 16%
- typical repair cost reported
- $3,792
- typical mileage
- 90,000
- recalls
- 3
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls and 24 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Excessive oil consumption by model year
What owners say
Took our 2002 nissan altima in to nissan for a recall repair (2003 recall for exhaust / catalytic converter issues) - recall states if engine is damaged, that it will be replaced. Engine has been destroyed due to catalytic converter failure. Nissan has acknowledged the recall and damage and indicated the engine would be replaced. This car was purchased lat year by my daughter, we were unaware of the recall until increasing oil consumption became extreme. I contacted steven's creek nissan and they confirmed the recall repairs had never been completed. I was told to bring the car in for the repairs. I was very explicit in the description of the oil consumption as well as metallic residue on components - (I had replaced the cam / crank position sensors when the engine began to run rough - they both had a grey paste residue on them). Nissan acknowledged the engine was indeed damaged and needed to be replaced. After having the car for nearly 2 months, I received a call advising they did not have the parts anymore and would need to use aftermarket parts. They gave me a phone number to the nissan consumer affairs, who authorized the aftermarket parts. Multiple times, nissan called to say they had the parts and the repair would be complete by the end of the next week. This never happened. After another month passed, nissan called to say they didnt have the proper tools to replace the engine. I went to nissan and observed the car had not moved or had any work done at all since it was dropped off in june. Nissan has called back again and advised they are unable to do the repair and that I should come pick the car up as is and try some other dealership. Nissan has had this vehicle since 06/09/17. Nissan has had this car for 5 months and has not begun the recall repair.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed excessive amounts of oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic informed the contact that debris entered the catalytic converter and damaged the engine. The mechanic referred the contact to the authorized dealer for further assistance. The dealer stated that the vehicle was previously repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling) in 2005. The recall remedy did not correct the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Purchased vehicle pre-owned,seller appeared honest & truthful about the vehicle,however after about 2 weeks of ownership I noticed high oil consumption,probably about a quart a week,,didnt think much about it,except that I probably have bad rings,or leaking intake valves/seals and would require costly engine repair.my daughter came home one day and mentioned the car wouldnt go over 15 MPH,so I took it for a ride & as she said,intermittantly the vehicle would only go 15-20 MPH,rendering the car unsafe to drive,,when I got back with the car I opened the hood only to see the front catalytic converter was glowing bright orange and no exhaust exiting the tailpipe,,,I know enough about cars to know that can only mean the converter is clogged solid,,,,inquired at a local nissan dealer what the warranty was on the the cat and they said it was 8 yrs,80k miles,,,did some research on the web and find out theres a recall on it,the cat coming apart & pieces of it getting sucked up into the intake causing catastrophic engine damage,,,nissan was replacing the cats,installing heat shields,and replacing engines to to the defect of the cat,,,,,dealer says he cant help me,,,,,check the web,its an ongoing problem with the altimas as well as the sentras,,,this is something that nissan knows is an issue and should take care of this..
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v251000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the service engine warning lamp remained illuminated. The contact also stated that the oil was constantly low and had to be refilled. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who replaced the 02 sensor, but the failure recurred. While traveling, the vehicle hesitated and the contact had to apply the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal to keep the vehicle from stalling. The contact was not able to get the vehicle to restart after exiting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer who diagnosed that the pre-catalyst overheated, which caused the catalyst substrate particles to flow into the engine. The mechanic also diagnosed that the cylinder walls failed causing oil consumption, which leaked into the spark plugs causing damages. The engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and would not provide a remedy. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000. Updated 8/19/15*cn updated 10/06/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While stopped at an intersection, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to restart, but the failure recurred on numerous occasions. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle would consume oil rapidly and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed excessive amounts of oil. The dealer suspected that the failure was probably associated with the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000.
This was not an accident but a manufacturer fault. The engine is burning excessive amounts of oil to the tune of 1 qt per 200 miles.
- faulty intake valve timing control solenoid valve - intake valve timing control solenoid valve harness is open or shorted - intake valve timing control solenoid valve circuit poor electrical connection - faulty camshaft position sensor - camshaft position sensor harness is open or shorted - camshaft position sensor circuit poor electrical connection - faulty crankshaft position sensor (pos) since the intake valve timing control solenoid valve uses oil flow to control timing, dirty oil can cause the valve to stuck open or close. Before replacing the valve, change engine oil and filter and reset engine code. When there is a gap between angle of target and phase-control angle degree, the valve will stop working and the ECM will trigger the p0021 code. Possible symptoms - engine light on (or service engine soon warning light)- lack/loss of power- engine rough idle p0021 nissan description this mechanism hydraulically controls cam phases continuously with the fixed operating angle of the intake valve. The ECM receives signals such as crankshaft position, camshaft position, engine speed, and engine coolant temperature. Then, the ECM sends on/off pulse duty signals to the intake valve timing control solenoid valve depending on driving status. This makes it possible to control the shut/open timing of the intake valve to increase engine torque in low/mid speed range and output in high-speed range. The intake valve timing control solenoid valve changes the oil amount and direction of flow through intake valve timing control unit or stops oil flow. The longer pulse width advances valve angle. The shorter pulse width retards valve angle. When on and off pulse widths become equal, the solenoid valve stops oil pressure flow to fix the intake valve angle at the control position.
If you google 2002 nissan altima problems you will see hundreds if not thousands of people complaining from about 60k to 100k about a design flaw of having the pre catalytic converter too close to the exhaust valves. The pre-cat was found to be a problem of breaking down the metals inside and causing them to be sucked into the engine and ruining the piston rings and ultimately blowing the engine. Nissan had said my car was not part of that recall but low and behold I experience the same symptoms. 2 quarts a week oil consumption, smoke coming out of the tail pipe, no heat until about 4k RPM. Many calls and complaints went upon deaf ears. Why is it so hard for them to see that they missed some on this recall. Many with this engine like sentra's with the 2.5 engine have the same problem. Some have replaced the pre-cat just to have it fail again and ruin the engine after repairs.
Tl * the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and lost power. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the pre-catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle had excessive oil consumption, and was making the catalytic converter failure worst. In addition, the contact mentioned that the vehicle had experienced the exact failure related to the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling)the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage 85,655 and the current mileage was 86,100.
Nissan altima 2.5 auto transmission. Nearly killed me. Car suddenly went to 20 MPH on the interstate in heavy traffic with 18-wheel 30 ton vehicle behind me. Burns oil like crazy. Put in better synthetic oil, burns faster. Had the car die on the interstate at 75mph right in front of an 18-wheeler. Could have died. Could have been killed by the nissan corporation. Know any good lawyers? This is really dangerous, nissan should recall and replace this engine. Replaced catalytic converter, o2 sensor, pre-catalytic converter, spark plugs, some other related stuff. Burns oil even faster than before. Completely ran out of oil in 300 miles. I am trying 10-40 oil to see if the oil burning problem will slow down. Car only has 125000 miles on it. Complete pos. Never buy a nissan, I never will again. This was my first, only 125k on it. I am used to selling perfectly good ford and vws at 250k miles. On the internet most people fail the pre-cat and catalytic converter by 95000 miles, then overheat and blow the entire engine. Cars stopping suddenly at 75 miles an hour are going to kill people. Since nissan is well aware, this is pre-meditated murder. Other symptoms: no power, no acceleration, no response by nissan dealer. Nissan "service" is a joke. Never take a car to nissan for repairs. Unrelated sign of really really bad engineering: paint is falling off car. Never had that happen to a car before, I have a 14 year old ford with 240k and the original paint job, even though it is not garaged.
Service bulletins that may apply
- MIL on with DTC U1000 or U1010 stored in engine control unit
- Engine oil cooler gasket available
- Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code U1000 or U1010 stored in engine control unit
- Engine will not start
- Rattle noise when started cold
- After a cold soak, the engine cranks but does not start
- Essential tool - J-47010 tamper resistant torx plus 25IPR bit
- Alternator noise after engine shut off
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crankshaft position sensor can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- Risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the crankshaft position sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. Certain my 2006 altimas which have been previously remedied under recall campaign 06v223 (nissan r0606) are not included in this recall since the reprogramming for 06v223 also included this reprogramming. The recall began on december 31, 2007. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 07V527000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
- Risk
- This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01v357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261 or infiniti at 1‑800‑662‑6200.
Recall number 03V455000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin may catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate.
- Risk
- Either of these two conditions could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the protruding portion of the exhaust pipe hanger pin. In addition to the corrective action, in order to reduce the risk of fire in the event of poor or improper maintenance that could result in oil spillage, heat shield(s) will be installed on the pre-catalyst and exhaust tube. Owner notification began on july 28, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261. Nissan recall nos. R3007, r3014, r3015, r3016, r3017. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate. If substrate particles enter the combustion chamber, they could score the cylinder walls, resulting in increased oil consumption. If the engine oil level is not checked on a periodic basis and drops below the low level, and the driver continues to operate the vehicle ignoring noticeable engine noise, engine damage may occur which could result in a fire. The pre-catalyst will be tested to ensure it is working properly and replaced if necessary. If damage is found inside the pre-catalyst, it will be necessary to replace the engine.
Recall number 03V084000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2002 Nissan Altima oil consumption
Is excessive oil consumption a common problem on the 2002 Nissan Altima?
168 of 1,047 owner complaints about the 2002 Nissan Altima (16%) mention excessive oil consumption. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
How much does it cost to fix excessive oil consumption on the 2002 Nissan Altima?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $3,792 (median of 29 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2002 Nissan Altima?
There are 3 recalls and 24 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2002 Nissan Altima
Check engine light 193Engine failure 148Stalling 143Won't start 56Loss of power 51Overheating 50Headlights 43Fire or smoke 38Misfire 34Hesitation 22Jerking 16Knocking 15Fuel pump 12Airbag light 10Grinding brakes 9Fuel smell 9Power steering loss 9Tire blowout 9No deployment 8Brake failure 7Fuel leak 7
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