Just commuting to work and using my car for leisure; however, every other month I have to put oil into my car because the oil light comes on. This is with me doing my quarterly if not earlier oil changes. My 2002 nissan altima only has 73000 miles and is consuming oil and now has begun shaking when at a stop and shakes even more when the A/C is on. I've had it checked out and have been told it need a new engine because the oil has to do with the engine and the shaking they can't figure out what is wrong with it. Nissan refuses to take ownership in this mechanical error. I've been doing research and I see that I'm not alone in this costly situation. It's hard for me to trust nissan when I feel as if they refuse to listen to the consumers.
2002 Nissan Altima engine complaints
Page 13 of 24: complaints 341 to 370 of 682, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My 2002 nissan altima has very high oil consumption. Seems that I"m not alone according to the dealer service people. Is costing me a lot in replacing engine and catalytic converter.
Bought my 2002 altima new in may \'02. The car has received all major and minor services, oil changes, and recalls through a nissan dealership. Recently the service engine light came on. The dealer said there was an ongoing head gasket leak that had gone undetected paired with a sound from the timing chain that indicated it was soon to go. Recommendation: engine replacement. Mind you, the car was in this nissan dealership a month prior for a routine minor service and 2 weeks prior to this \"diagnosis\" for a recall. Nothing was indicated on either occasion. After pleading, the dealership submitted to nissan a proposal for them to cover the cost (which was denied by nissan head quarters) then nissan approved a 50/50 compensation (me paying 1/2 and nissan paying 1/2) I then opened a claim with nissan\'s regional office in the hopes that they would cover the cost but was told that the 50/50 offer was the best they could do.. Damage resulting = a new engine was quoted at approx: 3500.00. I ended up paying 1700 pre-taxed out of my pocket.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact received a recall notice for the entire emission system and took the vehicle to be repaired. He also stated that the converter needed to be replaced according to a voluntary recall. The converter was not replaced because the dealer would not do it for free. The federal safety agency campaign id number was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 86,323.
Nissan (woodfield nissan, hoffman estates, il) is not forthright in acknowledging recall # ntb03-070c and is not willing repairing this know hazard.
My nissan altima has gone through 2 catalytic converts and is burning 2 quarts of oil every 100 miles.
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.
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, the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Engine light. See service bulleton 06009. The federal safety agency# 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.
My complaint is the same as about 50 other complaints I found on this site. My check engine light came on and when we brought it to the dealer to get it fixed, we were told that the catalytic convert failed and the engine ingested particles that scored the cylinder heads. Now the engine needs to be replaced. We contacted nissan to see if they would help differ the cost of the repair and was told the catalytic converter was past the 80,000 mi. Warranty period and we did not buy enough nissan vehicles in the past to warrant any good will. In fact the region nissan rep refused to even acknowledge that she had heard of this problem before even though the dealer told me that they see a large number of this same problem every year. In reading recalls like 03v084000, it appears that this is a known defect that nissan has agreed to repair voluntarily, but is now not standing behind their agreement. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to persuade nissan to help out. Also, my vehicle has been experiencing all of the symptoms of the 03v455000 recall but the dealer tells me that this recall was already performed by the previous owner. Even the dealers own diagnostic test shows the p0335 ckp sensor circuit error code is still a problem. Can a recall be performed twice if a failure occurs again? The info provide in your description of the remedy for this recall seems to indicate that the circuit boards installed under the previous recall 01v357 were still defective. What should I do?
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling) and took the vehicle to the dealer for repair. A technician stated that because his electronic control module already failed, the contact would have to replace the ECM at the cost of $500. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 99,359.
I bought a used 2002 nissan altima 2.5 sl 2 months ago. I took it to nissan service center 2 times for in 2 months for oil change. Last time I got "engine check soon " icon so I asked to do diagnostic engine check and required repair. They did it and said coolant level is low and engine cap is leaking pressure so need to replace the radiator cap. After 1 month I had a mechanical failure problem on highway suddenly and a rod threw from inside the engine out and made a whole on engine. This engine was called for a recall in march 2008 and it was done. But now I got the same problem again and now turned out to be a big problem to replace the whole engine. I'm a student and I can't pay $4500 for this. Nissan should take responsibility for this and bare the cost. This car's warranty period is also over. But as nissan servicers know that when engine check soon problem occurs in these vehicles it is going to crash but they don't tell this. Nissan must take responsibility for my losses.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While driving at any speed, the engine made a grinding noise. The contact examined the engine and noticed that there was no oil present. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The failure occurred without warning. The current mileage was 118,000 and failure mileage was 75,000.
I loved the car until recently when I started having problems with the heater. Months ago, I noticed that my heater was not working properly. I took it to be looked at and the mechanic told me that there may be bubbles in the coolant line. They bled the line, refilled it and it was fine for awhile. I have no heat again. They checked and could find no external leaks. This has been a problem for the past year, and every few months I need my coolant replaced and bled. I've gone to numerous mechanics and nobody can find the leak. I've searched many sites and forums and this seems to be a recurring problem for my type of car. The engine is overheating because the coolant is leaking, the car idles rough and is driving w/ higher rpms than it used.
I loved the car until recently when I started having problems with the heater. Months ago, I noticed that my heater was not working properly. I took it to be looked at and the mechanic told me that there may be bubbles in the coolant line. They bled the line, refilled it and it was fine for awhile. I have no heat again. They checked and could find no external leaks. This has been a problem for the past year, and every few months I need my coolant replaced and bled. I've gone to numerous mechanics and nobody can find the leak. I've searched many sites and forums and this seems to be a recurring problem for my type of car. The engine is overheating because the coolant is leaking, the car idles rough and is driving w/ higher rpms than it used.
Too many issues to remember than all but I'll try: - excessive oil use - excessive coolant use - overheating to the aforementioned issues - intermittent transmission issues - failing airbag - electrical issues - broken sensors - catalytic converters gone bad - oxygen sensors gone bad - intermittent failure to start - intermittent car shaking and so on.
At about 80,000 miles my 2002 nissan altima had an issue where the coolant started leaking into to combustion chamber, had to have the heads resurfaced, and cat converters replaced. Now the car burns oil, has to be replaced at about 1000 miles (completely empty if I let it go to 1500 miles). The car now stops when driving at slow speeds, starts right back up, but dies while driving.
Excessive oil consumption after precatalyst sucked into engine, which caused nissan to declare my engine was shot. This a known issue with nissan. Hundreds of others have reported it. There should be a recall issued by nissan and engines replaced for free.
I own a 2002 nissan altima 2.5l. I had my car looked at in early 2008 because my heater was not working. The mechanic said the coolant was low but could find no problem so he topped it off and told me to keep an eye on it. In the summer of 2008 I noticed it was going through coolant again. It would also shudder when first started and a foul black smoke would come out of the tailpipe. My mechanic looked at it and said the head gasket was out. So he is replacing the head gasket. He just ordered the parts and his supplier said they were sending out about one a month, which is a lot. They also have a different number, so it looks like they had to change the design of the head gasket. Initial costs put it around $1500. I did internet research and found that this is very common with this car starting around 87,000 miles. The internet also mentioned problem with the pre-cat and oxygen sensors. I feel that a car only 6 years old should not be experiencing these problems. I loved the car until I started having serious engine problems with it.
After replacing the oxygen sensor various times, I began to get huge amounts of oil consumption where I had to add every week. As a result the catalytic converter was shot, and also ruined the engine. During that period, my 2002 altima had spontaneously shut down completely while operating on city roads and interstate freeways. Despite having perfect maintenance and completing all recalls (see the federal safety agency recall number: 03v084000 or nissan recall r3007), I had no choice but to replace the engine. The design is completely flawed and no recall will correct this bad design.
2002 nissan altima 3.5l oil consumption! I have owned the car since 18 miles, I have done oil changes every 3k. I lose almost a quart every 1k miles. I have seen many issues with the vq and still no recall. Please help!
2002 nissan altima - engine is going through 2 quarts of oil every 100 miles. I have done some simple research on this and find that hundreds of people have the same problem and apparently nissan is aware of it yet claim that there is no problem. The basics of the issue are that an internal part of the catalytic converter is getting sucked back up into the engine scoring the cylinder. My daughter's car has about 100,000 miles on it however there are complaint after complaint on various blogs of the same thing happening as soon as 50-60,000 miles. Her car has had regular maintenance and this should not be an issue. The cost of replacing the engine is $5,000. I have read stories of engines having been replaced 2 times on the same car. Does nissan have to address this or can they just blow off the customer and pretend that there is no issue with the motor, converter etc?
Own a 2002 nissan altima; replaced catalytic converter 6/2005 @ 71k miles. It fell under federal emissions warranty. 7/2008 service engine light on again and seem to be burning through oil. Took into balise nissan - converter needs to be replaced again, needs more expensive tests to diagnose oil issue. Googled 2002 nissan altima problems, consumer affairs website had post after post of owners with the same problem as I've had/having. Ultimate fix, need to replace engine. One man replaced engine twice and car is still not correct. Called nissan headquarters, the regional rep, catherine, who was extremely rude as though I was trying to accomplish something terrible, said she reviewed my complaint and there is nothing nissan will do because there are no recalls pending and the car is a 2002 and now has 126k on it and my warranty expired. I told her the initial problem happened while I was still under warranty and obviously that had to be a problem also because a well maintained vehicle, regardless of mileage should not burn through 2 catalytic converters in 6 years and also need a new engine. I also tried to bring her attention to the countless other owners with the same issue, she did not want to discuss it. There is an obvious problem with the vehicles...please help!!!!!
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the service engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer for a diagnostic and they stated that the catalytic converter failed. The vehicle has not been repaired or driven. The failure was identical to the one mentioned in the recall; however, her VIN was not included. The recall number was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 96,764.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While driving 70 MPH, the engine failed in the middle of the road. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that there was no oil in the engine. As a result, a rod failed and destroyed the engine. The nissan dealer stated that there were no recalls for this issue. The failure mileage was 100,000.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2002 Nissan Altima?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history