Recently the car would be rough to start. And when it did start it would sputter and shake. Brought the car to a nissan service facility. After the initial diagnosis I was told the head gasket was blown and the catalytic converter was shot. Also told that there was no oil in the reservoir. The oil light never came on so I had no warning that there was a problem.
2002 Nissan Altima engine complaints
Page 14 of 24: complaints 371 to 400 of 682, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I have a 2002 nissan altima with 105,000 miles. I have no oil leaks, smoke coming out when I drive but my car is consuming a quart or more a week. I have 2 small children and I have contacted nissan and they said they haven't heard anything. But on car complaints there are several. I am afraid my engine would blow when I am driving.
2002 altima 2.5 engine- began using oil, a little between changes, increased to using 4 quarts for a 16 mile round trip. Car began to smoke , becoming a hazard to operate, due to the tremendous amount of smoke screen. Was told by mechanic , nissan has issued a bulletin, but not recall on problem of cat. Converter failure, causing engine to fail around 100k.
The federal safety agency campaign # 03v084000. This recall was performed on my nissan altima back in 6/2004. It was not performed completely. Precat was found damaged and replaced but engine was not. Precat failed again in 5/2008 and was replaced under warranty. Engine was not replaced a second time. Engine is now using excessive oil and is a fire hazard. I have contacted nissan north america and I am receiving resistance from them on replacing engine.
My car has a recall for the engine. I took time off from work to go and get my car serviced. The same day of the service, my car "service engine soon" light came on and the car had poor performance. I called the dealership back to explain the situation, and the service person told me to bring it back in. I told them I needed a loaner car so I could go to work. They insisted that they do not issue loaners anymore, so I proceeded to obtain another way. I called the dealership, on several occasions to let them know it was a problem getting my car in without the courtesy of a loaner. In june 2008, I tried to obtain my license but the car failed the emission test. I contacted the nissan headquarters with my complaint making several calls and leaving messages. A regional manager assistant contacted me to let me know the manager will call me within 3 days. She did not contact me like she promised, so I kept calling until finally I requested someone call me asap. I received a call on thursday, 7/31/08 from the regional specialist stating that the problem I am having has nothing to do with the emission test failure and added there was nothing they could do. She referred me to the dealership and stated she has nothing to do with their decision. I called the dealership and the serviceman stated that he had spoken to the regional specialist and when I bring the car in I would have to pay for diagnostic costs and repair services, because it is probably not their problem. As of now, the problem of my car not being repaired and unsafe has not been resolved, which was stated could result in a fatal accident.
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.
We purchased a 2002 nissan altima 2.5s in june 2008 with 69,000 miles and we took the car to the local nissan dealer (universal nissan) when the check engine light came on. The dealer performed work on several recalls including the replacement of the catalytic converter. The engine uses a quart of oil every 50 miles so the dealer did an oil consumption test and the dealer informed us that the engine failed the oil consumption test, that the engine is bad and that it needs to be replaced. We contacted nissan consumer affairs and requested that they replace the engine due to the catalytic converter going bad and allowing material from the damaged pre-catalyst to enter the engine and result in increased oil consumption per their recall # ntb03-070c, dated november 17, 2006. We have been denied our request for nissan to pay for and to replace the defective engine with a new engine. This is a known defect and nissan should replace the engine.
2002 nissan altima recall for catalytic converter. Consumer states that the mechanic stated that the vehicle is not safe for the road. Dealer says they can't do anything due to the fact that the consumer is over the 80,000 warranty. *kb the consumer was told by the dealer, the catalytic converter was too close to the transmission which could cause heat build-up and break down the catalyst which could cause pieces to spray back into the engine.
Bought used 2002 nissan altima 3/07 took car to dave solon nissan, pueblo co 12/07. I commuted every other week to colorado springs on those weeks I was putting 3 quarts of oil. There was no oil leak oil was gone. Nissan couldn't tell me where oil was going they contacted warrant & they decided on a refurbished engine. Got my car back end of december. Jan, feb & march only drove car every other week to springs. Noticed at end of feb I was putting about 8 quarts oil a week. Took it back to nissan in beginning of march they told me I needed to find receipts for oil changes, told them I wasn't sure I could find them. But questioned that it oil would need to be changed when there was no oil in the car after a two days. A week later husband started back to work he took nissan to colo springs for work on his way home it just died out good thing for us on our not so busy street and only a couple of houses from ours. So there it stood for a couple of months not having money to get it towed or even looked at. In may we found a mechanic a mile from our home who would come and tow it to his shop. He looked at it and found we needed a catalytic converter paid $800 for it. When he went to put it in he found where our oil was going. He said 3 of our 4 cylinders were covered in oil which made the catalytic converter explode. He told use to call nissan which I did they said they would not look at the car unless we give them receipts for oil changes again why tried again to find them of course could not locate I think we did 2 in the time frame. Argued with them for a long time they basically told me it was our problem not there's. Went online and researched found many many people with same problem as myself. Need something done about this we are paying for a car that is not working. I would understand if it was our fault but how can a 2002 car with about 89,000 miles on it need another engine. Nissan needs to take the blame and compensate nissan owners.
In the beginning of may my oil light came on while driving. I stopped at the first store I came to and put oil in the car. Before this I had never had any issues with the car burning oil. Within a few days, the car was burning oil at a high rate, about a quart a week. I had a technician look at my car and was told that it looks like some kind of engine failure. At this point I went on line and found out that 2002 nissan altima's had a problem that created excess oil burn and engine damage. On may 23rd I contacted nissan north america who did not respond. On may 30th I contacted nissan north america again and they referred me to a local dealer. On the 30th I brought my car to the dealer who changed my oil ($36.32) in order to do an oil consumption test on my car. One week later I brought the car back and after driving 70 miles the car had burned 4 quarts of oil. When picking up my car, I was told that nissan was not willing to fix my car because my brother was the first owner of the car and not me even though they were aware of engine problems with the 2002 altima engines. They also quoted me a price of $3,792.70 to replace the engine. On thursday, july 10th the engine failed and now needs to be replaced. Nissan had a recall to fix this problem but what ever they did did not work.
Engine head gasket failure,seams to be a common problem and nissan north america won't do anything about it .the gasket was replaced,the head needed to be machined. Events leading to failure, antifreeze loss from overflow tank no leaks or puddles after a two weeks the engine became hard to start. $1600.00.
1. The failure found at june, 6 2008 at mileage 65,000 miles 2. It has misfire code cause by very small cylinder head gasket leak 3. The gasket is replaced and the head cylinder is resurfaced.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact's vehicle was repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign id number 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling). Approximately two weeks later, the vehicle began to exhibit the same symptoms as it did prior to the recall repair. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle would stall and then restart. The vehicle also failed the state smog emissions test due to crankshaft position sensor failure. The dealer was notified of these failures, but informed the contact that the recall repairs could only be performed once. The failure mileage was 123,000.
I own a nissan altima 2002 (54,000 miles) that consumes 3.5 pints of oil every 350 to 400 miles. My mechanic has identified the problem related to the federal safety agency # 03v‑084 on 11/29/07 and tells me that my engine should be changed by nissan. My muffler, catalytic converter o2 sensors had to be changed on 3/28/08 the nissan dealership does not want to acknowledge the issue related to the recall. I have been trying to contact nissan customer relations without success. What else can I do?
In late 2007, I would have to start up my 2002 nissan altima a couple of times before it would crank up. On the way home one day, as I was getting on the interstate my car shut off at low speed. I reviewed my problem online and found a recall for the exact same problem. I took it in to the dealership thinking that this would be a free fix, nooottt! It just so happens that my VIN was not on the recall. I paid about $300 to fix this problem. This year I have had nothing but problems. Around may I had my engine light to come on. My belt would also start to rattle whenever the car would be stopped in drive with the A/C on. This would not occur when the car was in park or neutral, only in drive. The rattling would go away once the car was moving, but as soon as you stop, there it was again. If you turn the A/C off when you are stopped, the rattling would go away. I took the car to the dealership again. They diagnosed the problem as having to replace a blown head gasket and the front right engine mount. Both were replaced at a cost to me for $1,300.00. The next day, my engine light comes on again. I took it to the dealership again and this time it was the cat converter with o2 sensor that needed to be replaced. This was fixed for $1,000.00. Of course my belt rattling problem was not repaired yet. Took the car back again and after spending 2 hours at nissan talking to the mechanic, he said that tensioner pulley needed to be replaced. After $200.00, the rattling problem is still there. I am out of ideas of what the problem could be with my car to stop the rattling noise, and I think the mechanic at nissan feels the same way. By the way, my sister has a 2003 nissan altima and her car is the doing the exact same rattling noise. This must be a problem with nissan and not with individual cars. Please help hold nissan responsible for all the problems that their cars have!!!!
I own a 2002 nissan altima 2.5 se sedan that has a design flaw, (admitted by nissan) that causes the engine to burn oil at an excessive rate. Many other owners have acknowledged this problem but nissan has arrogantly denied all of its customers. This problem can cause engine failure at any time and injury due to fire. Please demand that nissan recalls these models and does the right thing. One thing that I would also like to mention is that my children ride in this car with me. If this problem were to endanger their safety, nissan would be out of business, I'd make sure of it!!! Thanks for your attention.
My engine light will not shut off!!!!
2002 nissan altima, case#5865538. The very public and well-documented problems with oil consumption in the 2002 and 2003 nissan altimas warrant your immediate attention. I have spent over 26 months and thousands of dollars trying to fix my car. I first noticed an oil consumption problem at about 75,000 miles. I keep up with the required services on my vehicle and I make oil changes at the recommended intervals at a minimum, so I tried additional oil changes and oil refills. These efforts did not seem to work; so I replaced the catalytic converter, the two crank position sensors, the pcv valve, four coil packs, two oxygen sensors, and the spark plugs. Many of these items were on recall and nissan should have paid for them, but I paid for them. I found countless numbers of nissan altima owners were having the exact same issues. In fact, there are now reports of the 2002/2003 altima's engines catching on fire because of this oil consumption problem. This risk of engine fire presents a risk for injury or death to vehicle occupants, especially since part of the problem includes no warning that the engine is running dry. Nissan north america has it within their power to turn this apparent failure into a public relations and customer satisfaction and loyalty success story. I have done everything they have asked, which included multiple oil consumption tests. When these tests were being performed, I was told that if they cracked the engine and did an engine inspection to prove the engine was well maintained, I would receive a new engine. The local huntsville dealership cracked the engine and stated it was the cleanest they ever saw. When nissan north america was informed of this they declined my request for a new engine or any assistance. After pressing the nissan agent as to why, he said it was a business decision and nissan north america could not afford to replace everyone's engine.
1. On june, 8 2008, at 65,200 miles 2. Randomly misfire code that cause by very small leak cylinder head gasket that cannot be detected easily. (no overheat, no smokes from the muffler, just slow lowering coolant fluid level) 3. Change the cylinder head gasket, and warped cylinder head.
I took my 2002 nissan altima in for repair. When I was told my catalytic converter was bad also destroying my engine. I searched your web site for recalls and found one dealing with this exact problem. When I brought it up to my dealer they said the recall was done in january of this year, if it was already done why would it happen again and shouldn't they replace the engine?well I contacted nissan and they told me that they wouldn;t honor the recall ! So I would like to file a complaint and hope that you can pressure nissan to update their service to cover the second time this same defect happens to over 250,000 cars.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that the engine does not start. When the engine does start, the vehicle shutters and then shuts off. The vehicle was taken to the repair shop, but the engine is still not working properly. The current mileage was 109,000 and failure mileage was 100,000.
2002 nissan altima pre-cat problem. Pre-cat comes apart, a backflow of debris enters engine via the exhaust manifold and causes engine damage. This condition is the result of a design flaw involving the pre catalytic converter. Contacted nissan north america was told nothing could be done on their part as this is an isolated incident. Apparently there was a recall to replace the pre-cat on these engines which only served in most cases to put off the pre-cat blow up past engine warranty.
When I start my car in the morning it always takes two or three times for the car to start. I figured maybe my engine was just cold. But then when I was driving, I slowed down because a red light was coming up and my car completely shut off!! I was so scared because my I almost hit the person in front of me. I figured that something was wrong so I better take my car to the dealership soon. The next day my car wouldn't start at all?? I had to have my car towed to the dealership but before I went, I checked to see if there were any recalls on my car. There was a recall on my vehicle regarding the regarding the crankshaft sensor. The whole time my car was behaving this way the service light never appeared. When the I got to the certified nissan dealership they explained that yes there is a recall but that my vehicle needed "a new crankshaft sensor because my senor was no longer good." I said the recall clearly states that the crankshaft sensor is known to overheat which caused my crankshaft senor to now be replaced. So, I should be able to get my crankshaft senor under this recall. They insisted no and if I have any problems I need to contact the manufacturer. Please help!!!
I have 2002 nissan altima 2.5 s,my car burn oil like crazy, could make a fire if I didn't keep checking on the oil level, I spent 5 quart just from iowa to minneapolis and for the local drive I need to refill 1 quart of oil every 5-6 days (between office and home which is just 4 minutes driving).
2002 nissan altima. 1)rear pads + rotors worn at 35,000 miles: replaced at owners cost. Now 83000 miles(may '08): dealer has told rotors and pad need replacement and possibly calipers need to be evaluated. At 75000 mile check everything was ok. (per the service record). In jan'08 I had specifically asked the breaks to be inspected. Told ok. Now suddenly the rotors are shot. Other than a squeal sound for 2 days no other symptoms. Concerned about how brakes go from fine to shot in 3 months. I think it is a big safety concern if the time it takes breaks to disintegrate is less than a 3 month period. 2) engine not starting after parked in the cold. Happened twice once at 48000 miles. (lower bill. ) 2nd time at 78000 miles. (huge bill ~$1000). Multiple parts replaced and serviced. Highlighted as problem on various forums with this particular nissan model. Evaluate possibility related to ECM timings etc.
Losing oil and coolant which LED to complete engine failure in march 2006. Replaced engine and 50k miles later losing coolant and misfire on cylinder 3. Suspect head gasket problem.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that ignition does not immediately turnover when attempting to start the vehicle. The ignition hesitates regularly in all temperatures. Prior to the failure, the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. She took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the fuel pressure was in good condition and the cooling level was low. There was maintenance work performed on the cooling system. The mechanic also observed that the head gasket was leaking internally and advised that it be replaced. The heater has been replaced twice on the vehicle. The head gasket has not yet been repaired. The failure mileage was 65,000 and current mileage was 66,783.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While driving at any speed, the vehicle would shut off and take 5-10 minutes to restart. The failure worsened over the course of a few days. The dealer stated that the crank shaft positioning sensor needed to be replaced. There are two the federal safety agency campaign id numbers (03v455000 and 07v527000), both for engine and engine cooling; however, the contact was informed that there were no recalls on her vehicle and she would have to pay for the repair. The current and failure mileages were 114,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). He called the dealer and had the vehicle repaired. Several years later, while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle failed without warning. He took the vehicle back to the dealer and a representative informed him that because the vehicle had previously been repaired under the recall, he would be responsible for the repair costs. The vehicle has been repaired. In addition, the representative at the dealer advised him that when the vehicle was repaired in 2004, the technician used the same exact part that they removed to repair the vehicle. The contact called the dealer, but they did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 49,555. Updated 06/09/2008. *lj the crank position sensor was replaced. Updated 06/09/08.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While driving 75 MPH, the contact heard a bumping sound from outside the vehicle and noticed that the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle lost power and the brakes failed. The contact had to use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. Once the vehicle was stopped, she was unable to place the vehicle into park. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed that the front end caught fire. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 143,000.
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