general problems of the 2002 Nissan Altima - part 2

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated two days after he brought the vehicle it would not start. The contact stated he is having the same problems as in the recall 03v455000. The driver states he contacted his Nissan dealer and they told him to bring in the vehicle and they would check it and if it were the same problem they would fix it free of charge. The contact stated that now they are telling him his vehicle VIN is not included in the recall. The failure and current mileages was 126,100. Updated 04/16/10. The consumer stated the crankshaft position sensor was faulty. The consumer stated the crank shaft position sensor was replaced at his expense on March 10,2010 and the next day the vehicle would not start again. Updated 05/17/10.

I made a complaint by phone regarding my 2002 Nissan Altima and have yet to hear back or get a copy as promised of my complaint. Due to the many complaints, concerns and problems related to this year ,make and model ,you would think Nissan would be a little bit more concerned and wanting to remedy the problems that exist to avoid legal action for ignoring a potently dangerous problem that could be deadly . All though I have not been hurt physically ,mentally I am beside myself thinking if you cant get Nissan to step up to the plate then who can???? I had a engine replaced by Nissan dealership and it did not last 20,000 miles before the catalytic converter fell apart and got sucked up in the engine. . Nissan is aware of the recalls for this year/make/model???? its time to do something as you have pages and pages of complaints regarding this exact thing and it is obvious Nissan will do nothing because they get away with it time and time again. . They are worse than Toyota, at least Toyota admits there is a problem. . . Please let me know what and when you intend on doing something to get Nissan to do what's right?/?.

After googling the make, year and problem of oil consuption and engine and catalytic converter problems with this model year, it is overwhelming what you find. This is a huge problem with thousands of troubled consumers who have gone to Nissan for an obvious defect in product to no avail. My car has the exact same problem and was told by my local Nissan dealer that the faulty catalytic converters made that year are not covered and was told that Nissan knew of the problem but will do nothing about it because of what it would cost them. Please help us. . . . .

The contact owns a 2002 2. 5 Nissan Altima . While driving approximately 25 mph the contact heard a noise coming from the engine. He stated that he continued to drive the vehicle to his residence where the oil was checked. He added oil to the engine after he noticed that there was no oil on the stick. The failure had occurred for nearly a year. The vehicle was not taken to an authorized dealer or local repair facility. The vehicle continued to use excessive amounts of oil. He had to add two quarts of oil per week. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000. The current mileage is 83,000. Updated 10/05/10 updated 10/07/jb.

Our first problem came when the Altima had several holes blown into the engine when the catalytic converter failed to hold up because of a defective design in the engine. I did take the car in for the recall, but what they did not fix the issue, and my mechanic told me I was fortunate that the entire car did not set on fire or that it didn't happen when I was on a highway. I fought hard and spoke to person after person and finally found the president of customer relations number(4 weeks into calling), they told me that because I had kept such great records of our service history that they would replace my engine. Now I have a new defect in this car. The metal floor pan has a defect and there has been no recall! there are actually huge holes in the floor of my car that could prove deadly and make my car not road worthy. They are asking $2,000 to $3,000 to fix this!!! fraud. I am so livid. This car has been one nightmare after another. I want to feel as if my family is safe in the car I am driving. Who worries that the floor might fall out from underneath them when they are driving??? or heaven forbid, something hit the bottom and come right into the car! I'm so angry about this car. Please tell me that I am not helpless.

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.

I own a 2002 Nissan Altima , I have to put a quart of oil in this car every 50 miles, from wha t I have found on the internet this is a very common problem , that Nissan knows about and refuses to admit to the public this is a defect in the motor, that the recall will cost the company to much in repairs. We are a family on a fixed income and can't afford the $6000. 00 for repairs on this car. Nissan asks so much for these cars they should stand behind their products and repair this defect!!!!.

On Tuesday 11/25/08 I was driving my 2002 Nissan Altima to work and the car turned off in mid drive on a major highway. I did some research and found out about a recall (#03v455000) on this website. It matched exactly what happened to my vehicle. I took the car to the dealership and told them of the recall. They told me that the same parts needed to be replaced (crank position sensors, and camshaft position sensors) but my car was not a part of the recall and therefore I had to pay out of pocket for the repair. My vehicle matches the recall on your website 100% " 2002 Nissan Altima. . . On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process. . . 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 would result in crash. . . Dealers will replace the crank position sensors, camshaft position sensors, and in some cases the variable timing control sensors. " again, the dealership has neglected to recognize this as a valid recall. I want to be reimbursed for the repair costs.

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.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle would not stop when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle eventually came to a slow stop and the steering wheel stiffened. The contact turned off the vehicle, but it failed to restart. The failure was diagnosed as the catalytic converter, which needed to be replaced as well as the engine. The failure and current mileages were 81,000.

My car keeps consuming oil 2qts every couple hundred miles. This is outrageous. I've been told that I need to replace my engine and that this is a common problem with the year and the vehicle I have. Not only this but also my catalytic converter needs to be replaced!!! please help!!.

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.

Catalytic converter went out. Heater core went out, therefore no heat in the car.

No heat, oil loss, coolant loss, check engine stating misfire, O2 sensors replaced, replaced spark plugs, currently car will not start.

Car engine stopped working on the road.

(1) catalytic converter failed and eventually caused engine to fail on the highway going 60 mph. Car went off the road and almost hit oncoming traffic. (2) I replaced the engine and the same thing is happening to me again. Nissan is refusing to replace the engine even though they know it is a safety hazard. (3) unfortunately they have done nothing to correct the problem, and I can produce 100's of people across the country who have suffered from the same problem and Nissan is refusing to do anything. I don't understand how they can be allowed to get away with this???.

Throughout the last 4 yrs, on several occasions when shifting the transmission it doesn't engage. I have pulled from a parking spot using reverse, and just when I am pulling into traffic and shift to drive the car doesn't respond. The engine doesn't react to the accelerator; the engine is running but the car is unresponsive. When it happens I have to push the car to the side of the road and turn it off. One time it took about 15 mins to be able to restart and restore all functions. On another occasion I ended up having to wait until the next day. The scary part is that the engine and transmission are completely unresponsive when you need it the most; getting into traffic. I have been blessed and very lucky that it has only happened when pulling out of a parking spot or my out of my driveway. What I am extremely afraid is if this were ever to happen when pulling out into a highway or busy street traffic. This is similar to the risk associated with recall NHTSA campaign #07v527000. Please correct the problem before someone gets kill; we should never wait that long or let it go that far.

2002 Nissan Altima problems with the engine consuming oil. Consumer states that her VIN and production date is not in the service campaign for the problem. Therefore the dealer told her they cannot fix her vehicle. The consumer she took the vehicle to a repair shop after she noticed the vehicle began to loose oil and the vehicle made a rough idling sound. The mechanic informed the consumer that the catalytic converter had gone bad, and being that it was attached to the engine, the engine would need to be replaced. The mechanic also stated that oil and other debris had extracted back into the engine block which caused the pistons to grind on broken converter pieces.

2002 Nissan Altima 2. 5s, while driving on the expressway the Altima just cut off completely. The steering locked not giving me time to pull over off the road. This has happened 5 times. Twice at high speed and 2 times at low speed and once stopped at a traffic light. I have read many complaints about this same problem and actually spoke to one driver with the same exact car with the same problem. That driver took the car in, and was told by the dealer that they couldn't find anything wrong. I will be taking my car to dealer at a rate of $110. 00 to have it checked . Someone should recall all these cars for the safety of the owners and their passengers. This is a serious problem for so many people to complain about, not including the one's that have not taken out time to voice their complaints. Please inform me of any recalls involving this matter. I also, had other problems with the knocking from the engine, and the air conditioner. When I took it in to be checked while under warranty they again claimed they didn't t find anything wrong. Please investigate before and not after someone is seriously hurt or killed.

: the contact stated the vehicle did not start. There were some fumes prior to the incident. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who determined the catalyst converter came apart internally and sent the debris to the engine, damaging the engine. Updated 03/07/07.

There was a crank shaft sensor recall on my vehicle which was repaired 2 years ago. Last month the crank shaft sensor went out and was not cover by Nissan. This vehicle has had 2 crank shaft sensors. It's hard to believe that a vehicle would go through 2 crank shaft sensors if the part weren't defective.

I have a 2002 Nissan Altima 2. 5l. My car receives regular maintenance every 3 months and/or 3,000 miles (documentation can be provided), it never sits longer than 2 or 3 day, and it's driven on the highway for my work commute. Twice my car suddenly wouldn't start without warning. The first time it was fixed, which was around April, there were several recalls for my car. One was for the fuel pump screen and the engine sensor that would cause the car to not start or suddenly stop running. This second time (10-24-05), my local mechanic showed me a 6-page service technical bulletin that was issued by alldata for my non-starting problem. The document suggested replacing the starter, adding a Nissan brand fuel injector cleaner and/or reprogramming the computer to fix the problem. This second repair will cost me about $500 to fix when I pick up my car tomorrow. I thought the recall repairs would resolve this issue, but those repairs proved to only provide a temporary fix, but not resolve the underlying problem. Since there's a service technical bulletin about my non-starting issue, 2 recalls related to this same problem, and I've had the same problem happen twice, I think my car should be recalled. I'm fortunate that I wasn't driving the car when it stopped running or that could have caused a serious accident. I should not have the same problem happen twice in 6 months. If my car fails to start twice in 6 months and the recall repairs don't remedy the problem, then there must be something else causing the problem. I'd hate to find out in a few months that the $500 start replacement wasn't the culprit, because I'd be back at square one. Please tell me how I can get this issue escalated to a recall status or what I can do to prevent a 3rd failure. Thank you, jenny r. Baker.

My "service engine soon" light came on and I took my car to a local shop. They let me know that the cam/crank sensor was the problem and that it had been recalled by Nissan. I took the car and paper work on the recall to Nissan and was told that it was not recalled on my car. I told them to fit it anyway and was quoted $385. I returned home and called Nissan. I was told that the crank sensor had already been fixed on my car. I do not recall having thes done. I explained that if it was done, it was done improperly because it needs to be fixed again. They said that they would look into it and gave me a file number and said that I should hear something back within 24 hours.

My 2002 Nissan Altima had sparks plugs changed as a manufacturer recommended service. After I picked the car up and drove it for some time I would periodically smell gas coming through the vents. I took it to the dealer several times and they said they could not duplicate this problem. Later the catalytic converter ceased working and I am told the car has to have the engine replaced. The catalytic converter was already replaced once by the dealer before the 60,000 mile mark. I have documentation that my car's engine was also using excessive oil as has been reported in the media. I am told because the warranty has passed, there is nothing that Nissan will do. I am still making payments on this car. I have all the documentation to support my claim that this was a defective car. I have read in the news reports that Nissan will recall all Altima's back to the 2003 model year. I have the 2002 model which was the first line put out of this particular model. I am wondering what rights I have. If Nissan does recall all the way back to 2002, how can my car be repaired if the engine has already failed? I would like to send in all of my documentation so my case can be studied and I can know where I stand.

The consumer was driving and heard a loud bang on the passenger side. She exited the vehicle and checked it and everything seemed fine. As they accelerated smoke started coming from the engine. Consumer exited the vehicle and was walking away from it to call for help when it burst into flames.

Attempted to have an oil change done by wal-mart. They informed me that they are no longer authorized to change the oil on the 2002 Nissan Altima vehicle due to the dip sticks breaking off in many of the cars they have serviced.

No collision- while driving the vehicle made a large noise and suddenly everything shut down. The engine was on fire and we had car towed. Car needs complete new engine. Two different auto shops said they had no idea what could have caused this. Car had always been properly maintained. Nissan was notified and came to take pictures of car in November 2004. Has been under "legal review" ever since and company has been less than cooperative when we've tried to contact them numerous times, so we've contacted an attorney.

(1) my 2002 Nissan Altima shutters and dies when being driven at low rpms. I. E. (heavy traffic, or stopping at a traffic light). (2) it shuts completely off when in motion. (3) I had the vehicle serviced last week, for this problem, and it's back at the shop again today for the same problem. I tried to explain that there was a related recall issue, but kevin at urban Nissan in duncanville told me that according to his system, there were no recall issues for my car.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after driving a short distance. The vehicle would also hesitate while driving 5-10 mph. The failure only occurred during warm weather. The dealer was unable to diagnose the cause of failure. She took the vehicle to a different dealer and they stated that the cam shaft positioning sensor should be replaced. They made the repair, however, the failure continued to occur. The dealer stated that the vehicle needed a new head gasket. She took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and he stated that the vehicle needed a new engine. As of September 4, 2007, the vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 20,000 and current mileage was 96,000.

Consumer stated while traveling on the highway at approximately 65 mph motor lost power. Consumer pulled to the shoulder until the vehicle came to a complete stop. Also, consumer waited for a few minutes and then restarted the vehicle. Consumer checked the fluids. After everything checked out okay, he then drove the vehicle home. Two days later, consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and he told them what had happened. Also, consumer called the insurance company to report the incident. He was told to report it to the manufacturer, and found out there was a recall on this problem. Consumer asked them to replace the motor, and they refused.

Recall 03v084000 concerning engine coolant. Consumer claimed that vehicle consumed too much oil. Dealer claimed that vehicle should not use more than 1 quart of oil per 5000 miles, even though the recall was done. Consumer felt that vehicle was still using too much oil. Ak.

I've owned my 2002 Nissan for about 6 months now the previous owner informed me prior to purchase about issues she was having and the reason she was selling the car, explain to me that her friend who has worked on cars 20+ yrs felt if cause could be found it was repairable but seems luck she had is now the luck I'm having. I have a couple ppl look over the car under hood and run diagnostics but nothing can be found. . I can't afford to junk the car my income budget is tight and doesn't allow much wiggle room to purchase a new ride a friend told me about the NHTSA website so we went exploring entering my VIN number comes back no recalls but looking over the recalls for saying make and model and year of my vehicle there's 12 to 15 recalls on it from headlights which I'm is an issue to engine stalls to catalyst issues but yet I'm told that no because we're done on my vehicle I know I'm not the first owner it's a vehicle that I just purchased but I want to speak to someone that can clarify or help me with finding out if my vehicle is actually supposed to be in recalls of these certain things because they were fitted the descriptions of what can take place fit what I'm experiencing and what the previous owner is experienced perfectly please contact me thank you for your time.

Consumer unable to get recall work done on her vehicle. The parts were not available. Recall 03v455000.