Engine Cooling System problems of the 2002 Nissan Altima - part 1

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 NHTSA 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.

Nissan Altima 4 door. My daughter chelsey raposa 61 perkins st somerset MA. While driving the vehicle ignition switch, oil, cooling, coil pack cause a major crash, totaling a complete wreckage. Chelsey sustained, serious medical attention, taken to the hospital by ambulance. I started a seorios of complaints which Nissan failed to comment or investigate.

Tl- the contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated the vehicle was consuming excessive amounts of oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician suspected that the failure was probably associated to recall NHTSA campaign number: 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000. Pam.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where the contact was informed of a recall under NHTSA campaign id number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repairs however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that her vehicle had an outstanding recall under NHTSA campaign id number: 03v251000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly) however none for the crank shaft position sensor. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 180,000.

Tl-the contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 37,027. Djr.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 25 mph. He was able to immediately restart yet the failure recurred three times. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number: 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling) and inquired with the dealer to determine if the vehicle was included in the recall. The dealer advised that the vehicle would first need a diagnostic test at the contacts expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the manufacturer for assistance who only referred him back to the dealer. The current mileage was 128,138 and the failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that he took the vehicle to the dealer for the crank shaft position sensor recall, but the repair didn't correct the failure. On October 19, 2010 when he attempted to start the vehicle the crank sensor failed. The dealer was contacted and stated that the failure might be caused by the crank shaft position sensor. The vehicle will be towed to the dealer. Report 69622767 was filed with the manufacturer and stated that they would only pay for NHTSA recall 03v455000, engine and engine cooling repair one time. The contact will be responsible for the repair cost. The failure and the current mileages were 60,000.

The car began to loose acceleration and the engine would kick and then gained the acceleration back. After 20 miles of driving started loosing acceleration again and shut off on a under construction interstate w/one lane of traffic. No service lights at first and after cranking and driving another 10-15 or so it stalled again and the check-engine, oil, and brake indicator's lights on the dash board came on. Checked for recalls for this problems. Contacting dealership for possible repair if its a recall problem.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign id number: 06v223000 (engine and engine cooling) for the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs under an updated version of the recall but his vehicle was not included in the expansion. The dealer refused to repair the vehicle under the updated recall. The vehicle was not further repaired at this time. The current and failure mileage was 60,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact was driving approximately 55 mph on normal road conditions. The "service engine" warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel and suddenly, the engine stalled. The vehicle coasted to the side of the road. The vehicle restarted and resumed normal operation. The warning indicator remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. There was a recall under NHTSA campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling. However, the VIN was excluded from the recall defect. The crank position sensor and camshaft position sensor were replaced for the malfunctions. The failure mileage was unavailable. Updated 02/17/jb.

The latest problem with my Nissan Altima occurred yesterday. It would not start after extreme cold. This is the last in an ongoing saga of problems with this vehicle. We fail to get notifications of recalls from the manufacturer. If something fails to work, it is always our financial responsibility unless it is a very minor repair. The day after the sale there was no beam for a headlight. Now we see headlights fall under the recall. Maybe we should have known we had a lemon. We had a sensor go out as I was driving 70 miles an hour on an interstate. I had to pay because the vendor said at 8,000 miles it was just outside of warranty. I later find out that sensors fell under a recall. Yet to get my money back I had to produce documents that I could not get the repairing dealership to fax to me. I wrote, called, etc. Still the end was I paid and they did not return my money. We have had to have the air compressor replaced not once but 3 different times to get air conditioning in the car. Now today the call I get says this, the "engine is shot" expect to pay in excess of $4900 to get it fixed. This car and many other Nissan Altimas I have found out have had the same series of problems. I want my car fixed at no cost to me or I want a replacement at an extremely reduced cost. I want the vendor to be required to notify car owners of recalls and to not merely have to report that there is a recall. My permanent address has not changed since the purchase. They could have let me know that. Even now there are recalls that are due this car but conveniently not on the parts that now need to be replaced. Please help or put me in contact with someone who can. !! I spoke with brandon at your office by phone this a. M. Because I feel I was not able to effectively get my point heard by him, I have chosen to file this written complaint in the hopes of receiving attention and assistance. Deep down I want a manufacturer that stands behind what they sell and that replaces what is defective.

As I was driving up a hill, I heard a loud popping noise. Instantly I noticed my temperature gauge shoot up and the check engine light turned on. I parked my car and just figured that it had overheated. I added more water to the radiator and kept driving. 2 minutes later it was all the way hot again. I had my car towed home at which point I inspected the radiator and discovered a 4 inch horizontal crack in the plastic head of the radiator directly across from the hose mount. I could not believe that plastic could crack like this. I have seen cracks in plastic along seams, but there was no seam here. I just could not believe that this crack could happen this way. This must be some sort of a defect because this was unbelievable. I went on to purchase a new radiator plus hoses and antifreeze from the auto parts store for a total of $250, plus I will now have to take 3 hours out of my day to replace the radiator. I do all my own work on the car and take great care of it. I fix any small problems right away to prevent larger problems, such as this one, from happening.

I was on vacation, driving to cleveland, OH with my wife & parents on 6-13-09, sat in 2002 Nissan Altima, 2. 5 sl. Around 9. 00 pm, on I-80, apprx 40 mil from cleveland, suddenly smoke started coming from the car hood, causing poor visibility. Temp and oil level indicators did not show any sign of problem with the engine. After narrowly escaping crash with other vehicles by grace of god, we could stop the car with smoke still coming out. By the time I moved everybody away from the car, the smoke stopped. This sudden failure of the engine could have been more disastrous, endangering precious lives. On cranking the engine, loud noise from the engine made us believe that car was in bad shape, so car was towed to Nissan of north olmsted, OH (dealer). After inspection on mon, 6/15/09 I was informed that the engine casting had a big hole apprx 2" big. We were asked to either scrap the car or replace the engine with estimated cost of $4500. We were not told any good reason for this engine failure. Being stranded with my family for 3 days and despaired, I decided to replace engine hoping to get compensation from Nissan. Initial positive response from Nissan customer affairs became very dissatisfying and frustrating after I paid the dealer. It was a shock to us that after calling so many times Nissan did not took any responsibility stating on 6/24 that "the vehicle is outside of manufacturer's warranty" later I found many publications stating that 2002, Nissan Altima-2. 5l engines have faced similar engine failures but Nissan has not done enough to avoid such incidents. Irresponsible behavior like this is not expected from such a reputed org. There had been multiple recalls on my car including "engine sensor kit" and " engine cooling system". I would like to request you to look in to this matter so as to contain further damage to precious lives of people at large. I further request you to impress upon Nissan to reimburse us for total cost of replacing engine and mental agony.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the crank position sensors keep failing in her vehicle. In 2004, the dealer repaired the vehicle according to NHTSA campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact is the second owner of the vehicle and the dealer stated that she would have to pay $300 to repair the failure again. The failure mileage was 98,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While checking the oil in the vehicle, the contact noticed an oil leak. He replaced the oil with at least two quarts of oil per week. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and the technician stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign id number 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer for further assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that oil was leaking around the rings. The vehicle was repaired for the ecm failure. After retrieving the vehicle from the dealer, the vehicle failed. A technician stated that particles from the catalytic converter damaged the cylinder walls in the engine. The vehicle has not been repaired again. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that because the vehicle was not included in the recall for the failure that he experienced, no compensation would be provided. The failure mileage was 160,000 and current mileage was 180,000.

I had purchased a Nissan 2002 Altima from a dealer as certified vehicle. I have bought two other cars from the same dealer and in addition all the cars were always serviced by the same dealer. Since last two years the "service engine soon" light comes on and on one such occasion I was informed by the same dealership that the cat convertor had failed and the same needs to be replaced . Recently the car has failed mv inspection with two codes p0420 and p1217. There is a similar recall # pe02078 on 268,000 cars on oct. 2002 (I bought the car in 2005, and have no knowledge if this issue has been taken care of or not. ) the mv inspection report clearly indicates the failure of catalytic converter and requires repairs and monitors set for re-inspection. The inspection also notes a voluntary recalls ntb07-081 and ntb03-070c for pre-catalyst. The federal law requires emissions waranties (as per the mv inspection report)for at least 80000 miles and I have no idea if this was corrected on my vehicle on nisan's voluntary recall. I had not opted to repair this when the mechanic at dealer informed the reason for "service engine soon" at 82080 miles as the cost was exhorbitant and until I had similar problem (recall)with a Ford windstar van thru" NHTSA and was solved by the dealer. (I was about to junk that car, thanks to nhsta).

We own a 2002 Nissan Altima s 2. 5 liter engine. We had a recall due to the exhaust pipe hanger pin possibly igniting with the main catalyst. After that was dealt with, the dealer charging me $80. 81, said the engine noise and check engine light is due to faulty catalytic converter. The conversion efficiency of the pre-catalyst has deteriorated and now the catalyst has to be replaced. There is no heat when the car is at idle and now have increased oil consumption, 5 quarts every 2 weeks. Because of the amount of damage a new engine may be in the picture. There are only 85000 miles on the car. We do not have the money for a new engine or even catalytic converter. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact noticed that the engine would consume abnormal amounts of oil. She has a 2. 5 liter engine in her vehicle. The dealer stated that her VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id numbers 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling) and 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling); therefore, she would have to replace the engine at the cost of $5,000. Currently, the vehicle has not been repaired. She called the manufacturer and is waiting for a response. The failure mileage was 121,000 and current mileage was 126,000.

The cooling system has failed twice, each time I had to replace the head gasket. Now it is doing this again. Noticed there were 3 recalls about this. Two before I purchased and one after, but I do not recall getting a notice about the recall. Much money has been spent, now dealer is telling me I need a new engine. How do I find out if any recall was performed? do not trust this dealer.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA 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 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.

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.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact's vehicle was repaired according to NHTSA 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.

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!!!.

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 NHTSA 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.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA 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. The crank position sensor was replaced. Updated 06/09/08.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle shut off after the electronic control module (ecm) was replaced under NHTSA campaign id number 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for a diagnosis, but no failure was identified. The current mileage is 109,000 and failure mileage was 108,000. Updated 05/13/08. *ljupdated 05/13/08.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact is experiencing difficulty getting the recall remedied because she lives in a remote area with the nearest Nissan dealer being 2. 5 hours away. She is fearful of driving the vehicle due to the safety defect. She called the manufacturer to have them tow the vehicle, but they have not returned her messages. There had been no failure to date. The powertrain was unknown. The current mileage was 23,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving approximately 65 mph, the engine stopped running without warning. The contact made several attempts before the engine finally restarted. The engine was running roughly and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the failure was related to the catalytic converter. The vehicle has not been repaired. Recently, the engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel and remained lit until the engine was turned off. The failure was similar to the one mentioned in NHTSA campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the VIN was excluded from the recall. The failure mileage was 130,000 and current mileage was 131,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance because the vehicle was already repaired under the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 03v455000 (component: engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 43,000 and the current mileage was 173,000.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle shuts off while stopped at a light, idling in traffic, driving downhill, pulling out of a parking space, or when the vehicle is first started. The failure occurs everyday. While driving between 65-70 mph, the vehicle will jerk hard. This failure has occurred on three occasions. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign id number 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling) in March of 2008, but the stalling recurred three weeks later. The dealer has not yet been notified. The current mileage was 111,685 and failure mileage was 108,000.

I have a Nissan Altima (2002) with under 75,000 miles. I have been experiencing problems with the coolant system for roughly 10,000 miles. The coolant tank drains every 2-3 days. I refill it, and it is empty 2 -3 days later. I have had 3 or 4 separate tests done on the coolant system, and no problems were found. Yet, the problems continue. Recently, gray smoke flows out of the tail pipe upon starting the car. Also, when starting the car, the whole vehicle shutters, and sometimes does not turn right over (requiring 2 or 3 turns of the ignition key). I was told that perhaps it is a blown head gasket, warped head, or something of the sort. Either way, it was determined that the coolant is somehow leaking into the engine (because no signs of leaks anywhere else have been detected). With only 75,000 miles on the car, this should be considered a manufacturers problem. The coolant tank is emptied every 2-3 days, the gray smoke blowing out of the tail pipe happens at least 3 times a week, and the shuttering (and inability to start initially) happens 1-2 times a week, with increasing frequency. Nothing was done to correct the problem. One dealership said that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle, which obviously is not the case. I was told by 2 mechanics (one at that same dealership, and one independent) that the problem is internal, and that the entire motor would probably have to be replaced. At the very minimum, the head gasket and / or header. Researching the internet, I found hundreds of similar complaints by owners of Nissan's of the same of similar model and year. This problem should be looked into, and should be seriously considered for a recall!.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled and the engine shut off. There was a loss of steering power and the brakes failed. The vehicle was restarted after two or three attempts. There were no warning lights illuminated and the weather was not a factor. The duplicate failure is related to NHTSA campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling), which was repaired two years ago. The vehicle was not towed. The dealer has not diagnosed the cause of the failure; however, they advised the contact to call NHTSA regarding a recall. The current mileage was 138,890 and failure mileage was 138,490. Updated 12/12/2007 updated 12/12/07.