One problem related to engine noise has been reported for the 2002 Nissan Altima. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2002 Nissan Altima based on all problems reported for the 2002 Altima.
Starting at just over 100,000 miles the engine began making strange noises. But once I changed my oil the noises would go away. I also noticed that my car was having difficulty shifting gears and even would just stop running at low speeds. After about 4 months of this is when we realized that the engine was consuming a lot of oil. So, basically my car was running on no oil for months at at a time. I took my car in and they said that the only way to get around this is to put oil in her every 2 weeks! that, or get a new engine. My car has never been recalled for this issue and Nissan refuses to fix it, simply b/c of the mileage.