Manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe problems of the 2002 Nissan Altima - part 2

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the check engine indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. He took the vehicle to the gas station from where the vehicle was purchased and they referred him to a dealer. The dealer performed an oil consumption test and discovered that the vehicle lost three quarts of oil after 630 miles. The dealer stated that the vehicle was outside of the warranty; therefore, they could not assist. The manufacturer stated that they could not assist due to the expired warranty. The current and failure mileages were approximately 103,000. Updated 3/19/09 the consumer stated the problem was due to a defective catalytic converter installed as original equipment. Material from the defective catalytic converter has damaged the engine causing excessive oil consumption. Updated 03/26/09.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The check engine indicator illuminated and the dealer stated that it needed to be replaced. The engine was damaged; however, the dealer did not know the severity. The Nissan manufacturer stated that there was a recall for the catalytic converter, but the vehicle was never repaired according to the recall. The recall was actually from 2003, and that the dealer said that there was engine damage and that the engine would have to be replaced. This syptom was also stated on the recall notice (the catalytic convertor and the engine would need to be replaced). The contact stated that there was no failure with the catalytic converter, which is why he never took it in for repair. He also completed a claim with Nissan, but he received a denial letter for the repairs. The failure mileage was 87,000. Updated 02/10/09 updated 02/11/09.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the dealer repaired the vehicle according to NHTSA campaign id numbers 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling) and 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). Two weeks later, the catalytic converter failed and went into the wall of the engine, which caused the engine to crack. The dealer stated that the repair would cost $6,000. The contact was unsure if the recall was the cause of the failure and if assistance could be provided. The failure mileage was 119,197.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing one quart of engine oil per week. The contact was advised by an independent mechanic that the pre-catalytic converter had disintegrated. The contact inquired with the manufacturer about NHTSA recall campaign id number: 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe) however, his VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 93,505 and the current mileage was 116,908.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated the vehicle was burning engine oil at an excessive rate. The vehicle would often blow black smoke from the tail pipe. The contact stated the vehicle was consuming approximately one quart of oil per week. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 141,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving at an unknown speed, the check engine indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact checked the oil and noticed that it was low. He placed 11/2 quarts of oil into the vehicle and had a local repair shop change the filter at the cost of $42. 68. The contact inspected the vehicle again and noticed that it was losing a quart of oil per week. Each week, he would add a quart to refill the oil. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop to have the oil changed at the cost of $28. 96; however, the vehicle continued to lose oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing and error code po420 was produced, which determined that the pre-catalytic converter and crank case pressure were failing. The repair would cost $4,500. The vehicle was previously repaired according to NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe) by the previous owner. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that if he could not produce maintenance records stating that the vehicle underwent regular maintenance, they would be unable to determine if the failure was caused by a lack of maintenance. The contact would not receive any compensation. The dealer stated that even with regular maintenance, the pre-catalytic converter would still fail. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 96,158 and current mileage was 103,400.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that her vehicle was repaired according to NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). Several months later, she noticed that her vehicle began consuming an abnormal amount of oil and the engine warning indicator was illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer stated that the catalytic converter would need to be replaced at the cost of $900. The vehicle has not been repaired and the manufacturer did not assist. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 85,000. Updated 02-11-09 the consumer stated the catalytic converter was placed too close to the exhaust. Updated 02/12/09.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The engine has to be replaced, because the oil rings and the cylinder wall have collapsed. The vehicle identification number was excluded from recall# 03v084000 , ( engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). The Nissan manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 91,000.

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.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that her catalytic converter will not pass inspection and needs to be replaced. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe), although the failures were identical. The contact is in the process of having the vehicle repaired. The failure mileage was unknown and current mileage was 118,000. Updated 05/08/09. Updated 05/08/09.

I purchased a new 2002 Nissan Altima that falls within NHTSA recall # 03v-084 (campaign id# r3007, r3014, r3015, r3016 & r3017). The recall campaign (ntb03-070b) was done in 2003 with approximately 20,000 miles on the vehicle. However, sometime before 95,000 miles on the car, a failure of the pre-cat occurred with exactly the same symptoms as described in the recall campaign bulletin. Material from inside the pre-catalyst entered the cylinders and resulted in high oil consumption and now Nissan is recommending a new engine. This demonstrates that the recall campaign was not sufficient to solve the problem with the car or the dealer did not follow the recommended procedures. Even with a new catalyst there is still a high likelihood of another failure and possible fire as noted in the recall campaign bulletin.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The service engine light began illuminating intermittently and then remained lit. When starting the vehicle and taking off, the vehicle made a strange noise and jerked as if something were slipping. Once the vehicle gained speed, the noise stopped. The dealer stated that the following components needed to be replaced: the catalytic converter, two major sensors, and the heating and air conditioning systems. The vehicle was burning oil on the inside of the engine, which caused it to fail. The vehicle could have an oil change and then four days later, the oil would have burned out completely. Nhtsa campaign id numbers 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/ header/muffler/tail pipe), 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling), and 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling were referenced. The current mileage was 116,000 and failure mileage was 50,000. Updated 06/05/08 the driver side power mirror was replaced, the gear selector was sticking. The cylinder head, gasket radiator and thermostat were replaced. Were replaced. Updated 06/04/08.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving 10 mph, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument control panel. The contact took his vehicle to a local mechanic and they stated that an error code appeared for the catalytic converter. The mechanic stated that the failure was caused by the same issued outlined in NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). The manufacturer stated that the engine needed to be replaced. An authorized dealer stated that the vehicle was previously repaired for that recall in March of 2004. The vehicle has not been repaired. The contact filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. The failure and current mileages were 136,777. Updated 03-04-09 updated 03/05/09.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The dealer stated that the contact's VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe), although the failures were identical. In addition, the contact smells burning oil. The failure mileage was 78,000 and current mileage was 88,000.

Nissan Altimas have an engine flaw that Nissan is aware of and refuses to correct.

I've recently heard loud noises in the engine of my 2002 Nissan Altima 2. 5s. I took it to a mechanic and was told the engine needed to be replaced because the precatalytic converter broke apart and was sucked into my engine. He also told me this was inevitable in all the 2002, 2003 Altima's because the placement of the pre catalytic converter was so close to the engine that the heat disintegrated the converter which gets sucked into the engine. Nissan's website claims that they have been working on addressing this issue since March 2003 yet nothing is being done. Nissan has told me since my car is outside the warranty they will not assist me in purchasing a new engine.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact heard a loud knocking noise coming from the engine compartment. The dealer stated that the engine was consuming a lot of oil due to the catalytic converter and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was affected by NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe); however, the recall was closed and the repair could not be made. The current and failure mileages were 96,000.

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.

Engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe; I went to kraft nissian dealership to have this recall fixed; after about approximately 2-3 weeks later I experience a shut-off in traffic. I return the car back to kraft nissian and they stated that they did not see a problem. It did not happen a agin, but afterwards I notice my car was burining alot of oil. I replace the oil every two-to three days. Then one day it just died on me. I then had the car tow the car I could not afford the repair of the replacement of the engine and was told I had to rmove the car from the premises immeditely. I explain to the top/head service guy that I would have someone come and remove it that Friday. He called on Friday and I told him that it would be after 5pm but the person would be there to move it. I got there around 5:15 and was told the car had been towed. I believe that there is a continous problem with the recall and that nissian dealership do not want to replace the engine and makes the consumer feel as if it was theere fault. I had taken the car back several times without any satisfaction, I not sure if they treated me that way because I was a woman or what but I really felt belittled by this dealership.

At 6:30 pm I turned left out of a restaurant parking lot. There was plenty of time to cross traffic and enter the vacant turn lane. My 2002 Nissan Altima lost power leaving me in the path of oncoming traffic. Luckily, the approaching traffic was able to brake before hitting me broadside. In the previous two days the car had briefly lost power while driving on the highway. There were no near accidents on these occasions. The problem was diagnosed as a faulty crankshaft sensor. It was replaced at our cost. This was the same part recalled in 2005. It was replaced then also. There was also a near accident before the first replacement. This part has failed twice, with near accidents. Both were potentially fatal. The dealer also performed a exhaust hanger recall on the vehicle. Updated 09/18/07.

2002 Nissan Altima 2. 5s 77,000 miles. July 2006 took a road trip to chicago, when we arrived the check engine light came on. We took it to the dealership and we were informed that the catalytic converter had gone bad. It was replace under warranty. Prior to that we notice that there was no heat while the car was idling, rough starts, "whooshing" noise under the dash. July 2007 check engine light came on, took it to the dealership, multi-cylinder misfire, coolant in cylinder 3, which was the result of a leak in the head gasket which is going to cast $1500. 00. This car only has 77,000 miles, why do we need to replace the head gasket so soon. . Read more...

Car engine began to misfire, the "service engine soon" dashboard light came on and was sometimes flashing. Proceeded to drive car at less than 80 kph (per owner's manual recommendation) to dealer for service, dealer advised that "power valve" (part of intake manifold) came apart on 2002 Nissan Altima, resulting in metal parts entering the combustion chamber. Dealer made repairs, but now the engine is burning oil excessively (have had to add 2. 5 l over 1400 km). There is a recall related to this problem on the 2. 5l engine for the 2004 Nissan Altima, which apparently has identical engine to the 2002 model. Car has 230,000 km so is beyond warranty. Dealer not willing to pay for repairs.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving 55 mph on a smooth surface, the tail pipe began to smoke. The check engine warning light illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was serviced for NHTSA recall # 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe) at 33,000 miles. The manufacturer stated that the failure was related to the recall, but they will not make the repair because it was previously repaired. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 107,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. On July 23, 2007, the check engine light illuminated. The contact noticed massive oil consumption and smoke coming from the tail pipe. The catalytic converter had to be replaced at 50,000 miles and currently must be replaced again at 110,000 miles. He stated that the failure has caused engine damage. Nhtsa recall number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe) was referenced. The current mileage was 110,000 and failure mileage was 109,800.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The service engine warning indicator light illuminated. The dealer stated that the catalytic converter was sucked into the engine and a new engine was needed. The catalytic converter was replaced in August of 2005. The failure mileage was 99,000 and current mileage was 101,000. Updated 01-11-08. The consumer discovered a recall had been issued for the very same problem. The consumer was told the problem had been fixed, but obviously it wasn't fixed properly and the consumer had to pay for the repairs. The consumer stated the part has since failed. Updated 12/31/07.

2002 Nissan Altima 2. 5 began to chug violently while being driven at highway speeds. Drove the vehicle to the next exit, but was unable to determine what was wrong with it. Shut off the car, and restarted to examine the engine while idling, noticing an intermittent shuddering of the engine. Drove the car a few miles to my destination, and it stalled several times. After the last stall o the check engine light finally came on. Had it towed the next morning to the nearest Nissan dealership. After running the code, they immediately went to work on the power valve. Both screws had come loose from the metal plate in the power valve, and the screws had gone through the engine crushed the spark plug in cylinder #1, and they made their way into the exhaust manifold. The dealer had to replace the screws, the plate in the intake manifold, the exhaust and adapter gaskets, and the spark plug. There is currently a recall for this problem on 2004 and 2005 Altimas, though not on 2002 and 2003 models, which share the same engine. This problem is documented in other 2002 and 2003 models on this odi website and on various internet forums.

2002 Nissan Altima 2. 5 s excessive oil consumption began around 92k miles. This vehicle has always had timely oil changes, suddenly the car was low on oil. The car was brought to the Nissan dealership in smithtown, NY on 2/22/07, and I was informed that it needed a new engine and that there wasn't anything else that could be done. The catalytic converter was ordered on 2/23/07 (this was back-ordered). The catalytic converter was replaced on 3/13/07, approx. $600. Now the car needs another catalytic converted and the engine is consuming several courts of oil a week. There are many people with the same car that have all experienced this sudden excessive oil consumption. The are other Altima years that had this same problem and that were recalled but Nissan has not done that for the 2002 model. It is widely know that it was due to the oil rings and the faulty pre-cats and exhaust manifolds. This car needs approx. $8k is repairs in order to stop burning oil and to correct the emissions. Nissan should be responsible for these faulty parts in these cars, in all the years that they effected.

-the contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima there is a recall on the fuel pump screen which caused the engine to stall, and the engine service light to remain on. During the diagnosis they found a service engine code pertaining to the catalyst. He took it to the dealership and called Nissan, who inform him that the dealer would fix it, but Nissan called back refusing to cover the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was 74,000 , and the current mileage was 80,000. The manifold exhaust was replaced, when the vehicle was in idle, it would surge. The air bag sensor was replaced. Updated 05/22/07.

: the contact stated the vehicle had problems turning the ignition on. This occurred on a regular basis. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The dealer checked the VIN # to see if it was covered under recall and stated that their system showed that vehicle part had been fixed on a previous recall. The contact stated that the vehicle was never brought in for any recall work in regards to this matter, nor did the contact receive a recall letter on this matter. The vehicle was currently at the dealer, no repairs were made.

Nissan website :. . Read more...

I brought my car into the Nissan dealership in middletown, CT. Aug. 2006 because I was loosing antifreeze. They told me I had a blown head gasket and my engine seemed to be using oil. They wanted to do an oil consumption test and asked me to bring the car back in at 500 miles. I did that and was told it wasn't conclusive enough so bring it back in another 1000 miles. When I brought it back they told me I would need a whole new engine since it was blown. They told me the head gasket is covered under my extended warranty but the engine was not covered under my extended warranty since it was caused by the pre catalytic converter. When I bought this car I was sold on the extended warranty since it covered the whole car except for mufflers, spark plugs, brakes all the things that normally wear out on a car. Back in June of 2004 I brought the car in for recall # r30071 the recall was performed at lia Nissan in enfield, conn. In the recall it states that if the material from the recalled pre catalyst gets into the engine it could do damage to the engine and may cause a fire. I now have an engine that had the recall fix done and their fix did not work. I am also concerned that the engine will catch fire and hurt me or one of my family members. I have gone through all the channels available to me at Nissan and have gotten nowhere. I even got a letter back from Nissan telling me that I have inadequate maintenance records. I change my own oil and filters but the rest I bring to the dealer if I have a problem since I have an extended warranty. This should have nothing to do with the failure of their fix. On a side note I have been searching the internet concerning this very same problem and have found many cases of people having the exact same problem with their Nissan Altima 2002. They have had the exact problem with Nissan also. Any help from you would be greatly appreciated my car is failing fast and it is my only mode of transport to work.

: the contact stated upon inspection, it was noticed the vehicle was burning oil from the main catalyst. Although the dealership and manufacturer were alerted, no inspections have been made. There is a NHTSA recall, # 03v084000, regarding the electrical system. The VIN was not included in the recall.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle consumes oil at a high rate due to a defective catalytic converter. As a result, the contact would have to constantly add oil to the engine. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed and was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

1) on 4/15/06 my husband was driving my car and complained that it was not running right, and was missing. The check engine light came on. My husband drove the car directly to the Nissan dealer in corona, CA. 2) the dealer service department checked out the car and stated cylinder #1 misfire, butterfly bolt fell into #1 cylinder broke spark plug. 3)removed intake manifold to replace butterfly bolt. Removed catalytic converter for inspection, minor hairline crack no codes. Customer decided to have old cat reinstalled. Reinstalled intake manifold and replaced related gaskets. 4) service representative stated this was a common problem and knew what it was right away. They charged me $727 to repair and I still have a cracked catalytic converter. I have checked out messaging forums and found that this is a known problem for Nissan Altima's.

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima with a 2. 5 liter engine. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated on two occasions. The first failure occurred approximately in March of 2006 and again in may of 2009. She found NHTSA campaign id number 03v084000 on the internet and realized that she was experiencing the same issues with her vehicle; however, the dealer stated that her VIN was not included in the recall. In 2006, the dealer stated that the catalytic converter was clogged and charged $1,000 to have it replaced. A recall notice in 2002 did not state that it was related to a VIN at that time. The recall was later amended in 2006 and 2008 to pertain to a specific VIN. In may of 2009, while driving 20 mph, the check engine light illuminated again and black smoke and oil poured out of the tail pipe. The dealer stated that the catalytic converter and engine needed to be replaced because the engine had consumed oil. The vehicle can be driven as long as the oil does not leak. An independent technician stated that it was unusual for the catalytic converter to be replaced this frequently. The first failure mileage was 60,000 and the recent failure and current mileages were 129,000. Updated 062909 updated 07/02/09.