One problem related to steering anti-theft device 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.
I was driving when I attempted to make a right turn, my steering wheel locked up, the vehicle skidded and stalled in the middle of an intersection. I was driving and my 14 month old was in the back seat. I had the vehicle towed to the nearest dealership. I few hours later I was contacted by the assistant manager of the service department where I was informed that the crank shaft positioning sensor had gone out. The part had to be ordered so I was told that I could be without my vehicle for a day or maybe even a week. I was informed that there were other vehicles in the shop waiting for similar parts. My vehicle has been in the shop for 20 days now and I just keep getting the run-around. This is probably a part that will eventually need to be recalled but I guess Nissan is waiting for a tradegy to occur before they take action.