2002 Nissan Altima

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER MOTOR MOUNTS HAVE EITHER FAILED OR ARE LOOSE. WHEN SHE DEPRESSES THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE JERKS DRAMATICALLY. THE SENSOR IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT IF THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 80,000 MILES, THE FAILURE WOULD BE COVERED UNDER NISSAN'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE EXCEEDS 80,000 MILES AND WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 116,460. UPDATED 04/21/08 *BF

THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP FOR 90,000 MILE MAINTENANCE ON 2/26/08. AT THAT TIME, WE WERE INFORMED THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL FOR THE ECM. THE MAINTENANCE WAS DONE AND THE ECM WAS "REPROGRAMMED" PER THE SERVICE DEPT. 3 DAYS LATER ON 2/29/08, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON WHILE WE WERE DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT ON THE FREEWAY. WE STOPPED AT A GAS STATION AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD, BUT NOTHING UNUSUAL APPEARED, IE NO LEAKING FLUIDS, NOT OVERHEATING, ENGINE RUNNING SMOOTHLY, ETC. WE CHECKED THE OIL; THE LEVEL WAS AT FULL AND WAS CLEAN AS IT SHOULD BE FROM AN OIL CHANGE 3 DAYS EARLIER. THE NEXT DAY, WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS. THEY TOLD US THE ERROR CODE INDICATES THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ITS EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 80,000 MILES. LOOKING FOR KEY WORDS "ALTIMA CATALYTIC CONVERTER" ON THE INTERNET TO DO A COST ANALYSIS, WE HAVE FOUND MANY BLOG ENTRIES BY OTHER 2002/2003 ALTIMA DRIVERS DISCUSSING THIS SAME ISSUE. MANY OF THEM INDICATED THAT THE CAT CONVERTER WILL BREAK APART AND BACKFLUSH PARTS INTO THE ENGINE, DAMAGING THE CYLINDERS AND ULTIMATELY REQUIRING ENGINE REPLACEMENT. THIS HAS APPARENTLY HAPPENED BEFORE AND ALSO AFTER CONVERTERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE CONVERTER OR ASSOCIATED PARTS APPARENTLY HAVE SERIOUS DESIGN FLAWS THAT CAN ULTIMATELY CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE A DRIVER IS ON THE ROAD. THIS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS DEPENDING ON WHERE AND WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS. REPLACEMENT OF OUR CONVERTER IS PENDING; IN THE MEANTIME, THE VEHICLE IS PARKED IN OUR GARAGE. *TR

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. *TR

2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 . THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE OIL CONSUMPTION WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR, MY CAR LIS BONE DRY IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. ACCORDING TO MANY OWNERS THEY HAVE HAD TO GET THE ENGINE REPLACED DO TO THIS PROBLEM. SHOULDN'T NISSAN BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? NO CAR OWNER SHOULD HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY POURING OIL INTO THEIR CAR. MYSELF AND OTHER OWNERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE NISSAN RECOGNIZE IT AS A PROBLEM INSTEAD OF CASHING IN ON IT. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 02 ALTIMA IN MARCH 02. THERE WAS SEVERAL RECALLS OVER THE YEARS AND ONCE FIXED THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. IN 2007 I REACHED 80K MILES AND THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTING COMING ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS A CATALYTIC CONVERTER GOING BAD AND SINCE I WAS PAST THE MILEAGE FOR WARRANTY I WOULD HAVE TO FIX IT AT A COST OF $1000+. THE CAR IS HESITANT TO START AT TIMES, IT RATTLES UNDER THE HOOD AND BLOWS COLD AIR WHEN IDLING. THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER RECALL ISSUED THIS YEAR WHERE THE ENGINE IS SAID TO STOP AT ANY GIVEN TIME. I'M GETTING THE CAR FIXED THIS WEEKEND WHICH IS TOTALING ME $3700, OF WHICH THE MECHANIC IS SAYING NISSAN REALLY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER LOOK BECAUSE HE'S HAD TO FIX MORE THAN 100 OF THIS SAME VEHICLE AT HIS DEALERSHIP ALONE. UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NOTHING HE CAN DO WITHOUT NISSAN'S APPROVAL BUT TO FIX IT AT MY COST. I CALLED NISSAN AND ALL THEY COULD TELL ME IS THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO EXCEPT FIX THE LATEST RECALL THAT CAME OUT AT THE END OF 07 INTO 08. WELL THE MECHANIC CAN'T FIX THE RECALL WITHOUT FIXING THE PROBLEM WHICH IS CAUSING THE ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON AND OFF. OXYGEN SENSOR, CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS WHAT THE CODE IS COMING BACK SAYING NEEDS TO BE FIXED. FROM THE LIST OF COMPLAINTS IT LOOKS LIKE THIS CAR HAS A DEFECT IN THESE PARTS, NOT DUE TO OWNER MISUSE AND SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY NOT LIGHTLY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND LOST ALL POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED ON FEBRUARY 6, 2008 FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V527000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). APPROXIMATELY THREE DAYS AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED, SHE NOTICED THE SAME SYMPTOMS WITH THE ENGINE, BUT OF A MILDER DEGREE. THE VEHICLE APPEARED AS IF IT WOULD STALL AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE, BUT DID NOT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,900.

WELL I HAVE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 I HAVE ABOUT 66,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND IT HAS BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM . IT FIRST STARTED WHEN THEY HAD RECALL OXYGEN SENSOR. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE SAME SENSOR 3 TIMES ALREADY AT ABOUT COST OF $350 EACH TIME . NOW MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON THE REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND TOLD ME I HAD TO CHANGE MY ENGINE COILS AND SPARK PLUGS FOR ABOUT $1000 DOLLARS . AFTER THAT WAS COMPLETED THERE WAS NO CHANGE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL COMES ON ENGINE IDLES ROUGH ALWAYS HAVING TO FILL COOLANT . AND HAVE HAD TO BEEN TOWED SEVERAL TIME TO THE DEALER WITH NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT IS WRONG. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND HAD TO BE RESTARTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE AND REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUES. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,496.

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. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 35-60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE RECALL REPAIR FOR THE ENGINE WAS PERFORMED IN 2004; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.