2002 Nissan Altima

I OWN A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. A FEW MONTHS AGO I NOTICED RUST ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE. THE DRIVERS SIDE IS WORSE THAN THE PASSENGERS SIDE. THERE IS AN ACTUAL HOLE IN THE METAL WHERE IT HAS CORRODED. IT HAS RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT, SO IT APPEARS TO ME AS IF IT IS A FACTORY DEFECT. I CALLED NISSAN AND SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE. SHE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING NISSAN COULD DO BECAUSE THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. I TALKED TO HER SUPERVISOR AND SHE TOLD ME ALSO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. HER 3 REASONS WERE: (1) IT COSTS TOO MUCH TO FIX (2) SHE DOES NOT KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE VEHICLE AND (3) THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. I BELIEVE THAT THIS DEFECT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NISSAN NEED TO FIX IT. *TR

I HAVE MAILED AN OFFICIAL LETTER SINCE THE SPACE PROVIDED IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR MY COMPLAINT. THE CONSUMER STATED DURING A RECENT OIL CHANGE, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED AN ENORMOUS RUSTED HOLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE FLOOR PANEL UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER SIDE ALSO HAD A BIG RUSTED SPOT WHERE ANOTHER HOLE WAS DEVELOPING. THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY A REPAIR SHOP TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FLOOR PANEL SINCE IT WAS SO BADLY RUSTED. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE DEFECT WAS DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF DRAIN HOLES IN THE FLOOR PAN UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE DRAIN HOLES WERE VISIBLE TO HAVE BEEN OUTLINED, BUT THEY WERE NEVER DRILLED THROUGH. THE WATER FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULD GET TRAPPED ON TOP OF THE FLOOR PANEL AND COLLECT THERE, EVENTUALLY CAUSING RUST. UPDATED IVOQ *JB *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC TO HAVE NEW TIRES INSTALLED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE FRAME EXHIBITED AN UNUSUALLY LARGE HOLE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER, WHO ADVISED THAT HE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD ON MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA IS RUSTED THROUGH. VEHICLE WAS GETTING INSPECTED LAST WEEK AND I WAS INFORMED OF THE ISSUE. HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND APPEARS I'M NOT THE ONLY ALTIMA OWNER WITH THIS ISSUE. THE RUST IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE RUST HOLE I HAVE IN THE FLOORBOARD. THE RUST IS ONLY OF THE PASSENGER SIDE NO WHERE ELSE ON THE VEHICLE. APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT ON THE 2002-2005 NISSAN ALTIMAS. I KNOW SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS AS WELL: ODI #10357667 ODI # 10358132. *TR

RE: 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THERE IS SEVERE RUST AND CORROSION IN SPECIFIC LOCATIONS DIRECTLY UNDER BOTH THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGERS SEATS AND FLOORS. THE CORROSION APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO TWO FACTORY HOLES IN THE FLOOR, ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CORROSION ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF OUR CAR IS LESS SEVERE: A LARGE AREA OF RUST BUT A RELATIVELY SMALL HOLE (TENNIS BALL SIZE) THROUGH THE SHEET METAL. THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAR HAS A LARGE HOLE (SOCCER BALL SIZE) IN THE FLOOR. THIS IS THE ONLY MAJOR CORROSION ON THE CAR (THE "REAR SUBFRAME" ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED IN 2006 DUE TO CORROSION UNDER A NISSAN WARRANTY PROGRAM). THE FUEL FILLER NECK IS ALSO RUSTY AND DOES NOT SEAL PROPERLY, WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ENGINE ALERT WHEN THE FUEL VAPOR SEAL LEAK REACHES THE POINT WHERE THE ALERT IS TRIGGERED. THERE IS LITTLE OR NO CORROSION IN THE WHEEL WELLS OR FENDERS. BASED ON TWO BIDS FROM AUTO BODY SHOPS IN THIS AREA, THE COST TO REPAIR THE RUST DAMAGE WILL BE BETWEEN $2500 AND $3200. I HAVE TAKEN PHOTOGRAPHS OF APPROXIMATELY FORTY ALTIMAS IN THIS AREA. ALL BUT FIVE HAVE CORROSION IN THIS SPECIFIC AREA TO VARYING DEGREES. IT IS CLEARLY NOT LIMITED TO ONLY THE CAR WE OWN. NISSAN HAS A WARRANTY PROGRAM WHICH COVERS RUST PERFORATION FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT A DEALER IN THIS AREA REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. THEY CLAIM THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM ON 2001 THROUGH 2005 ALTIMAS, BUT HAS CHOSEN NOT TO WARRANT IT DUE TO THE EXPENSE, PREFERRING INSTEAD TO REFUSE TO BE RESPONSIBLE. NISSAN WILL APPARENTLY TAKE THE CARS IN TRADE AND SELL THEM TO WHOLESALE AUTO OPERATIONS WHERE THEY ARE SOLD TO CUSTOMERS WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. UPDATED IVOQ 11/05/10 THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 12/22/10 *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC SHOP FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THEY FOUND THE FLOOR BOARDS ROTTED OUT ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY TOOK PICTURES OF THE FAILURE AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER CONTACTED HER AND INFORMED HER IT WAS WEAR AND TEAR AND THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR HER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,847.

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR ALMOST 8 YEARS AND HAVE CLOSE TO 42,000 MILES ON IT. I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW IN 2002 FROM A NISSAN DEALERSHIP. JUST RECENTLY I HAD A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE DONE IN MY CAR AND MY MECHANIC NOTICED AN ENORMOUS RUSTED HOLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE FLOOR PANEL UNDERNEATH THE CAR, THE PASSENGER SIDE ALSO HAD A BIG RUSTED SPOT WHERE ANOTHER HOLE IS DEVELOPING. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL NISSAN BODYWORKS REPAIR SHOP WHERE I WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FLOOR PANEL, SINCE IT WAS SO BADLY RUSTED, YOU CAN SEE THE CARPETING THROUGH THE HOLE. THE ESTIMATE CAME OUT TO A TOTAL OVER $2,000. THIS COMES AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO ME, SINCE I HARDLY DRIVE MY VEHICLE AND TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF IT. IT IS KEPT IN A SEALED GARAGE OF A PRIVATE HOUSE. THE VEHICLE ALSO GETS WASHED REGULARLY, ESPECIALLY DURING WINTER MONTHS. THE UNDERBODY IS CLEANED PERIODICALLY (AT THE VERY LEAST ONCE A WEEK IN WINTER) TO MAKE SURE THE SALT AND SAND/DIRT DOES NOT CAUSE DETERIORATION, IT ALSO GETS WAXED EVERY SO OFTEN. WHEN THE FLOOR COVERINGS GET WET DURING THE COLD MONTHS, I TAKE THEM OUT AND DRY THEM BEFORE PLACING THEM BACK IN. I AM JUST IN A TOTAL STATE OF SHOCK, HOW A VEHICLE WITH 42,000 MILES DURING A SPAN OF 8 YEARS, WHICH WAS KEPT INSIDE A GARAGE AND CONSTANTLY MAINTAINED HAVE SUCH AN ISSUE WITH THE FLOOR PANEL. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE WAY THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE CLEANING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED RUST ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE NEAR THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IF YOU LIFT THE FLOOR MATS UP FROM THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES HE COULD SEE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HE HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE FRAME REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,000.