2002 Nissan Altima

MY "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LITE BECAME ILLUMINATED JUST PRIOR TO AND RITE AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE SERVICED. I BECAME ALARMED WHEN, "I NOTICED IT WOULD NOT GO OUT". I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE MY FUEL CAP WAS TIGHTLY SECURED. I THEN DROVE MY VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL MILES TO RESET THE SENSOR. WHEN THAT DIDN'T WORK, I CALLED NISSAN SERVICE DEPT IN VICTORVILLE, CALIF. TO ASK WHAT ELSE IF ANY COULD BE WRONG WITH MY VEH. THE ANSWER I RECEIVED FROM THE SERV. MANAGER WAS ONE I COULD EXCEPT. HAVING TAKEN MY CAR INTO THE SERVICE DEPT FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST OF THE PROBLEM. JUST TO BE TOLD THAT MY "PRE CATALYST CONVERTER WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE DUE TO SERVER ENGINE DAMAGE THAT COULD RESULT FROM DEBRIS BEING SUCKED INTO THE CONVERTER. NOW IF THE "PROTRUDING PORTION OF THE EXHAUST PIN WAS REMOVED", AND HEAT SHIELDS INSTALLED ON THE PRE CATALYST AND SURROUNDING EXHAUST TUBING WAS DONE TO CORRECT OR PREVENT ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS. WHY WOULD THE PRE CATALYST CONVERTOR FAIL IF PROPER CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS PERFORMED CORRECTLY IN A VEHICLE NOT 5YRS OLD. I DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY $1092.00 DOLLARS FOR FAULTY MANUFACTURER DEFECTIVE PARTS/EQUIPMENT. *JB

SINCE I PURCHASED THIS 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5, I'VE CONSTANTLY EXPERIENCED COLD STARTS. I'VE ALSO TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A CLICKING SOUND THAT APPEARS TO BE IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT AREA. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM..I STILL HAVE THE CLICKING NOISE.*AK ON MARCH 20, 2007 I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH STARTING THE CAR. AFTER 6 OR 7 ATTEMPTS THE CAR STARTS. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. THE CAR WAS PUT ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE WHEREBY AIR POCKETS WERE FOUND IN THE RADIATOR SYSTEM. THEY ALSO FOUND THAT ANTI-FREEZE WAS IN MY FIRST AND THIRD CYLINDER. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED AN ENGINE. I MUST SAY THAT I'M TRULY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS CAR. I'VE EXPERIENCED NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE I PURCHASEDIT NEW. NOW IT IS FIVE YEARS OLD AND NEEDING AN ENGINE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH ENDED AT 100,000 MILES AND I HAVE 101,000. I DON'T THINK THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE WHEN NISSAN KNOWS THAT IS PROBLEM EXISTED WITH THE 2002 MODELS. THE SALES AGENT AT THE DEALERSHIP ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I WILL BE CONTACTING NISSAN TO GET FURTHER COMPENSATION FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF MY ENGINE. WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN ISSUED? THANKS...

MY DAUGHTER PURCHASED THE 2002 ALTIMA, 64,000 MI, OCTOBER 2007, HER FIRST CAR. IN DECEMBER THE CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER NEAR TO THE POINT OF ENGINE STALL. PER MECHANIC THE COMPUTER REGISTERED AN O2 SENSOR FAILURE. THEY REPLACED THE O2 SENSOR. SAME DAY WE PICKED UP THE CAR FROM THE MECHANIC THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. WE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED THE CAR TO MECHANIC. THE COMPUTER NOW REGISTERED A MISFIRE PROBLEM. PER MECHANIC RECOMMENDATIONS WE REPLACED ALL SPARK PLUS AND LEADS. MECHANIC REPORTED OIL ON ONE SPARK PLUG. WITHIN 2 DAYS OF PICKING UP CAR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AGAIN. IN FEBRUARY WE RETURNED THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC ,AND ALSO INFORMED HIM THAT WE WERE LOSING CONSIDERABLE OIL, AT LEAST 1 - 1.5 QUARTS EVERY 2 WEEKS, ROUGHLY EVERY 800 MILES. COMPUTER NOW REPORTED CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE. MECHANIC ADVISED TO TAKE CAR TO NISSAN DEALER AS CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY , CAR AT 68,000 MILES. DEALER INFORMED US THAT PREVIOUS OWNER HAD CAR IN THEIR SHOP SEPTEMBER 15, 2007 AND THEY HAD ADVISED TO REPLACE ENGINE. STATED THAT ENGINE COOLANT AND OIL WAS GETTING INTO EXHAUST SYSTEM AND FOULING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. STATED THAT NATURE OF PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED UNDER 80,000 MI CATALYTIC CONVERTER WARRANTY. NO MENTION OF NISSAN RECALL REGARDING O2 SENSOR FAILURE, HIGH OIL LOSS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE. AFTER READING THE MANY COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA DESCRIBING EXACTLY OUR SAME PROBLEM AND NISSAN'S RELUCTANCE TO RESOLVE PROBLEM I WOULD LIKE RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING HOW TO MAKE THE DEALER AND NISSAN OWN UP TO THIS PATTERN OF FAULTY DESIGN AND RELUCTANCE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.*AK

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD AIR POCKETS IN THE RADIATOR, PREVENTING IT FROM HAVING HEAT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,639. THE DEALER/MECHANIC CHANGED THE ANTIFREEZE AND REMOVED THE AIR POCKETS. THE FAILURE RETURNED AFTER FOUR MONTHS. THE DEALER/MECHANIC AGAIN REMOVED THE AIR POCKETS, CHANGED THE ANTIFREEZE ,AND THIS TIME FLUSHED THE RADIATOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 55,200. THE CONTACT HAS THE REPAIR INVOICES. *AK

TL*-THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON 03/03/07 WHILE DRIVING THE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA AT 65 MPH SHE NOTICED THAT THE SPEED WAS DECREASING. SHE CONTINUED TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. THE CONTACT CALLED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED, AND IT WAS TOWED TO HILL TOP SERVICE STATION, WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY INFORMED HER TO GET TO THE NEAREST NISSAN DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AGAIN TO KOEPPELL NISSAN IN JACKSON HEIGHTS QUEENS, NY. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND THAT THEY HAD TO ORDER A PART WHICH HELPED TO CIRCULATE AIR TO THE COOLING SYSTEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE SHE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2002, AND HAD ALL REPAIR ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32299 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32311. *AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000. THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING OIL AS STATED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HAD THE SAME FAILURES AS STATED IN THE RECALL ISSUED BY NISSA CONCERNING : EXHAUST PIPE HANGER PIN AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE RECALL DID NOT PERTAIN TO THIS VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000. THERE IS A RELATED ODI INVESTIGATION, PE02078. *AK

MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S APPEARS TO HAVE PIECES OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN THE ENGINE CYLINDER, CAUSING AN ENGINE MISFIRE. WHEN DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FIND HUNDREDS OF OWNERS OF THIS SAME MODEL VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND IN MOST CASES THEY ARE BEING DENIED ANY HELP FROM NISSAN DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A DEFINITE PATTERN OF PREMATURE PROBLEMS/FAILURES WITH THIS MODEL THAT NISSAN REFUSES TO ADDRESS. IT IS TIME THAT NHSTA USES THEIR INFLUENCE TO GET THIS COMPANY TO STAND BEHIND THESE DEFECTIVE VEHICLES! *JB

FOLLOWING THE FORMAT REQUESTED ABOVE: 1: EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: SIMPLY BOUGHT THE CAR AND DROVE IT... SEEMS THAT ALL 02 4 CYLINDER ALTIMA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING ISSUE B/C OF DESIGN FLAW! 2. FAILURE: THE PRE-CATALYST COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATES INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSES THE ENGINE TO FAIL! CONSEQUENCE: NEED A NEW ENGINE. 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE: NOTHING BUT HIDE! THEY MASK THE PROBLEM TO GET PAST ALL WARRANTIES. NISSAN USA IS ABSOLUTELY HIDING FROM THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE A SAFE VEHICLE! THEY STARTED BY HIDING THE PRE -CATALYST INTERNAL DISINTEGRATION NOTIFICATION WITHIN A RECALL FOR A POTENTIAL EXHAUST PIPE HANGER PIN PROBLEM. THEY KNEW THE PRE-CATALYST WAS DISINTEGRATING INTO ENGINES CAUSING DAMAGE, BUT DIDN'T RELEASE THAT CLEARLY TO AVOID NEEDING TO GET PAST WARRANTIES AND REPLACE ENGINES. MY CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND THE DEALER THEN REPLACED THE PRECAT (49K MILES) AND THE CAR WAS NEVER QUITE THE SAME, BUT IT DID RUN SO I THOUGHT ALL WAS FINE. OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST ONE HAD DISINTEGRATED INTO THE ENGINE AND THE NISSAN DIDN'T WARN ME OF WHAT WAS TO COME! I HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF THIS CAR AND NOW HAVE 98K ON IT.. BUT THE END IS VERY CLOSE. I HAD SES REPORTS OF P0420 AND THEN LATER A REPORT FOR A 4TH VALVE ISSUE... NOW THE CAR DRINKS OIL AT 1 - 2 QUARTS A WEEK OR IT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF OIL! THERE IS NO SMOKE, SMELL, OR DRIPS. THE OIL IS JUST GONE! THE DEALER SAYS I NEED A NEW ENGINE AND SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THEY DIRECTED ME TO NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS- THEY HAVE BEEN VERY SLOW TO RESPOND. I AM HOPEFUL THAT THEY WILL REPLACE MY ENGINE SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY ENGINE SEIZING WHILE I AM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR TURNING ACROSS IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC! THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 10 DAYS AND I AM WAITING ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO RETURN MY CALLS. *JB

THIS COMPLAINT IS IN REFERENCE TO THE FOLLOWING: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE02078 NISSAN NA MADE SOME PREVENTIVE CHANGES TO THE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA AS REQUESTED TO BY LAW. HOWEVER THE CHANGES NISSAN NA MADE WERE NOT SUFFICIENT NOR SUCCESSFUL. IT APPEARS THAT THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE NISSAN PROVIDED HAS ONLY PROLONGED THE OUTCOME. THOUSANDS OF 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA OWNERS ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEMS WITH A DIRECT RELATION TO A FAILURE IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. AFTER INSPECTION OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NOTICEABLE CHUCKS OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ARE MISSING. NISSAN NA IS VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY ARE SELECTIVELY FIXING SOME CONSUMERS VEHICLES. IF THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE THEIR POWER TRAIN WARRANTY NISSAN NA REFUSES TO ASSIST THE CONSUMER IS FIXING THE PROBLEM. SAFETY SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO A PERCENTAGE OF MILES OR TO A PERIOD OF TIME. *NM