2002 Nissan Altima

DT: THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THERE WAIS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V455000, REGARDING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE VEHICLE WAS EXHIBITING THE SAME PROBLEM AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB

THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT IN MY 2002 ALTIMA WENT OUT AND NOW THE WHOLE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED. THE BULB HAS SOMEHOW MELTED THE ASSEMBLY AROUND IT. AS I HAVE SEEN IN PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS, THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROBLEM TO FIX WHEN ALL THE WHILE IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT NISSAN PLANS TO DO ABOUT THIS CONTINUING PROBLEM, IF ANYTHING. *NM

MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEM WITH SUDDENLY SHUTTING OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING SINCE AROUND FEBRUARY OF 2003. IN APRIL 2003, IT GREW WORSE & STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND I MANAGE TO GET IT RESTARTED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD BE RESET ONLY TO COME BACK ON WITHIN A FEW DAYS TO A WEEK LATER. THEY STATED IT WAS THE ENGINE SENSOR AND THEY REPLACED THAT BUT THAT WAS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX. JUST THIS PAST AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER WHEN I HAD MY CAR TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP & PLACED ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE WHICH DETERMINED THAT CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD & HAD TO BE REPLACED. ONCE THEY DID THAT THE CAR DROVE WELL FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN. TOOK IT TO HAMPTON NISSAN WHICH IS A 45 MIN DRIVE FROM MY HOME TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE CAR. THEY DETERMINED IT MIGHT BE THE INTAKE BUT WASN'T REALLY SURE BUT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO CHECK TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE PROBLEM WHICH WAS GOING TO COST ME $350. ON MY WAY HOME MY CAR CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BUT LUCKILY IN FRONT OF MY HOME BUT THE CAR HAS NOT RESTARTED SINCE NOV 10, 2005. CALLED NISSAN THEY INFORMED ME TO TAKE TO THE DEALER & THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT MY ENGINE HAS BEEN DAMAGED FROM THE CATALYST CONVERTER & I NEED TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. THE COST FOR A NEW MOTOR WOULD BE $4,800 & $3,800 FOR A USED MOTOR WITH OVER 24,000 MILES ON IT. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT NISSAN KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CATALYST CONVERTER DAMAGING ENGINES. I FEEL THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE MY ENGINE IF THIS PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY NISSAN. I HAD SPOKEN TO A REPRESENTATIVE OF NISSAN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BUT NOW I CAN'T REACH HIM & I HAVE LEFT NUMEROUS MESSAGES. THE DEALER STATES THAT BECAUSE MY CAR HAS OVER 141,000 MILES ON IT THAT THEY CANNOT REPLACE MY ENGINE FOR FREE AS THE MECHANIC STATED THEY WOULD DO IF IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE CATALYST CONVERTER. *JB

I WANT TO REPORT A FAILURE IN MY NISSAN ALTIMA 2002. THEY DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING TO MY EVENING WORK AND I WAS CHATTING ON THE PHONE WITH MY SISTER WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME UP. I KEPT ON DRIVING AROUND 10 MORE MILES, AND BY THE TIME I WAS ABOUT TO GET TO THE PARKING LOT OF MY WORK PLACE THE CAR START SHOCKING ON ME LIKE IF IT WAS GOING TO STOP. AT THAT TIME I WAS ALREADY IN THE PARKING LOT AND I PARKED. THEN I SAW A HUGE SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT AND SINCE I'M A WOMEN THAT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND MUCH ABOUT CARS, I JUST GOT SCARED AND CALLED MY HUSBAND SO HE COULD PICK ME UP AFTER WORK. WHEN I WAS AT WORK I TALK ABOUT THE INCIDENT TO MY BOSS AND HE WENT TO CHECK THE CAR, AND HE TOLD ME THE RADIATOR PRETTY MUCH BROKE!!, HE TRIED TO PUT WATER, AND THE CAR COULDN'T HOLD IT. IT WAS JUST LEAKING, HE TOLD ME I SHOULD TOW IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THEY COULD FIX IT, BECAUSE IF I DRIVE IT THE ENGINE WILL DIE AND MY CAR WILL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BECAUSE IT WILL OVERHEAT. I TOW IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WANTED TO KNOW WHY DID THE RADIATOR BROKE, I WAS THINKING I SHOULD GET A REASONABLE EXPLANATION WHY THAT HAPPEN. THE CAR IS PRETTY NEW, IT JUST HAS 50K MILES. ANYWAYS, THE DEALER WASN'T ABLE TO GIVE ME ANY GOOD REASON. THEY JUST SAID THE RADIATOR STARTED LEAKING AND EVENTUALLY BROKE. EXCUSE ME? SO WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT IN THE NEXT 50K MILES? THE SAME?... I JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS SAFE... WHAT IF I DIDN'T GOT LUCKY AND MADE IT TO MY WORK PLACE BEFORE THE CAR DIED ON ME ON A FREEWAY?... I COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT... THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A NISSAN ALTIMA RADIATOR DEFECT.... AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL, I TAKE CARE OF CHANGING OIL AND PUTTING WATER IN THE CAR AS I SHOULD.... SO WHY DO I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS?... PLEASE HELP. I HAD TO PAY $1058.00 TO GET MY CAR FIXED. *JB

DT: CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY VEHICLE STALLED/ LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD THE CONTACT IT WAS AN ALTERNATOR, AND IT WAS REPAIRED. WHEN SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME IT STARTED DOING THE SAME THING . SHE TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. ALSO, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THAT IF SHE DIDN'T HAVE THIS FIXED THAT IT WOULD BLOW THE PISTONS.*AK

IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE NISSAN 2.5 LITER POWER PLANT HAS ISSUES WITH INTAKE BUTTERFLY VALVE SCREWS THAT HAVE BECAME LOOSE AND ARE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE RESULTING IN STALLING AND SEVERE DAMAGE THAT COULD CAUSE GRAVE HARM OR DEATH. I MYSELF HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS HOWEVER THERE IS GREAT KNOWLEDGE AND A CURRENT RECALL FOR SOME OF THE 04-05 NISSAN ALTIMA MODELS. I AM A CURRENT 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA OWNER AND THIS ISSUE HAS ME CONCERNED TO THE POINT THAT FOR MY OWN SAFETY I AM GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THE 8 SCREWS LOCK TIGHTENED SO I CAN FEEL SAFE WHEN DRIVING. PLEASE SEE THE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS ISSUE AS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM(ONE FOUND >20% HAD MISSING SCREWS): HTTP://WWW.B15SENTRA.NET/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=86248 AND HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=192671 AND HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=192671 PEOPLE HAVE TO USE THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE THEMSELVES JUST TO FEEL SAFE HERE: HTTP://FORUMS.THEVBOARD.COM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=64780 THEY HAVE A CURRENT RECALL (04-05) WHY NOT OLDER MODELS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM? HTTP://WWW.NISSANHELP.COM/OWNERSHIP/BULLETINS/NISSAN/2005/NTB05-058.HTM *NM

MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A RESIDENTIAL AREA FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE ENGINE LINE, BATTERY LIGHT AND ALL OTHER LIGHTS INCLUDING HEADLAMPS, AND HAZARD LIGHTS WERE BLINKING ERRATICALLY OR STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER. I CALLED FOR A TOW AND ASKED THE TOWER TO CHECK THE BATTERY AND SEE IF A "JUMP" WOULD FIX IT. THE CAR STARTED AGAIN AFTER THE JUMP. I HEAD OFF TOWARDS HOME. THE CAR STARTED LOSING POWER. LUCKILY, I MADE IT HOME AS THE CAR STALLED WHILE IN MOTION. IF THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY, MY FIANCEE AND I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY SUFFERED AN ACCIDENT. THERE WAS SOMEWHAT OF AN UNUSUAL SMELL LIKE BURNING PLASTIC. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP WAS BURNED THROUGH, BUT THE SOURCE OF THE BURNING SMELL WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THERE APPEARED TO BE A SMALL FIRE, JUDGING BY THE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING OFF FROM UNDER THE CAR, THAT MAY HAVE STOPPED SHORTLY AFTER THE CAR STALLED. *JB