2002 Nissan Altima

MY CAR WAS SERVICED FOR A RECALL ISSUE IN 3/09 BY THE MANUFACTURER. IN AUGUST OF 09, MY CAR BEGAN TO HESITATE WHEN STARTING, THERE WAS LOSS OF POWER AND HESITATION DURING OPERATION, SOON AFTERWARDS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND FINALLY THE CAR FAILED TO START. I BROUGHT IT IN TO A LOCAL SERVICE CENTER AND THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR AND THE CAMSHAFT SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS ADVISED TO BRING THE CAR INTO THE DEALER FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICING WHEN I CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS. I OPENED A CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF THE RECALL WORK, BUT NISSAN IS SAYING THAT THE PARTS THAT I HAD INSTALLED HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA IN NOVEMBER 2005. THE LAST TWO YEARS I HAVE BEEN HAVING SEVERAL PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE VEHICLE INCLUDING, JERKING, STALLING ON HIGHWAY, OVER HEATING AND SMOKING. I HAVE A THE OC SENSORS REPLACED, SPARK PLUGS, CADILLAC CONVERTS, COILS...THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. I NOTICED MY OIL LIGHT ALWAYS COMING ON AND THE NEED TO ALWAYS REFILL THE OIL BUT I COULD NOT SEE WHERE IT WAS LEAKING FROM. THE SAME PROBLEM WAS WITH THE COOLANT---I KEPT POURING IT IN THE PLACE FOR COOLANT AND IN 2 DAYS IT WOULD BE GONE.AT THE END OF AUGUST MY INFANT AND I WERE IN THE VEHICLE AND IT BEGAN JERKING AND CUT OFF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED TO PICK UP THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO NISSAN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CONVERTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AND THE ENGINE. AFTER RESEARCHING IT LOOKS AS IF THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH SEVERAL NISSAN ALTIMA'S. I JUST WANT MY ENGINE AND CONVERTER TO BE REPLACED THE NISSAN CORP TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL, I HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE. INSTANTLY I NOTICED MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOOT UP AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. I PARKED MY CAR AND JUST FIGURED THAT IT HAD OVERHEATED. I ADDED MORE WATER TO THE RADIATOR AND KEPT DRIVING. 2 MINUTES LATER IT WAS ALL THE WAY HOT AGAIN. I HAD MY CAR TOWED HOME AT WHICH POINT I INSPECTED THE RADIATOR AND DISCOVERED A 4 INCH HORIZONTAL CRACK IN THE PLASTIC HEAD OF THE RADIATOR DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE HOSE MOUNT. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT PLASTIC COULD CRACK LIKE THIS. I HAVE SEEN CRACKS IN PLASTIC ALONG SEAMS, BUT THERE WAS NO SEAM HERE. I JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS CRACK COULD HAPPEN THIS WAY. THIS MUST BE SOME SORT OF A DEFECT BECAUSE THIS WAS UNBELIEVABLE. I WENT ON TO PURCHASE A NEW RADIATOR PLUS HOSES AND ANTIFREEZE FROM THE AUTO PARTS STORE FOR A TOTAL OF $250, PLUS I WILL NOW HAVE TO TAKE 3 HOURS OUT OF MY DAY TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR. I DO ALL MY OWN WORK ON THE CAR AND TAKE GREAT CARE OF IT. I FIX ANY SMALL PROBLEMS RIGHT AWAY TO PREVENT LARGER PROBLEMS, SUCH AS THIS ONE, FROM HAPPENING. *TR

DESIGN FLAW WITH ENGINE CAUSES EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE BURNING OIL THEN MAKES THE CONVERTER START TO FALL APART AND BE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE. THIS MADE THE ENGINE STALL IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS FLAW THROUGHOUT THE INTERNET. CONTACTED NISSAN I THEY SAID TO BAD. DEALER STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT I SELL THE CAR SINCE IT WOULD ONLY GET WORSE DUE TO THIS ISSUE. *TR

I PURCHASED A 02 ALTIMA 2.5 (AUTOMATIC) ON THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2009. ON FRIDAY, JULY 17, I HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE MECHANIC BECAUSE IT WAS MAKING A TERRIBLE SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. UPON ARRIVAL, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE OIL TANK WAS BONE DRY. AFTER ADDING 3 QUARTS OF OIL, THE NOISE WAS GONE. THROUGHOUT THAT DAY WHEN DRIVING I SMELT SOMETHING LIKE EXHAUST OR BURNING OIL OR SOMETHING. I JUST THOUGHT OIL WAS SPILLED ON THE ENGINE AND IT WAS SIMPLY BURNING OFF. I PUT APPROX 30 MILES ON THE CAR THAT DAY. ON SATURDAY, JULY 18, I PUT APPROX 20 MILES ON THE CAR (SAME SMELL). ON SUNDAY, I NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY MUFFLER WHEN I WOULD HIT THE GAS. IT WOULD GO AWAY WHEN I WAS AT A STEADY PACE BUT IF I PUT GAS IN IT, THE SMOKE WOULD COME OUT. I TOOK THE CAR TO A FRIEND OF MINE AND HAD HIM CHECK THE OIL. TO MY SURPRISE, THERE WAS NOT A LICK OF OIL LEFT IN THE TANK... WHERE DID IT GO????????? THERE WAS NO SIGN OF LEAKS UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND NO SPOT ON MY DRIVEWAY. WE WENT AND PURCHASED 3 MORE QUARTS OF OIL AND ADDED IT TO THE CAR. WHEN WE CHECKED THE DIP STICK, THE OIL WAS PITCH BLACK. THE CAR WAS ALSO BLOWING BLACK SMOKE. I AM A SINGLE 27 YEAR OLD MOM, WORKING AND GOING TO SCHOOL. A NISSAN IS WHAT EVERYONE TOLD ME TO GET.. WHY??? I HAVE JUST FORKED OUT EVERY DIME I HAD (7800.00) IN SAVINGS TO PURCHASE THIS CAR SO WHAT WAS I TO DO NOW? ON MONDAY, JULY 20, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHICH THEN TOLD ME THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I THEN TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHICH VERIFIED THE SAME THING. AFTER 2 WEEKS A 05 MODEL ENGINE WAS PUT IN THE CAR AND I PICKED IT UP ON AUGUST 7. SHORTLY AFTER BEING ON THE ROAD, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WAS MAKING A LOUD SQUEAKY SOUND. AFTER TAKING IT BACK ON AUGUST 18, THEY SAID IT NOW NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THEY REPLACED A BELT. ON AUGUST 23, THE CAR STARTED GOING DEAD WITH NO WARNING WHILE DRIVING; ONCE I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AND THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE! IT ALSO ACTS AS IF IT DOESN'T WANT TO CRANK NOW. *TR

I BEGAN TO BURN ABOUT 1 QUART OF OIL PER 1000 MILES THAT I DROVE AT THE BEGINNING OF 2009. THERE WAS ALSO A STRANGE GROWLING NOISE WHEN STARTING MY CAR. EVENTUALLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE OIL USAGE ALSO BEGAN TO INCREASE. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THAT MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THERE WERE SOME ENGINE ISSUES THAT WAS BEYOND THEIR CAPABILITIES. THEY RECOMMENDED TAKING IT TO A NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I DROPPED MY CAR OFF ON 8/15 AND WITHIN LESS THEN 2 HOURS THEY SERVICE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT I NOT ONLY NEEDED A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER BUT I ALSO NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. HE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE OF A FAULTY DESIGN THE FRONT CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS TO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE CAUSING IT TO OVER HEAT. ONCE IT OVERHEATED IT WOULD BREAK DOWN AND BECAUSE THERE IS NO EGR VALVE ON THE CAT THE PARTICLES OF THE CONVERTER WOULD GET SUCKED BACK INTO THE ENGINE WHICH ENDED UP SCORING THE CYLINDER WALLS. THEY TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE THE RECALL CAMPAIGN # 03V084000 WAS "PERFORMED" AT 13,208 MILES NISSAN WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER EVEN THOUGH IT IS DIRECLTY RELATED TO THE DEFECTIVE PART THAT NISSAN IS ALREADY AWARE OF. THE SERVICE ADVISOR QUOTED ME 4586.OO PLUS TAX FOR MY OUT OF POCKET COST AND THE PARTS AND LABOR WOULD ONLY BE COVERED FOR 12 MONHS OR 12,000 MILES EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE THAT COMES WITH THE CAR WHEN IT IS NEW IS COVERED FOR 5 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES. I AM CURRENTLY FILING A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN AND CONSLUTING A LAWYER. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. SINCE I'VE HAD IT, IT USES OIL AND HAS A BAD CATALYTIC PROBLEM DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THIS 2.5S IS UNDER A RECALL. THE ECM WAS REPLACED ON THE CAR TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM, BUT IT STILL PERSISTS. NISSAN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH ITS NEVER BEEN FIXED......THE RECALL NUMBER FOR THIS CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS 03V084000. *TR

MY NISSAN ALTIMA 2002 2.5 CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE THAT WILL COST ME APPROXIMATELY $5000. MY CAR HAD CLOSE TO 90,000 MILES. BUT IN TRACKING DOWN MY REPAIR HISTORY, THE PROBLEM COULD HAVE OCCURRED BETWEEN 70,000 - 90,000 MILES. I'VE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP (YOUNKER NISSAN IN RENTON WASHINGTON) SEVERAL TIMES DURING A YEAR TO MAINTAIN SO THAT I DON'T RUN INTO ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS BUT APPARENTLY DIDN'T HELP. THE PROBLEM STARTED OCCURRING WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A PROBLEM THAT TURNED OUT TO BE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACEMENT. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP LOOKED INTO THE PROBLEM AND SAID I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN CORP BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TAKING MY CAR TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO MAINTAIN BUT ONLY TO BE TOLD LATER I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. CORP NISSAN DID NOT WANT TO HELP OUT AND NEITHER DID THE DEALERSHIP. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND WAS FOUND SO MAY PEOPLE WITH THIS CAR HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I FEEL I'VE BEEN NOT BEEN TREATED FAIR BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TAKING CARE OF MY CAR (THROUGH MAINTENANCE AT THE DEALERSHIP (YOUNKER NISSAN IN RENTON WASHINGTON)) AND ONLY TO BE TOLD LATER I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. *TR