2002 Nissan Altima

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 CATALYST CONVERTER. AFTER INSPECTION OF THE CATALYST CONVERTER NOTICEABLE CHUCKS OF THE CATALYST 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 WITH FIXING THE PROBLEM. SAFETY SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO A PERCENTAGE OF MILES OR TO A PERIOD OF TIME. *TR

ON TUESDAY 11/25/08 I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA TO WORK AND THE CAR TURNED OFF IN MID DRIVE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT ABOUT A RECALL (#03V455000) ON THIS WEBSITE. IT MATCHED EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM OF THE RECALL. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE SAME PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (CRANK POSITION SENSORS, AND CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS) BUT MY CAR WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL AND THEREFORE I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE REPAIR. MY VEHICLE MATCHES THE RECALL ON YOUR WEBSITE 100% IE: " 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA...ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR OR CAM POSITION SENSOR MAY HAVE IMPROPER SOLDER JOINT DUE TO SOLDER DEFORMATION CAUSED BY HEAT STRESS ACCELERATED BY THE EXISTENCE OF FLUX RESIDUE DURING THE SOLDERING PROCESS...THIS COULD CAUSE THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON, CREATE A NO START CONDITION, CAUSE REDUCED ENGINE POWER, OR CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN CRASH...DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRANK POSITION SENSORS, CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS, AND IN SOME CASES THE VARIABLE TIMING CONTROL SENSORS." AGAIN, THE DEALERSHIP HAS NEGLECTED TO RECOGNIZE THIS AS A VALID RECALL. I WANT TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND STRUCK A GUARDRAIL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED; HOWEVER, IT STALLED AGAIN APPROXIMATELY FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 119,000.

2002 ALTIMA BEGAN STALLING DURING LOW SPEEDS TRIGGERING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND ACCOMPANIED BY REDUCED ENGINE POWER. DIAGNOSTICS INDICATED PROBLEM WITH CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR WHICH WAS CLEARLY LISTED UNDER RECALL. NISSAN WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE RECALL STATING THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE TO ECM REPROGRAMMED WHICH WOULD NOT FIX STALLING PROBLEM BUT WOULD MAKE THE ECM MORE SENSITIVE TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE CSP SENSOR. NISSAN WOULD NOT PERFORM THE ECM REPROGRAM WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. NISSAN WANTED TO RUN A $90 DIAGNOSTICS TEST FIRST. I TOOK CAR TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC THE HAVE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR REPLACED WITH UPDATED FACTORY MODEL. THE SENSOR THAT WAS REMOVED WAS CLEARLY THE OLDER FLAWED MODEL WHICH WAS UNDER RECALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY CAME TO A SLOW STOP AND THE STEERING WHEEL STIFFENED. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE, BUT IT FAILED TO RESTART. THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 81,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT ALSO HEARD EXCESSIVE NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED LIT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL DUE TO THE MILEAGE AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,721.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE ALSO HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FOUR CYLINDER ENGINE, WHICH WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO AN OXYGEN SENSOR THAT WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE); HOWEVER, THE REPAIR WAS INSUFFICIENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR THE SAME FAILURE ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AGAIN. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,286 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,500.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT SMELLS BURNING OIL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,000.