2002 Nissan Altima

I LOVED THE CAR UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE HEATER. MONTHS AGO, I NOTICED THAT MY HEATER WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I TOOK IT TO BE LOOKED AT AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THERE MAY BE BUBBLES IN THE COOLANT LINE. THEY BLED THE LINE, REFILLED IT AND IT WAS FINE FOR AWHILE. I HAVE NO HEAT AGAIN. THEY CHECKED AND COULD FIND NO EXTERNAL LEAKS. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THE PAST YEAR, AND EVERY FEW MONTHS I NEED MY COOLANT REPLACED AND BLED. I'VE GONE TO NUMEROUS MECHANICS AND NOBODY CAN FIND THE LEAK. I'VE SEARCHED MANY SITES AND FORUMS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR MY TYPE OF CAR. THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING BECAUSE THE COOLANT IS LEAKING, THE CAR IDLES ROUGH AND IS DRIVING W/ HIGHER RPMS THAN IT USED. *TR

I LOVED THE CAR UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE HEATER. MONTHS AGO, I NOTICED THAT MY HEATER WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I TOOK IT TO BE LOOKED AT AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THERE MAY BE BUBBLES IN THE COOLANT LINE. THEY BLED THE LINE, REFILLED IT AND IT WAS FINE FOR AWHILE. I HAVE NO HEAT AGAIN. THEY CHECKED AND COULD FIND NO EXTERNAL LEAKS. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THE PAST YEAR, AND EVERY FEW MONTHS I NEED MY COOLANT REPLACED AND BLED. I'VE GONE TO NUMEROUS MECHANICS AND NOBODY CAN FIND THE LEAK. I'VE SEARCHED MANY SITES AND FORUMS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR MY TYPE OF CAR. THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING BECAUSE THE COOLANT IS LEAKING, THE CAR IDLES ROUGH AND IS DRIVING W/ HIGHER RPMS THAN IT USED. *TR

TOO MANY ISSUES TO REMEMBER THAN ALL BUT I'LL TRY: - EXCESSIVE OIL USE - EXCESSIVE COOLANT USE - OVERHEATING TO THE AFOREMENTIONED ISSUES - INTERMITTENT TRANSMISSION ISSUES - FAILING AIRBAG - ELECTRICAL ISSUES - BROKEN SENSORS - CATALYTIC CONVERTERS GONE BAD - OXYGEN SENSORS GONE BAD - INTERMITTENT FAILURE TO START - INTERMITTENT CAR SHAKING AND SO ON. *TR

AT ABOUT 80,000 MILES MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA HAD AN ISSUE WHERE THE COOLANT STARTED LEAKING INTO TO COMBUSTION CHAMBER, HAD TO HAVE THE HEADS RESURFACED, AND CAT CONVERTERS REPLACED. NOW THE CAR BURNS OIL, HAS TO BE REPLACED AT ABOUT 1000 MILES (COMPLETELY EMPTY IF I LET IT GO TO 1500 MILES). THE CAR NOW STOPS WHEN DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS, STARTS RIGHT BACK UP, BUT DIES WHILE DRIVING. *TR

I OWN A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5L. I HAD MY CAR LOOKED AT IN EARLY 2008 BECAUSE MY HEATER WAS NOT WORKING. THE MECHANIC SAID THE COOLANT WAS LOW BUT COULD FIND NO PROBLEM SO HE TOPPED IT OFF AND TOLD ME TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT. IN THE SUMMER OF 2008 I NOTICED IT WAS GOING THROUGH COOLANT AGAIN. IT WOULD ALSO SHUDDER WHEN FIRST STARTED AND A FOUL BLACK SMOKE WOULD COME OUT OF THE TAILPIPE. MY MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THE HEAD GASKET WAS OUT. SO HE IS REPLACING THE HEAD GASKET. HE JUST ORDERED THE PARTS AND HIS SUPPLIER SAID THEY WERE SENDING OUT ABOUT ONE A MONTH, WHICH IS A LOT. THEY ALSO HAVE A DIFFERENT NUMBER, SO IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE DESIGN OF THE HEAD GASKET. INITIAL COSTS PUT IT AROUND $1500. I DID INTERNET RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON WITH THIS CAR STARTING AROUND 87,000 MILES. THE INTERNET ALSO MENTIONED PROBLEM WITH THE PRE-CAT AND OXYGEN SENSORS. I FEEL THAT A CAR ONLY 6 YEARS OLD SHOULD NOT BE EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS. I LOVED THE CAR UNTIL I STARTED HAVING SERIOUS ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH IT. *TR

AFTER REPLACING THE OXYGEN SENSOR VARIOUS TIMES, I BEGAN TO GET HUGE AMOUNTS OF OIL CONSUMPTION WHERE I HAD TO ADD EVERY WEEK. AS A RESULT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS SHOT, AND ALSO RUINED THE ENGINE. DURING THAT PERIOD, MY 2002 ALTIMA HAD SPONTANEOUSLY SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY WHILE OPERATING ON CITY ROADS AND INTERSTATE FREEWAYS. DESPITE HAVING PERFECT MAINTENANCE AND COMPLETING ALL RECALLS (SEE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER: 03V084000 OR NISSAN RECALL R3007), I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE DESIGN IS COMPLETELY FLAWED AND NO RECALL WILL CORRECT THIS BAD DESIGN. *TR

2002 NISSAN ALTIMA - ENGINE IS GOING THROUGH 2 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 100 MILES. I HAVE DONE SOME SIMPLE RESEARCH ON THIS AND FIND THAT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND APPARENTLY NISSAN IS AWARE OF IT YET CLAIM THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM. THE BASICS OF THE ISSUE ARE THAT AN INTERNAL PART OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS GETTING SUCKED BACK UP INTO THE ENGINE SCORING THE CYLINDER. MY DAUGHTER'S CAR HAS ABOUT 100,000 MILES ON IT HOWEVER THERE ARE COMPLAINT AFTER COMPLAINT ON VARIOUS BLOGS OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING AS SOON AS 50-60,000 MILES. HER CAR HAS HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. THE COST OF REPLACING THE ENGINE IS $5,000. I HAVE READ STORIES OF ENGINES HAVING BEEN REPLACED 2 TIMES ON THE SAME CAR. DOES NISSAN HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS OR CAN THEY JUST BLOW OFF THE CUSTOMER AND PRETEND THAT THERE IS NO ISSUE WITH THE MOTOR, CONVERTER ETC? *TR

OWN A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA; REPLACED CATALYTIC CONVERTER 6/2005 @ 71K MILES. IT FELL UNDER FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY. 7/2008 SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON AGAIN AND SEEM TO BE BURNING THROUGH OIL. TOOK INTO BALISE NISSAN - CONVERTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, NEEDS MORE EXPENSIVE TESTS TO DIAGNOSE OIL ISSUE. GOOGLED 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA PROBLEMS, CONSUMER AFFAIRS WEBSITE HAD POST AFTER POST OF OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AS I'VE HAD/HAVING. ULTIMATE FIX, NEED TO REPLACE ENGINE. ONE MAN REPLACED ENGINE TWICE AND CAR IS STILL NOT CORRECT. CALLED NISSAN HEADQUARTERS, THE REGIONAL REP, CATHERINE, WHO WAS EXTREMELY RUDE AS THOUGH I WAS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING TERRIBLE, SAID SHE REVIEWED MY COMPLAINT AND THERE IS NOTHING NISSAN WILL DO BECAUSE THERE ARE NO RECALLS PENDING AND THE CAR IS A 2002 AND NOW HAS 126K ON IT AND MY WARRANTY EXPIRED. I TOLD HER THE INITIAL PROBLEM HAPPENED WHILE I WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND OBVIOUSLY THAT HAD TO BE A PROBLEM ALSO BECAUSE A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE, REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE SHOULD NOT BURN THROUGH 2 CATALYTIC CONVERTERS IN 6 YEARS AND ALSO NEED A NEW ENGINE. I ALSO TRIED TO BRING HER ATTENTION TO THE COUNTLESS OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE, SHE DID NOT WANT TO DISCUSS IT. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLES...PLEASE HELP!!!!! *TR