2002 Nissan Altima

I HAD A 90,000 MILE VEHICLE CHECKUP AT NISSAN VILLAGE IN ATTLEBORO, MA. THE VEHICLE HAD 88,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE SERVICE. AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN, I HAD THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED. MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS 92,000 MILES ON IT AND I NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. AFTER LOOKING THE CAR OVER I NOTICED THAT THE OIL WAS BONE DRY. I SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET FOR PROBLEMS RELATED TO THIS VEHICLE AND NOTICED MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, BURNING OIL, AND EVENTUALLY TOTAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED AND THE OIL BURNING PROBLEM HAS STARTED. I FEAR THAT I WILL HAVE COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE SHORTLY, LIKE NUMEROUS OTHERS HAVE, BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. HTTP://FORUMS.AUTOMOTIVE.COM/70/1106267/NISSAN/2002-NISSAN-ALTIMA-OIL-DROPPING-AT-108,000 MILES-I-W/INDEX.HTML HTTP://WWW.NISSANFORUMS.COM/L31-2002-ALTIMA/105620-LITTLE-GUY-VS-NISSAN-NORTH-AMERICA.HTML HTTP://WWW.NISSANFORUMS.COM/L31-2002-ALTIMA/117470-RECALL-R3007-RESURFACES-02-03-ALTIMA.HTML. *TR

2002 ALTIMA, LOSS OF POWER EARLY IN DEC 2007, DEC 17 2007 AT 85,000 MILES CATALYTIC CONVERTOR FAILS, AT 90,000 MILES USING 1 QUART OF OIL IN 700 MILES. AT 91,125 MILES TO DEALERSHIP AND REPORT MADE WITH NISSAN. A RECALL PART OF A EXHAUST PIPE HANGER REPLACED BY DEALER AND I AM TOLD THE OTHER EXPENSES OF CONVERTOR (APPROX $800.00 PLUS LABOR AND POSSIBLE MOTOR REPLACEMENT $3900.00) ARE UP TO ME. YET THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME IDENTICAL PROBLEM AND NO RECALL IS ISSUED.RESEARCH, PER NISSAN NEWS BULLITINS, HAS INDICATED THAT THE CONVERTOR ON THE ALTIMA AND SENTRA BLOWS INTERNAL RESIDUE INTO THE CYLINDER WALLS CAUSING THE EXCESSIVE OIL PROBLEM. *CN

PURCHASED VEHICLE JULY 3, 2006. AUGUST 8, 2006- SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT REPORTED MULTI CYLINDER MISFIRE, SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED. FEB 07- SAME CODE FOUND AND SPARK PLUGS AND O2 SENSORS REPLACED. JUNE 07- SAME CODE, ENGINE FLOODS TWICE, CAR CRANK BUT WONT START AND SPARK PLUGS, COILS, FUEL PUMP REPLACED. NISSAN TECH COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BUT MENTIONED COOLANT WAS LOW AND SO THAT WAS WHY THE CYLINDER MISFIRE AND HEAD GASKETS NEED TO BE FIXED. OCT. 07 ENGINE SHUT OFF ABOUT 4 TIMES WHILE DRIVING. NOVEMBER 07- ENGINE FAILS. NO RECOURSE FROM NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS NOR WHERE NISSAN CAR WAS PURCHASED. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA THAT BEGAN CONSUMING OIL. PREVIOUS TO HAVING ANY PROBLEMS, NISSAN HAD A RECALL ON THE PRECATALYST WHICH SAID THAT MATERIALS COULD BE CAUSED TO GO INTO THE ENGINE AND INCREASE OIL CONSUMPTION. I HAD THIS RECALL DONE ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER PROBLEMS. NOW, I AND OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING OIL CONSUMPTION. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH HAS NOW MESSED UP MY ENGINE AND BOTH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE DEALERSHIP REGARDING THE PREVIOUS RECALL, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE LOOK FOR DAMAGE WHEN THE RECALL WAS DONE. OBVIOUSLY NOT, SINCE NOW A NUMBER OF ALTIMAS ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM AFTER THE RECALL WAS DONE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH A FORMER ENGINEER THAT SAID THERE WERE A NUMBER OF DESIGN ISSUES WITH THE 2002 MODEL. I HAVE ALSO FOUND ON THE INTERNET THAT THE CATALYLIC CONVERTER MAY BE LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE WHICH IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. SO IF IF THE ENGINE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WERE REPLACED, THE PROBLEM CAN START AGAIN. SOME OWNERS WHO HAVE PAID FOR REPLACEMENT HAVE EVENTUALLY STARTING EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE 2002 MODEL YEAR IS NOT THE ONLY MODEL WITH ENGINE PROBLEMS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND HAD THE REPAIR WORK PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THREE YEARS LATER, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED FIVE MINUTES LATER. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V527000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. HE FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,600 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,640. UPDATED 3/18/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HAD THE AIRBAG SENSOR RECALL PERFORMED. UPDATED 03/18/08 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V251000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY). SHE HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED. SHE DID NOT HEAR ANY NOISES AND THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. MINUTES LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONLY DURING COLD WEATHER. SHE TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT ALTHOUGH SHE PREVIOUSLY HAD HER VEHICLE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), THE PART NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AT HER EXPENSE. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO START. ON DECEMBER 1, 2007, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AT ALL AND WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED, BUT NO FAILURES WERE FOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE CAM SHAFT, CRANK SHAFT, AND SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE ARE TWO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS REGARDING ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING (03V455000 AND 07V527000). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE PURCHASE DATE AND MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 03/06/08. *LJ THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR AND CRANKSHAFT WERE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. UPDATED

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE). THREE YEARS LATER, THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SMELLED SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE LOCAL DEALER STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED, WHICH WAS CAUSING THE OIL TO BURN. SHE TOOK HER VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE HER VEHICLE EXCEEDED THE WARRANTY. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,930 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 143,000. THE CONSUMER STATED INITIALLY CAR WAS BURNING OIL NOT LEAKING THEN HEAVY SMOKE WAS EXITING THE EXHAUST. UPDATED 12/19/07 *TR

I'VE RECENTLY HEARD LOUD NOISES IN THE ENGINE OF MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE PRECATALYTIC CONVERTER BROKE APART AND WAS SUCKED INTO MY ENGINE. HE ALSO TOLD ME THIS WAS INEVITABLE IN ALL THE 2002, 2003 ALTIMA'S BECAUSE THE PLACEMENT OF THE PRE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS SO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE THAT THE HEAT DISINTEGRATED THE CONVERTER WHICH GETS SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE. NISSAN'S WEBSITE CLAIMS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE SINCE MARCH 2003 YET NOTHING IS BEING DONE. NISSAN HAS TOLD ME SINCE MY CAR IS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY THEY WILL NOT ASSIST ME IN PURCHASING A NEW ENGINE. *TR