2002 Nissan Altima

NISSAN WEBSITE : HTTP://WWW.NISSANUSA.COM/OWNING/RECALL_INFO/ALTIMA/2002/INDEX.HTML#RESULT1 APPLIES TO 2003 ALTIMA MODELS IN THE FOLLOWING VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER RANGE: 1N4AL11**3C100003 - 311983 REASON FOR RECALL THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE EXHAUST PIPE HANGER PIN MAY CATCH DEBRIS FROM THE ROAD THAT COULD BE IGNITED BY CONTACT WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND CAUSE A FIRE. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT CERTAIN ENGINE OPERATING CONDITIONS MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE PRE-CATALYST. MATERIAL FROM INSIDE A DAMAGED PRE-CATALYST COULD ENTER THE ENGINE AND RESULT IN INCREASED OIL CONSUMPTION. IF THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL IS NOT CHECKED ON A PERIODIC BASIS AND DROPS BELOW THE LOW LEVEL, AND THE DRIVER CONTINUES TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE IGNORING NOTICEABLE ENGINE NOISE, ENGINE DAMAGE MAY OCCUR WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. WHAT NISSAN WILL DO IN ORDER TO PREVENT THESE INCIDENTS FROM OCCURRING, YOUR NISSAN DEALER WILL SHORTEN THE EXHAUST PIPE HANGER PIN. THE DEALER WILL ALSO REPROGRAM THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE TO PREVENT ANY FUTURE DAMAGE TO THE PRE-CATALYST. IN ADDITION, THE DEALER WILL INSTALL HEAT SHIELDS ON CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM ON VEHICLES THAT DO NOT ALREADY HAVE THEM. THIS FREE SERVICE SHOULD TAKE ABOUT THREE HOURS TO COMPLETE, BUT YOUR NISSAN DEALER MAY REQUIRE YOUR VEHICLE FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME BASED UPON THE DEALER''S WORK SCHEDULE. THE PRE-CATALYST WILL BE TESTED TO ENSURE IT IS WORKING PROPERLY AND REPLACED IF NECESSARY. IF DAMAGE IS FOUND INSIDE THE PRE-CATALYST, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. NISSAN ANTICIPATES THAT FEW ENGINES WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. IF THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, THIS ALSO WILL BE FREE OF CHARGE AND WILL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS. IN THIS CASE, A CAR RENTAL ALLOWANCE IS AVAILABLE FROM YOUR NISSAN DEALER UPON REQUEST. *JB

I OWN A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA, WHICH FALLS UNDER THE ENGINE & COOLING SYSTEM RECALL, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER RECALLS. I DID NOT RECEIVE THE RECALL NOTICE, HOWEVER, BECAUSE MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DUBLIN NISSAN FOR INSPECTION. THEY NOTED THE RECALL AND APPARENTLY REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. AFTER I PICKED UP MY CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN THE EVENING, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE NEXT MORNING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY APPARENTLY DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS AND JUST RESET THE SENSOR FOR THE LIGHT. THE NEXT TIME I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THAT THEY DID THEIR JOB AND TO DO AN INSPECTION ON THE VEHICLE THEY WOULD NEED TO CHARGE ME. AT THIS TIME I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER DEPT. TO SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO CONSUMING OIL VERY EXCESSIVELY (OF WHICH I WAS NOT AWARE OF SINCE I JUST HAD AN OIL CHANGE DONE), THEREFORE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND DAMAGE THE RADIATOR. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A PRIVATE, LICENSED MECHANIC TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR. THEY ALSO RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, BUT IT STILL CAME BACK ON. AT THIS TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FREMONT NISSAN, WHERE THEY DID DIAGNOSIS OF THE VEHICLE AND INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND 2 OF THE CYLINDERS ARE MISFIRING ON THE TEST. THEY SAID THAT IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND DETERMINE THE EXACT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, THEY WOULD NEED TO TAKE APART THE ENGINE AND PHYSICALLY EXAMINE IT INSIDE (COST APPROXIMATELY $900). I AGAIN CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER SERVICES, THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO HELP ME IN ANY WAY. THE LADY TOLD ME THAT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO COMMIT TO ANY REPAIRS, I WOULD NEED TO PAY THE DEALERSHIP TO EXAMINE THE ENGINE AND IF THEY DEALERSHIP DETERMINES THAT THE PROBLEM IS WARRANTY RELATED THEN NISSAN WOULD LOOK INTO REPAIRING. I SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE ARE ALL THOSE DESCRIBED ON THE NISSAN'S WEBSITE. *JB

I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN MIDDLETOWN, CT. AUG. 2006 BECAUSE I WAS LOOSING ANTIFREEZE. THEY TOLD ME I HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND MY ENGINE SEEMED TO BE USING OIL. THEY WANTED TO DO AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST AND ASKED ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK IN AT 500 MILES. I DID THAT AND WAS TOLD IT WASN'T CONCLUSIVE ENOUGH SO BRING IT BACK IN ANOTHER 1000 MILES. WHEN I BROUGHT IT BACK THEY TOLD ME I WOULD NEED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE SINCE IT WAS BLOWN. THEY TOLD ME THE HEAD GASKET IS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THE ENGINE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY SINCE IT WAS CAUSED BY THE PRE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WHEN I BOUGHT THIS CAR I WAS SOLD ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTY SINCE IT COVERED THE WHOLE CAR EXCEPT FOR MUFFLERS, SPARK PLUGS, BRAKES ALL THE THINGS THAT NORMALLY WEAR OUT ON A CAR. BACK IN JUNE OF 2004 I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR RECALL # R30071 THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED AT LIA NISSAN IN ENFIELD, CONN. IN THE RECALL IT STATES THAT IF THE MATERIAL FROM THE RECALLED PRE CATALYST GETS INTO THE ENGINE IT COULD DO DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND MAY CAUSE A FIRE. I NOW HAVE AN ENGINE THAT HAD THE RECALL FIX DONE AND THEIR FIX DID NOT WORK. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE WILL CATCH FIRE AND HURT ME OR ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS. I HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL THE CHANNELS AVAILABLE TO ME AT NISSAN AND HAVE GOTTEN NOWHERE. I EVEN GOT A LETTER BACK FROM NISSAN TELLING ME THAT I HAVE INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE RECORDS. I CHANGE MY OWN OIL AND FILTERS BUT THE REST I BRING TO THE DEALER IF I HAVE A PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THIS SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FAILURE OF THEIR FIX. ON A SIDE NOTE I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING THE INTERNET CONCERNING THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND MANY CASES OF PEOPLE HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR NISSAN ALTIMA 2002. THEY HAVE HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM WITH NISSAN ALSO. ANY HELP FROM YOU WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED MY CAR IS FAILING FAST AND IT IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORT TO WORK. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE AND OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH PRODUCED A FAILURE CODE, AND INDICATED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V084000, REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD PROBLEMS TURNING THE IGNITION ON. THIS OCCURRED ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER CHECKED THE VIN # TO SEE IF IT WAS COVERED UNDER RECALL AND STATED THAT THEIR SYSTEM SHOWED THAT VEHICLE PART HAD BEEN FIXED ON A PREVIOUS RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER BROUGHT IN FOR ANY RECALL WORK IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER, NOR DID THE CONTACT RECEIVE A RECALL LETTER ON THIS MATTER. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER, NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED AS A FAILED CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND RECALL INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL # 03V455000 FOR ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 12/5/2006 - *NM

2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. LOST THE ENGINE DUE TO "NO OIL". DEALERSHIP STATED CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND CAUSED ABUNDANT OIL CONSUMPTION. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED ON RECALL AT 50,000 MILES. THE NEW CONVERTER ONLY HAD A 12 MONTH/12,000 MILE WARRANTY, UNLIKE THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY. ADVISED TO CONTACT NISSAN AND I DID. THEY STATED CONVERTER AND CAR WERE OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE Y COULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME 4,500.00 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND THE CONVERTER. VANN YORK NISSAN SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED THE ENTIRE ENGINE WITH ONE FROM THE FACTORY IN A MIRACLE OF 2 DAYS FROM GETTING MY APPROVAL. (3) WEEKS LATER THE SERPENTINE BELT BROKE AND I DISCOVERED IT WAS THE ORIGINAL BELT FROM THE OLD ENGINE. THIS IS A RIP OFF AND NISSAN NORTH AMERICA SHOULD RECALL ALL THESE CARS. PLUS DEALERS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION AND MAKING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY. I'M SUING..........*NM