2002 Nissan Altima

CAR WAS LOSING COOLANT. DEALER SAID I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND BLAMED THE ENGINE OVERHEAT PROBLEM ON THE LEAKING GASKET. ENGINE IS WORKING FINE. I DO NOT WANT THEM TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET BECAUSE I CAN GET IT DONE BY AN ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOR HALF THE PRICE AND I DO NOT TRUST THEM SINCE THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS SUPPOSED TO BE COVERED BY WARRANTY UP TO 80K MILES. I HAVE 71K MILES ON THE CAR. *NM

MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S STARTED ENGINE MISFIRING AND STALLING WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS OCCURRED WITH NO PRIOR WARNING LIGHTS OR UNUSUAL PERFORMANCE FROM THE ENGINE. THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT THEN STARTED ALTERNATING FROM FLASHING TO CONSTANTLY ON. I CONSULTED MY VEHICLE MANUAL AND FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 45 MILES PER HOUR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT SERVICED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THAT A POWER VALVE SCREW HAD COME LOOSE AND DAMAGED THE SPARK PLUG. THE SUGGESTED REPLACING ALL OF THE POWER VALVE SCREWS, BUT THEY INDICATED THAT I MAY HAVE INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE AND CATALYST FAILURE THAT COULD NOT BE SEEN. THEY FURTHER ADVISED THAT I MAY HAVE FUTURE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE 2003, 2004 ,AND 2005 VERSIONS OF THIS CAR MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT NISSAN HAD A VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN FOR 2004 AND 2005 ENGINES. I BELIEVE THAT THE DAMAGE WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED IS POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC AND SHOULD BE ATTENDED TO BY THE MANUFACTURER IN THE FORM OF A RECALL AND REPAIR OF ANY DAMAGES. *NM

THE CAR EITHER HESITATED OR STALLED (ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING) ON ABOUT 3 DIFFERENT TRIPS WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 30 MPH AND 50 MPH. THE CAR STARTED RIGHT BACK UP EACH TIME. THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN THOUGH A RECALL ON 11/17/2003 (R3021/R3022) TO REPLACE THE CAM POSITION SENSOR. I WAS NOT THE OWNER OF THE CAR WHEN THE RECALL WAS DONE. THE DEALER SAID THIS VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THAT RECALL. THE PROBLEM HAS APPEARED AGAIN OR A SIMILAR PROBLEM IS HAPPENING A SECOND TIME. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALER ON 9/29/06 AND THEY REPLACED THE CAM SENSOR TO STOP THE STALLING. SINCE THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION APPEARED TO BE THE SAME AS IN THE 11/17/2003 RECALL, THE DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED ONCE AND THEREFORE THE SECOND REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. I'M CONCERNED WEATHER THIS COULD BE A RECURRING PROBLEM AND IF THE ORIGINAL REPAIR WAS ADEQUATE TO REMEDY THE STALLING PROBLEM. *NM

2002 ALTIMA SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED AND VEHICLE STALLED. *TS THE VEHICLE'S HAD BEEN SERVICED SEVERAL TIME BY THE DEALER BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LACKED POWER, JERKED AND WOULD STALL. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED A CRACKED BLOCK WHICH CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK IN THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAINTAINED REGULARLY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, SMOKE ERUPTED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE STALLING WITHOUT WARNING. NO FIRE WAS PRESENT, ONLY SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE OIL WAS DRY IN THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. THE INSPECTOR CONCLUDED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONSISTENT FROM A LACK OF HAVING THE OIL CHANGED. UPDATED 10/12/06. *JB *NM UPDATED 1/17/2006 - AT NO TIME DID THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATE TO INDICATE LOW OIL. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE OIL LIGHT HAD NEVER ILLUMINATED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE RECEIVED REGULAR OIL CHANGES. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE FAILURE IS DUE TO A KNOW DEFECT IN THE 2.5 LITER ENGINES. *NM THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE ENGINE SHE HAD TO REPLACE. UPDATED *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE WAS USING OIL EVERY 1000-1500 MILES. TOOK CAR TO VANN YORK NISSAN. WAS TOLD CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAME APART, WAS SUCKED INTO ENGINE. HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THOUGHT IT WOULD COVER THE PROBLEM. NISSAN OF NORTH AMERICA SAID THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THEREFORE DOES NOT COVER THE ENGINE. ASKED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR. WAS TOLD I'D GET A CALL BACK WITHIN 24 HOURS. NEVER HEARD FROM THEM. CALLED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. NEVER WOULD LET ME SPEAK TO ANYONE OTHER THAN THE TELEMARKETER. FINALLY RECEIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL TO INFORM THEY WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. TOOK CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AGAIN. I BOUGHT 2 NISSANS IN 2002- 1 ALTIMA; 1-QUEST. HAD OWNED A 1998 ALTIMA PREVIOUSLY. THOUGHT NISSAN WAS A GOOD BRAND. THOUGHT NISSAN WAS A GOOD COMPANY. THOUGHT WRONG! WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN PRODUCT AS LONG AS I LIVE. HAVE TOLD EVERY PERSON I KNOW. WILL CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE UNTIL I GO TO MY GRAVE. *NM

THE 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA STALLS REPEATEDLY WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD. THE FAILURE INCLUDES THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE CAR SAFELY. THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY THE POWER VALVE SCREWS COMING LOOSE AND GETTING INTO THE ENGINE. THE SCREWS MUST BE REPLACED WITH LOCK TIGHT ONES AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND OXYGEN SENSOR HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AND MUST BE REPLACED. NISSAN HAS A VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO FIX THE PROBLEM FOR 2004 AND 2005 MODELS. THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IS NTB05058. THE 2002 AND 2003 MODELS HAVE THE SAME ENGINE AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY NISSAN AS WELL. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN THE VEHICLE. A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V455000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE IN 2004 CONCERNING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR UNDER THE RECALL.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V455000, REGARDING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.