2002 Nissan Altima

DT: THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THERE WAIS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V455000, REGARDING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE VEHICLE WAS EXHIBITING THE SAME PROBLEM AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB

MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEM WITH SUDDENLY SHUTTING OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING SINCE AROUND FEBRUARY OF 2003. IN APRIL 2003, IT GREW WORSE & STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND I MANAGE TO GET IT RESTARTED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD BE RESET ONLY TO COME BACK ON WITHIN A FEW DAYS TO A WEEK LATER. THEY STATED IT WAS THE ENGINE SENSOR AND THEY REPLACED THAT BUT THAT WAS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX. JUST THIS PAST AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER WHEN I HAD MY CAR TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP & PLACED ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE WHICH DETERMINED THAT CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD & HAD TO BE REPLACED. ONCE THEY DID THAT THE CAR DROVE WELL FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN. TOOK IT TO HAMPTON NISSAN WHICH IS A 45 MIN DRIVE FROM MY HOME TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE CAR. THEY DETERMINED IT MIGHT BE THE INTAKE BUT WASN'T REALLY SURE BUT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO CHECK TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE PROBLEM WHICH WAS GOING TO COST ME $350. ON MY WAY HOME MY CAR CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BUT LUCKILY IN FRONT OF MY HOME BUT THE CAR HAS NOT RESTARTED SINCE NOV 10, 2005. CALLED NISSAN THEY INFORMED ME TO TAKE TO THE DEALER & THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT MY ENGINE HAS BEEN DAMAGED FROM THE CATALYST CONVERTER & I NEED TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. THE COST FOR A NEW MOTOR WOULD BE $4,800 & $3,800 FOR A USED MOTOR WITH OVER 24,000 MILES ON IT. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT NISSAN KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CATALYST CONVERTER DAMAGING ENGINES. I FEEL THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE MY ENGINE IF THIS PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY NISSAN. I HAD SPOKEN TO A REPRESENTATIVE OF NISSAN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BUT NOW I CAN'T REACH HIM & I HAVE LEFT NUMEROUS MESSAGES. THE DEALER STATES THAT BECAUSE MY CAR HAS OVER 141,000 MILES ON IT THAT THEY CANNOT REPLACE MY ENGINE FOR FREE AS THE MECHANIC STATED THEY WOULD DO IF IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE CATALYST CONVERTER. *JB

I WANT TO REPORT A FAILURE IN MY NISSAN ALTIMA 2002. THEY DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING TO MY EVENING WORK AND I WAS CHATTING ON THE PHONE WITH MY SISTER WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME UP. I KEPT ON DRIVING AROUND 10 MORE MILES, AND BY THE TIME I WAS ABOUT TO GET TO THE PARKING LOT OF MY WORK PLACE THE CAR START SHOCKING ON ME LIKE IF IT WAS GOING TO STOP. AT THAT TIME I WAS ALREADY IN THE PARKING LOT AND I PARKED. THEN I SAW A HUGE SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT AND SINCE I'M A WOMEN THAT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND MUCH ABOUT CARS, I JUST GOT SCARED AND CALLED MY HUSBAND SO HE COULD PICK ME UP AFTER WORK. WHEN I WAS AT WORK I TALK ABOUT THE INCIDENT TO MY BOSS AND HE WENT TO CHECK THE CAR, AND HE TOLD ME THE RADIATOR PRETTY MUCH BROKE!!, HE TRIED TO PUT WATER, AND THE CAR COULDN'T HOLD IT. IT WAS JUST LEAKING, HE TOLD ME I SHOULD TOW IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THEY COULD FIX IT, BECAUSE IF I DRIVE IT THE ENGINE WILL DIE AND MY CAR WILL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BECAUSE IT WILL OVERHEAT. I TOW IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WANTED TO KNOW WHY DID THE RADIATOR BROKE, I WAS THINKING I SHOULD GET A REASONABLE EXPLANATION WHY THAT HAPPEN. THE CAR IS PRETTY NEW, IT JUST HAS 50K MILES. ANYWAYS, THE DEALER WASN'T ABLE TO GIVE ME ANY GOOD REASON. THEY JUST SAID THE RADIATOR STARTED LEAKING AND EVENTUALLY BROKE. EXCUSE ME? SO WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT IN THE NEXT 50K MILES? THE SAME?... I JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS SAFE... WHAT IF I DIDN'T GOT LUCKY AND MADE IT TO MY WORK PLACE BEFORE THE CAR DIED ON ME ON A FREEWAY?... I COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT... THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A NISSAN ALTIMA RADIATOR DEFECT.... AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL, I TAKE CARE OF CHANGING OIL AND PUTTING WATER IN THE CAR AS I SHOULD.... SO WHY DO I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS?... PLEASE HELP. I HAD TO PAY $1058.00 TO GET MY CAR FIXED. *JB

DT: CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY VEHICLE STALLED/ LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD THE CONTACT IT WAS AN ALTERNATOR, AND IT WAS REPAIRED. WHEN SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME IT STARTED DOING THE SAME THING . SHE TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. ALSO, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THAT IF SHE DIDN'T HAVE THIS FIXED THAT IT WOULD BLOW THE PISTONS.*AK

IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE NISSAN 2.5 LITER POWER PLANT HAS ISSUES WITH INTAKE BUTTERFLY VALVE SCREWS THAT HAVE BECAME LOOSE AND ARE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE RESULTING IN STALLING AND SEVERE DAMAGE THAT COULD CAUSE GRAVE HARM OR DEATH. I MYSELF HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS HOWEVER THERE IS GREAT KNOWLEDGE AND A CURRENT RECALL FOR SOME OF THE 04-05 NISSAN ALTIMA MODELS. I AM A CURRENT 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA OWNER AND THIS ISSUE HAS ME CONCERNED TO THE POINT THAT FOR MY OWN SAFETY I AM GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THE 8 SCREWS LOCK TIGHTENED SO I CAN FEEL SAFE WHEN DRIVING. PLEASE SEE THE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS ISSUE AS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM(ONE FOUND >20% HAD MISSING SCREWS): HTTP://WWW.B15SENTRA.NET/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=86248 AND HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=192671 AND HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=192671 PEOPLE HAVE TO USE THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE THEMSELVES JUST TO FEEL SAFE HERE: HTTP://FORUMS.THEVBOARD.COM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=64780 THEY HAVE A CURRENT RECALL (04-05) WHY NOT OLDER MODELS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM? HTTP://WWW.NISSANHELP.COM/OWNERSHIP/BULLETINS/NISSAN/2005/NTB05-058.HTM *NM

I HAVE A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5L. MY CAR RECEIVES REGULAR MAINTENANCE EVERY 3 MONTHS AND/OR 3,000 MILES (DOCUMENTATION CAN BE PROVIDED), IT NEVER SITS LONGER THAN 2 OR 3 DAY, AND IT'S DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY FOR MY WORK COMMUTE. TWICE MY CAR SUDDENLY WOULDN'T START WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS FIXED, WHICH WAS AROUND APRIL, THERE WERE SEVERAL RECALLS FOR MY CAR. ONE WAS FOR THE FUEL PUMP SCREEN AND THE ENGINE SENSOR THAT WOULD CAUSE THE CAR TO NOT START OR SUDDENLY STOP RUNNING. THIS SECOND TIME (10-24-05), MY LOCAL MECHANIC SHOWED ME A 6-PAGE SERVICE TECHNICAL BULLETIN THAT WAS ISSUED BY ALLDATA FOR MY NON-STARTING PROBLEM. THE DOCUMENT SUGGESTED REPLACING THE STARTER, ADDING A NISSAN BRAND FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER AND/OR REPROGRAMMING THE COMPUTER TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS SECOND REPAIR WILL COST ME ABOUT $500 TO FIX WHEN I PICK UP MY CAR TOMORROW. I THOUGHT THE RECALL REPAIRS WOULD RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, BUT THOSE REPAIRS PROVED TO ONLY PROVIDE A TEMPORARY FIX, BUT NOT RESOLVE THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM. SINCE THERE'S A SERVICE TECHNICAL BULLETIN ABOUT MY NON-STARTING ISSUE, 2 RECALLS RELATED TO THIS SAME PROBLEM, AND I'VE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPEN TWICE, I THINK MY CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED. I'M FORTUNATE THAT I WASN'T DRIVING THE CAR WHEN IT STOPPED RUNNING OR THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I SHOULD NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPEN TWICE IN 6 MONTHS. IF MY CAR FAILS TO START TWICE IN 6 MONTHS AND THE RECALL REPAIRS DON'T REMEDY THE PROBLEM, THEN THERE MUST BE SOMETHING ELSE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I'D HATE TO FIND OUT IN A FEW MONTHS THAT THE $500 START REPLACEMENT WASN'T THE CULPRIT, BECAUSE I'D BE BACK AT SQUARE ONE. PLEASE TELL ME HOW I CAN GET THIS ISSUE ESCALATED TO A RECALL STATUS OR WHAT I CAN DO TO PREVENT A 3RD FAILURE. THANK YOU, JENNY R. BAKER. *JB

ON MARCH 27,05 MY ALTIMA BEGAN TO STUTTER WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE VERY BADLY. I DECIDED TO RETURN HOME TO SWITCH CARS, AND IT BEGAN TO STALL WHILE TRAVELING AT SLOWER SPEEDS (GLAD IT DID NOT STALL WHILE I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE). I TOOK IT TO NISSAN THE NEXT MORNING AND THEY SAID THAT BOTH OF THE SCREWS BACKED OUT OF ONE OF THE BUTTERFLY VALVE PLATES IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE PLATE ITSELF AND THE SCREWS HAD FALLEN INTO THE ENGINE, THUS CAUSING SEVERE MISFIRING AND BANGING INTO THE SPARK PLUGS AND DESTROYING THEM AND ALSO SCORING ALL THE WALLS OF THE ENGINE. NISSAN SAID I WOULD NEED TO BUY A NEW ENGINE BUT I REFUSED AND TOWED IT ANOTHER NISSAN DEALER AFTER TALKING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THERE AND HE SAID HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP MORE. IT HAS BEEN SITTING THERE EVER SINCE BECAUSE I REFUSE TO PAY. THE SERVICE TECH SAID THAT ALL 8 OF THE SCREWS HOLDING THE BUTTERFLY PLATES IN WERE ALL LOOSE. MANY PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO APPLY THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF LOCTITE TO THE SCREWS SO THEY DON'T ENCOUNTER THE SAME PROBLEM. NISSAN OBVIOUSLY TAKES THE BLAME ACCORDING TO RECALL P5202 BUT IT ONLY APPLIES TO 04'S AND 05'S EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME ENGINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE 02'S AND 03'S. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER BECAUSE IF I HAD BEEN CROSSING AN INTERSECTION AND THE ALTIMA HAD STALLED ONCOMING TRAFFIC COULD HAVE KILLED ME. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A SMALL PROBLEM AND NISSAN NEEDS TO ADDRESS IT. I HAVE TAKEN SOME OTHER STEPS ALREADY ON MY END TO GET NISSAN TO ACCEPT FAULT, BUT PLEASE FOR MY SAKE AND OTHER OWNERS SAKE THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE PLENTY OF PRINTOUTS OF HOW COMMON THE PROBLEM IS WITH OTHER OWNERS AND CAN EMAIL TO ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED. THE SAME ENGINE (QR25DE) IS IN THE 02 AND UP NISSAN SENTRA SPEC-V SO PLEASE CHECK THOSE COMPLAINTS FOR SIMILAR ISSUES SINCE THAT IS WHERE MOST OF THE FIRST COMPLAINTS I HAVE FOUND CAME FROM.*JB

CERTIFIED LTR RE COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE NEW NISSAN ALTIMA (MY) 2002 & 2003 INVOLVING ENGINE PROBLEMS, REQUESTING A DEFECT INVESTIGATION. *TS THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH HIS VEHICLE NOT STARTING AND CUTTING OFF ONCE STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER CLAIMED THEY FIXED TO PROBLEM BUT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY THE CONSUMER WAS FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO LOSE POWER WHILE ACCELERATING AND STALL. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A CYLINDER 2 MISFIRE. THIS OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER. THIS TIME THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY CONVERTER. THE SERVICE TECH ADMITTED THAT THE INITIAL DIAGNOSIS WAS INCORRECT BUT THE CONSUMER STILL HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED. WHILE DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET THE CONSUMER VISITED SEVERAL SITES WHICH HAD COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ENGINE AND OTHER ALTIMA COMPONENTS. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS VEHICLE'S REPAIRS. *NM

2 SEPARATE NISSAN DEALERS TOLD ME THAT I NEED A NEW ENGINE AND THAT THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE OF THE PRE CAT THAT WAS SUCKED BACK INTO THE ENGINE. THE CAT WAS A RECALL THAT NISSAN REPLACED BUT PARTS OF THE CAT WERE ALREADY SUCKED BACK INTO THE ENGINE. THE SECOND CAT THEY INSTALLED FAILED AGAIN AND IS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. THEY ENGINE FAILURE WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF NISSAN'S FAILURE TO REPAIR MY ENGINE THE FIRST TIME. *NM