2002 Nissan Altima

THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT IN MY 2002 ALTIMA WENT OUT AND NOW THE WHOLE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED. THE BULB HAS SOMEHOW MELTED THE ASSEMBLY AROUND IT. AS I HAVE SEEN IN PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS, THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROBLEM TO FIX WHEN ALL THE WHILE IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT NISSAN PLANS TO DO ABOUT THIS CONTINUING PROBLEM, IF ANYTHING. *NM

THE FIRST THING WAS THE OXYGEN SENSOR. THEN THE OXYGEN SENSOR AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE PROBLEM. MEXT THERE WAS, AND STILL IS, THE JERKING TRANSMISSION. WHEN DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC OR DRIVING ON THE OPEN HIGHWAY, THE TRANS SHIFTS HARD COMMING OUT OF FIRST INTO SECOND. I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR INTO SEVERAL NISSAN DEALERSHIPS AND TO THIS DAY, NO ONE HAS FOUND THE PROBLEM. THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT THIS IS NORMAL. I HAVE DRIVEN OTHER ALTIMAS INCLUDING SEVERAL RENTALS WHILE MINE WASIN THE SHOP AND THEY DIDN'T SHIFT LIKE MINE. THE NEXT PROBLEM IS THOSE HEADLIGHTS. THEY HAVE REPLACED ONE OF MY LIGHT ASEMBLIES AN GREAT RIVER NISSAN BUT THE OTHER HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. NEXT, THERE WAS THE HEATER COIL THAT LEAKED AND IT TOOK ALMOST 6 MONTHS TO DETERMINE BECAUSE IT DIDN'T LEAK INSIDE THE CAR. NEXT THERE WAS THE IGNITION COILS THAT WERE REPLACED 2X WITHIN A WEEK AND STILL CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. AFTER THE IGNITION PROBLEM THE MECHANICS AT STERLING MCCALL NISSAN TOLD MY THAT IT WAS MY SPARKPLUGS THAT HAD HUST BEEN CHECKED ABOUT 2 WEEKS PRIOR AT GREAT RIVER NISSAN IN MISSISSIPPI. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND INVITED THE SERVICE MAN TO A NICE LONG RIDE. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 20 MILES, I STOPPED THE CAR AND LE IT SIT FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. THE CAR STARTED AND HE SMILED. HE SAID, "SEE THERE IS NONTHING WRONG." AFTER EXPLAINING THAT HE NEEDED TO LET THE CAR SET FOR A WHILE AND THEN TRY TO START IT, HE SAID THAT IT IS STILL GOING TO START.AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS, I ASKED THE SERVICE MAN TO STEP OUTSIDE AND LETS GIV THE CAR A START... TO NO SUPRISE, WHEN I TURNED THE KEY THE CAR PUTTERED, SPITTED, JERKED, AND EVERYTHING ELSE BUT STARTED. IT WAS DETERMINED THE NEXT MORNING THAT THERE WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE CATALYST THAT WAS JUST REPLACED DUE TO A RECALL.

I TOO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH FRONT HEADLIGHTS IN '02 NISSAN ALTIMA. REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE BULB ONLY ONCE; AND THE PASSENGER SIDE 3 TIMES. LIGHTS WILL WORK FINE FOR AWHILE THEN INTERMITTENTLY; AND THEN NOT AT ALL. CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP & WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE ENTIRE LIGHT ASSEMBLY & NOT JUST THE BULBS BECAUSE THE HOUSING MELTS. REPLACEMENT OF ASSEMBLY WITHOUT PAYING THE DEALERSHIP WOULD BE DIFFICULT (IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE) BECAUSE IT REQUIRES THE REMOVAL OF THE FRONT BUMPER. IF WE COULD REPAIR IT OURSELVES, THE COST FOR THE PART ALONE IS STILL $188. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE IN THE '02'S - NEWER MODELS HAVE BEEN REDESIGNED USING METAL TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM; UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS BEEN AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE.

I REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON BUT I REALLY RHOUGHT THAT I WAS THE ONLY PERSON EXPERIENCING THOSE HEADLIGHT PROBLEMS. I HAVE CHANGED MY PASSENGER SIDE BULB 10 TIMES AND THE DRIVER SIDE 5 TIMES. IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET TO AND IT IS VERY TIME CONSUMING. FROM READING THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE DEALERSHIP WONT TAKE CARE OF REPAIRING THE PROBLEM SINCE MY CAR HAS 64000 MILES ON THERE. I AM FRUSTRATED AND I HAVE SPENT ALOT OF MONEY IN CHANGING THESE STUPID BLUBS, NOT TO MENTION TIME. ON THE 15 OF THIS MONTH WILL MAKE IT THE 11TH TIME THAT I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE PASSENGER BULB. ON THE 6 OF JUNE THE DRIVER'S SIDE WENT OUT. I AM WONDERING IF IT IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

VIN#[XXX] MILES: 50,372 ON 15 MAY 2002, HE LOW BEAM LIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY VEHICLE WENT OUT. AFTER TRYING A COUPLE OF TIMES, LOW BEAM CAME BACK ON.(SOMETIMES IT WORKED, OTHER TIMES IT DIDN'T) A WEEK LATER THE DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM WAS OUT AS WELL. THE ADVANCE AUTO STORE CLERK TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T REPLACE THE BULB FOR ME BECAUSE THE PARTS HAD TO BE REMOVED TO GET TO THE BULB. A LOCAL NISSAN DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT I BRING THE CAR IN AND GAVE ME A QUOTE OF $45 EA. HEADLIGHT. HE ADVISED ME OF AN ONGOING DEFECT WITH THE 02 NISSAN ALTIMA HEADLIGHT THAT INVOLVED THE HEAT FROM THE BULB MELTING THE PANEL AROUND IT. HE SAID THAT IF THIS WAS THE CASE, THEN THE ADDITIONAL PART WOULD BE $85 PLUS. THIS PART WOULD PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE. AFTER TAKING MY CAR IN TO THE DEALER, I RECEIVED A CALL BACK ADVISING ME THAT THE DAMAGED CAUSED BY THE HEAT WAS BEYOND REPAIR AND THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES. HE THEN GAVE ME A QUOTE OF OVER $700. (BEYOND BELIEF) I QUESTIONED AS TO WHY THIS WAS NOT A RECALL? HE DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER SO IMMEDIATELY I CALLED NISSANUSA AT 800-647-7261.TAMMY TOOK MY COMPLAINT, AND SHE GAVE ME A REFERENCE NUMBER [XXX]. SHE ASSURED ME THAT I WOULD RECEIVE A CALL BACK IN REFERENCE MY ISSUE BY COB 31 MAY 05. I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM ANYONE. I HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CALL, HOWEVER, I COULD NOT GET THROUGH TO TALK WITH SOMEONE ABOUT THIS MATTER. MY CAR IS BARELY 3 YEARS OLD AND NOT LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL IN GETTING ALL OF MY SERVICES AS REQUIRED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THIS WASN'T TOLD TO ME WHILE MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. CONSIDERING THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL? UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD TO PAY THE UNEXPECTED DISCOUNTED $617.71 THAT WAS ORIGINALLY QUOTED AT $45 EACH. THIS PAYMENT WAS INDEED A HARDSHIP. ANY ASSISTANCE THAT YOU CAN GRANT ME IN RESOLVING THIS MATTER WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED [XXX] *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOI

BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE HALOGEN HEADLIGHT WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY BEFORE FINALLY GOING OUT FOR GOOD. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER (HERB GORDON NISSAN), I WAS INFORMED THAT THE BACK OF THE HALOGEN HEADLAMP WAS PLASTIC HAD THE HEADLAMP OVERHEATED WHICH MELTED THE PLASTIC BACK TO THE HEADLAMP CAUSING THE LAMP TO BLOW. I WAS TOLD THAT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED THEREFORE IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE DEALER. THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURES DEFECT AND A RECALL NOTICE SHOULD BE ISSUED. IT COST ME OVER $700 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HALOGEN HOUSING UNITS. I WAS TOLD THE REPLACEMENT HALOGEN HOUSING UNIT IS NOW METAL AND WILL NOT MELT. THIS IS NOW THE TWENTIETH COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS WILL IT TAKE BEFORE A RECALL NOTICE IS ISSUED? *JB

PASSENGER LOW/BEAM HEADLIGHT WENT OUT-TOOK IT TO RACEWAY NISSAN-WAS TOLD THE GROUND WIRE CLIP THAT HOLDS THE BULB MELTED,CREATED THE BULB TO BURN OUT-WAS TOLD THE ENTIRE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WOUD COST $296.00. I HAD SOMEONE ELSE FIX THE PROBLEM FOR JUST $40.00!-IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE HOUSING UNIT THAT CAUSES THE LIGHT TO BURN OUT. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL - NISSAN REFUSES TO AKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. I LIVE IN A VERY DARK NEIGHBORHOOD AND I REALLY NEED BOTH HEADLIGHTS TO WORK FOR SAFETY ISSUES. NISSAN DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR FACTORY DEFECT HEADLAMP HOUSING UNIT - THAT IS THE 'REASON' WHY NISSAN CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE HEADLAMP HOUSING UNIT FOR IN 2003. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR NISSAN TO PAY ATTENTION TO ALL THESE COMPLAINTS? I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM NISSAN EVER AGAIN!!, I SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH HONDA. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT DRIVER WAS INFORMED BY A POLICE OFFICER THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS BLEW OUT, AND THE BULBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ,AND REPLACED. THEM. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THEN, MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

I HAVE A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT HAD GONE OUT. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET TO THE BULB TO REPLACE IT. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE BACKSIDE HOUSING HAD MELTED AND I NEEDED A NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE LIGHT/BULB REFLECTS OFF OF THE BACK OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND SHINES OUT. APPARENTLY, THE HEAT FROM THE LIGHT/BULB HAD GOTTEN SO HOT IT MELTED THE BACKSIDE HOUSING (WHERE IT IS GROUNDED). THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL IF THIS WILL HAPPEN TO MY OTHER HEADLIGHT, WHETHER IT WILL HAPPEN TO MY NEW HEADLIGHT, OR IF IT WILL HAPPEN TO BOTH LIGHTS. IN MY MIND, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO, I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO THIS HAS HAPPENED TO (ACCORDING TO TWO DEALERS). I AM CONCERNED THAT THE BULB COULD GET SO HOT AS TO MELT SOMETHING ELSE IN THE CAR. I DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT HOW CARS ARE ASSEMBLED AND ABOUT CAR ENGINES, BUT WHAT IF THE HEAT FROM THE BULB COULD MELT FURTHER INTO THE CAR, OR EVEN START A FIRE? THE CHANCE OF MORE DAMAGE TO A CAR OCCURRING FROM A HOT LIGHT BULB SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. IT SEEMS THERE IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE LIGHT OR OF THE MATERIALS USED. I THINK THE 2002 AND 2003 ALTIMAS HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND NISSAN CHANGED THE HEADLIGHTS IN LATER MODELS. I NO LONGER LEAVE MY AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON FOR FEAR OF THE BULB GETTING TOO HOT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND, IF THERE IS A FLAW, GET NISSAN TO TAKE CARE OF IT.