2002 Nissan Altima

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN REMAINED LIT. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE AND TAKING OFF, THE VEHICLE MADE A STRANGE NOISE AND JERKED AS IF SOMETHING WERE SLIPPING. ONCE THE VEHICLE GAINED SPEED, THE NOISE STOPPED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED: THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, TWO MAJOR SENSORS, AND THE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS BURNING OIL ON THE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE, WHICH CAUSED IT TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE AN OIL CHANGE AND THEN FOUR DAYS LATER, THE OIL WOULD HAVE BURNED OUT COMPLETELY. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/ HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE), 07V527000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), AND 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING WERE REFERENCED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 06/05/08 *BF THE DRIVER SIDE POWER MIRROR WAS REPLACED, THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS STICKING. THE CYLINDER HEAD, GASKET RADIATOR AND THERMOSTAT WERE REPLACED. WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 06/04/08

NORMAL DRIVING IN AIR TEMPERATURES ABOVE 80 DEGREES. FAILURE IN THE CLUTCH PETAL PRESSURE- UNABLE TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH AND SHIFT GEARS. HAD FLUID FLUSHED HOWEVER THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE AND SO THE MASTER AND SLAVE CYLINDER WERE REPLACED AS RECOMMENDED BY MANUFACTURER. ONE YEAR LATER THE ISSUE RETURNS, FLUID WAS FLUSHED AND REPLACED WITH A HIGH GRADE CLUTCH FLUID (DOT 4) HOWEVER STILL DID NOT SOLVE ISSUE. MASTER AND SLAVE WILL BE REPLACED AGAIN. THIS LINK BELOW WILL SHOW THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CLUTCH PRESSURE. HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM/FORUMS/2005-2006-NISSAN-ALTIMA-SE-R-DISCUSSION/229124-CLASS-ACTION-LAWSUIT-CLUTCH-PROBLEM.HTML. *TR

THROUGHOUT THE LAST 4 YRS, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION IT DOESN'T ENGAGE. I HAVE PULLED FROM A PARKING SPOT USING REVERSE, AND JUST WHEN I AM PULLING INTO TRAFFIC AND SHIFT TO DRIVE THE CAR DOESN'T RESPOND. THE ENGINE DOESN'T REACT TO THE ACCELERATOR; THE ENGINE IS RUNNING BUT THE CAR IS UNRESPONSIVE. WHEN IT HAPPENS I HAVE TO PUSH THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN IT OFF. ONE TIME IT TOOK ABOUT 15 MINS TO BE ABLE TO RESTART AND RESTORE ALL FUNCTIONS. ON ANOTHER OCCASION I ENDED UP HAVING TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. THE SCARY PART IS THAT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION ARE COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST; GETTING INTO TRAFFIC. I HAVE BEEN BLESSED AND VERY LUCKY THAT IT HAS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT OR MY OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. WHAT I AM EXTREMELY AFRAID IS IF THIS WERE EVER TO HAPPEN WHEN PULLING OUT INTO A HIGHWAY OR BUSY STREET TRAFFIC. THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN #07V527000. PLEASE CORRECT THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILL; WE SHOULD NEVER WAIT THAT LONG OR LET IT GO THAT FAR. *TR

WHEN SHIFTING GEARS IN HOT WEATHER AFTER BEING IN CITY TRAFFIC MY CLUTCH WOULD ONLY COME UP APPROX. 1/4 WAY FROM THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO CAREFULLY SHIFT GEARS, BUT FELT I MAY NOT HAVE THE CONTROL TO SHIFT NEXT TIME. AFTER THE CAR COOLED BY DRIVING OUTSIDE THE CITY, THE CLUTCH WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL. THE DEALER FAILED TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THE CLUTCH FLUID WAS THE ORIGINAL. I HAD THE CLUTCH FLUID DRAINED AND FILLED, ONLY TO STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I SUSPECT THAT AIR FLOW WAS RESTRICTED WHEN A RECALL RESULTED IN A HEAT SHIELD BEING INSTALLED ON THE ENGINE THAT REDIRECTED MORE HEAT TO THE CLUTCH LINES/CYLINDERS. FORTUNATELY, THIS ONLY HAPPENS A FEW TIMES EACH SUMMER. *TR

2002 NISSAN ALTIMA OVERHEATS, AIR CONDITIONER AND ENGINE FAILURES. CUSTOMER STATES THAT SHE HAS BROUGHT THE CAR IN ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS FOR THE OVERHEATING, AIR CONDITIONING, AND ENGINE FAILURES. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED AND THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER AND NO STEERING CAPABILITY. THE STARTER, ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND RADIATOR WERE REPLACED. THE THERMOSTAT WAS STICKING WHICH WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING. THE REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT LOCKED INTO PLACE. THE FUEL DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN WHEN USING THE INTERNAL LATCH. THE GEAR WAS DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF PARK. *JB

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ON MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA 3.5SE INEXPLICABLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, FALLS TO THE FLOOR AND BECOMES INOPERABLE WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, ESPECIALLY DURING 'STOP-AND-GO' TRAFFIC. THE PEDAL SIMPLY DOES NOT RETURN TO ITS NORMAL POSITION. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REPLICATE THE SYMPTOMS FOR MY MECHANIC, WHO GAVE THE CLUTCH A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH. ONCE IT FAILED ME AT 60 MPH!!

I BELONG TO HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM AND MANY OWNERS OF THE NISSAN ALTIMA WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION FROM 2002 TO CURRENT 2006 MODELS HAVE HAD PREMATURE MASTER/SLAVE CYLINDER FAILURES WHICH ARE A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN YOU CAN NOT SHIFT YOUR CAR INTO OR OUT OF GEAR WHILE IN MOTION. MANY OF US FIND OURSELVES IN A PANIC MODE WHEN WE CAN NOT STOP OR GO BECAUSE OUR CLUTCH PEDAL HAS NO PRESSURE AND WE CAN NOT SHIFT OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING. MY PERSONAL INCIDENT INVOLVES ME HAVING NO ABILITY TO SHIFT WHILE IN ANY DRIVING SITUATION, SUCH AS PARKING LOTS AND UP TO HIGHWAY DRIVING. I NEARLY GOT HIT WHILE DRIVING SOUTH THEN MAKING A LEFT TURN (WEST) WHEN I COULD NOT SHIFT INTO SECOND AND ANOTHER CAR WAS COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION (NORTH). I HAD TO REV MY CAR TO REDLINE JUST TO MAKE IT PAST THE INTERSECTION. IF YOU GO TO NISSANCLUB.COM YOU'LL FIND MAY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD FAILURES WITH THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH FLASHED CONSTANTLY. THERE IS A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN, # 02I001000, REGARDING THE AIR BAG. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 4/17/2006 - THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT EH AIR BAG WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS 2000 MILE OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER FOUND ANTIFREEZE LEAKING INTO THE CYLINDERS. THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP WAS INOP. THE TECH REPLACED THE RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT BULB. RADIATOR LEAKED COOLANT. THE HEATER BLEW OUT COOL AIR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. THE TECH FOUND AN AIR POCKET IN THE COOLANT SYSTEM. REPLACED CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. CYLINDER HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED. *NM

WHEN ACCELERATING AT HIGH SPEEDS VEHICLE MAKES A GRINDING NOISE AND VIBRATES, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO FEEL IT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK DEC 15 DEALER PICKED UP CAR TO FIX THE PROBLEM OF VIBRATION CAR RETURN 12/17 CAN STILL NOT FOUND AND THERE WAS NO PAPER WORK GIVEN ON WHAT WAS DONE. *TT