2002 Nissan Altima

I BROUGHT MY CAR IN 2002 FROM NISSAN. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR NOW FOR 12 YEARS AND NISSAN IS THE ONLY PLACE I TAKE IT TO ALWAYS HAVE IT SERVICED. MY MILEAGE ON IT IS VERY LOW AS I DON'T DO A LOT OF DRIVING. I LOVE MY ALTIMA AND HAVEN'T HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS WITH IT. ON JULY 8 2014, I TOOK MY CAR IN TO HAVE IT SERVICE WHILE WAITING FOR IT THE RECEPTIONIST CAME AND ASKED ME HAD I CONSIDERED BUYING ANOTHER VEHICLE, I SAID NO I'M NOT ABLE TO AND MY CAR I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AT ALL WITH IT. SHE SAID FOLLOW ME I NEED TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING. LORD AND BEHOLD MY CAR WAS UP ON THE LIFT AND WHAT DID THEY SHOW ME BUT THESE TWO HEAVILY ROTTED AREAS ON MY DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR. ALL I COULD SAY WHEN I SEEN IT WAS THAT IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD FOR NOT ONLY ME BUT ALSO A PASSENGER THAT SITS IN MY FRONT SEAT. YET NISSAN DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANY FAULT FOR THIS AND THE MANY OTHER 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA THAT THIS IS AND HAS HAPPEN TO WITH THESE VEHICLES. I LIVE ON A LIMITED INCOME AND FEEL THEY SHOULD BE THE ONE TO REPAIR THE ROTTED FLOORINGS ON THE MANY VEHICLES THAT HAVE ROTTED FLOORING. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SEND A REPORT ON MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA HEAVILY ROTTED FLOOR THAT THEY HAD NEVER INFORMED ME OF UNTIL IT IS NOW HEAVILY ROTTED AND MY FOOT OR A PASSENGER FOOT CAN NOW END UP AT ANY GIVEN TIME GOING RIGHT THROUGH THE FLOOR WHEN I AM SURE THAT THEY KNEW MUCH EARLIER THAT MY FLOOR WAS RUSTING OUT AND THEY JUST WAITED TILL NOW WHEN IT IS HEAVILY ROTTED. FEELING DISGUSTED AND VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH NISSAN. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR BOARD COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT. I BOUGHT MY CAR 2 1/2 YEARS AGO (PURCHASED IN 2012) FROM A NISSAN DEALER AND THEY PUT A INSPECTION STICKER ON MY CAR WHICH IT SHOULD OF NEVER GOT ONE. I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE SALE BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY HOLES BECAUSE THEY POPPED RIVETED A PLATE TO COVER THE DAMAGE AND PAINTED IT SO IT LOOKED LIKE NOTHING WAS WRONG. I JUST RECENTLY BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND THE PLATE FELL OFF AND YOU CAN SEE MY CARPET FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. GRANTED MY CAR IS 12 YEARS OLD BUT THE RUST IS SO BAD THAT IT LOOKS LIKE A 30 YEAR OLD CAR. *JS

PURCHASED CAR USED FROM NISSAN DEALER IN 2005 WITH 33,936 MILES ON IT. ALTHOUGH I LIVE IN THE MIDWEST AND AM EXPOSED TO ROAD SALT, I VERY SELDOM DRIVE MY CAR IN THE WINTER, IF AT ALL. FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS I'VE NOTICED "ORANGE" SPOTS ON THE GARAGE FLOOR WHERE I PARK. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUID LEAK, HOWEVER, WHEN MY HUSBAND WENT TO CHANGE THE OIL WE NOTICED A HOLE, 3-4" IN DIAMETER, ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR BOARD, WHERE THE OPENER FOR THE FUEL COMPARTMENT IS LOCATED. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION, WE OBSERVED A RUSTED AREA APPROXIMATELY 2FT X 1FT WAITING TO BREAK THROUGH. NOW, IF THIS IS NOT A SAFETY HAZARD I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS. I CURRENTLY HAVE A RAG STUCK IN THE HOLE TO AVOID ANY ROAD DEBRIS FROM HITTING ME AND FUMES FROM ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 MODEL YEAR, BUT MINE IS A 2002. THIS MAY INDICATE NISSAN HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO SELL THIS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT FOR A MUCH LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL VEHICLES OVER MY LIFETIME, WHICH I KEEP AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, AND HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A SITUATION LIKE THIS. IT'S BEEN MY UNDERSTANDING THAT AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS HAD REMEDIED THIS PROBLEM YEARS AGO ! PLEASE, SOMEONE, MAKE NISSAN ACCOUNTABLE ! *TR

THE VEHICLES FLOOR BOARDS ON BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER ARE RUSTING AND THERE IS A WHOLE THAT YOU CAN SEE THE GROUND. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES IN THE SAME YEAR AS MINE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. NISSAN CAN BLAME IT ON SALT ALL THEY WANT, BUT HOW IS IT THAT OTHER VEHICLES DON'T HAVE THIS ISSUE? I THINK IT'S AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR ITSELF, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR 100,000 BASIC TUNE-UP ESTIMATE. I HAVE HAD NO SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THE MOTOR, NOR WITH THE BODY OR RELIABILITY OF THIS VEHICLE. I POINTED OUT TO THE MECHANIC A PIECE OF METAL WAS HANGING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF MY PASSENGER SIDE AND ASKED HIM IF IT WAS FROM MY EXHAUST. HE CHECKED FURTHER AND INDICATED WITH SHOCK AND SURPRISE THAT "NO, IT WAS FROM MY UNDERCARRIAGE", "THE HOLE APPEARING BEFORE ME CONTAINED MY INTERIOR CARPET". I SCREAMED IN HORROR! LITERALLY, I DID YELL OUT OF FRUSTRATION AND FEAR AS I HAVE SMALL DOGS AND WHEN I TRAVEL, I HAVE ONE THAT DOES GET ON THE FLOOR AND SNIFF AROUND. HE COULD HAVE EASILY FALLEN THROUGH IF THE CARPET WAS NOT SECURE! I WAS IN SHOCK AND ACTUALLY STILL AM AND DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM GOING TO DO WITH MY CAR. I AM SAD BECAUSE IT WAS A GOOD CAR. I WANTED TO DRIVE IT UNTIL 200,000 MILES BECAUSE THE ENGINE STILL HAS THE ABILITY TO GET UP AND GO! SINCE MONDAY I'VE FREQUENTED MANY WEBSITES AND HAVE SEEN THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH MANY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA OWNERS AND FIND IT VERY SAD THAT THE MOTOR AND BODY OF A CAR OUTSTAND THE ACTUAL FRAMEWORK. THIS MAKES ME FEEL REALLY SAFE ON THE ROAD TODAY. WHAT ARE WE PUTTING ON OUR ROADS IN THE WINTER, ACID? I KEEP MY CAR CLEAN TOO. I'M NOT A PERSON WITH A LOT OF MONEY SO I AM IN LIMBO RIGHT NOW. I'M HOPING YOU CAN HELP? THANK YOU. *TR

WHILE INSPECTING MY VEHICLE I NOTICED ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES THERE IS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF ROT UNDER THE VEHICLE. WHILE INSPECTING FURTHER AND LIFTING THE CARPET FROM THE FRONT FLOOR BOARDS IT HAS ROTTED THROUGH TO THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. UPON SEARCHING THE INTERNET I'VE FOUND THIS TO BE A HUGE ISSUE OVER THE YEARS AND WOULD LIKE FEEDBACK. *TR

WHILE MY MECHANIC WAS REATTACHING THE BUMPER GUARD THAT HAD COME LOOSE, HE NOTICED THE RUST ON THE FLOOR PANS UNDER BOTH FRONT SEATS. MY MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO FLAKE OFF LARGE PIECES OF RUST. HE PULLED BACK THE CARPET AND IT WAS RUSTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH. HE SAID HE HADN'T SEEN THIS KIND OF RUST ON VEHICLES THAT ARE DOUBLE THE AGE OF MINE. THE REMAINDER OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS RUST FREE. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE NISSAN DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT, AND THE MANAGER SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY THE SALT/CHEMICALS USED ON THE ROADS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY (APPARENTLY HE WAS NOT INCLUDING NEBRASKA). THE MANAGER STATED THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN IN AN AREA OF THE COUNTRY THAT USES CORROSIVE MATERIALS ON THE ROADS. THE FUNNY THING IS THAT WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR, THE SAME MAN SAID HE KNEW THE PREVIOUS OWNERS AND THEY TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF THE VEHICLE, ALWAYS SPOTLESS AND IN FOR EVERY MAINTENANCE CHECK!! WHICH TIME WAS HE LYING!!! COME TO FIND OUT, THE CAR WAS PURCHASED AT A NISSAN DEALER HERE IN OMAHA, AND STAYED IN OMAHA THE ENTIRE TIME. THE NISSAN DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIX IT, AND THEY GAVE ME A BUSINESS CARD FOR A BODY SHOP!!! IT WOULD COST ABOUT $300, HE TOLD ME, BUT I HAVE FOUND IT WOULD BE CLOSER TO $2000. AT THAT TIME, I HADN'T EVEN HAD THE CAR A YEAR. THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO KNOW ABOUT THE RUST WHEN THEY SOLD IT TO ME, WHICH MAKES ME VERY ANGRY!! THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE! I AM AFRAID THAT ONE DAY I WILL BE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, I'LL FALL THROUGH THE FLOOR, AND OF COURSE, I WILL BE KILLED, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!! ALSO, EXHAUST FUMES COULD BE GETTING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE MY CAR BECOMES A "FLINTSTONE" CAR AND/OR I AM KILLED. NISSAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE, AND THEY SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!! *TR

DURING A SAFETY INSPECTION I WAS RECENTLY SHOWN TWO LARGE HOLES IN THE FLOOR PAN OF THE CAR THAT HAVE OBVIOUSLY BEEN RUSTING FOR QUITE A LONG TIME. I WAS ADVISED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE OF THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE AND THEIR LOCATIONS UNDER THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS. FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET HAS PROVEN THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR ALL THE ALTIMAS OF THIS ERA. THE INSPECTION SHOP ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN IT MANY TIMES BEFORE ON ALTIMAS. NISSAN IS NOT RECEPTIVE TO ANY COMPLAINS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FROM WHAT I HAVE READ AND IT'S CLEARLY A GENERIC PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. SINCE THIS PROBLEM OBVIOUSLY STARTED A LONG TIME AGO WITH NO ONE NOTICING IT I HAVE MADE AN ESTIMATE AS TO THE DATE AND MILEAGE WHEN IT MAY HAVE FIRST BEEN NOTICEABLE. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 72000 MILES ON IT. *TR