2002 Nissan Altima Engine Problems
- 164
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 164 stored complaint records:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 3 indicate injury
- 7 indicate fire
What owners report
- catalytic converter · 31 records
- engine light · 21 records
- check engine · 16 records
- head gasket · 12 records
- current mileage · 12 records
- failure mileage · 12 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 77 |
| 100–150k mi | 30 |
| 30–60k mi | 13 |
| 150–400k mi | 9 |
| 1–30k mi | 7 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Catalytic Convertor · Engine
I had a 90,000 mile vehicle checkup at nissan village in attleboro, ma. The vehicle had 88,000 miles at the time of the service. At the suggestion of the service technician, i had the catalytic converter replaced. My car currently has 92,000 miles on it and i noticed a problem with the engine. After looking the car over i noticed that the oil was bone dry. I searched on the internet for problems related to this…
ODI 10214215
Engine
I own a 2002 nissan altima 2.5 se sedan that has a design flaw, (admitted by nissan) that causes the engine to burn oil at an excessive rate. Many other owners have acknowledged this problem but nissan has arrogantly denied all of its customers. This problem can cause engine failure at any time and injury due to fire. Please demand that nissan recalls these models and does the right thing. One thing that i would…
ODI 10232106
Crankcase (Pcv) · Engine · Equipment
My car wouldn't start. I notified nissan, they towed my car in. My car had several recalls. Nissan checked my car and reset my ecm. When i went to get my car from mitchell nissan which is 30 miles away. They told us that i had a possible head or coil failure. When we left the dealership we didn't check the oil cause when they reprogrammed they suppose to have checked everything. When my husband checked that's when…
1 injury
ODI 10214619
Engine
While driving on the interstate my car stalled around 70 mph causing me to have to pull off the road while in a thunder storm. Since that my car is also burning about a quart of oil every 2 weeks. *tr
ODI 10227564
Engine · Equipment
Bought used 2002 nissan altima 3/07 took car to dave solon nissan, pueblo co 12/07. I commuted every other week to colorado springs on those weeks i was putting 3 quarts of oil. There was no oil leak oil was gone. Nissan couldn't tell me where oil was going they contacted warrant & they decided on a refurbished engine. Got my car back end of december. Jan, feb & march only drove car every other week to springs.…
ODI 10234675
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. She had several mechanics inspect the vehicle, and they all identified the failure as electrical. The following day, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. The dealer stated that water leaked into the engine and caused it to lock. The contact stated that she had been…
ODI 10223401
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that the engine does not start. When the engine does start, the vehicle shutters and then shuts off. The vehicle was taken to the repair shop, but the engine is still not working properly. The current mileage was 109,000 and failure mileage was 100,000.
ODI 10229359
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While driving various speeds, the vehicle would shut off without warning and had to be restarted on several occasions. There was a recall on the vehicle and repairs have been made; however, the failure continues. The recall number was unknown. The current mileage was 81,000 and failure mileage was 79,496.
ODI 10218540
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While driving 60 mph the engine shut off down without warning and spun out of control. The vehicle crashed into a median. The driver was able to gain control and stop the vehicle was spinning. The contact sustained severe injuries. Prior to the crash several warning lights on the dashboard were illuminated. The driver received a recall notice today stating the potential…
Crash reported · 1 injury
ODI 10222196
Engine
I purchased a new 2002 nissan altima from pence nissan on 3/23/02. Since the 2002 was a new model year for the altima, i also purchased a security+plus gold vehicle warranty for $995.00 extending the warranty to 3/23/2008 or 75,000 miles whichever occurs first. After having recurring clutch problems, i started researching on the internet and found that this model had frequent complaints regarding engine failure due…
ODI 10217593
Catalytic Convertor · Engine
Engine cylinder walls are scored and using an excess amount of oil also catalytic converter is no good. *jb
ODI 10205614
Cooling System · Engine · Engine And Engine Cooling
I loved the car until recently when i started having problems with the heater. Months ago, i noticed that my heater was not working properly. I took it to be looked at and the mechanic told me that there may be bubbles in the coolant line. They bled the line, refilled it and it was fine for awhile. I have no heat again. They checked and could find no external leaks. This has been a problem for the past year, and…
ODI 10240731
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. When the contact would drive the vehicle she noticed a loud rattling noise coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact had the vehicle's engine computer reprogrammed, however the contact is still experiencing the problem. There were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 213000.
ODI 10319332
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact was experiencing engine failure. He noticed a silent recall on the nissan website. The manufacturer stated that they would not take liability for the repairs due to the fact that he was not the original owner, although his vin was included in the recall. The engine was replaced at the cost of $3,000, but with less than 2,500 miles, the engine failed again. The…
ODI 10257359
Engine
I have a 2002 altima 2.5 standard. I bought the car in july 2007 with 72,000 miles and had a misfire reading from the time i bought it till i replaced the head gasket and got some head work done on the car. Mileage now totals at nearly around 110,000 miles. Nissan looked at my car all the way for any problems and i had a few recalls done on it including replacing the headlamps. Little did i know when i had my…
ODI 10255232
Engine
Car engine began to misfire, the "service engine soon" dashboard light came on and was sometimes flashing. Proceeded to drive car at less than 80 kph (per owner's manual recommendation) to dealer for service, dealer advised that "power valve" (part of intake manifold) came apart on 2002 nissan altima, resulting in metal parts entering the combustion chamber. Dealer made repairs, but now the engine is burning oil…
ODI 10197217
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced difficulty starting and consumed large amounts of oil and coolant. The dealer changed the spark plugs, but the failures still persist. The failures began six months ago. The vin was unknown. The current mileage was 70,400 and failure mileage was 60,000.
ODI 10197649
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. On july 23, 2007, the check engine light illuminated. The contact noticed massive oil consumption and smoke coming from the tail pipe. The catalytic converter had to be replaced at 50,000 miles and currently must be replaced again at 110,000 miles. He stated that the failure has caused engine damage. Nhtsa recall number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust…
ODI 10198247
Engine
2002 nissan altima 2.5 began to chug violently while being driven at highway speeds. Drove the vehicle to the next exit, but was unable to determine what was wrong with it. Shut off the car, and restarted to examine the engine while idling, noticing an intermittent shuddering of the engine. Drove the car a few miles to my destination, and it stalled several times. After the last stall o the check engine light…
ODI 10193827
Engine
Starting at just over 100,000 miles the engine began making strange noises. But once i changed my oil the noises would go away. I also noticed that my car was having difficulty shifting gears and even would just stop running at low speeds. After about 4 months of this is when we realized that the engine was consuming a lot of oil. So, basically my car was running on no oil for months at at a time. I took my car in…
ODI 10209724
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact takes her vehicle in regularly for scheduled maintenance and is upset that at 60,000 miles, the engine needs to be replaced. She stated that the vehicle failed to start properly on june 9, 2007 and took it to the dealer. On may 13, 2007, the vehicle began overheating and shaking. The contact stated that she has been battling with the corporate office every since.…
ODI 10192667
Catalytic Convertor · Engine
Design flaw caused catalytic converter breakdown which resulted in engine failure despite proper maintenance. Car only had about 85,000 miles when problems began and 90,500 when failure occurred. New engine is needed at no fault of my own and despite proper car of vehicle. Ninety thousand miles is too soon for engine replacement. *jb
ODI 10188384
Engine
MY ENGINE STILL DIES OUT WHILE DRIVING. *TR
ODI 10195113
Engine
I purchased a 2002 nissan altima 2.5s in december 2001 and currently have 113,000 highway miles and have maintained my car with oil changes and recommended services. Though i never received a recall notice, i have done all recalls when the service dept advised that there one on it. About a week ago my service engine light came on while driving. I immediately made an appointment with nissan service dept. I was…
ODI 10187727
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The dealer stated that the head gasket was blown. The contact spoke with the manufacturer who stated that they were unable to repair the vehicle because it was no longer under warranty. The current mileage is 112,000 and failure mileage was 90,000.
ODI 10190917