CarComplaints.com Notes: Here's a disturbing trend for the 2002 Nissan Altima: the engine starts burning oil like crazy, the catalytic converter goes bad, the head gasket blows and eventually the entire engine needs replacement. Sound familiar? Like a script from a horror film, these Altimas seem doomed to fail around 95k miles.

7.0

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
81,400 miles
Total Complaints:
2 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (2 reports)
2002 Nissan Altima electrical problems

electrical problem

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2002 Nissan Altima Owner Comments

problem #2

Apr 112008

Altima S 2.5L

  • Manual transmission
  • 67,760 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Have had multiple problems with the main wiring harness. Car loses power in gears while driving. But in order to fix the wiring harness Nissan wants to replace the accelerator assembly and ECM first. We are replacing the whole set up for the second time in 3 years. And still paying on the car. We have only put 30,000 miles on it.

- Ryan W., Cridersville, OH, US

problem #1

Jun 042010

Altima S 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 95,000 miles

I purchased my 2002 Nissan Altima w/73K miles from a Buy Here Pay Here dealership a year ago on 06/06. For almost the entire year, the car was fine. The only things I saw was that the "check engine light" was on since I purchased it, and was told that it was a short that triggered the light to stay on...The car idled at 1500 rpms, and was told that all i needed to do was have it adjusted manually (which I've seen done in the past) and I have this annoying sound from the rear of the car when Im driving that to me sounded like the muffler, when I let a mechanic drive my car, he said it sounded like the tires. I changed the tires, and the noise was still there.

A year, to the date later, the bigger problems begin. I come home from work Friday night and put the car in park and notice the car begins to idle at 1500 rpms and then drops completely and rises again to 1500 rpms several times like it wants to cut off. Just before turning off the car, i turn on the a/c and my radio turns off, when I turned the a/c off the radio turned back on (WTF). I turn the car off and low and behold...the BIATCH didn't crank again. I left it alone for a few hours and decided to check it...IT STARTED. so I turned it off and left it alone the whole weekend..didn't move it. Monday I go to work, and come home, put the car in park and turn off...no problem. I get ready to head to the store, cranks up, put it in reverse, pull out and begin driving..but wait...IM HITTING THE GAS AND THE F'ING CAR IS NOT MOVING...engine not reving, sooo I let the car glide around the block and parked. I turned it off and again...THE BIATCH didn't start. I locked her up and left it alone...several hours later, I come out and notice that the lights are on but the switch is in the "off position" and I couldn't get the lights to turn off at all.(now Im thinking of CHRISTINE)

The next day called a friend. He told me that my car is basically a comp on wheels..if one thing fails, it will make the comp fail and cause the car to act like it was possessed (hence the lights being on, the radio cutting off when the a/c on, and dash lights turning off when I press the breaks, and the engine not reving even though I had the gas petal on the floor) he said to check the battery. Purchased a new battery and low and behold she started like new again...take it to work the next morning....drove fine...getting ready to drive home...car starts, put it in drive and haul ass home...stopped at a red light...and when the light turns green...everyone is moving but me....the F' ING car would not move and I had the gas petal to the floor (WTF is going on) so I glide the car to a family members' house and turn it off...and again...NO CRANK. I got a jump, the car starts, but as soon as I disconnect the cables, the engine looses power and cuts off being left stranded..

Now I don't know much about cars, and I don't have the money to purchase a new one, can't trade it in as the Bitch dont move and I need my car. I was told several different things, from the Starter to the Alternator, to the Battery, and the EMC. I don't know where to begin and thought I was alone, and after reading this I know Nissan Dealership aint going to do SH*T even though they have a freakin recall on this car. I need my car to move around...I don't understand all these problems...HELP

The good news is: I WORK FOR ATTORNEYS AND WILL FIND OUT ABOUT GOING AFTER NISSAN FOR THIS SH*T..they should be held LIABLE ...but until I find out what can be done legally I need to get my car on the road....can any mechanic on here shed some insight for me?

- ndh2009, Hollywood, FL, US

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