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.

8.0

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,050
Average Mileage:
104,450 miles
Total Complaints:
41 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (17 reports)
  2. manufacturer fix problem (5 reports)
  3. replace engine (5 reports)
  4. signaled misfires - replaced spark plugs (5 reports)
  5. replace catalytic converter (4 reports)
  6. replace faulty crankshaft sensor (4 reports)
2002 Nissan Altima engine problems

engine problem

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2002 Nissan Altima Owner Comments (Page 3 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #1

Nov 062007

Altima S 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

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

I purchased the 2002 Nissan Altima 2.5S July 3, 2006. Two weeks having the car my check engine light came on. The code read multi cylinder misfire. I reported it to the Nissan dealer where I purchased the car from and I was told I had to pay for them to look at it, eventhough I just spent $12,500 with them. I took it to my mechanic and he changed the spark plugs out. In February 07 the light came back on and it was the same problem. I got the fuel system cleaned, plugs, and both O2 sensors changed. I then took it to another Nissan dealer to find out why was the code kept coming back. They told me to monitor the coolant because it could be cracked head gasket at 85000 miles. The coolant never went down and the car started to crank but would not start. I took it to the dealer and they could not duplicate the problem for an entire month. They replace coils, plugs, fuel pump, and cleaned for residual from the gas flooded engine. After thinking it over I decided to go ahead and get the head gaskets fixed after 6 weeks at the dealer. 2 weeks after I got that done my car has died on me. Nissan Consumer Affairs was notified twice, BBB was notified, and the dealer where I bought the car from knows about this car. No one wants to help me out on this. I've had the car for 1 year and it needs a new engine. The engine seemed to be defective by all of these problem. There should be a class action lawsuit to protect consumers like me.

- Kevin F., Atlanta, GA, US

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