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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,278 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Nissan Altima seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2002 Nissan Altima Owner Comments

problem #4

Aug 022007

Altima 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 73,000 miles

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

My 2002 Nissan Altima vehicle was taken in for service at bob bell Chevrolet Nissan, 7900 eastern avenue, baltimore, Maryland, 21224, on Thursday, August 2, 2007. It was brought in for servicing of all the vehicles' recalls, a soft grinding noise that could be heard when turning the steering wheel and low freon levels for air conditioning. On Friday afternoon, August 3, 2007 around 5pm, I was contacted by the service department and strongly advised to pick up the vehicle before the service division closed at 6pm. The dealership stated that all recalls and issues had been resolved and completed. I picked the vehicle up around 5:45pm and proceeded to travel home. After only fifteen minutes, the vehicle engine started to smoke profusely. The engine started shaking harder and harder and a loud rattling noise could be heard from within the engine. The teenage passenger in the vehicle began to vomit and her eyes started swelling due to the volume of fumes expelled from the cars engine through the ventilation and into the car. I immediately pulled over (3700 eastern blvd.) and rushed to get her out of the seat where she continued to vomit once outside the vehicle. The dealership now denies ever seeing smoke from the engine (see attach.), as well as, denied causing damage to my car that potentially resulted in the engine smoking. The vehicle was picked up on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 with the engine rattling uncontrollably even after being returned a second time to the dealership. The vehicle cut off while attempting to de-accelerate at a red light the following day. Uncertainty surrounds whether the vehicle will cut off again while de-accelerating proving it hazardous to drive, whether the vehicles five recalls where all properly addressed, and if the engine will start smoking again.

- Baltimore, MH, USA

problem #3

Jul 102006

Altima 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,770 miles
I noticed my 2002 Nissan Altima air bag indicator light started blinking for no reason. I previously received a call from Nissan world, spring field NJ stating there was a recall out on my car. I went on line and checked www.nissanusa.com website to see if I can identify if my car was affected. I saw a notice on the same 2002 Nissan Altima air bag connector clip causing the air bag light to blink on and off which in the case of an accident the airbag will not deploy. As noted by Nissan, I immediately contacted the dealer and was told that there was no recalls out for my vehicle (my VIN). Just because my VIN does not fall within the approximated range as posted on your website, I see no reason why a company such as Nissan will not re-compensate me for the cost to repair the same problem as stated on their website. I do hope Nissan usa can re-evaluate this air bag issue since it definitely not limited to the VIN range as posted. All it require is a minimal cost of repairing a connector clip. This small duty will and can prove to save lives. Nissan should extend the posted recall to all 2002 Nissan Altima owners, and compensate those of us who had to pay for the said problem they claim to affect the selected few. Thank you.

- Elizabeth, NJ, USA

problem #2

Feb 122004

Altima 6-cyl

  • 16,343 miles
The consumer's vehicle was hit on the side rear driver's side while driving at 30 mph. Upon impact, the side air bags did not deploy. The vehicle nosed dived into a ditch and landed on the driver's side. The consumer was pinned in the vehicle for several minutes. None of the air bags deployed.

- Macon, GA, USA

problem #1

Jun 032003

Altima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,000 miles
Consumer called complaining about having problems with the air bag not deploying. Was contacted, and stated that the impact was not hard enough, the driver's air bag did not deploy, but the passenger's air bag did.

- Perrysburg, OH, USA

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