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:
$740
Average Mileage:
38,050 miles
Total Complaints:
7 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
not sure (2 reports)
both front struts/mounts replaced again (1 reports)
both right and left struts/mounts replaced (1 reports)
front suspension bolts re-torqued (1 reports)
re-torqued mounting bolts on control arm (1 reports)
I have a banging from the right front suspension if I hit even the smallest of imperfection in the road (so much as a tar stripe where a crack was filled. It sounds like someone is banging on the undercarriage with a hammer. I thought it was the strut support bar, but that was not the issue. I stopped by my local dealership and was told that I would have to have 'some serious strut work done and it would have to be by a Nissan master tech." I was also told that it would be $350 for just the one side but it was highly recommended that both sides be done at the same time and a 4-wheel alignment as well... costing $600-750... what the hell?!!?! This is NOT a rare problem! I think there is a tsb that relates to it as well, so I am going to ask the dealership about it.
Service Bulletin Num : 03002
Date of Bulletin: JAN 06, 2003
Component: SUSPENSION: FRONT
Summary: AN INTERMITTENT CLUNK NOISE COMING FROM FRONT SUSPENSION AREA
Third incident with front passenger wheel knocking: Loud knocking noise returned again, most notable when going over any bumps. The car was taken to Morris Nissan (Charleston, SC) for evaluation, where the technician found a bulletin describing the above problem. The front suspension bolts were torqued AGAIN to factory specifications. Covered under warranty.
Fourth incident with front passenger wheel knocking: Again, loud knocking from passenger wheel well when going over any type of bump during normal driving conditions. The car was taken to Morris Nissan (Charleston, SC) for evaluation, where the struts were noted to have failed internally. Both left and right struts replaced at this time. Covered under warranty.
After 3 complete strut replacements and three visits for re-torqueing of the strut mounts, the loud knocking returns again!! Same thing... going over any type of bumps under normal driving conditions. Noise returned within 400-500 miles of fixing it last, and continues to become more severe. Would somebody PLEASE tell me what the hell is going on, and how we can DEFINITIVELY fix the issue, as this is 1) more than a pain in the butt now, 2) probably a safety concern, and 3) is highly likely to be an issue with poor parts and workmanship?! The dealerships continue to throw parts at it, and now they want to charge us exorbitant amounts of money to perform the repairs now that we are no longer covered under warranty.
Second incident with front passenger wheel knocking: Right front strut was leaking fluid and knocking as of 26,345 miles, prompting a replacement of the strut at that time. Shortly thereafter, knocking sound returned (most notable, again, when going over any sort of bumps while driving). Took car in again, where they re-torqued the mounting bolts on the control arm. Knocking resolved for approximately 3000 miles before returning again. (sigh)All appropriate maintenance was done, and this vehicle was never subjected to any unusual or strenuous driving conditions (i. e. we use it to go back and forth to work on freeways and maintained highways).
- Angela D.,
Charleston, SC, US
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Fifth incident with front passenger wheel knocking: Same as above. Car was taken to Morris Nissan (Charleston, SC), where the front struts and mounts were replaced for the third time. Repairs were NOT covered under warranty; however, Morris Nissan dealt with headquarters on our behalf and waived the repair costs for us.
First incident with front passenger wheel knocking: Loud knocking noise heard from the passenger-side front wheel well every time car goes over bumps, big or small. The car was taken in for evaluation at Elkins Nissan (Shreveport, LA). Right front strut was leaking fluid and coming apart, prompting replacement of the strut at that time. Covered under warranty.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I have a banging from the right front suspension if I hit even the smallest of imperfection in the road (so much as a tar stripe where a crack was filled. It sounds like someone is banging on the undercarriage with a hammer. I thought it was the strut support bar, but that was not the issue. I stopped by my local dealership and was told that I would have to have 'some serious strut work done and it would have to be by a Nissan master tech." I was also told that it would be $350 for just the one side but it was highly recommended that both sides be done at the same time and a 4-wheel alignment as well... costing $600-750... what the hell?!!?! This is NOT a rare problem! I think there is a tsb that relates to it as well, so I am going to ask the dealership about it.
Service Bulletin Num : 03002
Date of Bulletin: JAN 06, 2003
Component: SUSPENSION: FRONT
Summary: AN INTERMITTENT CLUNK NOISE COMING FROM FRONT SUSPENSION AREA
- phreaxer, Tucson, AZ, US