8.6
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$3,524.00
Average Mileage:
90,582 miles
Total Complaints:
138 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace the engine (47 reports)
- not sure (41 reports)
- new engine (17 reports)
- add oil as needed (16 reports)
- nissan should replace the engine for the 2nd time (6 reports)
- replace block (6 reports)
engine problem
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Nissan dealer.
Helpful Websites About 2002 Nissan Altima excessive oil consumption
2009Oct 01
Altima SL 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 141,000 miles
Oil consumption started recently had oil changed less than 3000 miles ago have to add at least a quart a week was a great car for 6 years had to replace catalytic converter code is reading again P0420 catalytic converter again; replaced water pump ;both o2 sensors almost afraid to drive the damn thing will never ever buy another nissan with all these complaints same issues what a shame for nissan
2008Dec 26
Altima SL 2.5L
- Manual transmission
- 86,000 miles
I am on my 2nd motor and my 3rd frickin' pre-cat (original motor + replacement / original cat + 2 new ones). The piece of crap only has 102k on it now, and the 2nd motor needs to be replaced! Nissan needs to pay up! I have put almost $4k just in parts. There is a Class action lawsuit that we all need to get in on @ http://www.fazmiclaw.com/nissanoil do it now, so all of us can get Nissan to own up!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Sep 15
Altima S 2.5L 4 cyl
- Automatic transmission
- 96,250 miles
This sounds like the same problem a lot of other owners of Altimas have experienced. Our Altima has been well cared for and never used any oil until now. What I don't understand is with as many complaints as have been reported with oil usage and catalytic converter problems is why Nissan never contacted owners to have the cause fixed before the problem occurred with the rest of us. They obviously knew there was a problem long before my car experienced the problem. I'm sure the cost to fix would have been a lot less. My hope is that Nissan and/or their catalytic converter supplier will step up and do what is right by their customers and do the repairs needed. There is no way an engine should fail under 100K miles. I bought a used 1994 Honda Accord with 163K miles on it in1999. It had over 279K miles on it when we sold it in 2006 and it didn't use any oil. By the way, I still see it around town and there is no smoke coming out the exhaust!
2009Sep 30
Altima SL 2.5L 4 cyl
- Automatic transmission
- 128,000 miles
I purchased my 2002 Nissan Altima SL 2.5 L in October 2007 and I have had problems with it ever since. My oil is always low between changes and i have to add at least 2 qts. or more. There are no signs of any leaks the engine is burning the oil. Recently my coolant stays low and my car is overheating. I add coolant and in 2 days its empty again. Still there are no signs of any leaks. I took my car to the Nissan dealer and they said my head gasket is blown, cat. converter failure, oil is in my cylinders, engine over temp. codes, and my engine is bad. They said i need a new engine and it would be 4500. I talked to severeal local mechanics and they all said the 2002 altima engines are a piece of crap and if i replace the engine it would do the same thing.
I will not be fixing this car i will trade it in as quick as possible. I still owe on this car and it is ashame that nissan is not fixing these engines since it is clearly a manufactor defect. The 2002 Altima has had 12 recalls on it and over 200 complaints on engine problems. My advice dont buy a 2002 Nissan Altima and if you have one get rid of it as soon as possible.
2008Aug 15
Altima S 2.5L I-4
- Automatic transmission
- 83,000 miles
I have owned this car for 14 months now, purchased it used and it had approximately 83K, It now has 106K on it and has consumed oil since the day we bought it. Probably the reason the previous owner got rid of it. I found out about the problem before I realized it was happening by visiting a few Nissan Altima forums and reading things about the car to see how I could customize it. Found a post about oil consumption and sure enough, it was happening to me. The problem is that the catalytic converter material breaks up and gets sucked back into the engine, it is a powdery gray dust and is gritty therefore scoring the cylinder walls and causing oil to get past the piston rings therefore getting burned. I decided to take off the exhaust manifold/cat converter and take a look inside and sure enough, the catalyst material inside had been worn down and some of it was just gone, surely was sucked into the motor causing said problem. Luckily I work at a dealership (not nissan!) and borrowed some tools and a long pry bar and broke the remaining material inside the cat and got rid of it before it caused any more damage. I know its not a good solution since you're not supposed to tamper with anything that's emission control but it was either that, or have it continuously destroy my engine. It did enough damage to the point that I use about a quart every 1 to 2 weeks. If your engine doesn't use too much oil and you can live with it, then I suggest you either gut your cat or replace it with an aftermarket performance cat to get rid of the root cause of the problem. The engine is very nice in my opinion, has awesome torque for a lil 4 cylinder, its the catalytic converter that's the problem. It's too bad Nissan isn't helping people out or acknowledging the problem, nissan is a great product, it's too bad they screwed up big time (for years on end). I have an aftermarket extended warranty, and I'm thinking of taking it up with them to get a new engine, I just don't know if I want to go round and round with them.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Aug 13
Altima SL 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 131,000 miles
When i first got my car i thought i had a good car but as my bank account got smaller the trust i had in my nissan got smaller as well. the engine went and now i have to replace it. the mechanic said that thier was no oil in the car. i foiund that funny being that i just gotten my oil changed the day before. well just say its costing me. i would love to see nissan go down for this i called them and they said that they never had any problems with the engine before so i must be my fault. i no longer want my car but being that i am in the military and need it to get back and forth to work i kind of stuck. please bring the class action suit.i want in.
2009Oct 03
Altima S 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 88,890 miles
2002 Nissan Altima 2.5L. Started using oil two oil changes ago. Have always used Mobil 1 5W30 and always change filter with a Fram TG grade. 3,500 - 5,000 intervals between changes. Using at least a quart every 3,000 miles now. Read about this problem several years ago but was assured by dealer that as long as I changed oil all would be good. Not so. A class action suit should be started. Nissan should be able to make an engine that stands the test of time. Toyota does. GM, Ford does. My 1997 Taurus SHO has a 170,000 miles on it, gets better gas mileage than the Altima and doesn't use a drop of oil. Nissan obviously has a manufacturing problem here given today's manufacturing capabilities.
2006Jul 06
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 85,000 miles
I just called Nissan Corp Consumer Affairs & their outgoing message states that there is a recall campaign in process for the 2002/2005/2006 to replace the engine control module. I am not sure what this module does, but at least the model is being recalled. The recall letters are going to be mailed beginning 12/10/07. For more info call 1-800-647-7261.
2004Nov 20
Altima S 4 Cynlinder
- Manual transmission
- 26,000 miles
Well...just had the engine and cat converter and O2 sensors replaced. Car started to fail at 26,000 miles on it and I continued to drive until 156,000. Spent thousands in oil. The last 3 months I would put 2-3 qts. every 350 miles. Well just picked my car up from the trusty Nissan dealer and drove straight home and parked it in my driveway. Went out about 2 hours later and there was this large puddle of fluid under the car. Was not sure of what is was. Drove to the store and when I came out there was another puddle. Came home and parked it, got up in the am and now there were three puddles under the car. Took it to my local mechanic and he stated that both the front axle seals were leaking and that I should call the dealer back as they had to remove the axles to install the new engine. Of course the dealer said that they never touched the axles and that the repair would be on me. I had my local mechanic repair and stopped payment on my credit card for the whole engine repair. Sucks to be that dealer!!!!!! I checked with three different mechanics and they all said the same thing... for both seals to go at the same time and at the same time that the engine was replaced and try to say that it was wear and tear is like winning the big lottery twice in the same day. One mechanic even stated that he wanted to be at the head of the class when they teach how to replace the engine and not have to take the axles out. It gets better.... the check engine light is back on again and now the code says something about a vent control valve and of course this is a dealer part. LOL when they find out I stoppede payment on the repair. I want them to have to pay for the axle repair and the damage to my driveway from the transmission fluid. It left holes in the blacktop already. I called Nissan Consumer affairs before I fixed the engine and the only help they offered was to get the dealer to cut me a break on the cost of the repair. They also gave me an extended warranty free for my new 2009 Rogue. Sorry I ever bought a new Nissan. I have owned them since 1987 and driven Nissan 's over one million miles ( documented ) and I would have too say DO NOT buy one!!!!!!!!!!!! TOYOTA here I come.
Update from Oct 2, 2009: Still trying to get this car repaired. Nissan dealer told me NOT to come back. Will order the vent control valve online and hope for the best. I use to love this car but I really do not even want it anymore. The problems just multiply. Nissan WAS and IS very aware of the problems with this car.....they just do not care. If you complain too much they yell at you, tell you they are doing you a favor and tell you not to come back. This car has many tech bulletins. It should have been recalled just on the fire hazard. You need endless money to own this car. It is beyond high maintenance.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Mar 17
Altima SL 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 131,000 miles
I bought my Altima 7 months ago, and I finally got rid of it. I feel sorry for the person who bought it. I am a college student and cannot afford huge maintainance cost on this lemon. I have noticed most of the complaints are with S, and SL trims. The only major flaw with this car is the excessive oil consumption, and this model burns oil like crazy it does not even leak. It surely is a lemon, I didn't spend a lot on it except had keep up with oil replacement twice a month, which sounds really awful for a car that was rewarded as car of the year back in 2002. Nissan got bad reputation because of this car. Now I am looking forward to buy MAXIMA 6th GEN. They are a lot powerful and reliable than Altima's. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR, EVEN IF SOMEONE OFFERS TO YOU FOR FREE!!!
2009Aug 08
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 127,000 miles
well first of all nissan suck. how is nissan gettting away with robing people for there money? nothing is happening about it. its funny how the system works as long as they stay legit with there paper work they could bend the law. from visiting this web site I have seen that everyone that has this car is going through the same sh*t. they know what they did that should be more proof they need to make them fix our cars for free. they just need to find a solution that works long term and announce it as a recall so we could have a good and reliable car dont have to worry about that dam oil problem. i feel robbed! if you were to rob someone in the street for two dollars you would be looking at 2-5 years in jail. something needs to happen! nissan your going down ...... for the people thats going through the same problem we need someone to represent us as one all over the world. front page would be great or even a talk host could help us out, just to let everyone know world wide so could be recognize as the crooks they are wolfs that they are wearing sheep clothing. im sick of these big dealers thinking they could get away with hard working money i wish someone will do that. they will have no choice but to cave. please help! we all dont have money
kimberly velasquez boston mass
2009Apr 15
Altima 2.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 132,000 miles
So, I have a 2002 Altima and did not realize there were so many problems going on with this vehicle until just tonight. I bought this car for college in 2004. Thought it was a great deal and was going to enjoy getting good gas mileage compared to my 66 mustang. Everything was great with the car. Routinely got an oil change every 3,000 miles and took it in for it's 60,000 mile service. At the time of of the service i was told that one of the cylinders had slight low compression but it didn't need to be fixed at the moment. Now I am starting to have problems and have been doing research and you guys have officially freaked me out!
So fast forward to the last 9 months. Back in March my car begins to over heat. So I take into pepboys. Get the hoses and the thermostat changed and the car runs fine(cost: 400 roughly). 2 weeks later the car is leaking coolant again, stupid pepboys uses the wrong hoses(coses to fix 110.) May comes around, one day i notice when i shift from park to drive the transmission kicked really hard. by the end of hte day my transmission died, had no gearing whatsoever(cost: 1,300). After the transmission replacement, my car was running fine for about a month. One day i started to notice the car was running weird. It didn't have the same power it had before. Checked the oil and coolant and it was fine. the week went on, and i started noticing the lost of power to the point that i had the accelerator all the way down and was barely doing 70 and the engine was making a clicking sound. I check the oil, completely empty so I immediately took it in for a oil change.
Ever since then, I have been losing oil and coolant, but with no leaks. I keep a 5 quart jug of oil and coolant in my trunk of my car. I am taking my car in tomorrow morning to get an estimate and after reading the posts on this site I am terrified because I honestly can't afford to fix the problem nor buy a new vehicle. I plan on joining this class action suit if there is one.. This car should be having the problems it is having. There is not reason a car that has 132,000 miles on it should have a dead transmission and possibly need a new engine.
2007Jul 31
Altima S 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 112,000 miles
My dad gave me this car in '06. I would rather him give me a kick in the gut. It's a nice car inside, but it's nothing but a headache to keep running (when possible). I've had the catalytic converter replaced THREE TIMES, and now I'm hearing that it needs another one. Excessive oil consumption, like all the others...the rings are bad (whatever that means). I am just trying to get it to pass inspection so I can get rid of it. I HATE it, I wish that car would fall off a cliff.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2002Jun 22
Altima SE 3.5L
- Manual transmission
- 13,000 miles
I own a 2002 Nissan Altima with a 3.5 liter engine. It has 120,000 miles. I recently had the oil changed at the nissan dealership, and it less than 1500 miles the oil would not register on the dipstick. So I went to another place and had the oil changed again and did a synthetic change. The car has always burned oil. I asked the mechanics at the dealership about it on several occassions and they said it was common for these cars to do that. At one point I remember that there was a recall on some of the engines with a certain V.I.N. and those cars ended up having the engines replaced. Unfortunately, my V.I.N. didn't fall into there selection. Need help PLEASE!
2009Aug 08
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 117,000 miles
I brought a 2002 Nissan from Gormelys auto, route 130, and less than two months my check engine light come on, and my car was losing excessive oil consumption. I had to replace two engine valve gaskets. Two months later, my engine light comes back on, oil tank is bone dry, and my car sounds like a truck, and my car will not accelerate over 40mph. Mechanic tells me, I need a catalytic converter and engine seals. The price to fix this car is $4800.00. The car is financed and I've only had it for 6months. I will never buy another Nissan.
2009Aug 06
Altima S 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 117,000 miles
Well, I bought this Nissan Altima 2.5L from a dealer named Car and Truck Nation in Houston with 117,000 miles on it. At first, I did not see any problem when I had the drive test. Right after I signed the paper and took the car home. Oops, Check engine light was on and there was a cracking noise whenever i applied the accelerator pedal. I then checked the oil and there was no oil and thought filling up the oil would be it. But, 3 weeks after running 300 miles, my car got overheated and I checked back the engine and realized there was no oil and no even coolant. The car sucked so much coolant and oil on it. My girlfriend got really mad when the car was stalled on the highway with all the smoke coming out. I checked Autocheck report and realized this lemon failed emission test last year and I wonder why it still have a valid inspection on it until next January. My mechanics suggested me to replace the engine with a rocket-high cost. I found this website and realized that there was nothing I can do with this lemon. So tired and stressful.
If anyone want to file a class action, i'll be for it. I am really f....u...cked up this this crap. People, please, don't ever buy a Nissan and the deceiving dealer "Car and Truck Nation" in Houston (HW 59@ Chimneyrock)
2009Jun 12
Altima SL 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 100,000 miles
June 12, 2009 daughter driving home and car began to ride roughly, she heard a "pop"; then smoke started coming out, check engine light came on, and ball of fired came from under the car. Left car on highway and went to check car next A.M. There was not one drop of oil in car. Oil change was just done May 21, 2009. Car sat up for one week while we were gone on vacation so car actually driven approx. 15 days since oil change. Checked oil pan and filter and no sign of oil loss. Dealership said I need another engine, rod thrown completely through engine block. I obtained much information including getting copy of all recall work done on my daughter's car from dealership. Document shows not all work was done in accordance to NHTSA campaign. Submitted all documents to Nissan North America and despite all my proof, they refuse to replace the engine. I did find a website for consumer protection where one can file a complaint and let them know if you are interested in a class action lawsuit. Here are the steps I have taken so far:
I filed a formal complaint with Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov; click on “consumer protection” then click on “file a complaint” the click on FTC Complaint Assistant” then answer all questions. The form will start out with questions about identity theft but keep going because you will get to part to file complaint against Nissan North America.
Now, this website: autosafety.org does provide a place for you to check the box if you desire a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. Go the website the click on “file a complaint” then fill out the questionnaire. You will need your vehicles VIN number.
I also filed a formal complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nhtsa.dot.gov. This one is important because the more people file complaints the more they will see a need to force Nissan to conduct a recall. Most definitely, make sure you show if the vehicle caught fire or caused a hazardous traffic situation such as stopping suddenly without warning.
I went one step further and file a complaint against National Highway Traffic Safety Administration because they keep records of all complaints on a particular vehicle and there are currently 196 pages of complaints regarding the 2002 Altima and the engine problems and nothing has been done. I mailed a letter complaint to U. S. Dept. of Transportation because NHTSA is under their jurisdiction.
2009Jan 01
Altima
- Automatic transmission
- 70,000 miles
It appears that a lawfirm has opened an official investigation and if you go to their website can provide specific complaint information. Not sure of where it will go?
http://www.fazmiclaw.com/investigations/nissanoil/nissanoil.html
2007Feb 05
Altima 2.5L 2.5L 4 cyl
- Automatic transmission
- 75,000 miles
This oil consumption is ridiculous, at least one quart per week, that started about a year after I purchased the vehicle. Nissan needs to replace these motors!!!!!!!!
2009May 01
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 75,000 miles
Misery loves company, eh? I have the same problem with my wife's 2002 Altima. Suddenly started using oil like it was going out of style. I say it's time for a class action lawsuit. This is BULLSH*T! No car company should be allowed to get away with this. It is obviously a defect. Is anybody with me? Is there a good attorney out there willing to take up this cause?
2009Apr 17
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 56,000 miles
I purchased the vehicle new in 2002. Have always done oil change every 3,000 miles returned for all recalls when notified. The past few months the engine started making a funny noise, checked oil and bone dry...had oil changed two months later same noise and same problem NO OIL. I am thankful that the engine hasn't blown or locked up. I work very hard for my money and can not afford to have the engine replaced, it takes all i make just to get by these days. The car has 58,000 miles on it and I figured it was good for at least 100,000 more but wouldn't dare bet on that. Will Nissan fix this problem or is this just a steam release?
2009May 08
Altima SE 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 112,000 miles
ok soo Nissan is full of shyt. i was so excited about getting this damn car and from day one i have nothing but problems with this car. in the 2 months that i have had this car i bs you not i have gone through 60 quarts of oil.my car studders while driving runs hella rough and when i am doing like 70 my rpms go all the way to like 5 brfore it drops back down. its really scarier.....why wont Nissan fix this problem there is way to many problems with this damn car and year for them not to b held accountable....any1 with suggestions email me partiesbykeshia07@yahoo.com
2009Feb 25
Altima V6
- Automatic transmission
- 75,000 miles
My mom had a Nissan Sentra when I was in elementary and she drove it until I was out of college and on my second child and was able to sell it to our neighbor as a still great running car.I swore by Nissan's every since until now.I will never take a chance on a Nissan ever again and I think Nissan really ruined their reputation with this car being so bad.If they would man up and fix the problem it wouldn't be so bad but they are leaving everyone in the dust on this one.I used to think Nissan and Toyota where head and head but not anymore.Toyotas blow Nissan away now .Altimas are such a rip! Everyone lost out on this one and Nissan will suck ever since!
2009Jul 16
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 110,000 miles
I purchased a 2002 Altima 2.5 (automatic) on Thursday, July 16, 2009. On Friday, July 17, 2009, I had to take it to the mechanic because it was making a terrible sound coming from the engine. Upon arrival, it was found that the oil tank was bone dry. After adding 3 quarts of oil, the noise was gone. Throughout that day when driving I smelt something like exhaust or burning oil or something. I just thought oil was spilled on the engine and it was simply burning off. I put approx 30 miles on the car that day. On Saturday, July 18, 2009, I put approx 20 miles on the car (same smell). On Sunday, I noticed smoke coming out of my muffler when I would hit the gas. It would go away when I was at a steady pace but if I gased it, the smoke would come out. I took the car to a friend of mine and had him check the oil. To my suprise, there was not a lick of oil left in the tank... WHERE DID IT GO????????? There is no sign of leaks underneath the car and NO spot on my driveway. We went and purchased 3 more quarts of oil and added it to the car. When we checked the dip stick, the oil was PITCH BLACK. WTF IS THIS ABOUT?????? The car was also blowing black smoke. Are you serious??? I am a single 27 year old mom, working and going to school. A Nissan is what everyone told me to get.. WHY??? I have just forked out EVERY DIME I had in savings to purchase this car so WHAT DO I DO NOW? I am absolutley disgusted and sick to my stomach... I have cried ALL DAY and even more so now that I have read all of these complaints. Does anyone have any suggestions?
2009May 08
Altima S 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 106,000 miles
Unlike everyone else's complaints that I have read, I only had my car for a freakin weak and it started with the oil consumption. I didn't know that it this was the problem until here recently and I have now found out that I have a blown head gasket and oil is leaking back into the engine and the repairs are going to be close to $1200. I to am a single parent and student and cannot afford a new engine nor the cost of repairs to this car and I wish I would have done my homework on this particular car before making this dumb ass mistake. I to think that it should be some type of class action lawsuit and Nissan should be held accountable for the inconvenience it has caused many customers on this particular car because they already knew that these damn motors were no good!!
2008Jan 01
Altima SE 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 125,000 miles
Nissan will go under because they are not doing anything about these complaints. I don't plan on purchasing another Nissan. I'm sure there are several people who will agree with me.
2008Oct 10
Altima LS 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 97,989 miles
NO HELP FROM NISSAN .JUST BULL .I WILL TELL EVERYONE NOT TO BUY NISSAN JUNK.
2009Apr 01
Altima S 2.5L
- Manual transmission
- 136,702 miles
Started consuming a ridiculous amount of oil a couple months ago. Took it to a Nissan dealership and they simply said the engine will probably need to be replaced. After the last oil change it was completely dry within 2 weeks! Engine light is on for the crankshaft position sensor and catalytic converter. Thought about replacing engine and sensor but after reading the similar posts, it looks like a new car! I took care of my Altima, and really wish Nissan would come to the table with this many problems.
2005Nov 18
Altima 2,5L
- Manual transmission
- 39,000 miles
Bought car from dealer in Nov 2005 and left on trip. Had oil changed on trip. Drove home about 1500 miles. Was down over 2quarts oil when I got home. Had xtended warranty on car. Fought with the dealer about oil consumption until warranty expired at 100,000 miles. I am now burning 1.5 quarts every 350 miles. Have check engine light. Told it is cat converter buit if I replace it the light will probably come back on as it is clogged with the oil I am burning. Had one mechanic warn me that if I am burning that much oil that I should be careful that the cat converter doesn't catch fire. I am so disgusted with Nissan and I have owned nothing but Nissan for over 25 years. NOT EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am in the market for a new car and I will not even look at a NIssan. They have lost a loyal customer. I too think we should all sue Nissan or drive the cars to their factory with signs on them and really make this cost them. Let others know that Nissan does NOT back their product. E-mail me at momsbank@gmail.com if you are interested r have another solution.
2007Apr 03
Altima SE 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 90,000 miles
I think Nissan should replace all 2002 Altimas that are having problems with too much oil usage. There have been too many complaints about this and sales will definitely go down if they don't.
2008Oct 23
Altima 2.5S 4 cyl
- Automatic transmission
- 100,000 miles
I took my car in to get an oil change back in October of 2008 about a week later, I checked my oil and it was bone dry. Called Precision Tune to make them aware of this problem, I did not take it to them because I was afraid that they had messed up my car so I was not going to let them touch it again. Later on while researching on the internet about my car, I found out that several people have the same problem I have with their 2002 Nissan Altima. From 10/28/08 to the present, I have spent about $200.00 to $300.00 on oil to keep my car running and it is not good when you have car problems like this. I am possibly going to change out my engine and my catalytic converter, but not sure if this is wise from reading all the problems that can still occur once repairs are made.
2009Apr 30
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 78,000 miles
this is really pissing me off. I spent over $2000 in June of last year getting the catalytic converter replaced and head gaskets and now this...
2009May 21
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 94,000 miles
Last year (April 08), I financed a 2002 Altima and it's been all down hill from there! Within the first 3 days, I heard a rattling noise from the engine. I took the car back to the dealer and long story short, the engine was replaced. One year (almost to the date) later, my check engine light, along with my oil warning light came on. Based on my horror from the year before, I immediately took the car into a Nissan Dealership. Low and behold, they told me that I was running really low on oil and that I needed my engine replaced. WHAT, AGAIN??? Not to mention I had gotten an oil change just 3 weeks before. You have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, I thought. At that point I could not afford a new engine so they suggested a rebuild with replacement of the faulty parts. I went along and still spent about 1500 out of pocket. About a week later, my engine light came on. The first thing I did was check the oil. The dipstick was dry and I was shocked! I put oil in the car and took it back in to be checked. At that point, I was told that I needed a catalytic converter. So, I paid for that, hoping that this would be the end of my problems. This was last week...and guess what happened today? Yup, the oil light is back on! I am SO ANNOYED and unfortunately, the car is financed and I've only had it for 13 mos. Although it's only a 48 mo loan, I'm not even half way there. Who will take a trade in at this point? I'm screwed! I will never buy another Nissan even if it was the last car on earth!
2009Feb 12
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 102,000 miles
I bought this car used and thought it would be a good car because it was a Nissan but I am having the same problem as everyone else. Excessive oil consumption and needs a new engine. I am a student and have no money to replace an engine. I drove this car for only one week before it started making an awful noise, took it to a shop right away it had no oil in it and needed a new engine. The mechanic told me he would not have that car but what do I do I have already have it financed. This car needs around $5,000 worth of work. I don't know how long another engine would even last. I will never buy another Nissan.
2007Feb 01
Altima S 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 90,000 miles
We bought a 2002 Nissan Altima 2.5S (auto transmission) new from the dealer in February 2002 (NY), based on our experience with our 2000 Nissan Maxima SE. WRONG CHOICE!!
While we put many miles on this car, it had always had oil changes every 3k miles and the typical maintenance required on it, not all the BS that they want to sell you, but the basics that all cars need. If we did neglect this car, I would not be on here trying to warn others from the WORSE purchase they could make, and join others that made the same MISTAKE we did.
The beginning of our problems started in July 03 @ 33K miles, when we had the car serviced and later that same day, had to have it towed (at our expense over the holiday weekend). Nissan would not reimburse us for that and we fought like hell with Nissan North America. It turned out that there was a recall for the crank shaft position sensor (why was that not addressed when we had it serviced that very same day?)
42K miles- precatalyst replaced along with fuel pump screen- part of another recall. The car was stalling while driving on the highway!
85K miles- had oil change and a few days later heard noise from engine, checked oil and LOW 3 quarts!! Filled oil back up and started to burn oil at each oil change- but never had it go 3 quarts low again.
92K miles (FEB 2007)- recall crankshaft position sensor and catalytic converter needs to be replaced AT OUR COST! This is the 3rd catalytic converter this car has had- and we had to wait 2 weeks as it was on BACKORDER!! EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION BEGINS and Anti freeze consumption begins. Contacted Nissan North America that dealer said we needed a new engine and another catalytic converter- they told us they couldn't do anything for us!! They know about these problems and I think that is why they had that recall for the precat, its cheaper to replace these precats and have them hold out longer than the originals from the factory, so therefore you put more mileage on the car and then when the BIG problem starts- SORRY your car had too much mileage on it.
115K Another catalytic converter is needed and oil consumption is over a quart a week and even with a replaced radiator coolant is starting to burn as well. 2 cylinders (1 & 3) have low compression- another attempt to contact NISSAN NA, with all the history of this car and FINALLY after 5 weeks of phone tag (we would give them a contact #) and they would call and leave messages at a different number!) We were told that the car needs TOO many repairs to fix, but if we wanted to BUY an NEW CAR they would give us $750. THE BEST was when I asked why does a car need 4 catalytic converters before 100K miles and the Nissan NA Regional rep tells me BECAUSE OF YOUR OIL CONSUMPTION- I asked why was I never alerted to this when I PAID for a catalytic converter- and they refer me back to the dealer??
The car was taken to an indepedant mechanic and was told that the Nissan remanufactured engines $5,500 would end up having the same issue as the original engine. The best way to repair is with a crate engine $6K plus it would still need a catalytic converter!!
I would never bought this car if I thought it would only last until 85K miles! The last 30K miles that we stretched out of this car have been EXTREMELY PAINFUL AND INCONVENIENT- and we were fortunate to have some help in putting band-aids on it- but the coolant and oil have to be checked daily, and it still had intermittent stalling & misfires form the burning oil and coolant.
We are now in the process of looking for an affordable and reliable car. I never thought I would buy an American car, but in light of the economy and lack of service and reliability of this Altima (many other minor issues with the car- too many to list) I am now looking at a FORD FUSION!!
GM may drop Pontiac, Nissan should drop the ALTIMA or give customers their money back and ADMIT the mistake they made with the precats on these cars and offer $10K towards a NEW CAR- that is how your retain customer loyalty.
My 2000 Maxima has been beyond awesome- BUT NEVER AGAIN do I buy from NISSAN.
2005Dec 16
Altima S 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 121,000 miles
I wanted to say everyone who is having these common motor problems with the 2.5s, I am an owner who had the motor replaced at 84,500 miles, the mileage on the car now has 121,000 miles and counting, I have installed an aftermarket header on the motor, got rid of that defective Nissan pre cat, which is famous for going bad around the 80k mark, around 100, 100 miles just over the 100,000 mile warranty Nissan actually 'Hummels Nissan' here in DSM said I needed a new motor at the current mileage, the original motor lasted till 84,500 miles, at 100,100 the replacement motor was junk also, till now i watch the oil very closely has not seem to have the common problems like everyone is having in fact
i know it cost more $ but the oil is changed at 2,000 miles, oil is checked once a week, i only put 40 miles a week on my car. I would suggest looking into options to having a different aftermarket header installed, and get rid of that precat thats on the manifold, in the long run this motor will last longer, I will also say at the 100,100 mile mark, the power vale screws on the butterfly plates did come lose one screw went into cycl 1, the dealership tore the motor down found the screw head in the manifold, it did damage to cycle 1 but not enough to cause a major problem, did score the cylinder wall, just told them to fix it, they replaced all the screws on the butterfly flaps and replaced the manifold gaskets, now I haven't had anymore problems to this day.
just a matter of having to baby this car. I think what the issue most are having their rough on their cars and they do not last. Its been over two years since ive had to do anything major with any repairs to the motor in the car, I havnt had to add any oil etc. The car is going to last me sometime, but anyone wanting more information email me at jdm50325@gmail.com, if you notice in the rust section, the one with the pictures of a nissan with floor rust thats this ride also, but those problems have been repaired, a good friend of mine fixed my floors for under $100 he loves this car.
2009Apr 08
Altima SE 3.5L V6
- Manual transmission
- 109,665 miles
I bought my 2002 altima 3.5SE V6 from a private owner. I drove for about a month and I started to hear a weird noise from the engine. I checked my engine oil and it was empty. I refilled 4 qt. of oil to it. The noise disappeared. I took it to the Nissan dealer to have the oil change done and have them thoroughly inspected the car to see if any leaks. No leaks was found. Nissan dealer did an oil change on 4/8/2009 when my car was at 108345 and now 5/14/2009 the mileage is 109660. The engine light came on, I check the engine oil and it was nothing on the dipstick. I refilled with 4 qt. of engine oil and the check engine light turn off. I really concerned about this problem. I don't know if it just my Altima only or many of you have the same problem too.
2008Aug 31
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 125,000 miles
I NEED A REPLACEMENT ENGINE AND AS IT SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, I DON'T KNOW WHY I NEED TO PAY FOR THIS.
2009Apr 01
Altima SL
- Automatic transmission
- 120,000 miles
2002 Nissan Altima OIL PROBLEM is driving me crazy!!!! I'm going through a quart a day!!! I took the car to have the oil system completely flushed and had new oil put it. 1 day later I'm down a quart of oil and the oil is BLACK and FILTHY! No idea what's going on. Worried about mechanic selling me a QUICK FIX to a problem that's obviously not curable. NISSAN OWES me MONEY and a SOLUTION!
2008Feb 01
Altima SE 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 60,000 miles
Check engine soon light comes on. Engine oil is being consumed. Coolant level is low. Nissan dealers talked me into replacing the catalytic converter, and crank position sensors (upper and lower). The engine goes through periods of long crank time and rough idle. Oil is still being consumed at an excessive rate.
2009Jan 10
Altima 2.5S
- Automatic transmission
- 94,000 miles
my Nissan is using excessive oil, and I'm extremely upset. i took excellent care of my car having oil changed every 3,000 miles and and maintenance upkeep to have this happen. with no solution from Nissan
Update from May 17, 2009: In addition to excessive oil consumption my check engine soon light keeps comming on, which Nissan says is my catalytic ic
ic converter. When I told them they had just replaced it they said i have two and now the second one is gone, you would have thought they both would need replacing at the same time.
2009Apr 20
Altima S 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 120,000 miles
My 2002 Altima needs a new engine due to excessive oil consumption. I CANNOT afford a new engine, so I am screwed. I owe about $4,000 on the car at this point!!! It also had issues with the coolant, where I had to refill it every 5 minutes. I also heard weird bubbling noises under the dashboard. The last couple of months have been a nightmare.
Now I'm stuck without a car . Oh and the idiot mechanic thought it was a valve so the day before the engine gave out, I spent $235 on a "quick fix" that didn't work. Never again will I buy a Nissan .... EVER!
2009Apr 01
Altima 2.5S 2.5s V4
- Automatic transmission
- 85,000 miles
My check engine light had been on for at least 6 months and I don't know why. I started hearing rumbling noises until finally the oil light went on. So I checked the oil and the dip stick was dry. I added oil to the car and noticed a few weeks later that I needed oil again. This was unusual since I don't drive the car that much. As time went on, I was losing oil quicker. I would drive just 20 minutes and would lose 3 quarts of oil. I told my friend about it and he said it sounds like you need a new engine and it's not worth keeping or fixing the car especially since we went onto this website and saw all the same problems. I bought the car brand new and I had the car for only 6 1/2 years with 85,000 miles.
2009Feb 01
Altima 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 120,000 miles
I have been having a problem with the consumption of oil in my 02' Altima. From looking at others' problems, this seems to be a common. I am going through anywhere from 10 to 20 quarts of oil a month. There are no oil spots in my driveway, nor where I park my car at work. I have heard that it might be getting into the radiator? or that I need a catalytic converter ... not sure what I need, I just know that I need my car to run the right way. Since having this oil problem, I often have to crank it 7 or 8 times to get it running. Help!
2006Jan 01
Altima SE 3.5L V6
- Manual transmission
- 60,000 miles
Don't be fooled: the 3.5L V6 has the same oil consumption problem as the 4 cylinders! I too heard the engine clatter around 60,000 miles and took it to the dealership. They said it was low on oil but thankfully I did not incur any damage to the engine yet. Although I faithfully have the oil changed within Nissan's mileage recommendations, I figured maybe the mileage number was written down wrong or something on my reminder sticker and I might have gone longer than I should have. Anyway, well before my next oil change was due, there it was again -- the engine clatter. I checked the oil level and it wasn't even registering on the dipstick! I had to add 3 quarts of oil to get it back to full which meant I had less than 2 quarts of oil in the car. And I was only about 2500 miles past my last oil change. So, every 1000 miles or so, I got in the habit of adding another quart of oil. I guess that's still cheaper than having the engine replaced. I'm just waiting for the right opportunity to unload this piece of $#!T and get a new car! Which, of course, WON'T be a NISSAN.
2008Nov 19
Altima 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 100,000 miles
this car was never fixed. I spent 6000 dollars to fix this car and still liquid oil . really bad experience with this car, looks nice outside but that's it.
2008Jan 03
Altima 2.5L
- Manual transmission
- 51,000 miles
Car wouldn't start after numerous problems...#1 problem was excessive oil consumption. Mechanic told me the car had a cracked head- $2,100 to fix. Paid the money and the car is still sucking 2-3 quarts of oil a week. Now the mechanic says it's the rings...another $2,000. Is there any recourse?
2009Mar 20
Altima 2.5s
- Automatic transmission
- 104,000 miles
I am just sick and tired of having to pay for outrageous gas prices and oil! There is no reason for this and I want answers or solutions to this problem!
2009Feb 07
Altima SE 3.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 28,583 miles
It's very upsetting that this car has these issues with less than 10,000 miles per year being put on. Also, it upsets me that Nissan does not want anything to do with taking responsibility for this problem and saying that "the warranty has expired". Not helping to solve the problem will not convince me to buy or lease any Nissans in the future. The product does not stand up to its reputation. These issues will come back to haunt them!
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Oct 02
Altima SE 3.5L
So just got my car back from the shop and they told me I had no oil in the car. So, after looking this up on the internet I've noticed that quite a few people are having this issue. After this last trip to the shop, I noticed a chatter in the engine, and the car has lost power, but yet no visible oil leaks. I still owe 7k on this damn car. I don't know if continually adding oil is the answer, but I'm not sure if I should jump the gun to buy a new car. Anyone know how long they had when they start putting in a quart every fill up? Or if I'm hearing chattering it's time to get a new car?
Toby W.
Cockeysville, MD, USA
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