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:
1 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
61,277 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 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2002 Nissan Altima Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #48

Feb 271984

Altima

  • miles

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

I've owned my 2002 Nissan for about 6 months now the previous owner informed me prior to purchase about issues she was having and the reason she was selling the car, explain to me that her friend who has worked on cars 20+ yrs felt if cause could be found it was repairable but seems luck she had is now the luck I'm having. I have a couple ppl look over the car under hood and run diagnostics but nothing can be found.. I can't afford to junk the car my income budget is tight and doesn't allow much wiggle room to purchase a new ride a friend told me about the NHTSA website so we went exploring entering my VIN number comes back no recalls but looking over the recalls for saying make and model and year of my vehicle there's 12 to 15 recalls on it from headlights which I'm is an issue to engine stalls to catalyst issues but yet I'm told that no because we're done on my vehicle I know I'm not the first owner it's a vehicle that I just purchased but I want to speak to someone that can clarify or help me with finding out if my vehicle is actually supposed to be in recalls of these certain things because they were fitted the descriptions of what can take place fit what I'm experiencing and what the previous owner is experienced perfectly please contact me thank you for your time

- Northtazewell, VA, USA

problem #47

Aug 022022

Altima

  • miles
first, I started to notice my car would loose power while driving, over a couple months, it started to stall and/or completely shut off while driving at low speeds or at red lights! When this first stared happening, the car would immediately fire back up when cranked, after about a month of this, I noticed, I could not drive at or above 45mph or it would shut down, or drive for more than 15 minutes and it would shut off-??AND NOT START AGAIN! It would crank, but not start, I would have to wait 30 minutes or more and then it would start right up! This is dangerous due to the immediate- no- warning shut off, whenever and wherever! I-??ve almost caused multi car pile up! Not to mention my kids in the back seat and on the interstate! We could have been slammed into, and pushed down the interstate and over into other lanes! There-??s a recall on 2002 Nissan Altimas for THIS VERY ISSUE!!! Somehow, my vehicles VIN # does not qualify! INFACT-??.. My VIN# NEVER EVER qualifies for ANY recall, but yet, my vehicle has the exact same problems!!

- Roanoke , VA, USA

problem #46

Jan 142021

Altima

  • 134,500 miles
Doors are locked shut all but one, cannot get them to unlock and when I get them unlocked, they won't latch closed. Will not unlock them even when I attempted manually... I need a solution.

- Davenport, IA, USA

problem #45

Feb 272019

Altima

  • miles

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

This can prevent the supply of fuel to the engine and cause the engine to stop, which could result in a crash without warning.if the manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for your vehicle in a timely manner

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #44

May 042018

Altima

  • 35 miles
The car keeps stalling while I drive

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #43

Mar 072016

Altima

  • miles
My brakes are going out fast. My heater takes forever to heat up. My fuses keep burning out, car lighter don't work. It runs rough. I think it has a short on some wires.

- Brownfield, TX, USA

problem #42

May 022016

Altima

  • 132,000 miles

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

I have recently discovered that there was a recall on my Nissan Altima 2002 model. I have tried to contact the dealer locally but no results. I also contacted the manufacturer and they gave me run around saying that they needed the software which they will make it available and soon as it's available they will contact me. I have contacted them several times but I get the same run around. It's been over a year and half since I had contacted them. But it hasn't been fixed.

- Morgantown, WV, USA

problem #41

Jan 022017

Altima

  • miles
Yes, I have a complaint about interlocks, I know the are to designed to save lives of others, but at risking the lives of the drivers that have them, it is unsafe to be driving down the road doing retest, I know a retest is to ensure that the driver of the car has not drank since driving or had someone else blow to start the car, but in my opinion it's hazardous to the driver to be put in this danger of having to retest every 30min, there is a camera placed in the car for a reason, yes I broke the law, I understand the reason for my interlock, yes I know I can pull to the side of the rode for retest, but in some cases you are not able to pull to the side of the road for them because you never know when they are coming, it took a child to point out the unsafe way retest are. Yes, I know I could have not had it placed in my car, but I have to work and provide for my family. Another thing I think interlocks are a money gimmick for the state and dealer that puts them in. I wasn't court ordered to have one, the judge in my case, said I could've had a restricted license, but the state of motor vehicle so said I had to have one to keep driving. When is the judges judgment not good enough?

- Fayetteville, TN, USA

problem #40

Sep 012015

Altima

  • 165,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving up a ramp at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle began to vibrate and jerk. The rpms increased from 35 to 4,000. The speedometer started to fail and the vehicle lost power and stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. This was a recurring failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 165,000.

- Lake Charles , LA, USA

problem #39

Apr 152015

Altima

  • 144,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving at 20 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the electronic control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 144,000.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #38

Feb 022015

Altima 4-cyl

  • 172,300 miles

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

The first issue I have are the oxygen senor are bad no speed when getting pass 35 feel like your driving in 25. The major issue and it is very unsafe. I was driving down the street with my under age children in the car and when the gears was in drive it stop and went backwards then I put it all the way in park and it stop and took off and speed went to 60 then back down to it normal speed. Just the other day on 2/16/15 it was placed in drive it automatic went into reverse instead of drive but the gear was in drive.

- Petersburg, VA, USA

problem #37

Apr 152014

Altima 4-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
Did check engine light repair fixed crank position sensor. I drive to the store car shuts down to 5mph I pull over reset check engine light then it works fine.

- Desert Hot Springs, CA, USA

problem #36

Nov 032014

Altima 4-cyl

  • miles
Hard starting.

- Farmingdale, NY, USA

problem #35

May 222014

Altima 4-cyl

  • 99,975 miles
Problems: Service engine soon light, no start condition, reduced engine power, stopped running during vehicle operation. Car was parked and when started would not go over 15000 RPM - would not back out of the parking space. After several attempts at restarting it I was able to drive it to my local mechanic for him to check why the service engine soon light was on. Code he received did not give him any information so he turned the light off and I continued driving the car. On June 26, 2014 the engine stalled as I pulled up to a stop light. After putting the car in park and turning on my emergency blinkers it began running again. No service engine soon light came on. The next day the car failed to start. After several attempts it started and this has happened multiple times since then. A recall notice for all of these specific problems had been issued in December of 2003.for 2002 Altima manufactured between June 2001 and June 2002. My Altima was manufactured in October 2001 and I purchased it in November 2001. I was told by Nissan when I called on June 27,2014 that my vehicle was not included in that recall even though all of the consequences of the recall were documented on my car. I did receive a recall notice in February of 2009 at which time the local dealer reprogrammed the ECM (R0712). Not sure that worked because in July 2010 the service engine soon light came on - took it to repair shop which replaced the crank position sensor (which could have been defective also since all of these problems are occurring). I paid out of pocket for the same thing others are getting repaired by Nissan for free. Recall no. R3022 and 03V-455 describe these problems.

- Broken Arrow, OK, USA

problem #34

Aug 132011

Altima

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle decelerated without manual force and a fire emerged from the harness of the vehicle. The fire was put out by the contact. A police report was filed. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis where it was stated the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 12/12/13

- Goldsboro, NC, USA

problem #33

Jun 272013

Altima 6-cyl

  • 33,000 miles
On 6/27/2013 I was driving about 30 mph per hour. The car engine shuts off abruptly and I loss all power to the car. I was stuck and the cars behind me almost hit me from behind. I put the hazards on and tried to start the car. I sat for about 5 minutes, put the car in neutral and it started then shut off again. In previous years I had to start the car in neutral but it never shut off while in motion until today,6/27/2013 and the service soon engine light came on and also the tcs, slip. I am now seeing that there is a recall. Can you please help me to get Nissan to fix this problem because this is a hazard and there is a recall. Thank you. I will also call Nissan again and report this problem, and I hope that they fix this problem because I could have been injured also others and there is a product recall on the crankshaft, timing control sensors, etc...why was a product recall notice not mailed to me about this serious defect/ problem?

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #32

Apr 012013

Altima

  • 173,000 miles
The Nissan Altima 2002 has muffler recalls people can get killed with the smoke, all Altima has missfire problems can get killed while driving, electrical recalls please do something or are they paying you so you don't do nothing "????????"

- Takoma Park, MD, USA

problem #31

Aug 232012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 175,000 miles
Car was being driven at approximately 35 mph when it stopped running. Diagnosis: The cam position sensors were bad and needed replacement (replaced 2 sensors). The check engine light remains illuminated after replacing the sensor with parts obtained from the dealer. There is a recall on vehicle which was never fulfilled, however, Nissan claims it does not affect my vehicle.

- Silver Spring, MD, USA

problem #30

Dec 152011

Altima 4-cyl

  • miles
Will not start, replaced crank an cam sensor nothing they are recalls on these cars for lots of problems I purchased this car thinking it was a good car for my wife two days later it leaves her an my daughter stuck on the freeway. I have done resets nothing works is there something yall can help me with im out of pocket cause this car. Can I take it to Nissan dealer an they fix it for a recall.

- Arab, AL, USA

problem #29

Sep 012010

Altima 4-cyl

  • miles
Nissan Altima 2002 keeps having problem with the crankshaft and camshaft sensors and once you replace them a couple months later you'll have the same problem. This problem causes your car to stop randomly in the middle of traffic which could cause you to get into a car accident or worse death. Nissan knows that this is a common issue but they choose to ignore the problem. I have spoken with many dealers and auto repair technicians and they all agree this is a common problem with Nissan Altima. This is sad and I really wish this issue is resolved for the safety of everyone driving. I was driving in my car with my niece when my car just stopped in the middle of traffic scared me to death!!! because we could have been really hurt and the simple fact that I replaced this part 3 months before this occurred is really terrible. I have replaced both sensor and I'm still having an issue. This is something that Nissan needs to correct before someone really gets hurts. The 2002 Nissan Altima is a horrible car its just manufactured all wrong and is constantly giving me issues.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

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