- The problem
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5L engine, the crankshaft position sensor can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- The risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the crankshaft position sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ecm) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will reprogram the ecm free of charge. Certain my 2006 altimas which have been previously remedied under recall campaign 06v223 (nissan r0606) are not included in this recall since the reprogramming for 06v223 also included this reprogramming. The recall began on december 31, 2007. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine & cooling
2002 Nissan Altima Engine problems
Owners have filed 687 complaints about the 2002 Nissan Altima's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 65% of all its complaints, most recently on April 3, 2024. They describe 8 crashes, 23 fires and 13 injuries. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.
- Complaints
- 687
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 8
- Fires
- 23
- Injuries
- 13
- Deaths
- 0
Engine recalls for the 2002 Nissan Altima
- The problem
- On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
- The risk
- This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01v357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.
- The problem
- On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 Liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin may catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate.
- The risk
- Either of these two conditions could result in a fire.
- The fix
- Dealers will remove the protruding portion of the exhaust pipe hanger pin. In addition to the corrective action, in order to reduce the risk of fire in the event of poor or improper maintenance that could result in oil spillage, heat shield(s) will be installed on the pre-catalyst and exhaust tube. Owner notification began on july 28, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261. Nissan recall nos. R3007, r3014, r3015, r3016, r3017. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate. If substrate particles enter the combustion chamber, they could score the cylinder walls, resulting in increased oil consumption. If the engine oil level is not checked on a periodic basis and drops below the low level, and the driver continues to operate the vehicle ignoring noticeable engine noise, engine damage may occur which could result in a fire. The pre-catalyst will be tested to ensure it is working properly and replaced if necessary. If damage is found inside the pre-catalyst, it will be necessary to replace the engine.
Engine complaints
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...
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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
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...
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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!!
The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the traction control warning light illuminated. The vehicle hesitated to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 03V455000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine would misfire and the oxygen sensor would remain illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The oxygen sensor was replaced and the oxygen sensor light shut off. The cause of the catalytic converter failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer was not notified of the failures. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 251,000.
My engine is destroyed because a screw came loose from the throttle body in the plenum, got sucked into an engine cylinder and destroyed that cylinder. This would cost somewhere between $3k to $5k to repair, more than the car is currently worth. In talking to a nissan mechanic and doing online research, this is apparently not an unheard of problem for nissan cars. There has been at least one recall for this problem in the past for some nissan 4 cylinder cars but there was never a recall for 6 cylinder nissan...
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altima cars (my car is a 3.5L 6 cylinder model) the car was running fine. I parked it at my gym and when I came out, started it up. I was rewarded with an awful noise and engine vibration all of a sudden. I only lived 1.5 Miles away, so I slowly limped the car home. After some mechanical sleuthing and bringing a mechanic to my home, we determined that a screw had come loose and gotten sucked into the engine. I called nissan usa to explain the problem and see if they would be able to offer any assistance. But all they offered was that they "would take a look " at the problem if I payed to tow the car to a dealership. They would not make any guarantee that they would then help me if the problem turned out to be as I have described. If they didn't agree to fix the problem, then I would be responsible for towing the car back to my house. Here is one url that lists 10 complaints for this problem with nissan pathfinder autos, which use the same 6 cylinder engine as my car. Https://repairpal.Com/loose-screws-inside-intake-manifold-can-cause-internal-damage-if-they-fall-out-448 what makes this so awful is that I had a relatively low mileage older car (2002 with only 95k miles) and this problem makes the whole car a junker now due to no fault of my own with no recourse for me!
While driving on the highway I proceeded to try and reach the speed limit but the car lost power to merge into traffic almost causing an accident. Vehicle cannot go past 55 mph, it loses power during acceleration.
My vehicle equipped with the 2.5L 4 cylinder consumes excessive amounts of oil. I have had to add roughly 1-2 quarts of oil every 200 miles. Engine has no external oil leaks. New valve cover gaskets 500 miles ago, new spark plugs every 10,000 miles due to oil fouling, new pcv valve 500 miles ago. The car does mostly city and country, 55mph driving and under.
The car will not start when it is hot outside. The service engine light stays on all the time. The car stops while driving on street and highways. The crank position sensor'(s), camshaft position sensor's and the variable timing control sensor'(s) needs to be replaced. Recall #r3021 and r3022 was listed on the recall from nissan.
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.
Nissan altima 4 door. My daughter [[redacted]]. While driving the vehicle ignition switch, oil, cooling, coil pack cause a major crash, totaling a complete wreckage. [[redacted]] sustained, serious medical attention, taken to the hospital by ambulance. I started a series of complaints which nissan failed to comment or investigate. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6). *Tr
Took our 2002 nissan altima in to nissan for a recall repair (2003 recall for exhaust / catalytic converter issues) - recall states if engine is damaged, that it will be replaced. Engine has been destroyed due to catalytic converter failure. Nissan has acknowledged the recall and damage and indicated the engine would be replaced. This car was purchased lat year by my daughter, we were unaware of the recall until increasing oil consumption became extreme. I contacted steven's creek nissan and they confirmed the...
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recall repairs had never been completed. I was told to bring the car in for the repairs. I was very explicit in the description of the oil consumption as well as metallic residue on components - (i had replaced the cam / crank position sensors when the engine began to run rough - they both had a grey paste residue on them). Nissan acknowledged the engine was indeed damaged and needed to be replaced. After having the car for nearly 2 months, I received a call advising they did not have the parts anymore and would need to use aftermarket parts. They gave me a phone number to the nissan consumer affairs, who authorized the aftermarket parts. Multiple times, nissan called to say they had the parts and the repair would be complete by the end of the next week. This never happened. After another month passed, nissan called to say they didnt have the proper tools to replace the engine. I went to nissan and observed the car had not moved or had any work done at all since it was dropped off in june. Nissan has called back again and advised they are unable to do the repair and that I should come pick the car up as is and try some other dealership. Nissan has had this vehicle since 06/09/17. Nissan has had this car for 5 months and has not begun the recall repair.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While operating the vehicle, the check engine indicator illuminated and the vehicle hesitated and bucked. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the camshaft sensor malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The sensor was replaced, but the vehicle later experienced difficulty starting. The local dealer (sumerian nissan in fort myers fl) and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 03v4855000 (engine). The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 133,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the crank shaft cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer (anker nissan in north smietfield, rhode island) where it was diagnosed that the crank shaft and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 183,605.
I have a 2002 altima but I only purchased it about 8 months ago. Somewhere around 2 months ago my check engine light came on. So I had it looked at and they said it was a crank sensor code, so I had it replaced. Didn't fix the problem for long. The light came back on, throwing the same code. Well then a week later my car completely shut off while I'm driving down the road. When I begin to restart it, nothing. It takes several attempts before it will start. Since that incident I've had this happen several times. I'm very concerned that I or my children will be in an accident due to the vehicle shutting off while driving. Please someone help!
Our car has shut off at any speed without warning for several months. The check engine light has also been on.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. On several occasions, while driving, the engine stalled. The contact had to restart the vehicle while the accelerator pedal was applied. Also, while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle would hesitate to gain speed and the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 213,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. While driving 55 mph, the contact heard a loud noise and the vehicle began to decelerate. The vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder lane and caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 225,440.
Letter from senator franken on behalf of constituent re a recall 03v-084 repair that years later seems not to have fixed the problem. *Ld the consumer stated the recall, #03v-084, was performed on or about 01/15/04 but, was not effective in preventing engine damage. The consumer would like for the vehicle to repaired again under the recall. The consumer stated the vehicle consumed about one quart of oil per tank full of gas. *Js
2002 Nissan altima. Consumer writes in regards to power valve screw issue. *Ld the consumer stated he was quoted a price of $1,000 for a catalytic converter and $5200 for a new engine with less than 90,000. *Jb
Recall campaign r3022 / 03v455000 due to defective original manufacturer crankshaft / camshaft sensor, this caused my engine to completely stall at 65 mph on the california 57 south freeway. Extreme dangerous driving experience had occurred and caused unsafe driving condition for the surrounding vehicles. Vehicle had difficulty steering and braking which luckily avoided any accident. The recall campaign was conducted along with other recalls in the past, but when inspected, the crankshaft and 2 camshaft...
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sensors were never replaced under the said recall. Hopefully the nhtsa can contact nissan on my behalf to conduct an investigation on why the original sensors deemed defective in the recall campaign was not properly replaced.
I received a letter from the sapir your court of the state of california I am unable to find out what is going on with my car for what may happen with my car but this letter is telling me that I may have engine damage because if I lose power valves girl and that my car is unsafe to drive no one won't give me any true information or everyone is telling me they do not know what I am talking about please help me I drive this car I do not want to kill anyone or to die it will stop right in the middle of the freeway or wherever I am.
My car has been having steering problems to wear I got it fix with replacing a steering rack which has not lasted longer then a year. 2015-2016 And I can't seem to get a repair man to figure it out. This has happen driving, and turning. I have had exhaust problem to were the repair men has told that my car could catch of fire due to the heat shield so they remove one. Which still left my car dealing with oil spillage afterwards after driving it anywhere. My oil never touches the ground just sits in exhaust pipe and...
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blow smoke sometimes and it has started back up once again after putting so much repairs into my car. Service engine light has start popping on and off, everytime I get it tested it says crank sensor thats when driving the car or when the car moving. Then some days it will disappear. And it mess with the power of my engine. And sometimes it takes a while to crank the car. Now I have tried replacing another motor in the car but this motor that I have now is giving me the same problem as the first motor. And I think thats because the repair men are not fixing the recalls on the motor of the car, they are just replacing the motor like mines got replaced with another motor of the same year make as my car. But I feel that if these recalls on these year make of my car have been known then the nissan should repair the defects so people want have to keep putting so much money into fixing the car and its not their fault its nissan. I have problems also out of my manifold gasket and the whole part itself all the time that can burn me and my children up while driving. And I'm just so scared something is going to happen while driving my car and there are recalls on my make model car.
The vehicle stalls while driving which could cause an accident. It has happened many times and we have been lucky other drivers are paying attention. The vehicle does start back up. We have found a recall but when we've checked the vin # it comes up with no recalls. There is a sensor issue recall that describes exactly what the car is doing. It has stalled on off ramps, city streets and suburban roads. I have found the following online: on certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5L enginethe crankshaft...
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position sensor can overheat causing a brief interrupion in the signal output. If the interupption of the signal is so brief that the ecm electronic control module dose not have time to diagnose the condition, the vehicle may shut off creating the risk of an accident. The dealer will reprogram the ecm free of charge. The nissan recall # is r0606 nissan is no help the vehicle only has 97,0000 miles and was bought used from a lot in nh who was also no help
" Takata recall " . The car has been giving engine problems but I did not know what it was until I searched it online and I am having the same problem as many complaint on the recall website. The engine while on slow drive or when on a full stop it shuts down without any warning. It has happened to me a couple of times once I was on a highway but there was traffic and my car shut down. Another time I was at a regular city road and I was driving slow looking for parking and the car shut down but thankfully the car...
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behind me was far and I turned my blinkers on, but thankfully no crashes as of yet. Many other times it has shut down on red lights, stop signs anywhere that it has been slow motion. Recently after so long of having these troubles, my car will take forever to turn on. It starts but it makes a weird noise from the engine and it shuts down. I am a full time student and it would be great to fix my car and actually drive to school with less worries that my car will shut down in the middle of the highway or regular road and be in a fatal crash. I have also tried malechanics or check the engine with the machines and everyone is saying that the problem is in the engine and I have checked the engine myself, the engine is hot, shakes, makes noises.
Nissan Altima engine complaints by year
Altima engine problems, every yearSource: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data