2002 Nissan Altima 2.5 S from North America

Summary:

Good except for starting issues

Faults:

I have had increasingly annoying problems with starting the car in cold or damp weather. The problem first occurred last year, and I was told it was 'bad gas'. Pumping and holding down the accelerator finally worked, and a plume of smoke shot out of the tailpipe. Recently had this problem again, only this time it is much worse. Auto shop couldn't really diagnose the problem.

The Engine Service light appears to come on (and sometimes turns off) at random.

General Comments:

The car looks good, and has more features and power that an Accord. However, if I had it to do over again, I probably would have chosen the more reliable Accord.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 13th January, 2005

2nd Feb 2005, 12:39

I have a 2002 Nissan Altima that was purchased new. When the vehicle had approx. 6k miles on it, I had a problem with the gear shift. Sometimes it would take 10 minutes to get out of "PARK". I took it into the dealership and was told that coffee or a beverage had spilled inside it (thus the sticking problem). I was very upset because nothing had EVER spilled in the shift. The dealership told me they "cleaned it out" (charged me $150.00) and if the shift had to be replaced it would cost ME about $500.00. The car seemed to run fine after the "cleaning", but unfortunately a year (to the week) later, when it started to get cold out, it started happening again! (We use the cup holder for sunglasses, not beverages). I am so frustrated because the blame was put on me, and the dealership would take no responsibility. My husband drives a 1993 Nissan Altima that has been a dream. We purchased another Nissan Altima because of the reliability factor. I have two small children and I now have to worry if my car will make it out of the driveway in the morning. I would appreciate any ideas/comments. (???)

View 5 more comments

2002 Nissan Altima 2.5S 2.5 from North America

Summary:

Most car you can get for the money as compared to Accord or Camry

Faults:

I bought the car in December of 2001 as a 2002 model year. First thing that went wrong was the leather/vinyl cover around the shift knob. It came off and started to look really bad as you see inside the gear box. It was under warranty so dealer fixed it but it came off again after 3 weeks and had it fixed again under warranty. So far it is still in place for the last two years. An year later in March 2003, check engine light came on and took it to the dealer. Thankfully the car had 35,850 miles and was almost out of warranty. Dealer kept the car for 19 days trying to find the problem with the car but no clue. After replacing several parts such as spark plugs etc. the light went out. Dealer told me that one of the cylinders was mis-firing but was unable to tell me why. Since then the car has been running smoothly with no problems.

General Comments:

Even though the initial experience with the check engine light was bad, I am still in love with the car. In 30 months, I have logged 70k miles on it and it still runs just like brand new. Tire size is a bit awkward and hard to find. The 2.5 came with 205/65/16 which almost no tire retailer carried in the area and Continental was the only company making them. Another alternative is 215/55/R16. They also fit the 16 inch rim and perform better than the original ones since they are wider. Gas mileage is excellent. I get 475+ miles of all highway driving in a gas tank which translates into a round trip between New York City and Washington DC. Camry or Accord can never beat that.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 23rd August, 2004

24th Jan 2005, 08:02

Hi.

I bought my 2002 Nissan Altima with 16,000 miles in 4/03; I opted to purchase new tires in 1/04, and the only type I could find for the car were the Continentals. I have been pleased with them and was able to locate a tire store that was selling the Continentals for around $60 each. I did have a very hard time and found that no other tires were being made to fit the car in '04. Maryann from Western MA.

20th Jul 2006, 20:36

If you are looking for tires, I used tirerack to buy Kumhos to fit my 02 Altima 2.5S. I like those tires better than the silly Continentals that came with the ride.