2002 Nissan Altima SE review from North America
"Lemon - 3 deteriorating cat converters destroyed 2 engines"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Have a V-6 (3.5SE) 2002 Altima bought certified from dealer in 11/2004 with 54k miles. Had moved from PA to NJ, and I suspect the original owner may have noted oil burn and got rid of it.
Cat converter (bank 2) deteriorated and destroyed the engine at 67K - probably well before, but took a while to detect. Abrasive cat particles got in engine and destroyed seals. Engine and Cat (B2) replaced under 100k certified warranty. At 99k Cat (Bank1) deteriorated and since over 80k had to pay. My guess was that this was already destroying the engine and lucky if I got 110-120k on it.
At 112k, sure enough Bank2 cat has again deteriorated and the engine is likely toast again (profusely burning oil again). Despite the warranty being up, I'm asking Nissan for resolution because this has got to be something wrong with this car. Dealer says this is fairly common with 4 cylinder, but not a 6.
My advice to anyone with an Altima cat deterioration requiring engine replacement covered by warranty: Don't be too happy about the free engine - it may happen again.
General comments?
LEMON - hope I get satisfaction from Nissan and the dealer.
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| A few problems, but very reliable |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2002 |
| Year of manufacture | 2002 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.5 Manual |
| Performance marks | 1 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 0 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 54000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 112000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Maxima |
| Date of Entry | 21st March, 2008 |