1996 Nissan Altima GLE review from North America
"Fantastic car, until it started giving problems"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Alternator.
Idler pulley.
Water pump.
3 batteries.
Major oil leak, which dealers and independent mechanics couldn't figure out.
Might side tires wore out in less than a year after I put them on, while the left side were perfectly fine. This happened twice.
Short circuit, causing all power accessories to stop working.
Numerous rattles.
Both front coil springs broke while I was pulling into the driveway.
General comments?
White leather seats, wood accents, automatic AC, Bose system, sunroof, alloy wheels, spoiler, dark green in color and I am not joking - 5 speed automatic tranny.
The KA24DE truly is a great engine. Absolutely solid performance.
It had good acceleration. Handling was also great.
However there was lots of road noise on the highway. The whole car vibrated on the highway.
City mileage was 19 at best and highway was 23 at best, which is very pathetic considering this is a 4 cyl.
It was a very reliable car while I was in college; it gave me no problems.
But it started acting up during the past year. Every month a new thing would go wrong. The cost for repairs was just too much.
The broken coil springs were the last straw.
I finally sold it 2 weeks ago before things got even uglier.
Recommended reviews
| GREAT!! I Highly Recommend Altima! |
|
| Minor problems due to age, but overall very reliable |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1996 |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4L i-4 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 4 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 69000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 123500 miles |
| Date of Entry | 23rd January, 2009 |