29th Aug 2007, 21:38

Thanks for your Comment... I had 78,000 miles on my Altima. I had a blown head gasket, crazy oil consumption, fried O2 sensors, and both catalytic converters where bad, plus I was always refilling the coolant due to the blown head gasket. I was about to trade in my Altima for a Honda CRV before I read the comment above. I took my car to the Nissan dealership, I stated what my problems where, and let the guy know I knew about the problems that the 2002 Altimas where having. I also informed him that the catalytic converters are under warranty for 80,000. He was very friendly and stated he would try to help me the best he could. He also stated if Nissan gave him the O.K. to give me a new engine he would get paid for that as well. That is some motivation for the dealership to help you out.

A week later he calls me and lets me know that Nissan gave him the O.K. to give me a refurbished engine that is as good as new. At least that is what he said. Nissan replaced my catalytic converters and engine for free, but the O2 sensor where not covered under warranty, even though the catalytic converter caused the problem. Long story short paid about $450.00 for the O2 sensor and some minor engine repairs that where not under warranty. It was a lot better than having to pay almost $8,000 for the new engine or getting back into debt with a new car payment. The new engine and parts are under a 12 month 1,200 warranty. I just hope the car lasts for a few more years. If anything, I learned one thing from this whole ordeal; my next car will not be a Nissan.

1st Sep 2007, 12:50

This happened to me TWICE!!! The engine had to be replaced (because of cat converter) at 55,000 miles, and now it just went again at 116,000 (because of cat converter). When are we going to be able to file a class action law suit Nissan and get our money back???

-Tyson.

22nd Sep 2007, 13:23

Wow. I really wish I had done my research on the Altima before purchasing one. All these comments are mind blowing. I thought I had just bought one that had been very neglected or something. I've had mine for about a month now. It's an 2002 2.5, had 58,000 miles on it. So far I've already had to put a new engine in it, new converter, and now the heater has stopped working. It just spits out cool air. The dealership has looked at it twice and they still haven't fixed it. They're saying the heater is not under warranty and it's going to cost me $400 to fix the problem. : (I've also had to get 2 alignments already and it feels like a need another one.? This car is driving me nuts! I've really lost respect for Nissan.

15th Oct 2007, 10:11

Same story--my perfectly kept 2002 Shiny black Altima.97000 miles on it. CC failed causing Engine failure. I wrote and emailed Nissan NA until I got a satisfactory answer. Nissan will replace my CC and engine at no cost to me. But why am I not happy? because I'm scared it'll happen again in a few months.. if they are giving me a new 02 engine and CC-why would I think it wouldn't. So my victory is bitter/sweet. My plan is to sell it with the new engine and low miles and get a HONDA!

25th Nov 2007, 22:29

The day after Thanksgiving I heard on the news that Nissan had a recall on 02 Altima and Sentries. Is it for the problems of oil consumption and dealer saying the car needs a new engine? When I called Nissan to inquire that same day, I was told to call back next week. The customer service rep said that they didn't have all the information yet. They also said they will notify owners of a recall.

11th Dec 2007, 21:09

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=alerts_recalls&id=5786424

Nissan has put out another recall on the 2002 Altima and Sentra's with the 2.5 L engine. This time it's for the crankshaft position sensor. This still doesn't address the precatalytic converter problem getting sucked into the engine, which all of us are, or eventually will be going through.

29th Dec 2007, 10:01

My wife and I bought a 2002 altima 2.5 and had the same problems as all of you had. No heat until I start to move, and I replaced the motor already (used 850.00, the cat was 150) Canadian money. The cost of putting it in was around 12-13 hundred dollars. The nissan dealer told me it was the rad cap that was no good so I replaced it myself and the car still blows cold air. But by reading the posts that are in here I will try that water valve and see what happens. We also had an 1993 altima and I wish we still had it because it had 348000km and the only thing I replaced was the starter. (other than the regular things like brakes and tires) Can anyone tell me if I can still get the recalls if we have 194000km on our car? Can you post them here and I well keep looking here for a reply.

25th Jan 2008, 07:19

I have a 2002 Altima and it has always run like a dream. They did fix the cat. converter on recall, and I change my tires to a different style and size. This year I have started having the heater problem, but it has just arisen so I haven't gotten it fixed yet. I would buy another Altima. I just love the way it drives.

28th Jan 2008, 21:49

Thank you everyone. I found my girlfriend a nice 04 Altima 2.5l that was wrecked and had a friend rebuild it. The car had light front-end damage and needed a radiator among other things. We purchased this car in the summer and had a remote starter installed in the fall so she wouldn't have to go outside to start it during the winter. Right away we had problems with the car wanting to stall at idle; we figured it was the remote start. After about three months with the car I noticed the rotten egg smell which is a good indicator that the cat has problems. I figured I was wrong so I ignored it. Now it's winter and my girlfriend is upset because she has no heat at idle so the remote start was a waste. I work at a small part store and I am good friends with several professional mechanics. They all told me that we had air in the cooling system. I called Nisan about flushing the coolant system they said they had to use special tools and that the car had two thermostats. WRONG. I paid a friend with a coolant flush mach. to flush the coolant system and that did get rid of all the air, but still no heat at idle. The car only has one thermostat, but it may have a water control valve. Haven't checked just yet. I replaced the radiator cap and right now it seems to be doing better. 13psi. There is a recall on the stalling matter contact your dealer they have to flash the ecm and reprog to fix a prob with the crank pos sensor. After reading everyones postings I am going to have the cat replaced with an aftermarket one. THANK YOU EVERYONE.