2002 Nissan Altima SE from North America - Comments

Unknown! I had never had to check the oil in my car prior to yesterday when my oil light came on. I pulled over and added three quarts of oil. I took it to the Oil change company to see if there was a leak or what had happened. They said they did everything right. I took it to a second and they said everything the previous oil change company had done was right. I took it to the Nissan Dealership and they said the oil change was done correctly. They informed me that the engine had (they Suspect) consumed the oil due to a bad ring. They want $1,000.00 to investigate the cause and insist I need to buy a new engine.

Any help appreciated. paulboss@sbcglobal.net

I have throughly enjoyed this car up until this point. I thought I was getting a car that I could put 300K miles on and an sorely disappointed.

Hello

I understand your panic. Is not easy to find that you might have to replace the engine especially for a almost brand new car. O.K. There are some easy steps for someone who's pretty dummy in mechanics. First, check if any leak exist under the car. If not, there are some obvious signs that tells you if the rings are gone (at least one of them). Check if there is any black smoke behind the car (you should rev the engine to get the best results. You don't have to drive the car). There is another test: remove the oil dipstick and start the engine. Cover with your finger the oil dipstick's seat and rev the engine. You can access easily the throttle from under the hood. Release the finger after few revs and see if is any pressure released (in case you hear a big hiss, means that it is pressure inside the crankcase and the car has a problem with the rings). If you feel just a slight breath (at idle) and no pressure accumulates in case of covering the hole, everything seems fine. The most precise test (and normally shouldn't be expensive) is to go to a garage and to ask them to check the compression to every cylinder (not compression ratio). Eventually check on Internet to find your car's compression. Normally at a honest garage, you will be charge max one hour labor (it doesn't require more than that except if is a t-shape 6 cylinder). After this test you can compare the real results with the nominal ones and you will see if you need to scrap the engine. Good luck.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Nissan. Consider yourself lucky you got as many miles out of it as you did. They are not all they are made out to be.

You mean you have never changed your oil or anything. Well that could be a reason why the oil light came on. If you have had the oil changed then, when you start the car does white smoke come out of the tail pipes, is there any irregular smells. Either of these two would indicate a burnt ring ring oh and P.S. don't take your car to the stealership they will get you for every penny.

Hi, I am due to look at some used 2002/3 Altimas at a dealership tomorrow - I am scared now, they look like very attractive motors, but the litany of problems owners have seemed to endure is off putting. Maybe I will just get an older Civic/corrola...thanks for the information!!

Also adding too much oil when needed (over oiling) can cause rings and seals to break/burn. Never add too much of anything...

My wife and I have a 2002 v6 (since new), and haven't had anything major go wrong with the car. The only things I've encountered was a broken a/c ($1,500 @ 60k miles) ; brakes needed to be replaced ($500 for full replacement @ 50k miles) ; tires ($550 for 4 tires every 20k miles) ; fuel gauge reading empty (haven't replaced @63k miles) we have to use the electronic readout to know how much is left, which really is no big deal; and the radio buttons popping off and cupholder that has broken about 10 times (verrrrrrry cheap plastic). Other than that, the car is a peach. Really, really fast. Obviously there was routine maintenance involved. And the only gas ever used in the car was 87 octane.

The dealer where we live, actually gives us a lot of discounts since we've been with them for so long. Free oil changes, fixing the missing buttons (free), fixing the cupholder 10 times (free). The tires run about $800 for 4 easily, but they cut us a deal since we have proof that that's what we paid before the dealership changed ownership. They even wash and wax it every oil change (free).

The 4 cylinder Altimas are the ones with all the problems; the v6 ones still use the "tried and true" VQ engine from the old maximas.

Not true about the V6 Altima. I have a 2002 3.5 SE V6 purchased brand new in 2002 and have had all the same issues as everyone else... and my engine was replaced at 24,000 miles. After a month long fight with the local Nissan dealership and the NISSAN Corporation (who say they stand by whatever their dealership says)... which I thought was BULL... a 2 1/2 year old car, needing the engine replaced, and they say it was my fault for not changing the oil enough. The fight was about covering the work under warranty, which they didn't want to do. After a month of back and forth w/them they finally agreed to replace it (after I showed my oil change records, etc it was still a fight...accusing me of forging the records, etc). Just a load of crap from everyone involved. I still have my car, but am starting to have the same issues again... engine smoking just started on my way in today. Sigh. Its time to get rid of this junker I think.