2002 Nissan Altima 2.5 S from North America - Comments

This is great I have all the information needed to help me out in the winter with my Nissan Altima. It has trouble in the winter also so this will really help.

Many off the cold start issues expressed here can be resolved by a recall nissan issued a few years ago. It involves 2002+ Altimas and something in the fuel tank being replaced. If you live in northern states or canada check with your dealer. Otherwise these cars show a better than average reliability history.

I own a 2005 Altima with 21,000 miles and as of yesterday morning the problem still exists. It wasn't particularly cold that night either, but it was one of the few nights she slept outside rather than in the garage.

My car fails to start every winter, always after sitting around in the cold for several days. Usually the warranty covers repairs, which is usually a new starter or plugs or whatever, but this time they charged me $250 for an induction and oil change (there's fuel in the oil, ma'am!) and a loose pcv hose, which I seriously doubt is true because it always ran smooth. So that variable valve explanation makes a lot of sense. I think he, like every other mechanic I see this time of year, just needed something to bill me for after the car miraculously fixed itself.

So I'm switching to synthetic oil and keeping the car because compared to my first car (a Taurus), it's flawless.

I own a 2005 Altima with under 9000 miles on it. This morning It wouldn't start. I stopped by the dealer on my way to work, and they said that these motors flood in cold weather. I asked if I was to expect this whenever it got cold. They told me that it was just the nature of the beast. They would not even have it towed to their shop until it sits a day to verify that it is that condition or not. They said that if I wanted it towed, I needed to use my Nissan Gold Warranty. It the care is not dependable in cold weather, then I think that they should not sell them in cold weather climates. I'm for trading it in on something more reliable.

I just wanted to add that my '05 2.5S with 10k miles had its' first cold start failure yesterday. Mid-East coast temps (30's overnight) but in the garage and no colder than usual. Had it towed to the dealer and of course it started 5 hours later with no problem. They said it may have been flooded and that sometimes it "just happens". Grrrrrrreat.

I Had JUST put synthetic oil in the day before and run for 3 minutes. Honestly thought I had knocked something loose under the hood. Thanks to this thread, I have something to try next time it happens.

We have had our 2002 Altima for 4 years and have had this no start problem since the first winter we had it and we live in Florida! It does seem to do it on colder days, also when it is parked in the grass instead of in the driveway next to the house (maybe it is colder or damper on the grass?). It also seems to do it when the car is moved, then started a couple hours later. For example, my husband will move the car, then I'll go to start it a couple hours later and it will do "it". He is the only one who can restart it and it will blow out black smoke after it is started like it is flooded. One time it did it and he ran it up to the shop he worked at and put it on the computer and it could not pull any error codes. We have also had it checked out at the dealer and had all the recalls done except the one for ice in the tank. Well, it has done it again today, but although it is March, it is probably 65 degrees outside (but hubby did move it a couple hours earlier). When it did it to my daughter a few months ago, she waited and pulled the security key in and out then it started. But today I have to wait for a jump (2nd time it has done it and needed a jump, most of the time hubby can start it okay - but it does it at least 3x a year, more often when it was newer, less often as it gets older, not sure if that is age or climate). I'm very frustrated - we bought this as our first new reliable car and starting is important, especially if I go out of town alone with the kids.

Ref: 2002 Nissan Altima S. odometer 135,000 Km.

Cold Start problem. When vehicle has not been driven for a while and its cold, the vehicle needs to be flooded to start.

I took the vehicle for all the recalls, thinking that I will not have this re-occuring nightmare when I need to go to work, and it happend again. I called the local Nissan dealer, and spoke with a mechanic and he said the problem is the starter. Apparently, when the starter starts getting older and cannot crank the engine to a required speed, the fuel injection will not/cannot function unless one floods.

The cost for this will be around 450 Canadian. Besides that, I think this is the best car I have ever had.

My wife has purchase brand new 2003 ALTIMA 2.5l and have problem with cold start after 20000 mile. I take it to dealer and told them the problem. The repair bill was $413, and they sad because of lack of maintenance I have this problem. They replace and change (over fill) oil and filter, replace window washer fluid, replace a/freeze (over fill) balance tires, carbon remover, replace spark plugs, rotate tire, check the brakes, replace fuel and air filter (need replacement), check exhaust, emission, ignition, suspension, heater/ac. I do not believe has anything to do with cold start. The cold start RPM was approximate 1000 rpm before the problem start. After dealer repairs is 1200 rpm. I do not know if this will fix the problem, I hope it will. So far for 4 days I have no problem. I am not sure if synthetic oil will help, but I will try if increase cold start RPM will not work. If nothing works I will try to sell the car. I wish I have known this prior purchasing this car.

I own a 2002 Nissan Altima with 80,000 miles and a few days ago the "Check Engine Light" turned on. About a day later the light started blinking and I took it to the dealer to check the light. Within hours I received the bad news. The end of the Oxygen Sensor broke off and fell into the catalylic converter damaging the entire engine. Solution: replace the entire engine with the price tag of $6000.00. Has anyone experience this problem? I seem to remember reading an article that Nissan had received several complaints about this issue. Has anyone out there heard of this? I have notified Nissan at the consumer affairs office and I am waiting for the regional specialist to call me. Rudy.

I am an owner of a 2002 Nissan Altima 2.5sl, and I too am a victim of the service engine soon light. I have about 86000 miles on my vehicle, and am noticing rough idling in the morning along with the check engine light.

So of course like any other Nissan purchaser, I take it to the dealership... not once, not twice, but 4 times to finally get a multi cylinder misfire. They tell me I have a blown head gasket. : (? WTF Of course I am blown away because all I have is a light and a little rough idling. Well anyway they are telling me that I have over $2000 worth of work... new head gasket, new spark plugs, new wires, and a new radiator. Has anyone been through this, if so please write me back at mickell31@bellsouth.net

I would be willing to bet there is more problems. IE, the Oxygen sensor is damaged and in turn the catalytic converter is breaking apart mixing pieces of metal with the oil. Once metal particles get into the oil it scores the pistons and the rings. I bet your car is burning oil like crazy... Check a little further and check with an attorney. zamorarudy@hotmail.com RUDY.

I have been having problems with my vehicle starting. I took it to the dealership a month ago, and they said that something was wrong with one of my cylinders. They claim they fixed the problem, but a week later my vehicle was still having the same problem. Now I am being told that my vehicle needs a new engine because the catalytic converter pieces were sucked into the engine and damaged the engine. I now have a $5000 price to replace the engine.

I own a 2002 Altima 2.5s and have loved the car, despite problems (it's really fun to drive!). My radiator needed replacing after it "split" at only 28K miles. Now, at 52K miles I'm a bit concerned because it's doing what has been described in several of these comments. The A/C was running hot/cold and my heater didn't work so I checked the coolant and it was almost empty. Upon filling it and taking it in for service they replaced my radiator cap, but didn't address the laobored idle I'd been experiencing. Less than a week later I took it back for a check engine light (and on/off labored idle), while the check engine light went out the technician noticed the idle. Now I'm told that my head gasket is out. Thankfully this was discovered while still under factory warranty, but I'm a bit concerned that there is more to come and don't know enough about cars to catch it before the warranty expires!

I've never heard, before now, of a head gasket having problems in a vehicle less than 4 years old. Now I'm reading it's quite common in this vehicle. My car is still in the shop today, any suggestions as to what I should ask?

I have a 2002 2.5 Altima. I have not had the cold start problem, however, my car is using oil. I have no evidence of an oil leak, my car isn't "smoking", and I get the oil changed every three thousand miles. Generally after the first thousand or fifteen hundred miles after an oil change the oil is low. There are 88,000 miles on my car and luckily it is still under the Gold Warranty, but I was wondering if anyone else was experiencing this problem. The "Check Engine" light is not on and there are no warning lights about the low oil. I have heard a lot complaints about the 4 cylinder Altimas and am beginning to regret this purchase. My email is laura062182@yahoo.com.