Your vehicle report
2002 Nissan Altima
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 1,047
- Received Jan 2001 to Jan 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine burns excessive oil between changes118 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Frame rusts and corrodes through109 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Check engine light comes on repeatedly55 complaints · 5.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #07V527000On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5L engine, the crankshaft position sensor can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- Recall #03V455000On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 29 crashes, 28 fires, 27 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 37 |
| 2003 | 64 |
| 2004 | 84 |
| 2005 | 67 |
| 2006 | 72 |
| 2007 | 95 |
| 2008 | 144 |
| 2009 | 105 |
| 2010 | 77 |
| 2011 | 74 |
| 2012 | 53 |
| 2013 | 38 |
| 2014 | 30 |
| 2015 | 54 |
| 2016 | 12 |
| 2017 | 21 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 1,047 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 118 | 11% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 109 | 10% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 55 | 5.3% | – | NHTSA recall #03V084000, #07V527000 |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 52 | 5.0% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 44 | 4.2% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 41 | 3.9% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 33 | 3.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 28 | 2.7% | – | NHTSA recall #03V084000 |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 24 | 2.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 18 | 1.7% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 16 | 1.5% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 13 | 1.2% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 11 | 1.1% | – | |
| Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes | 9 | 0.9% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 9 | 0.9% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 8 | 0.8% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 8 | 0.8% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 7 | 0.7% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 0.7% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 7 | 0.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #07V527000November 14, 2007653,910 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5L engine, the crankshaft position sensor Can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
If the interruption in the signal from the crankshaft position sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. Certain my 2006 altimas which have been previously remedied under recall campaign 06V223 (Nissan R0606) are not included in this recall since the reprogramming for 06V223 also included this reprogramming. The recall began on december 31, 2007. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #03V455000November 17, 2003630,000 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01V357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.
NHTSA recall #03V251000July 14, 2003377,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, iowa, idaho, illinois, indiana, kansas, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, north dakota, nebraska, new hampshire, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. At extremely cold temperatures, moisture in the fuel tank could freeze and form ice crystals. These ice crystals may obstruct the suction opening of the fuel pump.
This Can prevent the supply of fuel to the engine and cause the engine to stop, which could result in a crash without warning.
Remedy
Dealers will install a screen at the suction opening of the fuel pump to prevent ice crystals from blocking the opening. Owner notification began on august 18, 2003. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-333-0829.
NHTSA recall #03V084000March 11, 2003338,000 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin may catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 Altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate.
Either of these two conditions could result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will remove the protruding portion of the exhaust pipe hanger pin. In addition to the corrective action, in order to reduce the risk of fire in the event of poor or improper maintenance that could result in oil spillage, heat shield(s) will be installed on the pre-catalyst and exhaust tube. Owner notification began on july 28, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261. Nissan recall nos. R3007, R3014, R3015, R3016, R3017. Also on 2002 Altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate. If substrate particles enter the combustion chamber, they could score the cylinder walls, resulting in increased oil consumption. If the engine oil level is not checked on a periodic basis and drops below the low level, and the driver continues to operate the vehicle ignoring noticeable engine noise, engine damage may occur which could result in a fire. The pre-catalyst will be tested to ensure it is working properly and replaced if necessary. If damage is found inside the pre-catalyst, it will be necessary to replace the engine.
NHTSA recall #03V061000February 27, 200364,562 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
On certain vehicles, the electrical connector for the driver air bag may come loose. If the connector comes loose, the supplemental air bag warning light flashes intermittently.
The driver side air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy
Dealers will install a retaining clip on the clock spring electrical connector. Owner notification began april 21, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Nissan Altima.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN