Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My car was hit but not hard enough to make the airbag deploy on the passenger side . It should not be so sensitive .witch made my TCS and ABS lights come on . Just to let you know the car was in motion but from a standstill at a light . Unknown
As I was driving the road at a good distance from the vehicle in front of me, the other veh stopped suddenly. I put foot on the brakes but I skid to his rear bumper with my front end. I was traveling about 40 miles per hour. The passenager side air bags deployed and the seatbelt tighten, but mind did not. Which caused me to strike the steering wheel and multiple injuries that I'm still suffering. When my vehicle was take to mechanic , he stated my air bag sensors were not activated and he stated that I did not have anti-lock brakes which could have caused me not to have the accident. I purchased the vehicle from a local dealership in July 2007, before purchasing I had Firestone inspect the veh for any defects or mechanical problems. They never said anything was wrong with my sensors or that I lacked anti-lock brakes. …
5/31/2015 at about 9:40 pm. There were lines of cars leaving starfire sports in tukwila, wa off of 405 exit 1 because of adult recreational soccer games and the washington state high lchool boys lacrosse championships. When exiting starfire, it was my turn at the stop sign, so I proceeded. After I proceeded, the big black vehicle waiting at the stop sign across from me with the license plate aqg6472 started to turn into me. I slammed on my breaks. He slammed on his breaks and then stared at me. He almost collided with me. He is a blonde-haired skinny high school age boy, and there were 2-3 other high school boys as passengers. All passengers stuck their middle fingers out the window and he got out of the car and taunted me. The line of cars all were beeping at him. He then drove on, continuing to taunt me. He left starfire and entered 405 north, as did I. I was still behind him. …
OK 3 or 2 week after I brought the car it start running hot the it start to get to the point when it do run hot and I hit the gas the car want go it was like I was trying to make the car go fast but it was going slow so I took it back to the place I brought it from and he didn't do much so I found a mechanic and he ran at test on me and told me that it was some recalls on part of my car and the person head it before me didn't get it done like the cam sensor ,crank sensor and my catalytic converter and a time thing the I took it back to the place I brought it from he said he can do nothing and someone told me to turn to you all so what can I do I put to much money in to it to get it fix I change the water pump the holes and the thermostat so what should I do please help....
Tl contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. While driving 75 MPH, the contact heard a bumping sound from outside the vehicle and noticed that the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle lost power and the brakes failed. The contact had to use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. Once the vehicle was stopped, she was unable to place the vehicle into park. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed that the front end caught fire. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 143,000.
Rear brakes on 2002 Nissan Altima wore prematurely and wore before front brakes. I think it is odd that rear brakes would wear before front brakes. Also, I had the brakes inspected at 18,000 miles and they were fine. Just 5,000 miles later my rotors were shot and car was not drivable. Took car to peters auto center in nashua (a Nissan dealer), they told me the following: 1) rear brakes were worn and rotors torn apart. At first they told me the cause was possibly something got stuck in there. Later they told me it was more likely corrosion. Calipers tested OK. 2) front brakes have corrosion and were not being used properly. The recommended replacing brake pads and rotors. After having peters auto fix rear brakes only, I kept the parts and took my car to frost Nissan. They told me the following: 1) it looked like rear brakes wore naturally. Calipers tested OK. …
1. Vehicle's exhaust pipe hanger caught bag of debris from the road and felt like the car was falling apart in the rear. Debris was removed by discount tires after purchasing new wheels and tires. 2. Service engine warning light is on. Engine has reduced power and it causes the engine to stop running without warning during operation, with vibrating noises. Nissan states that the cam sensor with crank sensor is faulty and should be replaced. Apparently it is under recall and they want us to pay for a recalled item. 3. Engine long block was replaced on 2/14/06 because of catastrophic engine failure, and the engine continues to have problems with vibrating and sluggishness. 4. Rear engine mount replaced in 11/03/04 as recommended. Now, passenger upper mount was recommended to be changed on 3/14/08. 5. …
On extremely cold days (5 degrees f or lower) I have had several instances where the brakes do not stop the car when the car is first driven. The cause is due to apparent malfunction of a check valve in the vacuum line to power brake booster. The pedal remains hard (I.e. - the pedal does not go to the floor). Usually after a few subsequent attempts to brake, the boost function returns and the brakes function normally. Many people have experienced and reported this problem on internet forums such as http://www.nissanclub.com/forums/2002-2006-Nissan-Altima-discussion-2-5-3-5/256153-cold-weather-braking-issue.htmline. This is very dangerous and it is only by luck that I haven't been in an accident since it has resulted in being unable to stop at an intersection. This should definitely be the responsibility of Nissan to repair as a safety recall. …
Re: 2002 Nissan Altima se. Since approximately 3 years ago, I have been having problems with my brakes. I live in the ne where it gets cold in the winters, and only have this problem when the temp. Is approx. Below 30 degrees. This problem has typically occurred when the car has sat idle all night, but has also happened at other times when it hasn't been driven for a few hours. When first starting the car, the brake pedal is so stiff that I can't press it all the way to the floor - almost like it is frozen. Luckily, I have not yet had an accident, but have narrowly avoided one several times while backing out of my driveway without being able to slow down, coming to a stop sign or parking lot exit and not being able to stop, or trying to slow down to turn a corner. …
2002 Nissan Altima. 1)rear pads + rotors worn at 35,000 miles: replaced at owners cost. Now 83000 miles(May '08): dealer has told rotors and pad need replacement and possibly calipers need to be evaluated. At 75000 mile check everything was OK. (per the service record). In jan'08 I had specifically asked the breaks to be inspected. Told OK. Now suddenly the rotors are shot. Other than a squeal sound for 2 days no other symptoms. Concerned about how brakes go from fine to shot in 3 months. I think it is a big safety concern if the time it takes breaks to disintegrate is less than a 3 month period. 2) engine not starting after parked in the cold. Happened twice once at 48000 miles. (lower bill. ) 2nd time at 78000 miles. (huge bill ~$1000). Multiple parts replaced and serviced. Highlighted as problem on various forums with this particular Nissan model. …
Brake complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2002 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the brakes of the 2002 Nissan Altima, 3% of the model year's 1,047 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Nissan Altima brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2002 Nissan Altima, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Nissan Altima brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.