Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
I've owned my 2002 Nissan for about 6 months now the previous owner informed me prior to purchase about issues she was having and the reason she was selling the car, explain to me that her friend who has worked on cars 20+ yrs felt if cause could be found it was repairable but seems luck she had is now the luck I'm having. I have a couple ppl look over the car under hood and run diagnostics but nothing can be found.. I can't afford to junk the car my income budget is tight and doesn't allow much wiggle room to purchase a new ride a friend told me about the NHTSA website so we went exploring entering my VIN number comes back no recalls but looking over the recalls for saying make and model and year of my vehicle there's 12 to 15 recalls on it from headlights which I'm is an issue to engine stalls to catalyst issues but yet I'm told that no because we're done on my vehicle I know I'm not …
Purchased vehicle pre-owned,seller appeared honest & truthful about the vehicle,however after about 2 weeks of ownership I noticed high oil consumption,probably about a quart a week,,didnt think much about it,except that I probably have bad rings,or leaking intake valves/seals and would require costly engine repair.my daughter came home one day and mentioned the car wouldnt go over 15 MPH,so I took it for a ride & as she said,intermittantly the vehicle would only go 15-20 MPH,rendering the car unsafe to drive,,when I got back with the car I opened the hood only to see the front catalytic converter was glowing bright orange and no exhaust exiting the tailpipe,,,I know enough about cars to know that can only mean the converter is clogged solid,,,,inquired at a local Nissan dealer what the warranty was on the the cat and they said it was 8 yrs,80K miles,,,did some research on the web and …
I received a letter from the sapir your court of the state of california I am unable to find out what is going on with my car for what May happen with my car but this letter is telling me that I May have engine damage because if I lose power valves girl and that my car is unsafe to drive no one won't give me any true information or everyone is telling me they do not know what I am talking about please help me I drive this car I do not want to kill anyone or to die it will stop right in the middle of the freeway or wherever I am.
The first issue I have are the oxygen senor are bad no speed when getting pass 35 feel like your driving in 25. The major issue and it is very unsafe. I was driving down the street with my under age children in the car and when the gears was in drive it stop and went backwards then I put it all the way in park and it stop and took off and speed went to 60 then back down to it normal speed. Just the other day on 2/16/15 it was placed in drive it automatic went into reverse instead of drive but the gear was in drive.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle independently decreased in speed and would not accelerate over 5 MPH. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
I was on vacation, driving to cleveland, oh with my wife & parents on 6-13-09, sat in 2002 Nissan Altima, 2.5 sl. Around 9.00 pm, on I-80, apprx 40 MIL from cleveland, suddenly smoke started coming from the car hood, causing poor visibility. Temp and oil level indicators did not show any sign of problem with the engine. After narrowly escaping crash with other vehicles by grace of god, we could stop the car with smoke still coming out. By the time I moved everybody away from the car, the smoke stopped. This sudden failure of the engine could have been more disastrous, endangering precious lives. On cranking the engine, loud noise from the engine made us believe that car was in bad shape, so car was towed to Nissan of north olmsted, oh (dealer). After inspection on mon, 6/15/09 I was informed that the engine casting had a big hole apprx 2" big. …
My daughter had complained of the clutch in her car loosing pressure and basically dropping to the floor, interfering with her ability to shift gears, and it sometimes lurching forward on occasions when this happens. In August 2010, she was sitting at a stop light, in first gear with her foot on the clutch when this occurred, causing the car to jump forward into the back of another vehicle. At the time, I felt that her foot May have slipped off the clutch instead, until it lost pressure again a couple of days ago while driving in the mountains. I started researching on the internet and discovered that many people have had the same problem with this vehicle model exhibiting very similar behavior. …
Nissan Altima 2.5 auto transmission. Nearly killed me. Car suddenly went to 20 MPH on the interstate in heavy traffic with 18-wheel 30 ton vehicle behind me. Burns oil like crazy. Put in better synthetic oil, burns faster. Had the car die on the interstate at 75mph right in front of an 18-wheeler. Could have died. Could have been killed by the Nissan corporation. Know any good lawyers? This is really dangerous, Nissan should recall and replace this engine. Replaced catalytic converter, o2 sensor, pre-catalytic converter, spark plugs, some other related stuff. Burns oil even faster than before. Completely ran out of oil in 300 miles. I am trying 10-40 oil to see if the oil burning problem will slow down. Car only has 125000 miles on it. Complete pos. Never buy a Nissan, I never will again. This was my first, only 125K on it. I am used to selling perfectly good Ford and vws at 250K miles. …
Power valve screws in their 2003 Nissan Altima 2.5s. There is currently a recall on 2004 and 2005 altimas with the 2.5s engine with vins starting with 1n4al11. The recall campaign id for this problem is p5202. However, the same problem affects the 2003 Altima with the 2.5s engine, but Nissan north America has not added the 2003 year model to the recall. Both the 2003s and the 2004s have the exact same engine and I am a case in point of someone experiencing the exact same issue. However, Nissan has of yet not stated whether they will add the 2003 to the recall campaign. I wanted to first let other 2003 Altima owners with the 2.5s engine become aware of this issue. Secondly don't pay to have the problem fixed, it needs to be reported to Nissan north America that the 2003 models are affected by this power valve screw issue. Here is the kicker: more than half the current value of the car. …
Tl contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima. The service engine light began illuminating intermittently and then remained lit. When starting the vehicle and taking off, the vehicle made a strange noise and jerked as if something were slipping. Once the vehicle gained speed, the noise stopped. The dealer stated that the following components needed to be replaced: the catalytic converter, two major sensors, and the heating and air conditioning systems. The vehicle was burning oil on the inside of the engine, which caused it to fail. The vehicle could have an oil change and then four days later, the oil would have burned out completely. NHTSA campaign id numbers 03V084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/ header/muffler/tail pipe), 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling), and 03V455000 (engine and engine cooling were referenced. …
Transmission complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2002 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2002 Nissan Altima, 4% of the model year's 1,047 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Nissan Altima transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury to transmission & drivetrain 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.