2002 Nissan Altima Structure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND PARTIALLY CORRODED FROM ROAD SALT. THE DEALER ADVISED REPLACING THE REAR BODY AND CENTER FLOORS AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 66,000. UPDATED 10/27/10. *LJ

HAD OIL CHANGED ON 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA SE AND NOTICE LARGE RUST SPOTS ON THE FLOOR PANELS UNDER BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER SIDE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE RUST HAD CREATED A HOLE RIGHT THROUGH THE FLOOR PANEL - LIFTING THE CARPET, I COULD SEE THE ROAD BELOW. NISSAN DEALERS SAID THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO THEY COULD DO NOTHING. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA AND IT HAS DEVELOPED A LARGE RUST HOLE UNDER THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE FLOOR PAN. THE CAR WAS RUST PROOFED WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED NEW. IT HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS. OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS HAVE NOT HAD ANY LUCK WITH NISSAN TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM/DEFECT THAT NISSAN REFUSES TO CORRECT. *TR

2002 NISSAN ALTIMA FLOORBOARD RUST THROUGH. 90,000 MILES, DISCOVERED LARGE HOLE FROM RUST THROUGH ON PASSENGER SIDE FRONT FLOORBOARD. CAR IS WASHED ON NORMAL BASIS AND WAS PARKED IN UNHEATED GARAGE DURING WINTER MONTHS. *TR

THE FLOOR PANEL ON MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS RUSTED THROUGH COMPLETELY THE HOLE IS APPROXIMATELY 8X8 IT IS ONLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHICH I FIND VERY PECULIAR.

ON MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA, BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARDS ARE ROTTED OUT. THERE ARE HOLES OVER 1 FOOT SQUARE ON EACH SIDE BELOW THE PASS AND DRIVERS FEET. THIS IS A WELL TAKEN CARE OF VEHICLE, PURCHASED NEW,WASHED EVERY MONTH (INCLUDING UNDERCARRIAGE). THE VEHICLE CAME WITH A FACTORY "UNDERCOATING", THAT IS STILL INTACT BUT NO LONGER FULLY ATTACHED TO THE STRUCTURE, IT HOLDS THE WATER AGAINST THE METAL AND ROTS IT OUT, WITHOUT THE OWNER EVER BEING ABLE TO SEE THE DAMAGE BEING DONE UNTIL ITS TOO LATE! IVE NEVER SEEN THIS, EVEN HALF AS BAD, ON ANY CAR THAT WAS TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE (AND IVE BEEN WORKING ON CARS FOR 20 YEARS!) THIS SEEMS LIKE A DESIGN FLAW BY NISSAN.

LUCKILY ANY INCIDENTS WERE OMITTED. MY MECHANIC DISCOVER THAT THE UNDERMOUNT IN MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA RUSTED SO BADLY THAT I HAVE TWO HOLES IN THE CAR. THE HOLES ARE IN THE UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT AND PASSENGER SEAT. THAT IS JUST AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO HAVE HER VEHICLE INSPECTED SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS BEGINNING TO RUST. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS, THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 72000. UPDATED 2/22/10 *CN UPDATED 05/20/10*JB

WHILE GETTING NEW TIRES PUT ON MY CAR THE MECHANIC NOTICED A LARGE HOLE IN MY PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR. I OWN A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA AND HE MENTIONED THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST CASE ON THIS MODEL OF CAR HE HAD SEEN. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION IT BECAME CLEAR THAT SOMEONE HAD PLACED TAPE AND SOME TIN TO MASK THE PROBLEM. I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM MY GRANDMA WHO HAD NO IDEA OF SUCH AN ISSUE. SHE HAD BOUGHT IN WHEN IT WAS A YEAR OLD. CLEARLY A CAR THAT AGE SHOULD HAVE NO REASON TO RUST AND HAVE A HOLE IN IT, SINCE I MUST ASSUME THE ORIGINAL OWNERS PLACED THE TIN. EVEN A CAR AT 8 YEARS OLD SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RUST THAT IS FOUND UNDER ONLY THE PASSENGER SIDE AND A HOLE THE SIZE OF A DINNER PLATE. I HAVE RESEARCHED IT ONLINE AND HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO MINE FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL. *TR

DEFECTIVE SHEET METAL DESIGN IN FLOOR PAN OF NISSAN ALTIMAS, BODY STYLE BEGINNING WITH MODEL YEAR 2002. DESIGN FLAW CAUSED LARGE RUST HOLES IN FRONT OF DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT, SEEMINGLY BY TRAPPING MOISTURE. MY HOLES APPROX 12" EACH. I AM HEARING SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS. PERFORATION WARRANTY WAS 5 YEARS, AND DUE TO MY DEALERSHIP NOT NOTICING THE PROBLEM WITHIN THAT PERIOD, NISSAN CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY. THESE HOLES MAY ALTER THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE BODY FRAME IN CASE OF SIDE IMPACT. ADDITIONALLY, WATER ENTERS THE CABIN AND REMAINS IN THE CARPET AND PAD. MY FLOOR PAN WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED, AND AM PREPARING TO SCHEDULE THE WORK. NISSANS RECOMMENDED LOCAL BODY SHOP HAS ESTIMATED REPAIRS APPROX. $2300 US. *TR

PA VEHICLE INSPECTOR FOUND LARGE RUSTED HOLES THROUGH FLOOR PAN IN OUR 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA WHICH WAS ALWAYS GARAGED AND HAD ONLY 42,000 MILES. BECAUSE EXHAUST FUMES COULD ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WE COULDN'T USE THE CAR. CALLS TO THE DEALER AND NISSAN WERE FRUITLESS. AN ONLINE SEARCH FOUND SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND A COUPLE HAD ESTIMATES OF OVER $2000 FOR REPAIR. *TR

GAS DOOR WAS NOT CLOSING PROPERLY. IT EVENTUALLY IS VERY CROOKED AND DOES NOT CLOSE AT ALL ANY MORE. I TALKED TO SEVERAL NISSAN ALTIMA OWNER SAME THING HAPPENED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT NOTICED METAL HANGING FROM THE BOTTOM OF HER VEHICLE. THERE WAS A HOLE UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE, WHICH EXPOSED ROTTEN METAL. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE FLOORBOARD WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE SALES DEALER TOOK PICTURES AND SENT THEM TO THE MANUFACTURER. MOST RECENTLY, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT BE OF ASSISTANCE AND THAT THE WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER THE CORROSION UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE SALES DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE $6,000 REPAIR COST. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 86,000. UPDATED 07/29/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS RUSTED OUT FROM THE INSIDE OUT. UPDATED 07/29/08. *JB

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 2002 ALTIMA WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT INNER FENDER SPLASH SHIELD CAME LOOSE AND JAMMED AGAINST THE TIRE. SHE THOUGH SHE HAD A BLOWOUT AND NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. CAR HAD PRIOR NISSAN RECALL TO INSTALL SUPPLEMENTAL SNOW/ICE SHIELDS. ALSO PRIOR OCCURRENCE OF THIS SHIELD DETACHING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NISSAN CHARGED FOR REINSTALLATION. *NM

REQUEST FOR RECALL OF 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA'S BASED ON SERVICE BULLETIN-CLASSIFICATION BT02-017, REFERENCE NTB02-042. *BF THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAD A SEVERE LEAK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE DEFECT CAUSED EXTREME AMOUNTS OF WATER TO ENTER THE VEHICLE. *JB

DURING A ROUTINE BRAKE JOB AT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP IT WAS NOTICED THAT I HAD A REAR CRACKED CROSS MEMBER (FRAME). THE FRAME OF THE BODY WAS CRACKED. NISSAN WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO A BODY SHOP THEY HAD RECOMMENDED SINCE THEY WOULD NOT QUOTE ME A PRICE. I HAD IT FIXED FOR $888.71. THEY REPLACED THE REAR CROSSMEMBER. I DO HAVE THE OLD CROSS MEMBER IN MY GARAGE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING IN SEVERE WIND GUSTS, WE HEARD A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE EMANATING FROM THE FRONT, LEFT POST AREA. SOMETIMES THE SOURCE WAS THE RIGHT FRONT. THE NOISE ERUPTED AS THE WIND GUSTED AT SHARP ANGLES AND THE CAR STEERED INTO OR AWAY FROM THE GUSTS. THE NOISE WAS HIGHLY PRONOUNCED. I RULED OUT ANYTHING MECHANICAL BECAUSE WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME NOISE WHENEVER THE GUSTS INCREASED AND THE CAR WAS THROWN LEFT OR RIGHT. TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL SEEMED TO CUT RIGHT INTO THE GUSTS AND THE SOUND WAS SO INTENSE THAT WE THOUGHT IT RESEMBLED A BUZZSAW TRYING TO CUT ITS WAY INTO THE WINDSHIELD/POST AREA. WE MENTIONED THIS PHENOMENON TO OUR CAR DEALER (HARBOR NISSAN, PORT CHARLOTTE, FL). THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD US HE HAS HAD THIS COMPLAINT FROM OTHER NISSAN OWNERS AND THAT HE, TOO, THOUGHT IT WAS THE WIND REACTING AGAINST THE CONFIGURATION OF THE VEHICLE. OUR VEHICLE IS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE NOISE LASTS ONLY A SPLIT SECOND, SOMETIMES AS LONG AS A SECOND. BUT IT IS PERSISTENT IN HIGH GUSTS. WE LEASED THIS VEHICLE IN JUNE 2002 AND HAD NEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. WE HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED SUCH HIGH GUSTS UNTIL THE PERIOD I REPORT HERE. WE WERE ON AN EXTENDED TRIP AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED OUTBOUND AND INBOUND. I'M CONFIDENT THERE IS NO MECHANICAL PROBLEM. BUT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OF SORTS. *LA

THE HEAT SHIELD WAS INSTALLED IMPROPERLY, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL, AND OTHER COMPONENTS TO FAIL. (EXHAUST MANIFOLD, A/C, 02 SENSOR) THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. MR SCC *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT SNOW BUILDS UP IN THE SMALL WHEEL WELLS AND MAKES STEERING DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT TURNS COLD, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. THERE IS ALSO EXTREME WEAR ON THE TIRES DUE TO THE ICE BUILD UP, THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SHIMMY IN THE FRONT END. *SLC