Used 2002 Nissan Altima Consumer Reviews
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02 Altima
Great Mid-size sedan, Powerful 4cyc, and V6 engine, a lot of fun to drive in and out of traffic, people love it every where you go.
Altima - 2002 Gold
I have owned Nissans for years including a 96 Altima. This one is great! Very roomy, more than my Maxima, especially in the back seat. A little under powered with the 4 cyl, but am getting 25 - 27 in town commute (surface streets, not freeway). If you looking for a great, comfortable car at a great price, this is it.
- 2.5 S SedanMSRP: $4,999310 mi away
- 2.5 S SedanMSRP: $4,500388 mi away
- 2.5 SL SedanMSRP: $4,990492 mi away
Altima SL
Like many others, I have noticed the same shortcomings: excessive wind noise, poor interior quality, and some build/design issues. my rear drivers side door doesnt close easily, may be slightly off alignment, but havent taken it back to the dealer yet.
I love this car
this is a fun car to drive. great pick up, and great passing speed
Honest Opinion
Bought the car for my wife in March. She adores it. She loves the way it looks, rides, and, most importantly, accelerates.I have a 2000 V-6 Passat w/ 5 speed and it is not even in the same league as far as horsepower. The VW is far superior in steering, shifting, and workmanship. The Altima is far superior in raw power, sport style handling, looks, and the Bose system rocks! Basically, I adore both cars for different reasons. If you love a stick, all drivers should try both and let your heart decide. Before buying either car with an automatic, please learn to drive a stick and enter the "drivers" world.
Altima Leaves others In The DUST!!!
Nothing gives you more bang for the buck. The four cylinder is quick but the V-6 is lightning FAST and RESPONSIVE! There is a large difference in performance and features in the models. Gas mileage 22 city, 26 highway. The only part that I changed was the air filter. I replaced it with a K&N air filter ($40), this is a MUST HAVE since cars from the manufactur come with basic parts. The filter improved my overall gas mileage and added a few more horses thus a bit more torque.
Long term update
We bought the first new Altima sold in our city in the fall of 2001. We have owned Hondas and Toyotas previously, but fell in love with the new Altima. After a year-and-a-half of ownership, we couldn't be more pleased. The car has been 100% reliable, it is very comfortable to drive and to ride in. It remains solid and the interior doesn't even show any wear (the seat fabric does collect some lint and hair, but a sticky lint brush cleans it up quickly). If I had to replace it I would buy another one just like it. We are very happy we chose it over the new Camry.
This 240HP Altima Rocks!
If youre thinking about purchasing a Altima and can't decide between the 4 cylinder or the 6 cylinder - like I was - don't even think any further - go with the 240HP 6 cylinder. It is so much fun to drive and the 0-60 mph is faster than a GT V8 Mustang! Some people complain about the torque steer don't worry about it! Just hold onto the wheel. I really wanted a fully loaded new Altima. But, the price is right around $30,000 and I couldn't afford it - so I searched the net and found a fully loaded black Altima nearby with 12,000 miles for in the low low $20's.
Family car that's fun to drive
Had the 3.5SE 2 weeks now - great performance, gas mileage better than the EPA rating even with my lead foot. The ride isn't as smooth as my mom's Camry, but the Camry lacks real personality. Huge back seat, great drink holders. Mirror remote control seems cheap, as well as the interior door handles. A fun car that doubles as a family transport.
THIS IS IT!!!
I have driven a Toyota since 1984, and assumed that I would always remain Toyota loyal. My son kept talking about this new Altima, so i went on the internet and did my homework. I found out that the Altima beat out the Avalon on everything but weight (it was almost 300 pounds heaver). So off I went to see what all the fuss was about. From the moment I test drove the car, I was in love!! This car has as much room as my 1996 Avalon had, but with all the bells and whistle's. All I can say is please start a savings account, because you're going to need it. On my first day out, I looked down at the odometer, and I was doing a smooth 80 mph! All I can say is go for it.
2002 Altima
The new Altima has a beautiful new exterior, powerful engine that pulls to the redline.
Generally a good car
I bought it new in April of 2002. It had it's share of recalls but no more any other car. I did experience the hard starting and the dealer did fix the problem with chip re-programming. The paint on the front of the car will chip very easily and I noticed other Altimas with the same problem. The balancer shaft in the engine went bad at 61250 miles and wiped out the engine. That's right, 1250 miles out of warranty. Nissan told me, "Out of warranty, tough". The car sat at the dealer for over 2 months and the dealer finally agreed to pay for half of the repair costs. It has run flawlessly since then. I love the car, I am taller than most people and this car fits me.
IN THE MARKET TO BUY
I love the looks of the car...only 2 faults that I see are the cheap plastic interior parts & the goose neck arms on the trunk. Would like to see the price of anti-lock brakes reduced...Honda & Toyota charge half as much for this feature. ABS should be standard on a 20k car.
What a Difference
I owned a 93 Altima GLE which I enjoyed very much but the 02 Altima is by far the best car I have ever owned "Great Job Nissan"
driven-2002 Altima 3.5 SE
Purchased my vehicle in January. I do an extensive amount of driving as a sales rep and find the vehicle comfortable even for extended trips and extremely fun to drive. Performance is impressive and mileage is reasonable for that performance. I am very satisfied to date.
Bootylicious
Great car! Slick styling, well-made, great performance, and downright cool.
Driv It, Youll buy it
Just Drive the car and you'll see, the only bad point is when it rains, if you smoke and the windows open even a crack, you get drenched, not so big a deal though.
i love this car
great car handles well very roomie engine response very quick
In love with the V6 Power
I've been wanting this car since March of 2001, when I saw what they have been doing with the redesign of the car and I must say I've been quite pleased!!! The car is a dream to drive, compared to my previous Altima, it was a 98.
WOW
Great Car. I bought it new Sept 1st. We all know what happened after that. Love the car. No complaints. this thing hauls butt
Chuck's praise
My wife got rid of her 2000 Toyota Camry just one year after purchasing it because she had seen the new Nissan Altima. Although, I think that I drive it more than she does and I'm more of an SUV person. I am really glad that I pushed her to test drive this vehicle especially the 3.5 V6 model. It's taking a little while to get used to all of the looks from everyone on the highways and at restaurants. I can't wait to see what Nissan does to top this vehicle or can they?
Out of A Lincoln TC and into a fun car
Traded in a 95 Linc Town Car for my 2.5 S with AT. It was the beautiful design that seduced me. I kept the price down by not getting leather or a sunroof (never used it in my Town Car). I like the interior design but am having a brushed aluminum interior trim kit put in to make the interior look really hi-tech. It goes on in the same places as the wood trim. It looks great with the gray interior. I may put leather in later. I enjoy the response & handling. Great job, Nissan! Only problem I have is some kind of cord or wire harness hits against the back side of the glove box every time I take off, stop, speed up or slow down. I hope they dont have to pull the dash.
Cool Car
If you want a fun car this is the car for you.
altima
the acceleration is amazing but my Town and Country (most carlike handling minivan) handles much better than it
What an engine!!
I was thinking about buying something smaller, but the test drive sold me. The wonderful 3.5L V-6 engine is this car's best selling point. After having lived with the car for 3 months, the engine is still the cars strongest point. It just never fails to impress. Handling is another strong point, although it does get a little unsettled on bumpy pavement, but never enough to throw the car offline. The exterior of the car very pleasing to the eye. I think the profile is the cars best view IThe interior is very quiet. Road noise is very subdued, as is wind noise, except for an air leak from the sunroof.
ROAD JUNK
Nissan should be ashamed to put the altima on the road knowing the problems with the 2.5 motor.I have one hundred and seven thousand miles on the car and it eats oil and smokes like a mosquito truck.From what i see from other altima owners this is a on going problem with nissan.I just had the exhaust manifold and 2 oxygen sensors replaced with the cat replaced.You still can,t drive around the block with out burning a quart of oil.If anyone knows who to contact please let me know.I,m thinking to just trade it in,the only problem is who wants this junk. [personal contact information removed]
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
Very reliable at any moment!
I have had this car since 2002 and had no headache since then. This car is got the highest horsepower among all cars of the same category 4 cyl.
Altima
Fast car but quality needs improvement desperately.
Problems
Interior ergonomics design is awful. E.g. dashboard is invisible from passenger site. CD panel is invisible under bright sun because of it's angle to the driver. Cruise control doesn't work for speed over 90 mph. There was a problem with transmission when driver over 100 mph - it starts to shift randomly. During hot weather all dashboard guages died while car still ran - happend couple times.
Be afraid, be very afraid
I loved the design of the 02 Ultima and thought it would be a good switch from my 95 ford thunderbird. The car was O.K. until it died in traffic at 46,000 miles. After being towed to the dealer and a new crank sensor later, my check engine light came on. Problem with the catalytic converter. I then read the recall report on NHTSA website - the Ultima has a major flaw with the converter that can destroy the engine. I should have bought a Ford! I think you will be hearing much more about the problems with this car. I'm thinking of selling mine before I had planned.
Awesome Vehicle
The new Altima is the car of all cars. The 4 cyl. has more power than the 6 cyl. Montero I had previously. It's very roomy and comfortable inside and if that's not enough, it's a major eye catcher! What a beauty! Two thumbs up to Nissan for redesigning this awesome vehicle!
Some minor problem
Got it 3/23/2002 and have 2500 miles on it. It handles very good, and has amazing acceleration. Some minor problems:1)this thing is a gas hog.I get an average of 25MPG but I have to put premium in it. 2)There are some cheap interior details: The center console and the trunk have to be slammed hard to be closed.The center area in the dash is made out of cheap plastic.3)I am getting some noise on my left side when I am doing over a 100MPH but since the noise comes and goes randomly I wont worry about it.4)My right speaker vibrates too much when I crank the stereo and listen to something with a lot of bass but I can always turn the voume down!
This car is a lemon.
This car has been in the shop for 4 days out of the 21 that I've had it. There is a thump/rattle that they can't find, a vibration when the AC is on and car stopped, and the other day the remote entry stopped working and the doors would randomly lock and unlock themselves as I drove around.
Almost Got it Nissan
I really had my heart set on getting this car after seeing it on the road. The exterior design is amazing. The car is very fun to drive, BUT, and this is one big but, what was Nissan thinking when they designed the interior. My friend's ford escort has a higher quality interior. The first car I got in at the dealer couldn't be started. The next one had broken door locks. The one I finally drove seemed ok until the arm rest cut my hand and the trunk release was broken. Given all these problems,I'm getting a Camry. It isn't as fun to drive, but it is high quality.
Nissan Altima Problems
I have a problem with a thump in the front end of the car. Nissan will do nothing about this and said all standards do this. Problem was not there when car was purchased. Started about 300 miles into the car.
The 3.5 SE Rocks baby!
Hey, this car rocks man! I love it. I can blow by beamers in a blink of an eye. I have already pushed 120 in this baby! How about all y'all? Just watch for the coppers drivin this baby! It is very fun and easy to drive, the handling, the performance, can't be beat for the price you pay for it. It's the best car that you can buy for under 30 grand man!
Cure For Common Car!!!
Its True to the Slogan "Cure For Common Car" I like the design and Space inside and awesome power for V4. Stick shift is so much fun to drive in Altima.
unreliable and annoying
First car I ever bought new. Had fun driving for a few years, but had 1 serious engine problem (a screw came loose and fell into the piston chamber, would have destroyed the engine if not caught. Had many many many problems with body interior and exterior. Gas cover bent so badly I couldn't open to fill my tank anymore. Replaced, and a year later it happened again. Gave up replacing and now I just drive without the cover... Looks ridiculous. Inside everything is falling apart: standard shifter cover broke within months, doors and glove comp. Rattle, moldings fall off and break... Body not only 'looks and feels' cheap in/out, it really is cheap. I will never buy Nissan again.
Buyer Beware
Ever since i bought the car the clutch would stick down in the bottom but it never happened frequently enough for the problem to get resolved and they always claimed that there was nothing wrong with. At 114000 miles my engine started to knock and i later found out coolant was leaking into my engine through a bad head gasket. $3000 later a used engine was installed and now I'm looking to repair a head gasket issue on this newly installed engine at 160000 miles. Never again will i purchase and Altima!!
Worst Car EVER DRIVEN
From day one this car has been a problem! It was delivered with an outward ding (factory installed), that the dealership happily fixed, then it was stalling every other time I put it into reverse, the dealership fixed after three visits, then there was the locking problem, that was fixed but is now back again, it has also been repainted on the bottom sills because the paint was just flaking off of the car, the blinkers often don't work and now there is a headlamp problem. I traded in a 99 with NO problems, I wish I had been as luck with this car.
Great speed and only good looks!!!
I bought my altima when first came out. Traded a Honda for a Nissan and I was very happy at first. Then Brake problem(Air in the brakes) came up. I have a problem driving 50 or 60 because steering wheel starts shaking... Nissan will not fixed brake problem. They say that is just normal!!! You can try to see in your car by driving slowly and pushing the brake half way through, then once you get the feeling once you will notice over and over again and will drive crazy because brakes feels like it has air in lines. Other than that is fast, stereo is great.
dont buy nissan
Donot buy nissan's new cars in their first year. i have this car for about an year now. 4 months later things start to fall apart in this. first the middle arm rest broke, then the leather covering around the shifter came off. after that the clutch started to make a squeaky sound. this has been a horrible experience for me both with the dealership and the car. also last week the shift knob came into my hand when i was changing gears and almost crashed my car.
Biggest Mistake - EVER!!!!!
I purchased this brand new vehicle in October 2001 to ensure my 3 week old had a safe, reliable vehicle. The style of the vehicle, roominess, and overall design drew me to this purchase. I have since had 5 recalls, two of which are being re-done, the vehicle would not start on three separate occassions as well as the vehicle stalled while driving the vehicle on three separate occassions. Both the dealership and Nissan Corporation have had no empathy for my $23K purchase nor for the safety of my family. Additionally, the OEM tires were the worst ever. Had to replace at 30K and paying more than $500 for new tires. Never another Nissan - EVER!!!!
My first and last Nissan
My first Nissan and last Nissan. Problems with itermittent flooding, build quality, rattling panels, harsh transmission, mediocre mileage for a 4 cylinder, terrible stock Continentals in the snow, oil consumption and awful dealership support. Dunno, maybe I received a lemon but at least it is beautiful.
Save yourself the aggravation
A new car shouldn't have this many issues. 1)When it snows, this car slips and slides everywhere. (It's also bad in the rain.) 2) The tires make this horrible *loud* noise, especially around 60-70 mph. 3) I've been stranded at least 5 times because the car doesn't always start in the cold. 4)The window doesn't always close if the temp is over 90 degrees. 5)The rearview mirror dimmer failed and had to be replaced. 6)My airbag light is flashing - and even though I brought it to the dealer, I only found out by reading other reviews here that it was a recall! 7)When you fill the gas tank, the gas sloshes back and forth whenever you stop or turn.
Overpriced!!!
A mediocre car, especially for the price. Like others, I had problems with the car's handling in wet weather. The interior can't get much cheaper, there are more recalls on this car than one can imagine, and the engine flooding and not starting was a major nuisance. Also, the power windows intermittently stop working. The dealership, like other Nissan owners have mentioned, is not very helpful. Oh, and if you need to replace a tire, good luck! They are a rare size that must be special-ordered unless you pay the dealer's price to replace.
Great looking but not mechanically sound
only 32k miles: Having been a short term owner thus far I have had to replace many parts: from brake rotors to master clutch and rear shocks all not built well from factory having speaking with many owners whome also replaced many parts either under warrenty or not. Otherwise I am thrilled with the look and functionality of this car and it's relatively low weight makes the mid powered 2.5L feel more powerful than other cars with similar engines. It also handles excellant in corners and bumpy roads.
Engine Failed at 95k miles
Pre-catalyst came apart at 95k miles after a recall supposedly fixed the problem. The pre-cat came apart and is close enough to the cylinders that it ruined the engine (the 2005+ models have the pre-cat moved farther away to permanently solve this problem). Nissan has rejected all warranty claims on any cars outside of 60k miles. $4600 to fix it. The only permanent fix is an aftermarket header that puts car out of emissions compliance.
Happy New Honda Owner!!
Purchased the 2.5s 5spd. in 11-2002. aside from the several recalls, we had to have the oxygen sensor,camshaft sensor and fuel cap replaced. that was after it left my wife stranded. died 2 times in the middle of driving. had to be towed to the dealer for repair. nissan was not pleasant to deal with at all! wouldn't recommend nissan at all. should have listened to my gut when i bought it, and gone with the HONDA then. just bought a '03 Accord EX 5spd. LOVE it!! there is absolutely no comparison between the two. the accord is like climbing into a lexus after the nissan! really! every single aspect of the honda is better in my eyes, wallet and piece of mind!