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Used 2002 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A) Consumer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
67 reviews

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2 out of 5 stars

buyer beware

Chris Moore, Inverness, FL, 08/04/2015
updated 08/08/2016
Nissan Altima 2.5 SL 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
27 of 30 people found this review helpful

Bought the car with 28,000 miles on it and my wife put 40,000 miles on it in about 7 years. I kept the oil changed and tires on it with no real problems, except for the door handles breaking, until recently. First the engine light came on sporadically and I could feel engine hesitate. Got the code checked out and it's was somewhat generic (p0300) with up to five different system that could be the problem. I changed the plugs and ignition coils and the motor ran better but there was another problem. Took it to a garage and have the exhaust manifold and catalytic converter replaced. Cars running just fine again. One week later the oil light comes on and I add 3 quarts and I'm going to run the car for around 1k miles before I take it to get an oil change. Within another week or two the car starts sounding like the exhaust manifold is bad again. Before I can get the car to the shop it dies on the side of the road. Look at the oil and it's black with less than 500 miles since I put the 3 quarts in. The engine is now dead and I've already put around $2k into the car in the last 2 months. This really sucks for a car that I thought would last well over a 100K miles. I'll never buy another Nissan again. If you want to see all the problems with this motor look up misfires, exhaust manifold, and precat.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
1 out of 5 stars
Value
1 out of 5 stars
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4.75 out of 5 stars

Great car

blue0730, Sarasota, FL, 08/07/2014
Nissan Altima 2.5 SL 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
16 of 18 people found this review helpful

I am the original owner and have had no problems with my car going on almost 11 years. She still drives great and is in great condition. I saw others say the v4 has issues but mine is going on 125k miles with none.

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5 out of 5 stars

Sporty and reliable

aposak, Huntsville, AL, 01/14/2014
updated 01/15/2017
Nissan Altima 2.5 SL 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
8 of 10 people found this review helpful

Daily driver for 10 years now. 160k, original engine and transmission. Still looks good, performs well, and still fun to drive. 4 doors means extra utility and lower insurance. The 4-cyl from this era have major engine problems... go with the V6. Update: Still runs great. I've learned that the timing chains on the V6 start to get stretched over 150k. At nearly 185k, I'm hearing a bit of valve chatter on startup and hard acceleration, and mpg has gone from 24 to 22. For some reason, both rear brake calipers have frozen up in the past year and required replacement. I have added 2 more cars to the family, so this one gets driven far less, and will (sadly) be sold soon.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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3.63 out of 5 stars

DONT BE FOOLED WITH THIS LEMON MODEL

Sara, 11/27/2009
Nissan Altima 2.5 SL 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful

I purchased this car 5 years ago, paid top dollar for the one year old car. It had all the options on it I was looking for as well as lots of room. This car has had several recalls, all of which have been repaired. However 2 years ago MAJOR probs started when my heat went out. Nissan had NO idea how to fix it. Then just this month my catalytic converted exploded, I replaced and a week later with more probs told it was TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. At 130,000 highly maintained miles this should not be expected from a Nissan. But the Nissan reps I have spoken to, have said it was old and not surprising. I expected more out of a $24,000 car. I have driven Hondas much more. Will never buy another Nissan.

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5 out of 5 stars

Love my Car!!

Toya, 03/02/2006
Nissan Altima 2.5 SL 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful

The Nissan Altima is a WONDERFUL car to drive and own. After having a Mazda Milliana which was a HORRIBLE car, the Altima is a charm!!!! Best car I have ever owned

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