2002 Nissan Altima

In 2002, Nissan's forgettable little Altima gained size, power, and most of all- respect. Becoming the largest "mid-sized" Japanese sedan on the market, the Altima finally gave American buyers what they want; more room and more power. But with all these advancements, came an unusually high number of recalls. The new 2.5 liter 4 cylinder was vexed by major problems, which reduced its lifespan to an average of less than 100,000 miles, far from the 200-300,000 mile average enjoyed by other Nissan 4-bangers.

The Altima however, remains a fan favorite thanks to its abundance of room, power and snob appeal. If you plan to join the ranks of Altima owners, make sure that you check to see that all the recall issues have been properly dealt with.

Altimas come with either the trouble-prone 4 cylinder (2.5 liter, 175hp), or the powerful V6 with 240hp. You can get a base model, S and SL model with the 4cyl. Top of the line SE models have the more powerful V6. Standard equipment includes power windows, power steering, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and a 60/40 split folding rear seat. Options include; remote keyless entry, height adjustable driver seat, cruise control, and a better sound system. Alloy wheels, leather trim, power driver seat, trip computer, and a security system, were also available. The SE V6 adds 17-inch alloy wheels.

2002 Model Year Things to Look For:

2.5L Crankshaft & Camshaft Position Sensor (Recall # 03V455000): If the car stalls or fails to start beginning at around 60K miles, have a repair shop pull the trouble codes from the car's computer to make sure that this is indeed the problem (there are a lot of known problems with the 2.5L motor and they have similar symptoms). This will cost $200-$300 to repair.

2.5L Intake Manifold Power Valve screws: Engine stalling and misfires are sometimes due to the Power Valve screws falling through the intake manifold. This can damage the spark plugs causing the engine to misfire, and even crack the engine block. Look for this to start around 60K miles and cost about $250 to replace the screws.

2.5L Excessive oil consumption: Due to a design flaw, bad piston rings cause the car to use an excessive amount of oil. In many cases the motor can run dry without the driver even realizing it. This tends to happen at 90K-100K miles.The solution, replace the car...uh, I mean engine. This will cost you about $3000.

Catalytic Converter (Recall # NTB03-070c) The inside of the catalytic converter disintegrates between 80-100k miles (for both 2.5L and 3.5L engines), causing the broken pieces to get sucked into the engine, which, in turn, brings the motor to a premature end.

The bottom line is, the Nissan Altima can be a decent, fun to drive family car. But, if you're considering one, go with the 3.5L V6 model. It'll have fewer problems and it's a lot more fun to drive.