3rd Gen Nissan Altima 2.5L 2002-2006

[Jon]

This vehicle is a bit older, but still nonetheless it’s good to document the known issues with it.

Crank/Camshaft sensors
Originally Nissan had put in plastic sensors which tended to leak and cause a brief interruption of signal to the ECM. This in turn caused a momentary loss of complete power and acceleration at low speeds. In my case, the engine was hard to start and it wouldn’t run efficiently until I replaced them. Nissan had gone through several revisions of the sensors and finally revised them with metal instead of plastic. Nissan had conducted a recall to remedy this problem by reprogramming the ECM to compare it’s readings against both sensors if one of them had an interruption. Nissan did not elect to replace the sensors as part of the recall. The recall campaign number is R0712.

Transmission
It’s a known issue that when the transmission is cold there will be a shift flare between 2nd and 3rd upshifts. The symptoms associated with this have to do with the valve body. To remedy this situation a shift kit would need to be installed and possibly a transmission overhaul. This transmission is also used in other makes and model vehicles.

Motor mounts
The passenger side motor mount was a poor design and prone to failure. A thumping noise can be heard over moderate bumps. Repeat failure can occur after replacement in the future. There have been after market designs to make the mount stiffer but this does cause an increase in vibration when the engine is cold.

Pre-catalyst failure
Vehicles driven over 100 thousand miles tend to increase it’s oil consumption. This is mostly due to the breakdown of the pre-catalytic converter. Particles can be drawn into the engine and score the cylinder wall. If left unattended and with continued use the engine will fail.

Head gasket failure
Because both the block and cylinder head are both made out of aluminum, it can’t dissipate the heat as well as a cast iron block/head. Therefore the mating surface and gasket are prone to warpage causing a leak. It is not unheard of that once the gasket has been replaced, future failure are prone to occur.

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