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Long Term Reliability of Nissan Altima

67 messages,  Last post on Jun 11, 2013 at 7:32 PM

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What is this discussion about? Nissan Altima, Sedan

Messages Page 5 of 8

#33 of 67 Nissan Altima Reliability: A Tribute to my '93. by pennyarcade

May 06, 2008 (7:25 pm)

I bought a 1993 Altima new. I still have the car. It has 285,000 miles on it. It is now having transmission problems, and I fear transmission repair or replacement would not be cost effective. I still love the car, the quality, reliability, solid feeling, and actually everything about it. The body and the interior are in great condition. The power windows work sporadically, and the a/c died last summer. I think it's time to say goodbye, but I'm emotionally attached to the car. We've been through a lot together. I researched new vehicles and found I really couldn't afford a new Altima. I bought a 2009 Toyota Corolla XLE 3 weeks ago and I love it. It reminds me so much of my Altima: the thick, leatherlike steering wheel, the interior, even down to the "wood" trim, solid feeling of the car, the console, the trunk, etc, etc. In fact, the only complaint I ever had with my Altima was its inability to turn short. My new Corolla even has a nice tight turning radius. Sooo ... I'm in love again. I only hope my new Corolla is as reliable in 15 years as the Altima has been. Just kidding, I don't plan to keep it that long ! I didn't plan to keep the Altima that long, either. Life got in the way.

#34 of 67 Re: Nissan Altima Reliability: A Tribute to my '93. [pennyarcade] by busiris

May 06, 2008 (8:17 pm)

Replying to: pennyarcade (May 06, 2008 7:25 pm)
Since you liked the Altima so much, did you consider the Sentra (since you bought the competition...Corolla)?
 
Just curious, since my daughter is looking at a new car purchase soon.

#35 of 67 Re: Nissan Altima Reliability: A Tribute to my '93. [busiris] by pennyarcade

May 07, 2008 (8:44 pm)

Replying to: busiris (May 06, 2008 8:17 pm)
Busiris, I went to the Cleveland Auto Show and checked out the Nissan Altima, Sentra, Honda Civic and Accord, and the Toyota Corolla. I didn't like the way the Hondas "felt" when I sat in them; the deeply sloping windshields reminded me of a Neon I once rented in Boston. I actually liked the Nissan Sentra but discovered it was made in Mexico. My Corolla was made in Fremont, CA, but could have been made in Japan as well. No problem; to me, Japanese = quality. Mexican really doesn't. Perhaps the Sentra is made in more than one factory, like the Corolla. I did not research it. The one on display at the Auto show was 100% Mexican assembled. I've owned Toyotas in the past, so I went that direction instead.

#36 of 67 Re: Nissan Altima Reliability: A Tribute to my '93. [pennyarcade] by busiris

May 07, 2008 (9:42 pm)

Replying to: pennyarcade (May 07, 2008 8:44 pm)
Thanx! I appreciate your candid opinion.

#37 of 67 2005 3.5SE by elnino2783

Oct 06, 2008 (2:17 pm)

I've had mine since June 2006 and have never had a problem with it with 34.5K miles on it, 14K of them mine. The only "problem" I've had with it is that it has become a magnet for other cars to rear end 3 times now since moving to Washington State near Seattle. Washington state drivers = worst drivers ever. I only put a claim on the first accident though, since that was the hardest hit, but the replacement cost was about $300-$350 to repaint and refurb the bumper that came out of the other person's insurance. I only had them check it out to make sure nothing had been damaged where I couldn't see it, and nothing had been. I even get 34+mpg on the highway, but closer to 20-21mpg city.
 
One other issue I learned within one week of having it was that the power windows had been calibrated incorrectly and they would move to a default position of partially open whenever I fully closed them. Problem solved the next day when I brought it in.

#38 of 67 Re: Long Term Reliability of Nissan Altima [bitpoh] by enelson92

Nov 06, 2008 (2:28 pm)

Replying to: bitpoh (Jun 05, 2007 7:48 am)
I have an 05 Nissan Altima 2.5S. I bought it in 2005 with 10k miles on it. I love this car. It will be three years old in two weeks and I just rolled 88k miles lastnight. I spend quite a bit of time driving and my car has been great with no mechanical problems. I took it in once for recall work and all they ended up having to do was adjust the computer setting. I never even noticed a problem, just following up with the recall request. I get great gas mileage and I plan on keeping it for quite a long time. This was my first foreign car purchase and Im happy I did it. I would definitely recommend an Altima to anyone.

#39 of 67 gas cap failure by roadrunner70

Nov 23, 2008 (6:30 pm)

my 03 murano needed a new gas cap at about 35000 miles. my new altima's gas cap seems to loosen on its own, sometimes i can tighten it and the light goes off, sometimes i can't and it stays on.
 
anyone else having issues with nissan gas caps.
 
the dealer is taking its time replacing the altima's cap.
 
thanks, rr70

#40 of 67 Re: 2005 Altima Reliability [gleppert] by altimadude00

Jan 29, 2009 (4:28 pm)

Replying to: gleppert (Jan 24, 2008 10:01 am)
I bought an '05 Altima with 38k last August. The owner hadn't performed a 30k maintenance on the engine before I bought it. However, after having it done, the car runs smoother and had a 3-4 increase in fuel econ.
 
 It's my personal belief that the engine failures were with early versions of the engine and had been addressed before the 05 models came out. My engine does not burn any oil.
 
The car does have some wear issues on the inside. (Again, my car was used.) The glove box door has deep scratches in it and the "wood" trim has a soft clear coat and scratches very easily. Beyond that, nothing has fallen off, torn, or broken. I've had no electronic issues with the car either.
 
The car has 43k on it now and runs fine. I have had only one mechanical issue:
 
Parking overnight on an incline, the fuel apparently drained away from the engine, and it wouldn't start. After pumping the gas pedal while cranking it, the engine started. Afterwards, I dumped a bottle of fuel injector cleaner in the tank and since did the 30k maintenance on it. This may have been a fluke since I have not been able to repeat it, or the treatments to the fuel system fixed the problem.
 
I have also had to repeatedly align the car (three times since purchase 8/08). This may be the fault of the shop just as it might be with the car.
 
Hope this helps. Enjoy your Altima!

#41 of 67 Re: 2005 Altima Reliability [altimadude00] by jd10013

Jan 30, 2009 (5:47 pm)

Replying to: altimadude00 (Jan 29, 2009 4:28 pm)
It's my personal belief that the engine failures were with early versions of the engine and had been addressed before the 05 models came out. My engine does not burn any oil.
 
the thing to keep in mind with the oil problem is that; even though it it real, and has happened to a lot of people,
it still represents a very small percentage of altima's on the road. the altima is the best selling vehicle nissan has, or has ever had. It has sold well over a million units, and continues to be outsold by only the camry and accord.
 
I know thats of little consolation to those who have had the engine problems. but it does get blown out of proportion here. For every person here who's had an altima develop the dreaded "oil consumption" problem, there are thousands who haven't. and being as the problem didn't show up in every altima equipped with with QR25DE engine, it only stands to reason that it must require a fairly precise sequence of events to cause it. Probably involving driving habits, type of fuel, and whether or not the recall was performed, and performed properly. It's probably also notable that most of the people who have had the problem have had it on cars they've bough used.

#42 of 67 Re: 2005 Altima Reliability [jd10013] by electricdesign

Feb 28, 2009 (9:22 am)

Replying to: jd10013 (Jan 30, 2009 5:47 pm)
Additional comments:
It seems that most people that own 2002 on up Altimas, who have the excessive oil consumption problem or the bad cat problem, are people who bought them used and have milage above and beyond the warrenty. Though some cases have appeared during warrenty, most I have heard of are after the warrenty period, but still in a timeframe where you would expect an engine to last. So, how long do you think and engine should last? From my long experience, I think a well cared for engine should easily last over 200,000 miles. I drive all my cars to at least 160K to 200K miles, and they remain reliable and trouble free, with no major engine or transmission work, BUT you have to buy the RIGHT ones, do the right maintenance, and most of all do your extensive research before you buy the vehicle.
The problem starting with the 2002 Altima is that it had a NEW 4 cylinder engine, the QR25DE and had no history to research at the time. But as time has went by, it has now developed a history of unreliability for some of the owners. My personal opinion is that the fault is not in the engine itself, as I have torn down and worked on the engine, and it seems quite well built. It seems to me that the problem stems from 2 possible sources,
First, the computer programming may allow lean mixtures at inappropriate times, causing the exhaust to run too hot "under certain conditions" burning the catalytic converter top screen, thus allowing some inner cat material chemicals to break loose and get sucked back into the engine, damaging the inside of the engine.
Second, the precat itself fails because the top screen fails or burns and allows the precatalyst material to be released and get sucked back into the engine and producing excessive wear in the pistons, piston rings, and cylinder walls.
 
From what I can surmise, there are two ways that this problem could have been avoided.
First, the computer should have been programed properly. Those that are not should be "reflashed" to correct the computer programing.
Second, the Precatalyst should have been better made with a heavier duty top screen that would not burn out and allow the release of the catalyst material back into the engine.
 
Further comments;
Other manufacturers use the same precatalyst set up on their cars with no problem, Toyota and Honda as examples. That is because the computers are programed properly and the Precatylitic converters are well made to contain their chemicals.
 
E,D. in Sunny Florida

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