NHTSA Safety Recalls
2002 Nissan Altima Recalls
The 2002 Nissan Altima has 12 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on November 14, 2007.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2002 Nissan Altima. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 12
- Owner complaints
- 1,047
- Crashes reported
- 29
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
28 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2002 Nissan Altima, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
12 recalls on the 2002 Nissan Altima
Engine and engine cooling
- Campaign
- 07V527000
- Reported
- November 14, 2007
- Vehicles affected
- up to 653,910
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2006 Altima, 1 other model
Engine and engine cooling
- Campaign
- 03V455000
- Reported
- November 17, 2003
- Vehicles affected
- up to 630,000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2003 Altima, 8 other models
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- Campaign
- 03V251000
- Reported
- July 14, 2003
- Vehicles affected
- up to 377,000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2003 Altima
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- Campaign
- 03V084000
- Reported
- March 11, 2003
- Vehicles affected
- up to 338,000
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2003 Altima, 1 other model
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 03V061000
- Reported
- February 27, 2003
- Vehicles affected
- up to 64,562
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 1 other model
Air bags
- Campaign
- 02I001000
- Same campaign
- only the 2002 Nissan Altima
Exterior lighting: headlights
- Campaign
- 06E023000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2004 Altima, 17 other models
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 06E064000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2003 Altima, 19 other models
Exterior lighting: headlights
- Campaign
- 07E054000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2004 Altima
Exterior lighting: headlights
- Campaign
- 07E063000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2004 Altima
Exterior lighting: headlights
- Campaign
- 07E074000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2000–2001, 2003–2004 Altima
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 09E012000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2003 Altima, 57 other models
2002 Nissan Altima complaints by year
NHTSA has received 1,047 owner complaints about the 2002 Nissan Altima, the newest on January 20, 2026. Of these, 29 describe a crash (3%) and 28 a fire; owners reported 27 injuries.
In complaints about the 2002 Nissan Altima, the component group named most often is the engine and engine cooling (57%), followed by the structure (12%) and the engine (9%).
3 of the 2002 Nissan Altima's 12 recalls also concern the engine and engine cooling.
Where 2002 Nissan Altima owners gave the mileage (801 complaints), the median was 88,173 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Engine And Engine Cooling594
- Structure128
- Engine92
- Electrical System77
- Exterior Lighting41
- Power Train39
Complaints received, by year
| 2001 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 37 | |
| 2003 | 64 | |
| 2004 | 84 | |
| 2005 | 67 | |
| 2006 | 72 | |
| 2007 | 95 | |
| 2008 | 144 | |
| 2009 | 105 | |
| 2010 | 77 | |
| 2011 | 74 | |
| 2012 | 53 | |
| 2013 | 38 | |
| 2014 | 30 | |
| 2015 | 54 | |
| 2016 | 12 | |
| 2017 | 21 | |
| 2018 | 4 | |
| 2019 | 7 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2002 Nissan Altima peaked in 2008, when NHTSA received 144. 24% arrived between 2001 and 2005, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2002 vehicles, the 2002 Nissan Altima drew 1.5× the complaints of the median Nissan Altima year in the same window: 7th highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 4/5
- Side: 3/5
The 1,047 complaints about the 2002 Nissan Altima are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Nissan Altima by model year
Other 2002 Nissan models
Newest record on this page: January 20, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted