Nissan Altima

ginakf

I bought a 2002 Altima back in mid-October and as part of the finance package my husband wanted the upgraded alarm with the automatic locking/unlocking doors when the ignition is turned off/on which the finance mgr. said was doable. We scheduled an appt w/the service dept and brought it in the next wed and the service tech who checked us in didn't think that it could be done (first frustration, why didn't they know?). The alarm was 75% completed and we had to bring it back the next Wed for door unlock/lock thing (both times taking time off from work). About a week afterwards, I noticed about 10 deep scratches both on the outside and the inside of the bottom sill where the door and the body meets. First I thought that perhaps I scraped up against something, but then when I found the inner scratches I was confused. I then realized that my alarm was installed and that many a times I have watched friends install alarms and have to lean onto the sill to get under the dashboard. It looks like the installer had a sharp object in their pocket and maybe rubbed up against it while reaching over. I immediately called the dealer and brought it in. The service mgr. and the service asst. both looked at it and tried to see if it was the seatbelt. It couldn't of been the seatbelt clanging against it because the cuts are too deep. They then told me to bring it in the next Wed and the body shop would give me an estimate and the alarm installer would see if they would pay for the damage, but that there were no guarantees because the work was done over a week ago and it took me this long to find the scratches. I took off from work again to bring it in as asked. The service mgr. called in sick and did not schedule either the alarm installer nor the body shop to come in. The car sat at the dealer for a whole day. They told me to bring it in the next wed (today). When I checked the car in, they told me that the service mgr. would not pay for the damage. At this point, I started to get livid and told them that it would've been nice if they called me to tell me this so that I wouldn't have wasted my time bringing it in. I left it there with the understanding that they had already scheduled the body shop to come out to provide an estimate. When I returned home, I called and spoke to the Nissan Sales Manager and explained my situation. I also own a 97 Pathfinder and have invested much money in the service department. I told her that my new car and my SUV will never be fixed by this particular dealer. She said that she would talk to the Dealer General Mgr and explain the situation to see how I can be helped. He called and I explained the situation and he promised a phone call back. I never received a phone call and when my husband & I went to pick up the car I was told that the dealer would pay 50% of the cost. The body shop didn't make it out because "they were busy". So, another wasted day at the dealer. I pretty much lost it at this point and I was quite upset because they were the ones who told me to bring the car in to get looked at and it just sat there!!! My husband had to calm me down and to top it off, the paperwork wasn't ready for us to pick up the car and we had to wait another 15 mins. I will report the dealer to the Bureau of Automobile Repair and will call Nissan headquarters. I would be more willing to pay the 50% if the customer service that I have received were acceptable. As it stands, I have lost at least three days wages dealing with this problem. Can anyone suggest how I can get this issue resolved without going to court? I am open to suggestions and welcome all opinions.

Thanks

speedracer3

I am sorry to hear that you have gone through such hell with your Nissan dealer. Here's what I would do if I was in your shoes. First, I would go to an independent body shop so they can give you an estimate to repair the damage. I would then go to the dealership with your estimate in hand and confront the sales manager you spoke to. If that doesn't work I would try to see if Nissan North America can help you. You could take the dealership to small claims court, but then it will be your word against theirs and you will have to convince the judge that the dealer made the scratches.

I hope this helps some....good luck

Speed

canadiancl

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. The Nissan dealer that I dealt with previously I would rate as the very best of ANY dealer, so yours is probably the exception rather than the rule.

BTW, there is an UPGRADED alarm for the Altima? Is this an aftermarket unit? As far as I know, no Nissan factory alarm has passive locking nor can this feature be added. If you were referring to automatic locking whereby the car would lock all doors as soon as you drive off, again I don't think any Nissan has that feature as an option. Sounds like the service staff may have been awfully misinformed.

alphamike

I recently purchased a new Altima. I like it overall but have notice I often have a static charge upon exiting the vehicle. Has anyone else had this experience? What could be causing it?

ikester12

What is the 0-60 times on the Altima 2.5S auto? Is there anyone who could answer.

dgrizzled

I just came off a 2o-year love affair with Mazdas. I fell for a pretty face, the 2002 Altima. I hope it is as good or better than my Mazdas were. So far, the car has been great, but I will look again at 400,000 miles, which is where my 94 Mazda 626 finally decided that enough was enough and broke down (nicely in the driveway)
The reason I did not go on with Mazda was the switch to an automatic transmission. I have had 4 cyl sticks for 20 years, and had to switch to auto because of a bum leg....and I have friends with Mazdas that have had auto tran trouble...wish me luck!

canadiancl

colton4

Can anyone help? I have drove the Camry and Altima. I was able to find a Toyota dealer to sell me a loaded LE for 3% over invoice. I would much rather drive and own the Altima but can't find a dealer willing to deal. Does anyone know of a Nissan dealer who would like to make an immediate sale at 2.5 to 3.0% over invoice? I would like to know where or how I can build the Altima I want and get the exact Invoice #'s so I can bargain with the dealers. I would like to build a 2.5 S, convenience package, black ext., charcoal cloth, ABS, Bose 6disc, Fog Lights, Floor mats, In-cabin microfilter, power sunroof, spoiler and splash guards.

xjx

Here in Atlanta I was about to buy a Altima and even test-drove two of them. The dealer was unwilling to tell me the price he could offer unless I promised to make a deal at the same day. How can I make a promise before knowing the price?

I asked for a quote of Accord through email from a local Honda dealer and got a honest price within a day. Went to test-drive the next day and made the deal within one hour.

Although I like the styling and the power of the new Altima, the Accord is very nice too, and its interior feels better. The attitude of the dealer played an important role on my decision.

nikecar

if we switch the other Altima discussion over here, we should rename this to just plain Altima, since as you said, this will be used to discuss ALL MY's

maxamillion1

Where are you from, around my area, Upstate South Carolina, the Altima can be had for about invoice, according to an ad I saw.

Here is the invoice price of the Particular Altima you desire.
$21,454 for the Altima 2.5S with the conveience pkg., spolier, sunroof, mats, flaps, BOSE, microfilter, ABS and side airbags with curtains.
This car has the manual transmission.

With the Automatic transmission, it's $22,236.

The car you are looking for is quite similar to the one that I want to buy myself. I want a 2.5S model with the conveince pkg., sunroof, flaps, wind deflector, ABS and side airbags, and maybe the BOSE, I am sort of leaning toward not getting the BOSE, due to the cost. It's too expensive to me. Good luck finding a dealer that will deal, I have yet to see the Altima that I want at my local dealership, basically around here, you either get a base 2.5S or a 2.5S with the conveince pkg. I want a manual transmission, I've only seen one or two at Carmax in Greenville. That's probably were I am going to buy my new Altima from. It want be until 2003 though. But anyway, good luck with your new car purchase.

pat

Yep, that's what I intend to do - I thought I'd wait until I archive the other one to keep from having two discussions with the same name on the active Sedans board. So look for the change by the end of the week or so.

I also am going to pursue the Owners Club board this week. KarenS, the host, has her hands very full so it may take her a little time, but at least I'll get the request on her list.

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

obiwankenobi1

My fiance has a 93 Altima and get's shocked EVERY SINGLE TIME she exits the vehicle.

You got me on why! I never get shocked exiting my 02 Maxima. It has cloth seats so I figure I should be having the same thing happen.

Obi

tcdenver

There are some discrepancies on Altima (Maxima too) prices across different regions. My understanding is that prices are softer in the East and Southeast region. Dealers in midwest and southwest are treating Almita as once-a-life-time jackpot, like Odyessy for Honda dealers. For example, if you are in Twin Cities or Pheonix area, you will be paying close to MSRP. Buyers in DCs or other eastern/southeastern cities are luckier because the demand for Nissan is not as strong. Therefore it is important to know where people boutht their Altimas. If you bring in the prices quoted here to the dealer in your town without that understanding, you won't have much success.

ateixeira

Debra: the bad autos on the Mazda 626 were for the 4 cylinder engines only. The unit is actually a Ford CD4E from the Contour, and is notorioulsy problematic.

The V6/auto has been fine. Oh well, the Altima is a nice car, too. Congrats.

-juice

storyteller

Pardon me if this is old news. The cookie problem has kept me off this site for over a week. Anyone interested in juicing up an Altima with aftermarket goodies should see www.freshalloy.com where they feature a "concept car" by Stillen that is loaded with aftermarket goodies just developed.

jf_spade

Has anyone noticed that there are no ashtrays in the 2.5 S?? At least there isn't one in my Altima. When my wife talked to the dealership they said that there isn't one. I noticed this when I was transferring things from the old car to the Altima. I don't smoke, but I usually keep some spare change in the ashtray. Does anyone know if there are plans to add one? Do you think that's something that they could add to my car? I don't really need one, but it's nice to have it there as a convenience to keep my spare change in. Otherwise I just have to keep it in the armrest. Anyone know what's the deal with this?

ateixeira

Are there any other bins that'll hold your change? I don't remember, I was busy with 240 other things. ;-)

-juice

blueguydotcom

Wow, that Stillen Altima looks very aggressive. Nice rims and body kit. Egad.

floridian

While killing some time this AM waiting for my first client to open I walked across the street and took a gander @ the "new" Altima. I have to admit they are really a classy design. Saw a lot of them on the road over Thanksgiving trip from Florida to Kentucky. Kind perked up my curiousity about the car.

Was not impressed by the outside build quality. Uneven hood/rear deck gaps, all the rear doors looked like they were slightly ajar, poorly aligned to the rest of the body. Paint just so-so for a car with a 25K price tag. I would rate them about with what GM puts on the street. "Oh,it's good enough------ ship it, school of manufacturing !! If Nissan wants to run with the "Big Dogs" (Toyota & Honda) they are gonna have to do a LOT better, the higher HP engines not withstanding.

Next to the Nissan dealer was, low and behold,a Hyundai dealer. Poor little 'ole 2002 Sonata blew the Altima (won't even mention the 3.5 V6 flagship, a really fab car) out of the water in the paint & assembly, fit and finish departments. If A little upstart company like Hyundai can build cars of this quality for the price they get how come Nissan can't do as well or better ?? I'll pass on the Nissan for now.

Floridian

brad45

I stayed away from this forum for a week or so because the overstated complaints were driving me nuts. I was about to post how much better and to the point this discussion had gotten until that last post. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT LAST POST FOR A MINUTE! But in general the discussion is much better.

I bought a 2.5S 5spd in September. I have 3900 miles on it. I love this car. I was away for a week on business and missed it terribly. On my long trip home for Thanksgiving, I realized a new reason to love this car 30 mpg x 20 gal = 600 mile range. And that's a little conservative. I actually averaged 31 traveling at speeds between 70 and 80 mph.

I am going now to look for the owners forum but will keep an eye on this one once again.

alpha01

So I read the new issue of Car and Driver today.... and the Camry nor the Altima made the Ten Best 2002 list, while the coveted Accord did.
I sucked it up and dealt with Car and Driver's choosing the LX V6 Accord over the Camry SE V6 and Altima SE V6 in their December comparo- After all, I tried to reason with myself, it was a family sedan comparo, and value is paramount to many families, so it made sense that the Accord LX eeked out a victory by the narrowest of margins. BUT that was a comparison of V6 models at a specific price point, and Ten Best covers the whole range of the model line.
I can't see how the 20k Altima 2.5S w/ auto, or the Camry LE would be chosen AFTER the older, smaller, blandly styled, lower power Accord. For all intensive purposes, the 4cylinders are more representative of these models, since they sell in such higher quantities... I want a comparo FROM ANY MAGAZINE on the bread and butter models. Enough about the V6... not all of us can afford those!!! Not to belabour the point, but I'd much rather have a 4cly Altima or Camry over the Accord. (and Car and Driver cited a 10% savings on the Accord versus its main competitors... UM, not for the 4cylinder models.)
~alpha

floridian

brad45: I have no bone to pick with Nissan. I just reported what I saw. Anyone can spot misaligned panel fit and orange peel paint and I did. Maby all these cars were "Monday" cars, who knows.LOL !! As to 30 mpg @70 to 80, heck no big deal here either. My wife's Mitsu Galant 2.4 A/T has always pulled 34 mpg numbers on the highway and is at least as well put together as the Nissans and that ain't saying too much as the Mitsu IS a little raggady in the fit and finish dept. to be sure. maby you are soooo happy with your car because it does not take much to satisfy your automotive desires HMMMMMMM !

regards,Floridian

iluvmax

Hyundai built better then Nissan now that's funny! How many Hyundai's older then 4 years do you see on the road lol..... none!

canadiancl

To be fair, Hyundai (and other Korean car companies) have improved their products by leaps and bounds in the last 5 years. I predict that within 5 - 8 years they will be where the Japanese are now. You have to remember that's how the Japanese got started -- by providing somewhat odd looking, underpowered cars of dubious quality. But they were cheap to own, and gradually they gained market acceptance.

afty

Edmunds did a review of the new Altima. Check it out here:

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/roadtest/48102/article.html

mirth

Pat - any chance that Edmunds will do a long-term test with the Altima? Seeing ask it's your most wanted car and all. It'd sure be helpful to me. ;-)

seldondg

I thought the same thing about the Hyundai 2 years ago. The 1999 model. After owning it for ten monthes (30 days of which it was in the shop) I finally traded it in and lost a few thousand to get the more expensive Maxima, which I should have done in the first place. But, at least the Hyundai looked good.

maxamillion1

...but they still have a while to go before they catch the Japanese at their own game. It's the little things about the cars that still bother me some, for example the use power antennas instead of rear window mounted ones, it looks less refined, and makes the back end look junky, don't have a mounted manual antenna, that's even worse! The abundant use of cheap wood trim is another problem I have with Hyundais, the XG350 has too much cheap looking wood, the materials are nice, but not Honda or Toyota nice. I hear many people complain about how they smell when new, I don't have that problem, but I do here a lot of people complain about the smell.

As for as Floridian's (I hope I spelt it right) comments, they are believable to me, the new Altima does have some shortcomings, especially interior wise, but I think they must have gotten a bad set of Altima on that particular lot, every new Altima I have looked at has had flawless exterior quality and workmanship, no problems whatsoever, even the Aluminum trunk and hood were put together properly, did all the Altimas look this way?

ateixeira

Hyundais still do poorly in Consumer Reports reliability ratings. Resale is still awful, too. They've improved but there is still lots of room for improvement. They are still overweight across the board, and not very fuel efficient either.

IMO the Altima has an edge in build quality, and C&D's review (which looked at an XG) agrees with that.

-juice

rhard49

My family has 3 altima's 97 2000 2001 and a 96 maxima. 2 kids in college and a daughter getting married helped my decision to buy the 2002 Sonata LX. Its a damm pretty car but Its had a tranny problem like most hyundai's and getting someone to acknowledge it or the dealer to fix it is and act of god. This is my first and my last. Never had a nissan product I wasn't able to get good will on or fixed in a reasonable fashion at the dealer or with a little prodding to the factory customer service group!

ateixeira

The thing about a warranty is that you still have to take it in, fight with the dealer and/or manufacturer, obtain a loaner, etc.

It's a start, but it's still only half that battle. I'd wait for long-term reliability results before trusting a Hyundai, personally.

-juice

floridian

maxamillion1: I was not aware that the Altima had aluminum hood & deck panels. However, that explains the strange "dimples" (read dents)that some of the hoods on the cars had. Gee if the ham-handed get ready trolls @ the dealership can dent the hoods that easy just imagine what the guys @ Jiffy Lube or Grease Monkey will do to it the first time they SLAM that hood down with both hands !! OUCH !! Actually the hoods and deck lids were just "off center", uneven gaps side-to-side. I'm sure that could be adjusted by the dealer, but just the same it did not look too good for those cars on the lot.

Also is it true that a pair of "baggy pants & ball cap on backwards" comes with each car to compliment those tacky "clear corner" tail lamps that Nissan and the "tuner crowd" are so in love with ? LOL !! To each his own I guess.

Floridian

ateixeira

You love quotation marks, eh? ;-)

-juice

speedracer3

I am seeing more and more Altimas on the streets of S. Florida lately. There is no question that the new Altima is selling. Still think the exterior is very sexy and when at the dealership I did not see the flaws that Floridian speaks about.

pat

Try emailing editor@edmunds.com with your question. Maybe it will even give them the idea. ;-)

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

mirth

Thanks Pat - I emailed them.

floridian

ateixeira: "yes" ! "I just love the little buggers", they're just so, well, quotable, eh.

Floridian " "

mcarlo24

Man, What is up with these Nissan people.... I can't find a dealer who will go under MSRP on the new Alty.... Maybe we should Boycott for 3 weeks and watch them come to us.. LOL
I live in NJ and its not like the dealers don't have any in stock... One that is 5 minutes from my house has 30!!!!!! And he tells me they are HOT and we can't go under MSRP... WELL LMAO!!! Why do ya have a full lot of'm than..... Anyhoo... Has ne1 seen or herd of below MSRP deals for the new Altima 3.5 SE...

Mcarlo24 <---Gordon fan

canadiancl

cool

ronald15

Come to Boston. Dealers are advertising discounts on the 3.5 SE up to $2800.00. Base "S" models up to $1700. Will keep you posted as I plan to visit these dealerships next week.

ahossa

The 3.5 Se are being discounted in NYC.They are not moving as fast cuase Nissan were advertising 3.9% FOR 36 MONTHS ON THE 3.5SE. There's a dealer call Biener and they were offering $1200.00 underMSrp for one.The 3.9% financing is not available on the 2.5S or 2.5SL.I checked that out.

afty

If you're going to be shopping for an Altima around Boston, I got a great deal on a 3.5SE at Glick Nissan in Westboro. If you're interested, email me at the address in my profile.

sandman46

The brake light has been coming on and off over the last week. Wife brought car2 Nissan
yesterday and convinced her 2 pay $149.00 4 new front brakes(car has 17k and we've had car for 362 days).
Needless 2 say, I'm quite pissed off. Brakes shouldn't cost that much. Plan 2 call service manager and [non-permissible content removed] about it in A.M. Ne1 else have a similar problem and did we really get cheated? Thanks all. (Service guy told her this is a wear and tear item and not covered under warranty.)

fasterthanu

I know Biener Nissan - on Northern Boulevard in Great Neck. Don't know if you signed anything yet, but be careful in any case. A friend bought an Audi A4 from Biener Audi next door, and got ripped off on finance charges tacked on to the final agreement. I ain't saying Biener Nissan would do the same, but there's a better than not chance of it.

sandman:

Brakes are a wear and tear item, but $149 seems excessive to me. You ought to go to a local mechanic for things like that, and save some bills. Get cheated by a dealer? Heaven forbid!

hydra2

I'm a newbie to this board, but it seems to really rock to the vibes of dedicated car nuts. Keep up the good work.

Does anyone know the minimum ground clearance for the '02 Altima? Specs abound for everything but this dimension. Is it closer to the maxima (5.5") or the I35 (6.3"?)

thanks for the help

storyteller

Has anyone seen a breakdown of Alty sales by model? I'd assume the 2.5 is a dog, used mostly to get low sales figures for ads. But how are sales distributed between the 2.5S, 2.5SL and 3.5S? I'd expect the 3.5S to account for quite a good share of overall sales.

cncman

It still amazes me that people still buy into ads and believe that they are true, people are always calling salesmen liars, well guess who runs those ads, salesmen! But as soon as it is printed everyone thinks it is gospel. Heck, why settle for a $2800 discount? I can get you a $5000 discount on one, there just happens to be a very lovely $5,000 pinstripe on it, very much worth it, but I will throw that in for you, so at MSRP, you are getting a $5,000 discount after the free pinstripe. The other thing that gets me is the people calling the dealers and getting quotes that they can sell the car for $200 over invoice but don't actually get a drive out price. Well, when you get there they start adding the advertising fee, dealer preparation fee, seals, custom package, (pinstripe and wind deflector) surprise! You are back up to MSRP! Misleading ads have been going on for decades, dealers get involved in lawsuits, BBB files are filled with complaints of deceptive advertising, but still people quote the ads like they are real, gimme a break when is everyone going to learn? Fact is, the market value on the altima in most areas across the country is around MSRP, just check out carsdirect.com, I plugged an SE in there, and their price is right at sticker. The other thing they do is put factory sponsored low financing APR quotes right next to hot selling models in their ad so it looks like it has the low APR also, this is what I believed happened in the case above where they claim to have 3.9% on the SE models, fact is, 3.9% has to be factory sponsored through NMAC, and I know for a fact that nissan is not offering 3.9% on the altimas. Point is, so many people rush in on these ads, and end up paying more than they should or end up giving it all up once they get into the finance department, don't believe the ads, and always do your homework.

ateixeira

$149 is probably about average for a dealer brake job. Independent shops might be about half as much.

17k is very early (age almost doesn't matter, it's brake usage), but does your wife ride the brakes at all?

Some places offer lifetime brake pads, but I guess it's too late to recommend that.

-juice

floridian

Mcarlo24: We have some hail damaged ones here in Florida. On second thought maby they aren't hail damaged it's just those real soft aluminum hoods/decks that aren't holding up too well to the rigors of shipment all the way down here to Florida.

Floridian