2002 Nissan Altima service brakes, hydraulic problems

“RE: 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA SE. SINCE APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS AGO, I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKES. I LIVE IN THE NE WHERE IT GETS COLD IN THE WINTERS, AND ONLY HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHEN THE TEMP. IS APPROX. BELOW 30 DEGREES. THIS PROBLEM HAS TYPICALLY OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR HAS SAT IDLE ALL NIGHT, BUT HAS ALSO HAPPENED AT OTHER TIMES WHEN IT HASN'T BEEN DRIVEN FOR A FEW HOURS. WHEN FIRST STARTING THE CAR, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS SO STIFF THAT I CAN'T PRESS IT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR - ALMOST LIKE IT IS FROZEN. LUCKILY, I HAVE NOT YET HAD AN ACCIDENT, BUT HAVE NARROWLY AVOIDED ONE SEVERAL TIMES WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SLOW DOWN, COMING TO A STOP SIGN OR PARKING LOT EXIT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP, OR TRYING TO SLOW DOWN TO TURN A CORNER. I HAVE TO TRY TO REMEMBER TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL 10 - 15 TIMES EVERY TIME I START THE CAR IN COLD WEATHER, AS THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO "LOOSEN" IT UP SO THAT IT WILL WORK CORRECTLY. SEVERAL MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAUSES THIS. WHEN I'M DRIVING THIS CAR, I'M ALWAYS AFRAID THAT THE BRAKES WILL TOTALLY GIVE OUT. *TR”

“MY NISSAN ALTIMA 2002 IS SMOKING MY BRAKES HAVE FAILED ALMOST CAUSING A WRECK I HAVE HAD TO PUT BRAKE PADS ON MY CAR 4 TIMES WITHIN A YEAR MY CAR HAS STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND I DON'T KNOW THE REASON WHY. I TOOK MY CAR TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEED A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER A NEW ENGINE AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM FOR MY CAR STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED ONCE. I WAS TOLD BY NISSAN OF GADSDEN AL. THAT I NEED TO HAVE OVER $13,000.00 WORTH OF WORK ON MY CAR BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD . I CALLED THE NISSAN COMPANY AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT THEN THEY STOP ACCEPTING MY CALLS AND SAID DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE THEY WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY REPAIRS MADE TO MY CAR. I PAID CASH FOR MY CAR AFTER THE FIRST YEAR I BEGAN TO START HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT NSSAN NEW ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS AND REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND THEY COULD WORK OUT SOMETHING WITH ME INSTEAD OF PAYING $12,000.00 FOR THE REPAIRS THAT THEY WOULD CHARGE ME $8,000.00 FOR THE REPAIRS I DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO GET MY CAR FIXED AND NISSAN TOLD ME TO DEAL WITH IT. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS PLEASE HELP I PAID…”

“NISSAN ALTIMA '02-05 2.5/3.5 MODELS HAVE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH A VALVE CHECK ASSEMBLY IN A BRAKE VACUUM TUBE. WHEN THE CAR IS EXPOSED TO EXTREME COLD TEMPERATURES FOR PROLONGED PERIODS OF TIME, LIKE THOSE EXPERIENCED THIS PAST WINTER IN IL, THE VALVE FREEZES UP AND PREVENTS PROPER OPERATION OF THE VACUUM AND THUS COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. IT FIXES ITSELF AFTER PUMPING OF THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES. I EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM 3 TIMES WITHIN A 2 WEEK PERIOD. IMAGINE ROLLING UP TO A STOP SIGN ONLY TO PUMP YOUR BRAKES TO THE FEELING OF A BRICK STUCK UNDER THEM, NO STOPPING ACTION, HELPLESSLY COASTING RIGHT INTO THE INTERSECTION. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND STUMBLED ON TO A NISSAN ENTHUSIAST FORUM WHERE IT WAS APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE TO THEM. THEY SAID THAT NISSAN WON'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THIS TO BE AN ISSUE AND TO JUST ORDER THE REDESIGNED PART AND REPLACE IT YOURSELF AS IT WAS A DYE JOB. THE FACTORY PART REPLACEMENT NUMBER IS #47430-8J100 (3.5 MODEL) OR #47430-8J000 (2.5 MODEL). WHY DID NISSAN REDESIGN THE PART IN '06 IF THEY DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH IT? WHEN I CALLED THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR, SURE ENOUGH THEY WOULDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE ANY…”

“ON EXTREMELY COLD DAYS (5 DEGREES F OR LOWER) I HAVE HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE THE BRAKES DO NOT STOP THE CAR WHEN THE CAR IS FIRST DRIVEN. THE CAUSE IS DUE TO APPARENT MALFUNCTION OF A CHECK VALVE IN THE VACUUM LINE TO POWER BRAKE BOOSTER. THE PEDAL REMAINS HARD (I.E. - THE PEDAL DOES NOT GO TO THE FLOOR). USUALLY AFTER A FEW SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS TO BRAKE, THE BOOST FUNCTION RETURNS AND THE BRAKES FUNCTION NORMALLY. MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED AND REPORTED THIS PROBLEM ON INTERNET FORUMS SUCH AS HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM/FORUMS/2002-2006-NISSAN-ALTIMA-DISCUSSION-2-5-3-5/256153-COLD-WEATHER-BRAKING-ISSUE.HTMLINE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND IT IS ONLY BY LUCK THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT SINCE IT HAS RESULTED IN BEING UNABLE TO STOP AT AN INTERSECTION. THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF NISSAN TO REPAIR AS A SAFETY RECALL. NISSAN HAS REDESIGNED THE PART AND IT IS VERY INEXPENSIVE (ABOUT $28) AND THE NEW HOSE/CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY CAN BE REPLACED IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES. THE PART NUMBER FOR THE REDESIGNED VACUUM HOSE/CHECK VALVE IS 47430-L31002 FOR THE 3.5L V6 ENGINE. FOR THE 2.5L 4 CYLINDER ENGINE THE PART NUMBER IS 47430-L31001. IT'S CALLED A…”

“2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. 1)REAR PADS + ROTORS WORN AT 35,000 MILES: REPLACED AT OWNERS COST. NOW 83000 MILES(MAY '08): DEALER HAS TOLD ROTORS AND PAD NEED REPLACEMENT AND POSSIBLY CALIPERS NEED TO BE EVALUATED. AT 75000 MILE CHECK EVERYTHING WAS OK. (PER THE SERVICE RECORD). IN JAN'08 I HAD SPECIFICALLY ASKED THE BREAKS TO BE INSPECTED. TOLD OK. NOW SUDDENLY THE ROTORS ARE SHOT. OTHER THAN A SQUEAL SOUND FOR 2 DAYS NO OTHER SYMPTOMS. CONCERNED ABOUT HOW BRAKES GO FROM FINE TO SHOT IN 3 MONTHS. I THINK IT IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN IF THE TIME IT TAKES BREAKS TO DISINTEGRATE IS LESS THAN A 3 MONTH PERIOD. 2) ENGINE NOT STARTING AFTER PARKED IN THE COLD. HAPPENED TWICE ONCE AT 48000 MILES. (LOWER BILL. ) 2ND TIME AT 78000 MILES. (HUGE BILL ~$1000). MULTIPLE PARTS REPLACED AND SERVICED. HIGHLIGHTED AS PROBLEM ON VARIOUS FORUMS WITH THIS PARTICULAR NISSAN MODEL. EVALUATE POSSIBILITY RELATED TO ECM TIMINGS ETC. *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A BUMPING SOUND FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE BRAKES FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, SHE WAS UNABLE TO PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO PARK. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT END CAUGHT FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 143,000.”