Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
06E064000TRADESONIC E (Equipment)4029OVSCNISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.07/17/200607/17/2006571108
Defect SummaryCertain tradesonic combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Consequence SummaryLack of amber side reflectors in the lamps will decrease lighting visibility to other drivers and may possibly result in a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummaryTradesonic will notify owners and replace the lamps free of charge. the recall is expected to begin during july 2006. owners may contact tradesonic at 626-934-8884.
NotesThis recall only pertains to tradesonic aftermarket lamps and has no relation to any original equipment installed on the listed passenger vehicles.for more information on the lamp model numbers, click on document search and view document titled
09E012000SABERSPORT E (Equipment)1627005/11/2009OVSCNISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.04/07/200904/07/2009571108
Defect SummarySabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. these headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
Consequence SummaryDecreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummarySabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. the safety recall began on may 11, 2009. owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
NotesThis recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement equipment and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles produced by the vehicle manufacturer.in order to determine if your aftermarket lamp assembly is affected by this noncompliance, please review the list of model numbers provided to us by sabersport.the list can be found under document search located at the bottom of your screen.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS
06E023000ANZO USA, INC. E (Equipment)29200005/09/2006OVSCNISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.03/13/200603/14/2006571108
Defect SummaryCertain anzo combination headlamp assemblies sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles. some combination lamps are not equipped with amber side reflectors which fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Consequence SummaryWithout the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummaryAnzo will notify owners and replace the headlamps free of charge. the recall began may 9, 2006. owners may contact anzo usa at 909-468-3688.
NotesThis recall only pertains to aftermarket headlamp assemblies manufactured by anzo and has no relation to any original equipment installed on the listed passenger vehicles.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
07E074000EAGLE EYES TRAFFIC INDUSTRIAL CO. LTD E (Equipment)1130012/11/2007OVSCNISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.09/14/200709/18/2007571108
Defect SummaryCertain eagle eyes headlamp assemblies, p/nos. ds517-b001l and ds517-b001r, sold for use as replacement equipment for the above listed passenger vehicles. the opticel surface of the reflector is corroded inhibiting the performance of the upper and lower beams which fails to conform to the photometric requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Consequence SummaryDecreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummaryEagle eyes will notify owners and offer reimbursement for any noncompliant headlights. the recall began on december 11, 2007. owners may contact eagle eyes at 1-800-568-1098.
NotesThis recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement equipment and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by nissan.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration
07E054000MAXZONE AUTO PARTS CORPORATION E (Equipment)914507/16/2007OVSCNISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.07/25/200707/25/2007571108
Defect SummaryCertain maxzone headlight assemblies, depo brand, p/nos. 315-1145l-as and 315-1145r-as, sold for use as aftermarket equipment for the above listed passenger vehicles. during production the lamp reflector shape deformed changing the shape of the optic surface. this will change the opposite position of low beam and high beam opticsand change the angle of incidence and illumated location which fails to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Consequence SummaryDecreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummaryMaxzone will notify owners and offer reimbursement for any noncompliant headlights. the recall began on july 16, 2007. owners may contact maxzone at 909-822-3288.
NotesThis recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement equipment and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by nissan.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration
07E063000ANZO USA, INC. E (Equipment)13009/10/2007OVSCNISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.08/21/200708/23/2007571108
Defect SummaryCertain anzo aftermarket headlights, p/n 02-az-na02-b-a, sold for use on 2002-2004 nissan altima vehicles. during production the lamp housing shape deformed distorting the assembly angle of the reflector and influenced the aiming position. these headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Consequence SummaryDecreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummaryAnzo will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant lamps. the recall began on september 10, 2007. owners can contact anzo at 909-628-1440.
NotesThis recall only pertains to aftermarket headlamp assemblies for 2004 nissan altima vehicles and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by nissan.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
NTB-03-074C01/24/2010NTB-03-074E10032306Nissan: exterior lamp fogging. occasionally water is noticed in the exterior lamps. this is generally not due to a defect. all current exterior lamp assemblies are vented to the atmosphere (not sealed). this is necessary to allow for e03/03/2010
0303004/18/200710021508Exterior lamp fogging. *kb05/10/2007
NTB0202402/27/2002632161This bulletin states that some of the head lamp illumination delay / auto light settings on an applied model can be adjusted using consult-ii. *tt07/11/2002
NTB0202602/27/2002632159Subject regarding fog lamp system operation with auto headlight feature. *tt07/11/2002
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - FOG LIGHTS
NTB-03-074C01/24/2010NTB-03-074E10032306Nissan: exterior lamp fogging. occasionally water is noticed in the exterior lamps. this is generally not due to a defect. all current exterior lamp assemblies are vented to the atmosphere (not sealed). this is necessary to allow for e03/03/2010
NTB0202602/27/2002632158Subject regarding fog lamp system operation with auto headlight feature. *tt07/11/2002
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS
NTB-03-074C01/24/2010NTB-03-074E10032306Nissan: exterior lamp fogging. occasionally water is noticed in the exterior lamps. this is generally not due to a defect. all current exterior lamp assemblies are vented to the atmosphere (not sealed). this is necessary to allow for e03/03/2010
0505703/14/2008NTB05-05710015516Campaign announcement regarding service campaign ntb05-057 - low beam halogen headlamp bulb illumination failure due to poor ground contact. *tt csc was received. updated 3/21/08. *nj07/27/2005
03089A10/02/20030308910003946Halogen headlight low beam bulb inoperative. *tt11/07/2003
0308909/26/200310003921Halogen headlight low beam bulb inoperative. *tt11/06/2003
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - CONCEALMENT DEVICES
NTB-03-074C01/24/2010NTB-03-074E10032306Nissan: exterior lamp fogging. occasionally water is noticed in the exterior lamps. this is generally not due to a defect. all current exterior lamp assemblies are vented to the atmosphere (not sealed). this is necessary to allow for e03/03/2010
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS
NTB-03-074C01/24/2010NTB-03-074E10032306Nissan: exterior lamp fogging. occasionally water is noticed in the exterior lamps. this is generally not due to a defect. all current exterior lamp assemblies are vented to the atmosphere (not sealed). this is necessary to allow for e03/03/2010

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
11/01/2003300002
 2002 nissan atlima customer states since 30,000 miles the check engine light has been on**cc the consumer was unable to defrost the windows, due to the defroster being inoperative. the consumer stated the vehicle would lose power, so he would have to take his foot off the gas and eventually it would gain speed. the consumer had various repairs made on the vehicle. the catalytic converter was deteriorating, the valve cover gasket was replaced, the headlight was replaced 3 times, the tail light assembly needed to replaced the consumer was told the vehicle needed a new engine after experiencing the stalling and no start problems. *jb
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS
02/19/200895000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan altima. initially, the rear seat belts on both sides of the vehicle would not release on an intermittent basis. currently, they do not work at all. the dealer has not yet been notified. the front driver and passenger side headlamps dim on their own; however, the instrument control panel show them as being activated. nhtsa campaign id number 073054000 (exterior lighting:headlights) was referenced. the contact received a ticket due to the headlamp failure. the current mileage was 96,791 and failure mileage was 95,000.
08/02/200773000705/01/2006
 My 2002 nissan altima vehicle was taken in for service at bob bell chevrolet nissan, 7900 eastern avenue, baltimore, maryland, 21224, on thursday, august 2, 2007. it was brought in for servicing of all the vehicles' recalls, a soft grinding noise that could be heard when turning the steering wheel and low freon levels for air conditioning. on friday afternoon, august 3, 2007 around 5pm, i was contacted by the service department and strongly advised to pick up the vehicle before the service division closed at 6pm. the dealership stated that all recalls and issues had been resolved and completed. i picked the vehicle up around 5:45pm and proceeded to travel home. after only fifteen minutes, the vehicle engine started to smoke profusely. the engine started shaking harder and harder and a loud rattling noise could be heard from within the engine. the teenage passenger in the vehicle began to vomit and her eyes started swelling due to the volume of fumes expelled from the cars engine through the ventilation and into the car. i immediately pulled over (3700 eastern blvd.) and rushed to get her out of the seat where she continued to vomit once outside the vehicle. the dealership now denies ever seeing smoke from the engine (see attach.), as well as, denied causing damage to my car that potentially resulted in the engine smoking. the vehicle was picked up on wednesday, august 8, 2007 with the engine rattling uncontrollably even after being returned a second time to the dealership. the vehicle cut off while attempting to de-accelerate at a red light the following day. uncertainty surrounds whether the vehicle will cut off again while de-accelerating proving it hazardous to drive, whether the vehicles five recalls where all properly addressed, and if the engine will start smoking again. *tr
07/01/200750000307/05/2002
 Defective headlamps. clip melts from high heat, bulb loses contact. requires replacement of entire assembly, or if not, removal of front bumper just to replace bulb. first time occurred at night on a highway -- went to auto parts store but could not access to change the bulb. dealer charged two hours to pull front bumper -- only took one hour. cost of replacing bulb about $260. bulb by itself is less than $30. *jb
07/01/20077
 Continual failure of low beam headlamps on 2002 nissan altima se. have replaced lamp numerous times. bad ground contact. due to failure of lamp, have had to drive at night either with one headlamp, or with high beams on. *jb
03/23/200684000509/19/2002
 Dt*: the contact stated the air bag light on the dash flashed constantly. there is a safety improvement campaign, # 02i001000, regarding the air bag. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the safety improvement campaign; however it is not included in the safety improvement campaign due to the vin. updated 4/17/2006 - the vehicle was taken to a dealer who indicated that eh air bag was defective. the dealer refused any assistance because the vehicle was 2000 mile out of warranty. the check engine light illuminated. the dealer found antifreeze leaking into the cylinders. the driver's side low beam headlamp was inop. the tech replaced the right side headlight bulb. radiator leaked coolant. the heater blew out cool air when the vehicle was stopped. the tech found an air pocket in the coolant system. replaced clutch assembly. cylinder head gasket was replaced. *nm
06/15/2005102/15/2002
 The driver's side headlight in my 2002 altima went out and now the whole headlight assembly has to be replaced. the bulb has somehow melted the assembly around it. as i have seen in previous complaints, this is a very expensive problem to fix when all the while it was a manufacturer defect. i would like to know what nissan plans to do about this continuing problem, if anything. *nm
10/11/2004790871510/13/2002
 The first thing was the oxygen sensor. then the oxygen sensor again. the dealership fixed the problem. mext there was, and still is, the jerking transmission. when driving in rush hour traffic or driving on the open highway, the trans shifts hard comming out of first into second. i have taken this car into several nissan dealerships and to this day, no one has found the problem. they keep telling me that this is normal. i have driven other altimas including several rentals while mine wasin the shop and they didn't shift like mine. the next problem is those headlights. they have replaced one of my light asemblies an great river nissan but the other has not been replaced. next, there was the heater coil that leaked and it took almost 6 months to determine because it didn't leak inside the car. next there was the ignition coils that were replaced 2x within a week and still caused the check engine light to come on. after the ignition problem the mechanics at sterling mccall nissan told my that it was my sparkplugs that had hust been checked about 2 weeks prior at great river nissan in mississippi. i went back to the dealership and invited the service man to a nice long ride. after driving about 20 miles, i stopped the car and le it sit for about 5 minutes. the car started and he smiled. he said, see there is nonthing wrong. after explaining that he needed to let the car set for a while and then try to start it, he said that it is still going to start.after sitting for about 2 hours, i asked the service man to step outside and lets giv the car a start... to no suprise, when i turned the key the car puttered, spitted, jerked, and everything else but started. it was determined the next morning that there was a blown head gasket that could have been caused by the catalyst that was just replaced due to a recall.
01/20/200543000408/24/2002
 I too have had problems with front headlights in '02 nissan altima. replaced the driver's side bulb only once; and the passenger side 3 times. lights will work fine for awhile then intermittently; and then not at all. contacted the dealership & was told i would need to replace entire light assembly & not just the bulbs because the housing melts. replacement of assembly without paying the dealership would be difficult (if not impossible) because it requires the removal of the front bumper. if we could repair it ourselves, the cost for the part alone is still $188. this is obviously an issue in the '02's - newer models have been redesigned using metal to address this problem; unfortunately, it has been at the consumer's expense.
05/19/20051
 2002 nissan altima headlight assembly needed to be replaced. *mr the heat from the headlight melted the terminals which caused the malfunction of the headlights were not working. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc
06/15/20051611/29/2003
 I really do not know what is going on but i really rhought that i was the only person experiencing those headlight problems. i have changed my passenger side bulb 10 times and the driver side 5 times. it is extremely difficult to get to and it is very time consuming. from reading the complaints on this site, it is obvious that the dealership wont take care of repairing the problem since my car has 64000 miles on there. i am frustrated and i have spent alot of money in changing these stupid blubs, not to mention time. on the 15 of this month will make it the 11th time that i have had to change the passenger bulb. on the 6 of june the driver's side went out. i am wondering if it is an electrical problem.
05/27/200503/01/2002
 Vin# 1n4al11d52c244186 miles: 50,372 on 15 may 2002, he low beam light on the passenger side of my vehicle went out. after trying a couple of times, low beam came back on.(sometimes it worked, other times it didn't) a week later the driver side low beam was out as well. the advance auto store clerk told me that they couldn't replace the bulb for me because the parts had to be removed to get to the bulb. a local nissan dealer recommended that i bring the car in and gave me a quote of $45 ea. headlight. he advised me of an ongoing defect with the 02 nissan altima headlight that involved the heat from the bulb melting the panel around it. he said that if this was the case, then the additional part would be $85 plus. this part would prevent further damage. after taking my car in to the dealer, i received a call back advising me that the damaged caused by the heat was beyond repair and the entire headlight assembly had to be replaced on both sides. he then gave me a quote of over $700. (beyond belief) i questioned as to why this was not a recall? he didn't have an answer so immediately i called nissanusa at 800-647-7261.tammy took my complaint, and she gave me a reference number 4950172. she assured me that i would receive a call back in reference my issue by cob 31 may 05. i have yet to receive a response from anyone. i have made several attempts to call, however, i could not get through to talk with someone about this matter. my car is barely 3 years old and not longer under warranty. i have been faithful in getting all of my services as required. i would like to know why this wasn't told to me while my car was still under warranty. considering that this is a safety issue, why hasn't there been a recall? unfortunately, i had to pay the unexpected discounted $617.71 that was originally quoted at $45 each. this payment was indeed a hardship. any assistance that you can grant me in resolving this matter will be greatly appreciated judy l johnson
04/22/200567000103/30/2002
 Both the driver side and passenger side halogen headlight would work intermittently before finally going out for good. when i brought the car to the dealer (herb gordon nissan), i was informed that the back of the halogen headlamp was plastic had the headlamp overheated which melted the plastic back to the headlamp causing the lamp to blow. i was told that no recall has been issued therefore it would not be covered by the dealer. this is clearly a manufactures defect and a recall notice should be issued. it cost me over $700 to replace the entire halogen housing units. i was told the replacement halogen housing unit is now metal and will not melt. this is now the twentieth complaint about this problem. how many complaints will it take before a recall notice is issued? *jb
02/17/2005105/28/2002
 Passenger low/beam headlight went out-took it to raceway nissan-was told the ground wire clip that holds the bulb melted,created the bulb to burn out-was told the entire headlamp assembly needed to be replaced and woud cost $296.00. i had someone else fix the problem for just $40.00!-it's obvious that there is a defect in the housing unit that causes the light to burn out. although there are so many complaints for the same problem, with the same year and model - nissan refuses to aknowledge the fact that it's a safety issue that should be recalled. i live in a very dark neighborhood and i really need both headlights to work for safety issues. nissan does not want to take the responsibility for their factory defect headlamp housing unit - that is the 'reason' why nissan changed the design of the headlamp housing unit for in 2003. what is it going to take for nissan to pay attention to all these complaints? i will never purchase another vehicle from nissan ever again!!, i should have stayed with honda. *ak
01/20/20042
 While driving at night driver was informed by a police officer that the headlights were inoperative. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the headlights blew out, and the bulbs needed to be replaced ,and replaced. them. however, the problem recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. then, mechanic determined that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. *ak
02/04/200561000110/26/2002
 I have a 2002 nissan altima. my passenger headlight had gone out. i took my car to the dealer because i could not figure out how to get to the bulb to replace it. the dealer told me that the backside housing had melted and i needed a new headlight assembly. the dealer told me that the light/bulb reflects off of the back of the headlight assembly and shines out. apparently, the heat from the light/bulb had gotten so hot it melted the backside housing (where it is grounded). there is no way to tell if this will happen to my other headlight, whether it will happen to my new headlight, or if it will happen to both lights. in my mind, this is a safety issue. also, i am not the only person who this has happened to (according to two dealers). i am concerned that the bulb could get so hot as to melt something else in the car. i do not know much about how cars are assembled and about car engines, but what if the heat from the bulb could melt further into the car, or even start a fire? the chance of more damage to a car occurring from a hot light bulb should be investigated. it seems there is a flaw in the design of the light or of the materials used. i think the 2002 and 2003 altimas have the same type of headlight assembly and nissan changed the headlights in later models. i no longer leave my automatic headlight switch on for fear of the bulb getting too hot. please investigate and, if there is a flaw, get nissan to take care of it.
05/15/20028000102/13/2002
 Headlight problems. *ak
02/04/20042
 I have a serious problem with the front struts of my 2002 nissan altima. everytime i drive over a washboard or speeding bump, the struts make a popping sound as if a hammer is hitting underneath the vehicle. as a matter of fact, any sort of irregularities from the road causes such noises. if you take time to go to 3rd generation altima forums, you will realize tons of people going through my same situation. please, if anyone from nissan is reading this, you should know the altima has it's faults, fix them!!!!!
02/01/200567427205/15/2002
 The driver's side headlight went out and the bulb was replaced. approximately 1 month later, the passenger's side headlight went out and the bulb was replaced. the bulb replacements were done at a local mechanic shop to avoid driving in the dark without a headlight. he charged me $70 to replace each light versus $145 that the dealership was going to charge for each light. about 1 month after the last replacement, the driver's side headlight went out again. i took the car to the dealership to find that the entire headlight fixtures were defective. according to the service advisor, something was melting the base of the light bulb causing them only to last a couple of months before going out again. i was also told that several other vehicles (of the same year, make and model) had been brought in for the same problem, but not enough for a recall. i was also told that the dealership would have covered the expenses under 60,000 miles, which i think was irrelevant if this was happening on other vehicles. i believe that this is a very dangerous problem, and should be addressed. i travel a lot, and i could have been in a unfamiliar area at night with no headlights!! *ak
01/28/2005102/20/2002
 I brought my 2002 nissan altima to woodbury nissan to have the drivers-side headlight replaced. i was told by the service manager that i needed a whole new assembly around the headlight because it melted. the total cost is $305. i will have my car 3 years at the end of this month but i am over my mileage. my car has 43,000 miles. i was told by josh hill at woodbury nissan that it now comes with a metal part to correct the issue. *jb
01/10/2005204/10/2002
 The driver side halogen headlight would work intermittingly before finally going out for good. when i brought the car to the dealer, i was informed that the back of the halogen headlamp was plastic had the headlamp overheated which melted the plastic back to the headlamp causing the lamp to blow. i was told that a nhtsa service bulletin was issued regarding this matter but no recall has been issued therefore it would not be covered by the dealer or my warranty. this is clearly a manufactures defect and a recall notice should be issued. it cost me over $300 to replace the entire halogen housing unit. the passanger side headlamp blew and was replaced 6 months earlier. i was told the re[lacement halogen housing unit is now metal and will not melt. this is now the eleventh complaint about this problem. how many complaints will it take before a recall notice is issued? *ak
10/05/200465000910/05/2004
 The front headlights constantly short out. dealer replaced headlamps 8 times, but problem recurred. *ak
01/05/200538253101/14/2002
 The headlight failed on my 2002 nissan altima while i was driving. the dealership informed me that the entire headlamp assembly would have to be replaced on the car, and that it was no longer covered under warranty because it was over 35k miles. the car only has 38k miles on the odometer, and the headlight assembly should not have failed. *nm
01/08/2005105/27/2002
 I am experiencing problems with my headlights. i was told by a tech from bill hood nissan that there was a malfunction problem with my headlights but i would have to pay the costs to repair it. i was also told that there had been several complaints regarding the 2002 nissan altima headlights. i made a complaint with nissan and i was told that they were not going to issue a recall. *jb
10/01/200425000208/24/2002
 Passenger side headlamp low beam failed within 20 months of purchase and two months latter the driver side headlamp low beam failed. it is almost impossible to replace the light bulbs by yourself. took the car to the dealer (under waranty) and replaced light bulbs and now one of the horns doesn't work. replacement of the bulbs is so difficult that the dealer damaged one of the light assembies and had to replace it all.*ak
09/17/20041
 Problem with head lights on/off,as if a shortage. *bf the consumer was told that something was loose inside of the headlight. *tc
10/11/200449037101/10/2002
 Passenger side low beam headlight not working on 2002 altima. took it to the dealer and was told that the bulb was melting the fixture and the entire fixture needs replaced at a cost of over $300. this is a safety hazard and at least 6 other complaints have been filed. *nm
08/15/200488155205/30/2002
 Low beam bulb inoperative due to defective ground plate inside right headlight assembly. i replaced the right headlight assembly on aug 15, 2004. on sept 4, 2004, the right low beam light bulb quit working. i took the headlight assembly out and noticed the ground wire going to the low beam bulb had melted. the old headlight that i replaced also had a melted ground wire. this is a possilbe fire hazard. i contacted my local nissan dealer and was given technical bulletin, classification: el03-008a, reference: ntb03-089a, dated: october 2, 2003. the ground plate costs around $11.00 if you put it in. this is a defect on nissan's part. they should recall these headlight assembly at their cost. *ak
07/13/2004850001
 Due to the burned wires front driver's side headlights became inoperative. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak
06/20/20045799008/14/2002
 On 6/20/04 both headlights in my 2002 altima burnt out at night. the bulbs became so hot they burnt through the headlight assembly. even though nissan knew about these problems with the altima this is not considered a safety issue. you must buy a light kit to fix the problem or a new headlight assembly. *nm
02/09/2004440003
 Intermittently while driving at any speed headlights failed. *ak
320003
 Headlights blew out. this was caused by the bulb burning out the assembly board, per the dealership. *ak
11/09/2003308/24/2003
 Left head light assembly - defect- light bulb continues to blow out when turned on. *la
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH
11/26/200458100210/20/2001
 Both front low/high beam headlights failed within a week of each other. upon inspection, has been caused by failure of simple ground wire (i.e., burned off). nissan service inspector stated that it was a bad, unsafe design. changed design for 2003 because of this reason. safety issue: headlights just went out during normal travel on road. filed complaint with nissan (ref: 4773934). no action/relief by nissan. major expense to repair. nissan wanted to replace the entire headlight assembly at $350 each. requires a simple ground wire replacement.*ak
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH
01/15/20041
 While driving at night headlights shut off, forcing consumer to pull off the road. consumer contacted the dealership, and mechanic determined that headlight wiring melted. *ak
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS
05/27/2002110/28/2000
 Driver's seat belt will not retract. problem has existed since vehicle was purchased in september. seat belt gives no support when worn. when sudden braking tension on belts fails. dealer was contacted. *ak *nlm
04/17/20024
 Ongoing problem with tail light being inoperative, repairs by the dealer on four occasions, but problem reoccurring. feel free to provide any further information.*ak