The 2002 Nissan Altima has 4 recalls, the most serious being a fuel system issue where ice crystals can block the fuel pump in extremely cold weather, cutting off fuel to the engine and causing it to stall without warning. This recall is geographically scoped to vehicles sold or registered in cold-weather states, where moisture inside the fuel tank can freeze and obstruct the pump's suction opening, leaving the engine unable to restart and the driver without power in traffic.
Two recalls involve the airbags. On vehicles built before March 16, 2002, one of the crash sensors does not perform as expected in high-speed offset collisions, meaning the airbags may not deploy when they should. Separately, the electrical connector for the driver-side airbag can work itself loose over time, which causes the airbag warning light to flash intermittently and leaves the driver without airbag protection in a crash.