2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

WE RECENTLY WERE INFORMED THAT THE FLOOBOARDS ON OUR NISSAN WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE OF OUR VEHICLE. THE ESTIMATE TO HAVE THIS FIXED IS AROUND $2,000 AND OUR CAR IS IN PERFECT CONDITION OTHERWISE. WE HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN EXTREMELY GOOD CARE OF OUR VEHICLE TAKING IT IN FOR MAINTENANCE EVERY 3-5,000 MILES SO I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN. I HAVE READ ON-LINE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO NISSAN ALTIMAS EVERYWHERE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE AN ISSUE THAT NISSAN SHOULD HAVE PUT IN A RECALL AND FIXED THE CARS. NOW WE ARE LEFT TO EITHER PAY THOUSANDS TO FIX THE CAR OR GET RID OF IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SOMETHING WAS PROTRUDING FROM THE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND BORE A HOLE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR BOARD COMPLETELY RUSTED RIGHT THROUGH. THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR THIS TO HAPPEN TO A CAR THAT IS 10 YEARS OLD. THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS SITUATION WITH THESE CARS. IT SEEMS THAT IT IS HAPPENING TO QUITE A BIT OF THE NISSAN ALTIMA'S WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED IT FOR YOUR CHILD. NISSAN DOESN'T SEEM TO BE TAKING ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO THIS. *TR

CAR JUST DIED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, THEN IT WILL NOT START, PAID 500 DOLLARS TO GET FIXED AND THERE IS A RECALL ON THESE PARTS BUT NOT FOR MY VIN, I FEEL THAT THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED FOR MORE CARS.THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT AND THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,000. *TR

WE LIVE IN PA. WE TOOK OUR 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA IN FOR INSPECTION AND WERE TOLD THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR PANELS WERE RUSTED THOUGH TO THE CAR. THE CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW, HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT, AND OUR WINTERS HAVE BEEN MILD. NOTHING EVER HAS BEEN SPILLED IN THE CAR AND THE CARPET HAVE NEVER BEEN WET. HAD 4 LOCAL BODY SHOPS GIVE ESTIMATES (FROM $900 TO $1500), ALL THAT SAID THAT THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN TO A 10 YEAR OLD CAR AND THE REST OF THE CAR LOOKS GOOD. SPOKE WITH NISSAN CUSTOMER AFFAIRS WHO HAD US TAKE IT TO A NISSAN AFFILIATED BODY SHOP. ONE OF THE BODY SHOPS RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE DRAINAGE OF THE SUNROOF OR WINDSHIELD, FORCING WATER BETWEEN THE FLOOR PAN AND ROCKER BOTTOM. MENTIONED THAT A PLUG ISN'T SEALED OR INSTALLED CORRECTLY. I CALLED NISSAN AND THE CASE WAS SENT TO A REGIONAL CUSTOMER AFFAIR REPRESENTATIVE. AFTER TWO WEEKS OF 2-3 CALLS PER DAY LEAVING MESSAGES WITH MY CONTACT NUMBER, I FINALLY HEARD BACK TODAY AND WAS TOLD THAT "THE DECISION IS FINAL AND THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO GIVE ANY HELP IN FIXING THE PROBLEM" OR STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT/DEFECT/DESIGN FLAW. *TR UPDATED 04/09/15. *JB

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, MY CAR'S TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)ASSEMBLY ON ONE TIRE FELL APART/RUSTED OUT, CAUSING MY TIRE TO DEFLATE RAPIDLY. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO A SAFE, FLAT AREA, AND ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE DAMAGED TIRE SO I COULD ATTACH THE SPARE AND BE ONE MY WAY. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE STEEL WHEEL FROM THE HUB, AND ENDED UP CALLING MY AUTO CLUB FOR HELP. THE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PERSON SENT TO HELP ME ALSO ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE WHEEL AND ALSO FAILED. I CALLED MY AUTO CLUB AGAIN, AND THIS TIME THEY SENT OUT A TOW TRUCK. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER USED A PIECE OF METAL FROM HIS TOWING EQUIPMENT TO BEAT ON THE TIRE RIM UNTIL IT BROKE LOOSE. HE ATTACHED THE SPARE TIRE, AND WAS ON HIS WAY. MY INABILITY TO REMOVE THE WHEEL FROM THE HUB HAS COME UP TWICE BEFORE WITH DIFFERENT HUBS ON THIS VEHICLE. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I CALLED MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER FOR ADVICE, AND A GUY AT THE SERVICE DESK TOLD ME TO BEAT ON THE TIRE RIM WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER, SAYING "THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETIMES TO REMOVE A WHEEL." DOESN'T THIS ACTION JEOPARDIZE THE INTEGRITY OF THE RIM? AND WHAT HAPPENS IF I ACCIDENTLY HIT ANOTHER PART OF THE CAR WHILE DOING SO? SHOULDN'T MAZDA HAVE A BETTER REMEDY FOR THIS ISSUE? I ALSO HAD THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM ASSEMBLY RUST OUT ON A DIFFERENT TIRE FOR THIS CAR. THE OWNER'S MANUAL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SECTION SAYS NOTHING ABOUT TPMS INSPECTION OR SERVICING. DETERIORATION AND ULTIMATE FAILURE OF THIS PART IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE HUMAN FATALITY. I WANT TO KNOW IF MY EXPERIENCE IS JUST AN ISOLATED INCIDENT OR IF OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. IF IT'S WIDESPREAD, THEN MAZDA NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS ACTUALLY HAPPENS. *TR

MY CAR STALLED AT A STOPLIGHT TWICE, BOTH WHILE STOPPED AT THE LIGHT. THE CAR SUDDENLY TURNED OFF AT THE STOPLIGHT SO I PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTARTED IT. IT STARTED BACK FINE. THEN IT TURNED OFF AGAIN AFTER A FEW SECONDS. TURNED BACK ON AGAIN AND NOTHING HAPPENED AGAIN FOR ONE WEEK. THEN THE CAR STALLED OUT WHILE IN MOTION! IT STALLED OUT AS I ACCELERATED AFTER TURNING ONTO A ROAD TRAVELING ABOUT 30MPH. ALSO STALLED OUT THREE DAYS AGO WHILE IDLING IN A DRIVE-THRU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER FRONT FLOORBOARD WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE FLOORBOARD WAS PERFORATED DUE TO RUST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

ON A VISIT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MY HEADLIGHT REPLACED, I WAS INFORMED THE FLOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS ROTTED/ROTTING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I'VE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED AS OF YET B/C I'M COMPARISON SHOPPING BASED ON THE PRICE QUOTED BY THE DEALERSHIP. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2006, HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED DUE TO FAILURE IN 2011, THE RADIATOR REPLACED IN 2013 AND NOW PREPARING TO REPLACE THE FLOOR PANELS. FOR A 10 YEAR OLD CAR, WHICH HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND SERVICED REGULARLY AND GARAGED, ROTTING SEEMS HIGHLY UNUSUAL AND SHOULDN'T BE A NORMAL OCCURRENCE FOR A CAR. I'VE NEVER HAD A CAR REQUIRE THIS MANY COSTLY REPAIRS, AND ESPECIALLY NEVER AN ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE OR ROTTING. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR