2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

MY CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH. I'VE BROUGHT IT INTO A SHOP 3X NOW AND THEY CAN'T SEEM TO FIND THE PROBLEM SO MY CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY SINCE THE INCIDENT. MY OIL IS BURNING AT AN EXTREME RATE. I ONLY DRIVE MAX. MAYBE 20 MILES IN 2 DAYS AND KEEP HAVING TO PUT 2QTS. OF OIL IN MY CAR. IT'S SMOKING REALLY BAD TOO. I KEEP PAYING FOR LABOR WHEN THE PROBLEM HASN'T BEEN SOLVED. I FOUND THE FOLLOWING ON NISSANHELP.COM: NTB03-070C SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN -REVISED- 2002-2003 NISSAN ALTIMA, 2002-2004 SENTRA; VOLUNTARY RECALL CAMPAIGN ENGINE EXHAUST PIPE HANGER PIN AND PRE-CATALYST FOR 2002-2003 MODEL YEAR ALTIMAS AND 2002-2004 MODEL YEAR SENTRAS, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT CERTAIN ENGINE OPERATING CONDITIONS MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE PRE-CATALYST. MATERIAL FROM INSIDE A DAMAGED PRE-CATALYST COULD ENTER THE ENGINE AND RESULT IN INCREASED OIL CONSUMPTION. IF THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL IS NOT CHECKED ON A PERIODIC BASIS AND DROPS BELOW THE LOW LEVEL, AND THE DRIVER CONTINUES TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE IGNORING NOTICEABLE ENGINE NOISE, ENGINE DAMAGE MAY OCCUR WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I KEEP PAYING MONEY, BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND I NEED A CAR. *TR

ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING AND I HEARD SOMETHING SCRAPING ON THE BOTTOM OF MY CAR, I PULLED OVER TO SEE THAT THE BOTTOM OF MY FLOOR BOARD WAS DRAGGING ON THE FLOOR. IT JUST COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT WITHOUT WARNING AND THERE IS A HUGE HOLE. I HAVE NO RUST ON ANY PART OF MY VEHICLE, IT RUNS GREAT , THE BODY IS IN GOOD CONDITION IT IS GARAGE KEPT, AND I HAVE A WHOLE ON MY PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR BOARD. THE ONLY RUST SPOT ON THE WHOLE CAR! AND HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES IT TAKE BEFORE NISSAN HAS TO RECALL THIS? I HAVE READ OVER 50 COMPLAINTS ON THIS..... UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

1. THE FLOOR UNDER THE FRONT PASSENGER HAS ROTTED OUT MAKING THIS CAR VERY UNSAFE. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE. THE OTHER ONES I LIST BECAUSE I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH THE LIFE OF THIS CAR AND BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD OF MULTIPLE STORIES OF THE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. 2. THE DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND ON THE PASSENGER REAR SIDE. 3. GAS CAP WILL NOT CLOSE/OPEN PROPERLY 4. TRUNK LATCH WILL NOT CLOSE. 5. MOON/SUN ROOF IS OFF ITS HINGE AND WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. 5. PLASTIC PART OF THE KEY BROKE NOT ALLOWING IT TO ATTACH TO A KEY CHAIN. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR IN TO MIDAS, BURLINGTON, MA FOR BRAKE ASSISTANCE, AND WHILE UP ON THE LIFT THE TECHNICIAN POINTED OUT THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER FLOOR PANEL WAS VERY RUSTED. WARNED NOT TO USE THAT SPOT WHEN JACKING UP THE CAR WHEN CHANGING A TIRE, ETC. (MENTALLY ADD THIS TO $$ TO SPEND THIS YEAR...) HAD MY CAR AT NTB IN CAMBRIDGE, MA TO CHECK A FRONT END RATTLE AND THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE RUST AGAIN. HE IS ALSO A STATE SAFETY INSPECTOR AND WANTED TO LET ME KNOW SINCE IT WAS RUSTED THOUGH IT WOULD NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION (DUE IN AUGUST). NEXT STOP WAS A LOCAL BODY SHOP AND THE ESTIMATE WAS $2K. THEN SAW SO MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM FOR THE ALTIMA. I FEEL THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AND SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY NISSAN. MY CAR IS WELL CARE FOR AND MAINTAINED AND IS ROTTING!! *TR

BROUGHT VEHICLE TO NISSAN DEALER IN TEWKSBURY, MA FOR DIAGNOSTIC. (TAPPING NOISE WHEN I START THE CAR) THEY FOUND SOME REPAIRS NECESSARY BUT TOLD ME THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE TAPPING SOUND WAS. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HE ADVISED THAT IT "SOUNDED" LIKE THE TIMING CHAIN. HE DID NOT WORK ON THE CAR AND TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK TO THE DEALER, WHICH I DID. I CALLED NISSAN AND THEY TOLD ME I COULD BRING THE CAR TO ANOTHER DEALER AND HAVE ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC DONE. AT A COST OF ANOTHER $110.00 TO BE PAID BY ME. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS LITTLE OIL IN THE ENGINE AND THIS IS WHY THE TIMING CHAIN "WENT". I HAVE PAID $2500.00 OUT OF POCKET TO GET MY CAR FIXED. I NEED THE CAR AND WAS TWO MONTHS WITHOUT IT. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE TIMING CHAIN WENT NISSAN DID AN OIL CHANGE FOR ME ALONG WITH SOME OTHER REPAIRS. I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MY CAR AND DO NOT BELIEVE THAT OIL WAS THE PROBLEM I HAVE ALL MY DOCUMENTS REGARDING REPAIRS AND OIL CHANGES AND WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO CHECK INTO THIS FOR ME.

PURSUANT TO A NON-RELATED INCIDENT, MY NISSAN CERTIFIED INSURANCE ADJUSTER WARNED ME OF THE UNUSUAL RUST FORMED HOLES ON THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDE FLOOR BOARDS. ACCORDING TO HIM, THIS IS A VERY UNUSUAL RUST ISSUE THAT HE HAS ONLY NOTICED ON OLDER (2002-2003) NISSAN ALTIMA'S. I HAVE INITIATED MY OWN RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM WITH ALTIMA'S, IRRESPECTIVE OF MILEAGE, WHERE SOME HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM AT 50,000 AND OTHERS AT 160,000 MILES. DESPITE THE MANY COMPLAINTS, NISSAN HAS REFUSED TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO HELP THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE RUST PROBLEM. MANY, WHO HAD THE PROBLEM, CONTINUED TO DRIVE WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE THEREOF, UNTIL A MECHANIC OR AUTO DEALER INFORMED THEM OF THE ISSUE, AS WAS THE CASE WITH MY ALTIMA. AS SUCH, I CAN IMAGINE THAT EVEN MORE ALTIMA DRIVERS ARE AFFECTED, YET NISSAN REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. THERE MUST BE A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO REACH A RESOLUTION. *JS

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING, THE STEERING WHEEL FROZE AND SHE NEARLY RAN OFF THE ROAD. THANK GOODNESS THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS COMING AND SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WITH NO INCIDENT. I PULLED THE CODES AND FOUND IT TO BE THE P0335 (CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR) AND P0725 (ENGINE SPEED SENSOR). AFTER SEARCHING THE WEB, IT APPEARS THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I LOOKED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V455000, NISSAN RECALL NO. R3022 THAT STATES EXACTLY WHAT DID HAPPEN - THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THE REMEDY IS THAT A DEALER REPLACE THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. SO, I CALLED NISSAN, FOUND THE OTHER RECALL THAT IS RELATED TO THE SENSOR, TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER (BARELY - I DROVE AND THE CAR STOPPED TWICE - AGAIN, LUCKY THERE WAS NO CRASH). THE DEALER CALLED AND SAID HE COULD NOT FIX THIS RECALL BECAUSE THE SENSOR WAS BAD. NOW I HAVE TO GO BACK AND PICKUP THE CAR AND PRAY AGAIN THAT I DON'T HAVE A CRASH COMING HOME. SEEMS TOTALLY UNREASONABLE THAT NISSAN WOULD HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM - THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR - FOR, AMONG MANY OTHERS, 2002-2003 ALTIMAS AND YET THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH THESE CARS THAT NISSAN WON'T FIX. I WAS LAID OFF AND CERTAINLY CANNOT AFFORD A $300 FIX FOR A $40 PART SO WE WILL HAVE TO DRIVE THIS DEATH CAR UNTIL I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET IT FIXED. AND PRAY EVERY TIME I GET IN IT THAT WE DON'T END CRASHING THE CAR, HURTING MYSELF, MY YOUNG TWINS, MY OLDER DAUGHTER OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD. THIS IS A SEVERELY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND NISSAN SHOULD REPLACE ALL CARS - NOT JUST A SELECT FEW. *TR

MY CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, BANK 1, WAS DIAGNOSED BY SEARS AS NEEDING BE REPLACED. MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF IS WHAT FIRST MADE ME AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. I READ ONLINE THAT IT'S A FAULTY PART, WHICH HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR CERTAIN YEARS/VIN NUMBERS BY NISSAN. I CONTACTED NISSAN DIRECTLY, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY PARTICULAR VIN IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. IT IS A CHEAP PLASTIC PART, AND THE NEW/REPLACEMENT ONES ARE MADE OF METAL IS WHAT I'M READING IN THE NUMEROUS CASES DISCUSSED ONLINE FROM FELLOW ALTIMA OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE WITH THESE YEARS OF PRODUCTION. *TR

MY AIR CONDITIONER HAS ALWAYS BEEN RUNNING EVEN WHEN THE BUTTON HAS BEEN OFF. I'VE ASKED THE DEALER MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS AND THEY SAID IT'S FINE. NOW ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO MY AIRCONDITIONER WON'T GO ON, IT'S INTERMITTENT BUT IF IT DOES GO ON IT ONLY WORKS FOR 5 MINUTES. I FINALLY PAID THE 129.00 TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND WAS TOLD THE INTELLIGAN POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE HAS FAILED. THIS HAS BEEN RECALLED IN MANY OTHER NISSANS BUT NOT THE ALTIMA. DURING A SEARCH I FOUND LOTS OF OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I TRIED CONTACTING NISSAN BUT THEY DON'T CARE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA SL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR WHERE IT WAS DETECTED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,800.