2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STALL WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY HESITATE AFTER IT WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,456.

PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD HAS ROTTED OUT. IT IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT SINCE ALL OTHER FLOORBOARDS ARE RUST FREE. NISSAN IS AWARE OF PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY REPAIR THIS PROBLEM ON A DAILY BASIS.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE VEHICLE ALSO BEGAN TO PERFORM AS IF IT WERE GOING TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. UPDATED 06/14/11*JB UPDATED 07/08/11 *BF UPDATED 3/15/12 *CN

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 WITH APPROX. 155K MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT IT USED WITH APPROX. 20K MILES IN 2006. AT AROUND 60K I NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS USING A LITTLE MORE OIL THAN NORMAL. I HAD IT SERVICED AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS GETTING OLDER AND IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I CONTINUED TO DO THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND AT ABOUT 130K MILES IT STARTED TO USE EVEN MORE OIL. TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE IS GETTING OLDER AND THIS WAS NORMAL AGAIN. FAST FORWARD TO THIS YEAR. AT ABOUT 145K MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I TAKE IT IN AND I AM TOLD IT IS A P0420, WHICH MEANS THAT THE CATALYST SYSTEM IS BELOW THRESHOLD, BUT NOT TOLD THAT THIS IS COMMON IN 02 - 03 NISSAN ALTIMAS. I STARTED HEARING RATTLING NOISES IN THE ENGINE AND OIL CONSUMPTION WENT THROUGH THE ROOF. I JUST HAD MY OIL CHANGED LAST WEEK AND HAD TO PUT 3 QUARTS IN IT THIS MORNING AFTER ONLY 400 MILES. ENGINE COMPRESSION IS ALSO GONE. SO I START DOING SOME RESEARCH AND FIND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS AND THAT NISSAN IS WELL AWARE THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DISINTEGRATES IN THIS MODEL YEAR CAR, DESTROYING THE ENGINE AND LEADING TO EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION BUT REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. THEY ARE ALSO AWARE THAT IT HAPPENS OVERTIME AND I BELIEVE USE THIS TO THEIR ADVANTAGE IN AVOIDING WARRANTY REPAIRS. IT SEEMS THAT THEY HIDE BEHIND THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND REFUSE TO TAKE ACTION SINCE THIS PROBLEM ISN'T DISCOVERED UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE AND BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD. IT DEVELOPS IN MOST CARS SLOWLY OVER TIME. I AM ALSO VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT EVERY MECHANIC I WENT TO TOLD ME IT WAS NORMAL. THEN I GET ONLINE AND DO A GOOGLE SEARCH LEADING ME TO HUNDREDS OF MESSAGE BOARDS WITH PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND BEING BLOWN OFF BY NISSAN. I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MY CARS. I AM NOW GOING TO HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR BECAUSE I AM REFUSING TO PAY $4,000 TO REPLACE AN ENGINE FOR A KNOW DEFECT. APPARENTLY THIS DEFECT HAS ALSO CAUSED FIRES IN CARS. *TR

MY HUSBAND AND I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN FEB 2011 WITH AROUND 118000 FROM A BUY HERE PAY HERE AND TWO MONTHS LATER THE MOTOR WENT OUT ON IT. WE DROVE IT TO CHURCH AND TURNED IT OFF AND IT DIDN'T WANT TO TURN ON AGAIN MY HUSBAND CHECKED THE SPARK PLUGS AND THEY HAD WATER IN IT. I HAVE READ THAT THIS CAR HAVE BAD MOTOR PROBLEMS, OUR MECHANIC CHECKED IT AND SAID WE NEED A NEW MOTOR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SEEMED AS IF IT WOULD STALL AND SHE SMELLED A BURNING ODOR. SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FLICKERED. THE FAILURE WAS FREQUENT AND OCCURRED ON A DAILY BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO INFORMED HER OF RECALL 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 49,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,686.

THIS SITUATION HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES; I PARK MY CAR (TURN ENGINE OFF) DO GROCERIES, SHOPPING, ETC, COME BACK, I TURN THE CAR ON AND THE CAR IS LIKE STALLING, LIKE ITS IDLE BUT YOU CAN FEEL THE SHAKING ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I DIDN'T WANT TO DRIVE ON THIS SITUATION. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, TURN IT BACK ON AND STILL THE SAME SITUATION. I HAVE TO WAIT 3-5 MINUTES WITH ENGINE OFF, THEN I TURN IT ON AND THE CAR STARTS WORKING NORMAL. THERE IS NO "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. THIS IS HAPPENING TIME TO TIME. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT COULD BE SOMETING WITH THE GASOLINE IN THE TANK, THAT IS NOT THE CASE BECAUSE I LEFT MY TANK ALMOST TO EMPTY AND LOAD A NEW TANK, DIFFERENT GAS STATION AND STILL DOES THE SAME. I CALLED THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT, ASKED FOR ANY RECALLS ON MY CAR'S MODEL/YEAR. THEY SAY NO RECALLS FOR THIS YEAR/MODEL. I STARTED SEARCHING FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND I READ A FEW ARTICLES THAT THE '02 MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR SIMILAR ISSUES, ALSO THAT THE SAME '03 MODEL IN CANADA HAS BEEN RECALLED AND SERVICED FOR SAME ISSUE. ALTHOUGH I CANNOT PROVE THAT WHAT I READ IS TRUE, I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE CHECKED BY NISSAN DEALERSHIP MAINTENANCE CENTERS SINCE THERE IS NO ALERT SIGNS ON THE DASHBOARDS.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS CONSUMING OIL FASTER THAN NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT LOCATED THE FAILURE IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE OIL ESCAPED INTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUSING THE ENGINE AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO FAIL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER FILED REPORT 7135820 BUT WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

I OWN A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF 2010, I WAS DRIVING ON MY WAY TO WORK. ABOUT 4 MILES FROM MY HOME. (MY CAR IS RIGHT UNDER 107K MILES AT THE TIME). I WAS DRIVING NORMAL, OR CORRECTLY. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR SHUTS OFF! I HAVE TO JERK MY WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND BREAK MY CAR BEFORE I CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I AM SO THANKFUL I WAS NOT ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS WERE PUT AT RISK THAT DAY BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH YOUR CAR. THERE IS A RECALL FOR YOUR CAR, ACTUALLY QUITE A FEW, BUT THE ONE I'M MOST INTERESTED IN GETTING FIXED IS THE ONE THAT DETERMINES MY LIVELY HOOD. ALL I AM ASKING IS YOU PLEASE FIX THIS. I CAN GO WITHOUT THE AC OR HAVING WEAK HEADLIGHTS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH. I JUST CAN'T DEPEND ON THIS CAR TO NOT KILL ME ONE DAY. PLEASE, I AM BEGGING YOU. ONCE AGAIN FOR MY LIFE & THE LIVES OF MANY OTHERS THAT WILL BE INVOLVED. PLEASE FIX THIS PROBLEM! I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE FOR THE ALTIMA OUT OF POCKET. RECALLED ON : 7/7/2006 INFLUENCED BY: OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION RECALLED FOR: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. *TR

HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NISSAN/ALTIMA/2003/ENGINE/ENGINE_BURNS_OIL.SHTML. *TR