2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE TURNING AT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE ALSO SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR ONE MONTH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE, BUT THE CRANK POSITION AND CAM POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED FIRST, AND THE ECM NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE CONTACT WILL BE CHARGED $500 FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE IS DUE TO THE POOR DESIGN OF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER WAITING TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,024.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC, BUT THEY BELIEVE THAT THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WILL NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIRS. THROUGH RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL SINCE THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE NISSAN DEALER AND MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURES LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,059.

HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT SEALED LEADING TO THE FOGGING OF THE LENS WHICH MAKES IT HARD OR UNCLEAR FOR THE DRIVER TO SEE AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING. *TR

RECALL #06V242: CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 6/21/09 TOOK TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED IT AS THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR IN MY NISSAN 2003 ALTIMA NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS BEING AFFECTED BY TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE SENSOR. CALLED DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY VIN NUMBER. THEY SUGGESTED CALLING NISSAN OF NORTH AMERICA. THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR 4 DAYS BEFORE GETTING BACK TO ME SAYING THEY WOULD NOT COVER REPAIRS. DEALERSHIP IS CHARGING $150 TO GET CAR BACK FOR THE DIAGNOSES. ENGINE IS CUTTING OFF DURING LOW DRIVING CAUSING VERY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. IT HAS ALSO STALLED AFTER STARTING THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE RESTATED AFTER THE FIRST ATTEMPT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME NORMAL OPERATION AND WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, WHICH WAS NOT PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE RECURRED ON FIFTY SEPARATE OCCASIONS. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. RECENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNABLE TO BE ENTERED INTO THE SYSTEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND CRANK POSITION SENSOR WERE NOT WORKING. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND ATTEMPTED TO SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND A RECALL FOR THE 2002 MODEL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, WHICH GENERATED A RECALL BY NISSAN. HE FEELS THAT THIS IS A LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION AND SHOULD BE REIMBURSED AND THAT ALL THE VEHICLES NEED TO BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,638. UPDATED 07/08/09. *LJ UPDATED 07/08/09.*JB

I'VE BEEN DRIVING THIS 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA SINCE MARCH 2009. SINCE APRIL THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE MOVING EVERY TIME I USE IT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, SO I BROUGHT IT TO MY LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE TO HAVE THE ENGINE CODES READ, AND THEY SAID I HAVE A BAD CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND A BAD CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. AFTER HEARING OF THIS I RESEARCHED THE PARTS AND PROBLEMS I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING AND CAME ACROSS THE RECALL. I THEN CALLED A NISSAN DEALER TO HAVE THE RECALL ADDRESSED, AND DROPPED THE CAR OFF TO HAVE ON 6/24/09. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 6/25/09 SAYING THEY CAN NOT PERFORM THE RECALL (ECM REPROGRAM) UNLESS I PAY $300 + TAX TO HAVE THE SENSORS REPLACED AND THEN THEY CAN PERFORM THE RECALL FIX. I INSISTED HE PERFORM THE REPROGRAM BEFORE THE SENSORS AND HE REFUSED. SO I SAID THANK YOU AND I'LL PICK MY CAR UP LATER ON IN THE DAY. NOW MY REAL COMPLAINT IS THE SENSORS ARE GOING BAD BECAUSE NISSAN HAS A FAULTY ECM PROGRAM. NISSAN NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE ENTIRE PROBLEM NOT JUST A SIMPLE COMPUTER FIX. NISSAN IS MAKING MONEY OFF OF A BLATANT DEFECT CAUSED BY THEIR OWN MANUFACTURING AT THE COST OF SAFETY AND THEIR CUSTOMERS EXPENSE. THIS RECALL IS ONLY ADDRESSING THE INITIAL PROBLEM, NOT THE RESULTS OF THE INITIAL PROBLEM. NISSAN IS PERFORMING A SLAPSTICK RECALL CAMPAIGN AND THE CONSUMERS NEED TO HAVE RELIEF. FOR ME TO DRIVE A SAFE CAR I AND EVERYONE ELSE WILL HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $300 FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S MISTAKE...NOT FAIR AND THIS SHOULD ADDRESSED ASAP. *TR

MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO START HER CAR (A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA) FOR SEVERAL TRIES (AND WITH VERY WEAK POWER WHEN IT FINALLY DID START), SO WE TOOK IT TO A NEARBY MECHANIC WHO INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. AFTER PAYING TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, WE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. THIS TIME, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO ANOTHER LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO AGAIN INFORMED US OF A PROBLEM WITH THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. HE REPAIRED IT USING A DEALER-SPECIFIED PART AND INFORMED US THAT THE CAR MIGHT STOP RUNNING WHILE DRIVING. HE ALSO GAVE US INFORMATION ABOUT A 2003 RECALL REGARDING THE CRANK SENSOR THAT STATES: "NISSAN HAS DETERMINED THAT SOME 2000-2003 MODEL YEAR NISSAN VEHICLES MAY HAVE A DEFECT WHICH RELATES TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY. THE ENGINE MIGHT STOP RUNNING WHILE BEING DRIVEN IF THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR OR CAM POSITION SENSOR FAILS. THIS MAY ALSO RESULT IN THE 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON' LIGHT COMING ON OR REDUCED ENGINE POWER. IF THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING WHILE DRIVING, THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING." THIS PARTICULAR RECALL APPLIED TO THE 2003 SENTRA, MAXIMA, MURANO, AND 350Z, AS WELL AS THE 2002 ALTIMA, BUT NOT THE 2003 ALTIMA. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE NOW ENCOUNTERING THE SAME PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE INDICATE THAT THEIR 2003 ALTIMAS HAVE STOPPED RUNNING WHILE DRIVING, INCLUDING SOME WHICH HAVE INDEED RESULTED IN CRASHES. ALTHOUGH MY FAMILY HAS NOT YET ENCOUNTERED THIS TRAGEDY, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. TO ME THIS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD NOT ONLY TO THE OWNER BUT TO OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD AS WELL, YET NISSAN INSISTS THAT THEY ARE "NOT LIABLE" FOR ANY REPAIRS BEYOND THE ORIGINAL RECALL. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO HONOR THE RECALL FOR OTHER CARS FROM THE SAME MODEL YEAR THAT ARE NOW ENCOUNTERING THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY REFUSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT AN ISSUE THAT WAS UNRELATED TO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. NO ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WERE MADE AT THAT TIME. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING OVER 60 MPH ON THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 120,000.