2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints
View complaints related to 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 860 complaints submitted for the 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.
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2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- CAMDEN, SC
MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA USES 4 QUARTERS OF OIL IN LESS THAN 50 MILES OF HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE DEALER SERVICE REP. SAID THAT THE ENGINE IS DAMAGE BY THE CAT. FILTER MATERIAL. HOWEVER, THERE IS WATER ON THE OIL CAP OF THE ENGINE AS IF THE HEAD IS CRACKED OR HEAD IS WARPED. I FEEL THAT IS A DESIGN DEFECT AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT. *TR
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- UNKNOWN, DC
2003 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. *NJ THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED, THE CYLINDER 1 MISFIRED WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKET CONSUMING 3 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 4000 MILES AND RUNNING TERRIBLY ROUGH. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED HER VEHICLE WAS AMONG THE HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE PRE-CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHERE IT DETERIORATES AND BECOMES SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE, SCORCHING THE CYLINDERS CAUSING MASSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION THEN FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH. *JB
Source: CONSUMER LETTER -
2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- HOUSTON, TX
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE SERVICE ENGINE, BATTERY, AND BRAKE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE THROTTLE BODY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR IDENTICAL FAILURES, BUT THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY WAS INSUFFICIENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- BRUSH PRAIRIE, WA
I BOUGHT A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH 66K MILES ON IT 6 MONTHS AGO FROM WILSONVILLE NISSAN. THEY PROMISED THIS CAR WAS IN PERFECT RUNNING ORDER, EVEN AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON DURING THE TEST DRIVE, BUT THE TECHNICIANS THERE INSISTED THAT THEY JUST FORGOT TO RESET THE COMPUTER AFTER THEY PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE. AS I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT, SES LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE ON ALTIMAS FOR THIS REASON, BUT AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND MULTIPLE PROBLEMS AROSE, WE RAN DIAGNOSTICS AND CYLINDER 1 WAS MISFIRING. THERE ARE MANY MORE ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE NOW, INCLUDING PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD GASKET, CONSUMING 3 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 400 MILES, AND RUNNING TERRIBLY ROUGH. THERE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THESE SAME PRE-CAT RELATED ISSUES IN THEIR 02-06 ALTIMAS. THE PRECAT DETERIORATES AND IS SUCKED UP INTO THE ENGINE, SCORCHING THE CYLINDERS, CAUSING MASSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH AND THEN DYING. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO WILSONVILLE NISSAN AND THEY REFUSED TO GIVE THE PRECAT A VISUAL INSPECTION. THEY CLAIMED THAT SINCE THE COMPUTER DID NOT THROW A CODE CONCERNING THE PRECAT, THEY HAD NO REASON TO LOOK AT IT. INSTEAD, THEY CHARGED US $110 TO TELL US THAT THE COMPUTER WAS GIVING A CYLINDER 1 MISFIRE CODE. WE ALREADY KNEW THAT AND WE TOLD THEM THAT BEFORE THEY TOOK THE CAR IN. UNDER THE FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY, NISSAN HAS TO PAY FOR ALL COSTS TO DIAGNOSE, REPAIR, AND REPLACE ALL PARTS THAT ARE RUINED BY ANY FAULTY EMISSIONS PART UNDER 80,000 MILES. THE PRECAT FALLS UNDER THIS CATEGORY, AND THE ENGINE SHOULD ALSO BE REPLACED BY NISSAN AS ITS PROBLEMS ARE A DIRECT RESULT FROM THE PRECAT FALLING APART AND GETTING SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE. RECALL ID# 5450 REQUIRES THEM TO TEST AND LOOK AT THE PRE-CAT, AND IF THERE IS ANY DAMAGE TO THE CAT, THEN THE ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED, FREE OF CHARGE. NISSAN WILL NOT COOPERATE AND WILL NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE PRECAT. PLEASE HELP. *TR
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- CAMDEN, SC
THE 148,246 MILES ENGINE IN THE NISSAN ALTIMA IS BLOWING OIL OUT THE EXHAUST AT A RATE OF 4 QUARTS WITH IN 20-40 MILES OF DRIVING. I WAS TOLD THE CAT. FILTER CAME APART AND THE MATERIAL WAS SUCKED INTO THE INTAKE OF THE CYLINDER CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER WALL TO THE DEGREE WHERE AS AN ENGINE AND CAT. FILTER NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
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2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- POUGHKEEPSIE, NY
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BURNS OIL. THE VEHICLE HAD JUST UNDERGONE AN OIL CHANGE AND ALL OF THE OIL HAS SUDDENLY LEFT OUT OF THE ENGINE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. SHE IS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD IGNITE INTO FLAMES DUE TO THE BURNING OIL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 129,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- COLUMBIA, MD
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION IN THE VEHICLE. WHILE TRAVELING LESS THAN 2 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, IT SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT WAS UNINJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST NISSAN DEALER FOR REPAIR, WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER HIS INSURANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 33,094.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- JACKSONVILLE, FL
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM), WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), WHICH STATED THAT THE DEALER WOULD REPROGRAM THE ECM FOR FREE. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE TRAVELING LESS THAN 15 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO VERIFIED THAT THE ECM FAILED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL A SECOND TIME. THE RECALL STATED THAT IF THE INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL FROM THE SENSOR IS SO BRIEF, THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) LOGIC DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE CONDITION. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE MAY STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AT A LOW SPEED, THUS INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED FOR HIS SAFETY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 78,500.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- CLINTON, MA
THE GAS CAP REMAINS OPEN AND I HAVE SEEN IT ON MANY OF THE SAME MODEL ALTIMA. HAS THERE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS? THE GAS CAP DOOR DOES NOT SHUT. *TR
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- HAMPTON, GA
RECALL NO. R0606 - PART REPLACED 2 TIMES IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS. ONCE AGAIN, THE CAR IS STOPPING WHILE DRIVING, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE PART IS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. PLEASE HELP ME TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION AND OBTAIN A RELIABLE VEHICLE. THANKS, *TR
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE