2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A BUSY INTERSECTION AND A RAILROAD CROSSING MY CAR SUDDENLY SEEMED TO HAVE LOST ALL POWER. MY CAR REMAINED ON. THINKING IT WAS JUST THE ROAD CONDITIONS. LATER SAME NIGHT ALSO IN A BUSY INTERSECTION ONCE AGAIN ONLY THIS TIME COMPLETELY JUST SHUT DOWN. NO POWER COASTED QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE OFF ROAD. TRIED TO RESTART MY CAR BUT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. WAITED A COUPLE MINUTES AND TRIED AGAIN AND MY CAR STRUGGLED TO TURN ON BUT DID TURN ON. MY CAR BEING A PREOWNED CERTIFIED CAR THAT I HAVE PURCHASED FROM LANCASTER HONDA DEALERSHIP I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY RECALL NOTICES FOR MY CAR AND I AM A VERY UPSET CONSUMER. BROUGHT MY CAR TO BE SERVICED FROM THE DEALER AND THEY WANT $294.00 TO REPLACE MY CAM SENSOR AND CRANK SENSOR. I REFUSED THE WORK TO MY CAR AND WHILE SEARCHING THE INTERNET I FOUND RECALLS FOR THE ECM AND I AM SHOCKED TO SEE MANY OTHER CONSUMERS WITH MY SAME PROBLEM. ALSO, ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY FELT AS IF CAR LOST POWER. I NOTICED ALSO ALOT OF HEAT COMING FROM THE INSIDE OF MY CAR VENTS AND THE TEMP. GAUGE ON THE DASHBOARD DIDN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING ACCURATELY. I TURNED THE VENT FULL BLAST TO BE ON SAFE SIDE. AFTER CALLING NISSAN CONSUMER COMPLAINTS THEY ADVISED MY TO BRING MY CAR NOW TO NISSAN DEALER NEXT CITY OVER AND THEY WILL REPLACE/REPROGRAM MY ECM FREE OF CHARGE BUT THEY ARE GOING TO BE ALSO CHARGING ME $95.00 DIAGNOSIS CHARGE AND WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THEM REPLACING THE TWO SENSORS AS WELL FREE OF CHARGE THEY SAID IF AFTER RUNNING THE DIAG. AND IF IT BE THAT THE SENSORS WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT THEN IT WILL ALSO BE REPLACED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. IN 2006, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEATING SYSTEM WAS NOT HEATING PROPERLY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY CLEANED THE AIR POCKETS. PREVIOUSLY IN 2003, THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: EXHAUST SYSTEM: MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE). IN 2007, AT 77,000 MILES, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED SO SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DIAGNOSIS FOUND THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME. THE HEAD GASKET ALSO FAILED. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND REQUESTED THAT THEY PAY FOR THE CATALYTIC REPAIR BECAUSE THE FAILURES OCCURRED AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY CONSIDER PAYING FOR THE HEAD GASKET. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

I OWN A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5L. THIS CAR IS AFFECTED BY RECALL # NTB03-070C, POTENTIAL ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. THIS RECALL HAS BEEN MODIFIED SEVERAL TIMES. THE "FLASH" PROGRAMMING ALONE HAS BEEN MODIFIED BY NISSAN SIX TIMES. THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE IN 2004, UNDER CAMPAIGN ID R3007. THIS WAS THE FIRST VERSION OF THE RECALL AND PROGRAMMING RELEASED BY NISSAN. THE RECALL "CORRECTS" A PROBLEM OF TOO MUCH RAW FUEL BEING DUMPED INTO THE PRECATALYST ON DECELERATION. THIS EXTRA FUEL IN THE CATALYST CAUSES DETERIORATION OF THE PRECATALYST CAUSING IT TO FAIL, CLOG UP, AND RELEASE CATALYST SUBSTRATE INTO THE MOTOR (IT GETS SUCKED BACK INTO COMBUSTION CHAMBER ON DECELERATION) ONCE THE CATALYST PARTICLES ARE SUCKED INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER, THE CYLINDER WALLS ARE SCORED, CAUSING SIGNIFICANT OIL CONSUMPTION. YOU CAN VERIFY ALL OF THIS BY REVIEWING THE RECALL. MY CAR HAS BEEN IMPECCABLY MAINTAINED. I AM ASE MASTER L1 CERTIFIED. THE CAR HAS SUFFERED THIS EXACT LOSS. THE PRECATALYST HAS FAILED AND IS PLUGGED UP, THE CATALYST SUBSTRATE WAS SUCKED INTO THE MOTOR SCORING THE CYLINDER WALLS, AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED BURNING OIL. I TOOK MY CAR TO NISSAN OF MCKINNEY, TX FOR CONFIRMATION AND RECALL WORK. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE RECALL WORK HAD BEEN DONE BY TROPHY NISSAN IN 2004. I SPOKE TO NISSAN NORTH AMERICA. THEY INFORMED ME THAT SINCE THE RECALL WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED, MY CAR WAS NO LONGER ELIGIBLE TO BE FIXED UNDER THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME FAILURE FOR WHICH NISSAN ISSUED THE RECALL. I TOLD NISSAN NORTH AMERICA THAT OBVIOUSLY IF THE FIRST VERSION OF SOFTWARE THAT THEY ISSUED UNDER CAMPAIGN ID R 3007 WAS SUFFICIENT, THEN THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CHANGED THE "FLASH" SIX TIMES. THEY DID NOT AGREE WITH ME. I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT THE FIX THAT NISSAN NORTH AMERICA IS PERFORMING REGARDING THIS RECALL IS NOT SUFFICIENT. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A HEARING WITH THE NHTSA TO PROVE MY CASE. *TR

- HESITATION AT SLOW SPEED AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT - HESITATION ONCE EVERY 50KM - CAR STALLED IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC DURING A LEFT TURN - CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN AUGUST OF 2006 FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY FAILURE AT THE TIME, BUT THE CONTACT STILL TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THREE YEARS LATER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN EXPERIENCING THE FAILURE LISTED IN THE RECALL. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND HAD TO BE RESTARTED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE SERVICE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED PERMANENTLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED THIS ISSUE YEARS AGO, BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AGAIN; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT BELIEVES IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED UNDER THE RECALL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 66,138. UPDATED 4/16/09 *CN UPDATED 04/20/09.*JB

CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FAILURE ON HIGHWAY. ENGINE ALMOST TURNED OFF ON HIGHWAY. ENGINE HESITATION ATLEAST ONCE EVERY 50KM. CORRECTED WITH REPLACEMENT OF CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR (SENSOR WAS REDESIGNED) AND NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. *TR

THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOR THE FIRST TIME FEBRUARY 17,2009. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE POWER TO MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA SE 3.5 COMPLETELY CUT OUT. I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH A SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, THE BATTERY LIGHT, OIL LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ALL ON. I TRIED TO RE-START MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET IT INTO NEUTRAL. AT FIRST THE ENGINE TURNED OVER LIKE IT WANTED TO START BUT IT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY START. AFTER THE 3RD ATTEMPT IT STARTED UP. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO MY DESTINATION 5 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENED. I AM VERY LUCKY AND WAS NOT REAR ENDED. WHEN I PULLED INTO MY PARKING SPOT THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME IT TOOK ABOUT 5 ATTEMPTS TO GET IT TO RESTART. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO OUR LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND I WAS TOLD IT IS A CRANK/CAM POSITION SENSOR. WE REPLACED THIS ITEM AT A COST OF $185.21. MY HUSBAND DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND FOUND OUT NISSAN USA DID A RECALL ON 2002 AND EARLY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA'S FOR THE CRANK/CAM POSITION SENSOR. I CONTACTED NISSAN TO FIND OUT IF MY CAR WAS INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL AND WAS INFORMED I WAS NOT. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THIS PROBLEM IS A HAZARD TO MOTORISTS AND IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY NISSAN. I WAS GIVEN A FILE #6422418 AND THAT WAS ALL THEY COULD DO FOR ME. MEANWHILE I HAVE INVESTIGATED TO SEE IF OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS TO BE WIDE SPREAD AMONG THE NISSAN ALTIMA'S AND SOME MAXIMAS. IT IS ALSO NOT JUST AN ISSUE WITH THE 2002-2003 MODELS BUT EXTENDS UP TO THE 2005 MODELS. MOST OF THE CONSUMERS HAVE EITHER MADE A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN OR THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU-AUTOMOTIVE LINE. NISSAN DID MAKE A RECALL ON THE 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA FOR THE ECM WHICH JUST RESETS THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" BUT STILL DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF THE CRANK/CAM POSITION SENSOR. SOME OF THESE CONSUMERS HAVE SPENT UP TO $500.00 TO GET THIS SENSOR FIXED.*TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHUT OFF WHILE IN MOTION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 62,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,500.

I BROUGHT MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA INTO COUNTYLINE NISSAN IN MIDDLEBURY, CT; THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM. IT WAS 5-02-08 AND I HAD 58,294 MILES ON IT, I TOLD THEM I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND IN THE ENGINE IN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR, I ALSO TOLD THEM IT SOUNDED AS IF THE ENGINE BOGGED DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING UP HILLS. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT MY WARRANTY WAS GOING BE UP AT 60,000 MILES AND WANTED THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE WARRANTY WAS UP. I ALSO TOLD THEM THAT WHILE THEY HAD MY CAR TO DO AN OIL CHANGE. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY CAR LATER THAT DAY THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE MY CONCERN, MEANING THAT THEY COULD NOT HEAR THE NOTICEABLY OBVIOUS SOUND THE ENGINE HAD BEEN MAKING. I ASSURED THEM THAT I DEFINITELY HEARD A NOISE AND THAT MY CAR WAS ACTING WEIRD , THEY ASSURED ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG, THEY GAVE ME MY OIL CHANGE AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. ON 9-21-08 AT APPROX. 61,174 THE FAINT KNOCKING I HEARD SUDDENLY TURNED INTO A LOUD BANGING IN MY ENGINE. I STOPPED MY CAR AND NOT KNOWING WHAT ELSE TO DO CHECKED MY OIL. THERE WAS NOT A DROP IN IT, AFTER I HAD JUST HAD MY OIL CHANGED NOT EVEN THREE THOUSAND MILES EARLIER, I KNEW IT HAD TO BE THE DEALERSHIPS FAULT. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 9-22-08 AND TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM, THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT AND CALL ME BACK. A FEW HOURS LATER I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE MANAGER, HE TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND IT WOULD COSTS $4,500. I TOLD HIM I WOULD NOT BE PAYING THAT BECAUSE IT WAS THERE FAULT AND THEY NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING TO FIX IT. HE SAID THE ONLY THING HE COULD DO WAS REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR $4,500. I THEN HAD MY CAR TOWED TO MY HOUSE, I LOOKED INTO MY OPTIONS AND NEEDED A CAR ASAP SO I HAD ANOTHER SHOP REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR A LITTLE CHEAPER. I CALLED NISSAN CORP. AND TOLD THEM OF THE SITUATION THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T HELP ME. I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF SIMILAR SITUATIONS AND I HAVE ALSO FOUND A RECALL ON THE SAME ENGINE IN CANADA. *TR