2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE ENGINE WILL STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, AND HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS ISSUE WITH THE CRANKSHAFT AND/OR CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. LOCAL NISSAN DEALER HAS REFUSED TO FIX, STATING THAT THIS VEH WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THAT RECALL, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE SENSORS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. THE RECALL TO PROGRAM THE ECM WAS COMPLETED, BUT IT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE HAD MY NISSAN ALTIMA 2003 SINCE MAY OF THAT YEAR. STARTING A YEAR AGO I BEGAN TO NOTICE SIGNALS ON MY DASH INDICATING CHECK ENGINE. I THEN WAS PULLED OVER FOR A NON WORKING TAIL LIGHT. I HAD IT FIXED AND A DAY LATER THE BULB BLEW LATER. I CHANGED THE BULB THREE TIMES BEFORE THEY ISSUED A RECALL ON THAT WIRE. SOON THERE AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AGAIN NOW THE CAR WOULD SHUT OFF WHILE SITTING AT THE LIGHT. I THEN RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE ON THE COMPUTER CHIP WHICH CAUSES A FAULTY SIGNAL TO THE STARTER. I TOOK THAT IN TO GET FIXED. A MONTH LATER THE CAR WOULD BEGIN TO SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS MOVING. I TOOK IT BACK INTO NISSAN, THEY EXCLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO FIX. AFTER THE SAME OCCURENCE CONTINUED I THEN TOOK IT TO OTHER MECHANICS WHO WOULD SEE THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY COMPUTER CHIP WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR I PAID ABOUT $1,800 IN REPAIRS AND STILL THE CAR WOULD SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AND I BECAME SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR DUE TO THE SEVERITY. I THEN CALLED CUSTOMER CARE FOR NISSAN WHICH EXCLAIMS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THEM , PAY $80.00 AGAIN TO SEE WHAT IS WRONG. THERE IS ANOTHER RECALL ON THE NISSAN ALTIMA, PERTAINING TO THE COMPUTER WHICH CAUSES THE CAR NOT TO RUN. THEY DENY THIS AND I AM LEFT PAYING FOR A CAR THAT DOES NOT WORK. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO, BUT I HAVE MET OTHER OWNERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA THAT WHEN DRIVING WILL CUT OFF. THIS OCCURS AT LEAST 4 OR 5 TIMES WHILE DRIVING. I RECEIVED NOTICE THAT THE CAR IS UNDER RECALLED. AFTER TAKING MY CAR TO A DIAGNOSTIC SHOP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CODES MATCHED THE RECALLED PART. NISSAN DEALERSHIP LOCATED AT 2207 WAKE FOREST ROAD, REFUSE TO MAKE THE REPAIR TO THE RECALLED PART. THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST STATED THAT THE CAR WAS CUTTING OFF BECAUSE OF THE RECALLED PART AND THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO MAKE THE REPAIR CLAIMING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FIRST AND THEN THEY WOULD MAKE THE REPAIR JUST IN CASE OTHER CODES ARE FOUND AND IF OTHER CODES ARE FOUND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEM RESET BEFORE THEY WOULD FIX THE RECALLED REPAIR. I HAVE A DAUGHTER ( 3 YEARS OF AGE) AND I AM CONCERNED THAT I WILL GET HIT CAUSING BOTH OF US INJURY.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT IT HESITATED. SHE THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO A DRAINED BATTERY. WHEN SHE FINALLY GOT THE VEHICLE TO START, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE FAILED ITS EMISSIONS TEST DUE TO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) IN JUNE OF 2007. THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR WAS REPROGRAMMED AT THAT TIME. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT BECAUSE THE DEALER ONLY REPROGRAMMED, INSTEAD OF COMPLETELY REPAIRING THE FAILURE, SHE WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE PAYING FOR THE REPROGRAMMING ANNUALLY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 79,000. UPDATED 07/29/08. *LJ UPDATED 07/29/08

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WOULD STRUGGLE TO ACCELERATE AND TAKE LONGER TO START. ON JUNE 20, 2008, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 50-55 MPH AND CHANGING LANES, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT QUICKLY MOVED OVER TO THE LEFT SHOULDER AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. FROM THAT POINT ON, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STUTTER AND STALL. ON JUNE 17, 2008, HE BEGAN EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE. ON JUNE 23, 2008, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER'S 03V455000, 03V084000, AND 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). HE WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT BECAUSE HIS VEHICLE EXCEEDED 100,000 MILES, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE FAILURE MOVED THE CONTACT'S BODY TO ONE SIDE OF THE SEAT. HE NOTICED THAT THE METAL FATIGUE IN THE BACK BOLT, WHICH HELD THE SEAT TO THE BOTTOM, WAS SNAPPED INTO TWO PARTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CONTACT PLANS TO HAVE THE FAILURE CORRECTED AT A WELDING SHOP. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 124,394 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000. UPDATED 07/15/08. *LJ UPDATED 07/15/08

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER. ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE HESITATED AND SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE OIL PUMP EXPLODED INTO PIECES INSIDE THE ENGINE, CAUSING IT TO SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT BEING REPAIRED BY THE MECHANIC. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 93,000.

THE ENGINE LIGHT PERIODICALLY FLASHED ON/OFF. WE HAD THE CAR SERVICED AT A NISSAN DEALER WHICH COST $1000. 3 MONTHS LATER,WE SPENT $300. FINALLY,2 MONTHS LATER THE MOTOR GOES OUT AND WE SPEND $5000 TO REPLACE IT IN A CAR LESS THAN 4YRS OLD(BOUGHT BRAND NEW -NOT A USED VEHICLE). FURTHERMORE,THE CAR WOULD JUST SLOW DOWN AND STOP PERIODICALLY(NO MATTER IF YOU WERE ON THE INTERSTATE OR NOT). *TR

CAR SUDDENLY DIES WHILE DRIVING DOWN STREET OR HIGHWAY. WILL NOT START. NISSAN HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS PROBLEM AS A CRANKSHAFT/CAMSHAFT SENSOR PROBLEM AND RECALLED 2002 AND SOME 2003 MODELS. HOWEVER THEY ARE EXCLUDING OTHER 2003 MODELS THAT EXHIBIT THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2002, THE CONTACT HAS SMELLED AN UNUSUAL ODOR. THE OIL LEVEL WAS CONSISTENTLY LOW WHENEVER HE WOULD TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. RECENTLY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO GARAGE FOR A DIAGNOSIS AND THEY STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED. ON JUNE 12, 2008, THE CHECK OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE UNDERWENT A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000.