2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON THE PA TURNPIKE MY ENGINE CUT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART IT. IT DID RESTART, I DROVE A FEW MORE MILES AND THE SAME THING OCCURRED. THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE ON THE TURNPIKE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. *JB

UPDATE TO ODI 10176518. POWER VALVE SCREWS WERE FOUND MISSING. SCREWS WERE INGESTED INTO COMBUSTION CHAMBER OF ENGINE. *JB

SLOWED VEHICLE AND SEES LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH. VEHICLE DIED. RESTARTED VEHICLE. SES LIGHT ON CONSTANT. VEHICLE 'PULSES' - LIKE NOT GETTING ENOUGH FUEL. *NM

TL*- A SAFETY RECALL ON 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA CRANK SENSOR. THE CONTACT PAID FOR THE RECALL REPAIR BEFORE SHE SOLD THE CAR, AND WANTS TO KNOW IF SHE WILL BE REIMBURSED. THE CONTACT WILL BE CALLED AND OFFERED THE FAQ RESPONSE.

I BOUGHT A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA IN OCTOBER 2002. IT HAD 4 MILES ON IT FROM MY TEST DRIVE. MY FIRST OIL CHANGE WAS SIX WEEKS LATER BECAUSE I WAS WORKING 100 MILES ROUND-TRIP TO WORK. THE DEALERSHIP INITIALLY LEFT THE CAP OFF MY RADIATOR WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO SMOKE AND SPUTTER WHEN I PICKED IT UP. IN FEBRUARY 2003, I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND MY CAB FILLED UP WITH SMOKE. I HAD TO PULL OVER BECAUSE THE CAR RAN HOT. THE DEALERSHIP DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIRS TO THE CAR. THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE RADIATOR. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE "HOSES" BECAUSE RODENTS HAD EATEN THROUGH THE HOSES THAT CAUSED THE FLUID TO LEAK. I ASKED FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE, BUT THEY REFUSED. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED EVERY HOSE ON THE CAR. I HAD TO BUY A NEW RADIATOR, HEATER COIL (THE CAR WOULD BLOW COLD AIR WHEN SITTING STILL), AND RIGHT NOW I'M WAITING ON A COMPRESSOR. THIS CAR HAS BEEN A PIECE OF JUNK SINCE I MADE THE PURCHASE. I HAVE OWNED 2 MAXIMAS, AND CURRENTLY HAVE AN OLDER MODEL PATHFINDER AS WELL. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS LIKE THIS WITH THE OTHER ONES. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ALTIMA. *NM

HAD THE ECM REPROGRAM DONE A FEW WEEKS AGO. COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, DEALER RESET THE ECM AGAIN. PAST WEEK, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. DEALER NOW SAYS THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR IS BAD. WE HAD THE "STALLING ENGINE WITHOUT WARNING" ISSUE IN NOV 2003. AT THAT TIME AND UNDER SEVERE PRESSURE FROM ME, THE DEALER REPLACED THE CRANK AND CAMSHAFT POSITION...STALLING PROBLEM SOLVED. HERE WE ARE 3 YEARS LATER BACK TO THE BAD CRANK POSITION SENSOR AGAIN AND DEALER IS SAYING MY VIN IS NOT IN THE RANGE OF THE SENSOR RECALL AND I HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPLACED. IN MY OPINION, NISSAN IS TRYING TO PROGRAM THE ECM TO HIDE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE SENSORS AND IT'S MADE IT MORE PRONOUNCED. THE DEALER IS TRYING TO SOFTEN THE BLOW A BIT BY KNOCKING SOME OFF THE CHARGES, BUT I'M STILL HAVING TO COUGH UP $184 FOR A WELL KNOWN, WELL DOCUMENTED AND AGING DEFECT. COME ON NISSAN, FIX THE PROBLEM....IT'S A DANGEROUS ONE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO START, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE AIR FLOW FILTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTERWARDS, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. A NHTSA RECALL, #06V242000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE ENGINE HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR UNDER THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

2003 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S. CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT MANY, MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR A CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION AND ENGINE SPEED INPUT CIRCUIT CAUSING THIS STALLING. THERE'S A RECALL FOR 2002 MODELS, BUT NOT FOR 2003 AND THIS IS DANGEROUS. *JB

COURTESY COPY RE DEFECTIVE 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. SHE IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FROM NISSAN. *TS THE VEHICLE STALLED WEATHER THE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATION FROM A STOP OR WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED THE CRANK CASE REPLACED, THROTTLE SENSOR ADJUSTED, FUEL INJECTION FLUSHED, POWER STEERING FLUSHED, AND BRAKE FLUID FLUSHED. THE CONSUMER DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND RECALL 06V242000 IN REFERENCE TO FAULTY ENGINE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR. THE CONSUMER VEHICLE FELL WITHIN THE RANGE OF THE RECALL BUT THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THEREFORE THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SENSOR. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO CHECKED THE RECALLS. THE DEALER REPLACED A FAULTY CHAMBER. THE FAULTY CHAMBER RESULTED IN A THROTTLE CHAMBER REPLACEMENT.

2003 ALTIMA'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *TS THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE PERTAINING TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BETWEEN THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR AND THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK DONE. PRIOR TO THE APPOINTMENT THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS OF THE RECALL, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE NEXT DAY. THE TECH INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE CRANK SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THEY COULD NOT REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER WITHOUT REPLACING IT. *NM