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.

  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
    - DAYTON, OH

    I WAS MAKING A LEFT-HAND TURN AT AN INTERSECTION AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT ON A SUNDAY AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NEARLY TO THE FLOOR AND AS THE CAR DOWN SHIFTED, THE CAR LURCHED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED CRIPPLED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT REV OVER 2300 RPM AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD A DIFFICULT TIME SHIFTING. WE TOOK THE CAR TO A NISSAN DEALER AND WERE TOLD THAT THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR HAD FAILED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, WE FOUND THAT THE FAILURE OF THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR ON NISSAN ALTIMA'S AND MAXIMA'S IS NOT UNCOMMON. THE REPAIR BILL WAS OVER $1300 FOR DIAGNOSTICS OF THE PROBLEM, LABOR AND PARTS. I AM EXTREMELY DISPLEASED THAT THIS ISSUE IS MUCH TOO COMMON TO BE OVERLOOKED AS BEING A RECALL ITEM. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC AROUND ME AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, OTHERWISE, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A CAR ACCIDENT AS THAT INTERSECTION IS A HIGH-VOLUME INTERSECTION.*JB

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
    - MIAMI, FL

    DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON A WET HIGHWAY. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT CONTACTED.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
    - CASTLETON, VT

    DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED JUST BEFORE ALL POWER FAILED IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE HAPPENED 25 TIMES. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STEER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AS THE POWER STEERING FAILED DURING THE POWER LOSS. AFTER 45 SECONDS THE ENGINE COULD BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER FOR SERVICE. ON A PRIOR VISIT THE SERVICE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
    - FARMINGDALE, NY

    MY HUSBAND'S 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA CRASHED HIM INTO A PARKED CAR WHEN THE FRONT SUSPENSION BAR CRACKED. IT BREAK OFF WAS A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINE. THE AXEL AND TIRE COUPLINGS WERE STILL INTACT. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS ELSE WAS HURT, IT HAPPENED ON A BUSY, NARROW VILLAGE STREET AND THE PARKED CAR STOPPED HIS CAR FROM GOING INTO A STORE FRONT OR A PASSERBY! *NM

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
    - SAN ANTONIO, TX

    1) EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED ARE THAT MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS TURNED ON AND MY CAR HAS TURNED OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING IT ON THE ROAD. IT HAS BEEN DANGEROUS FOR MY FAMILY. THE A/C HAS STOPPED WORKING ALSO. MY CAR IS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 SL. 2.) I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PRICE IS TO HAVE MY VEHICLE CHECKED AND ITS TOO HIGH. FOR A CAR THAT IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD AND THAT I AM STILL PAYING ON I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO ONE OF THE AUTO PARTS TO HAVE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CHECKED AND WAS TOLD THAT ITS THE SPEED SENSOR AND THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR BUT THEY DO NOT GUARANTEE ANYTHING. I WENT AHEAD AND ORDERED THE PARTS AND NOW I WILL HAVE TO FIND A MECHANIC THAT IS NOT TOO EXPENSIVE TO HAVE THE PARTS REPLACED. *NM

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
    - CHICAGO, IL

    DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE CRANK SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMED THE ECM. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL REGARDING NHTSA RECALL # 06V242000; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; CRANK SENSOR AND ECM; HOWEVER THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND LURCHED FORWARD AND THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT ILLUMINATED SOON AFTER THE ABOVE REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CONTACT WAS CHARGED FOR THE ABOVE REPAIRS EVEN THOUGH THE RECALL NOTICE INDICATES THE VIN AS BEING INCLUDED. THE DEALERSHIP TREATED THE CRANK SENSOR AND ECM REPAIRS AS TWO SEPARATE REPAIRS, BUT THE RECALL NOTICE INDICATED THE TWO WERE CORRELATED TOGETHER AS ONE.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
    - LADY LAKE, FL

    SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALL OF A SUDDEN WITH NO WARNING AND CAR STOPPED IN MIDDLE OF ROAD. I PUT IT BACK INTO GEAR AND STARTED IT AGAIN - IT DID THIS 4 TIMES WITHIN A 2 MILE RANGE. MY BROTHER PUT SOME TRANSMISSION FLUID IN IT WHICH SEEMED TO HELP A LITTLE BIT. LUCKILY AN AUTO PARTS STORE WAS NEAR BY AND I MADE IT OVER THERE FOR THEM TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK ON IT. CAME BACK WITH BAD CRANK POSITION SENSOR. I FINALLY MADE IT HOME AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO GET IT SERVICED THE NEXT DAY. MADE IT TO DEALERSHIP WITH A LOT OF PRAYER BECAUSE IT WAS 15 MILES AWAY. I GUESS THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HELPED A BIT TOO. THEY REPLACED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR AT $170 AND A WHOLE DAY OUT OF WORK. TODAY I GOT A RECALL NOTICE ON IT - 5 MONTHS LATER. YEAH. *JB

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
    - KILLEEN, TX

    DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER THE FAILURE THERE WAS A COUPLE MINUTE DELAY BEFORE THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THIS ONLY OCCURRED DURING WARM WEATHER. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, #06V242000, REGARDING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE SHOP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING HOWEVER NO CODES DISPLAYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED AND DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
    - CORONA, CA

    FAULTY DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOWS. WHEN THE CAR IS LOCKED, APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES LATER, THE HEADLIGHTS BLINK ONCE AND THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW AUTOMATICALLY ROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN. *JB

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
    - FRESNO, CA

    DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED SUDDENLY WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT. THE VEHICLE STALLED IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS BUT USUALLY WHILE STOPPED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V242000, REGARDING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE