2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. I HAVE A NISSAN ALTIMA WITH THE 3.5 V6, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER THAT WHEN ON THE 03 ALTIMAS THE ENGINE WOULD LEAK OIL PAST THE RINGS AND DAMAGE THE CAT THAT WOULD DESTROY THE CAT AND THEN LET THE MATERIAL GO BACK INTO THE MOTOR AND CAUSE OIL CONSUMPTION. MY CAR AFTER TELLING THE DEALER LAST YEAR, STILL USES A QUART EVERY WEEK (ROUGHLY EVERY 600 MILES). THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT NISSAN CONSIDER THIS NORMAL USAGE. I HAVE TRIED OVER SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THIS MATTER RESOLVED. ALL DEALERS AND NISSAN WOULD SAY, YOU ARE PASS YOUR POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. NOW I SEE NISSAN HAS A CAMPAIGN OUT ABOUT THE 06 ALIMTAS. WHY NOT EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON ALL ALTIMA. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A QUART OF OIL NEEDED TO BE ADDED TO THE ENGINE EVERY WEEK. ONCE THE OIL RUNS LOW THERE IS A SHAKING NOISE UNTIL MORE IS ADDED. UPON INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO LEAK, THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE OVER-HAULED BECAUSE IT BURNS EXCESSIVE OIL. UPDATED 7/3/2006 - ALTHOUGH IT WAS CLEAR THAT EH VEHICLE USED EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL THE DEALER REFUSED TO OVERHAUL THE ENGINE FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *NM

ONE YEAR INTO THE OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR WOULD SIMPLE SHUT OFF. IF YOU WERE MOVING AT THE TIME IT WOULD EVENTUALLY COME BACK ON TO THE RUNNING POSITION. IF YOU HAPPENED TO BE AT A STOP SIGN OR A LIGHT AND THE "STUTTER" WOULD HAPPEN IT WOULD COMPLETELY SHUT OFF THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO TRY AND START THE CAR AGAIN. IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT SOMETIMES IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL TRIES TO START THE CAR AGAIN. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED IN 2003 AS A NEW CAR. BECAUSE OF THESE INSTANCES OF THE CAR SHUTTING OFF THERE HAVE BEEN TWO DIFFERENT ACCIDENTS. THANK THE LORD NONE WITH ANY PERSONAL INJURIES. THESE OCCASIONS OF THE CAR SHUTTING OFF BECAME MORE AND MORE PREVALENT, HAPPENING EVERYDAY ALMOST ALL THE TIME TOWARDS THE END OF THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE CAR IS NOW NOT DRIVABLE BECAUSE IT LITERALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING IT. IT WAS TOWED HOME AND THERE IT SITS. WE ARE STILL PAYING ON THE VEHICLE AND HAVE TO HAVE FULL COVERAGE ON IT. *NM

I HAVE 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5SE . IT STALLS AT IDLE AND LOSES POWER DURING DRIVING. IT ALSO DOES NOT WANT TO START AT TIMES JUST DOING SOUND AND AFTER TRYING ABOUT 5 MIN IT'S STARTING( THIS PROBLEM WAS FROM TIME WHEN I BOUGHT THIS BRAND NEW CAR IN 2003). DEALER COULD NOT FIND AND FIX THIS PROBLEM IN 2003 WHEN I HAD WARRANTY. THEY TOLD ME IF CAR STARTS THEY CAN'T READ A CODE , BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A "CHECK ENGINE" MESSAGE. DEALER CHARGED ME $300 FOR TUNE UP. NOW WHEN MY CAR START TO STALLS I WENT AGAIN AND STILL DOES NOT HAVE "CHECK ENGINE" MESSAGE, BUT THEY REPLACED "CRANKSHAFT SENSOR" AND LOOKS LIKE IT WORKS. ANOTHER $300. I CHECK AT NISSANCLUB.COM FORUM AND REALIZE THAT IT'S COMMON PROBLEM FOR NISSAN ALTIMA. BUT MY MODEL 2003 DOES NOT HAVE ANY RECALL. NISSAN SUPPOSED FIX THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT CAN HURT SOME ONE. *JB

1) NO EVENT LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. I ENJOYED NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. 2) ON 5-18-2006 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00 PM MY CAR STALLED. THE STEERING AND THE BRAKES LOCKED UP. THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 75 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. AFTER THE CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY TRAFFIC. I WAS AGAIN ABLE TO GET IT STARTED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE NEXT DAY TO BE INSPECTED. THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOW ON" THE LIGHT HAD NOT BEEN ON PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT OCCURRING. 3) THE NISSAN SERVICE CENTER STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD BROKEN APART INSIDE THE ENGINE AND WAS DESTROYED. THE CONVERTER BEING DESTROYED ALSO DAMAGED THE O2 SENSOR. THE ENGINE STALLING AND THE BRAKES AND STEERING ALMOST LOCKING UP CAUSED A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE IN THE MIDST OF HEAVY TRAFFIC WITH SEVERELY LIMITED ABILITY TO STEER AND BRAKE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE CAR HAS CAUSED THIS ISSUE. THE PREVIOUS ISSUE WAS WHEN THE CAR'S POWER VALVE SCREWS (ALSO CALLED BUTTERFLY VALVE SCREWS) CAME LOOSE AND DAMAGED THE ENGINE AND CAUSED THE CAR TO STALL IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THAT INCIDENT TOO ALMOST RESULTED IN A FATAL ACCIDENT) THE SERVICING NISSAN SERVICE CENTER FOR MY AUTOMOBILE CAN ATTEST TO BOTH OF THESE INCIDENTS AND THERE ARE PICTURES AND CAR PARTS TO PROVE BOTH INCIDENTS. *JB

THE VEHICLE WILL STALL DURING OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WILL HESITATE DURING OPERATION. DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR IS FAULTY. *NM

1. CAR STALLED AND ONCE I HELD THE GAS PEDAL DOWN AND WAS ABLE TO HOLD THE KEY OVER AND CRANK THE ENGINE A HUGE PUFF OF BLACK SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE CAR AND IT SEEMED TO RUN FINE, ALTHOUGH THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IT EVENTUALLY WENT AWAY AFTER A WEEK OR SO. 2) A WEEK OR SO LATER I STARTED THE CAR, IT TURNED OVER FINE BUT HAD NO POWER, IT SIMPLY WOULD NOT GO. IT DID NOT EVEN REALIZE I WAS PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR. 3) I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION IN FRUSTRATION AND THEN TRIED AGAIN. THE SECOND TIME THE CAR WORKED FINE. IT REVVED WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THEN TOOK OFF JUST FINE. 4) THIS BEGAN TO BE A MORE COMMON OCCURRENCE AND IF I TOOK THE KEY OUT OR WAITED A FEW MINUTES IT WOULD STRAIGHTEN UP. 5) NOT NOW! THE CAR WON'T MOVE FORWARD. AND NOW IT IS EVEN STARTING TO STALL OUT AND FLOOD. 6) NOW THE BATTERY EVEN SEEMS TO BE RUNNING DOWN. THIS HAS ALL TAKEN PLACE IN THE MATTER OF ABOUT THE PAST 5 WEEKS AND NOW IT WON'T MOVE FORWARD OR RUN AT ALL. *NM

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT A WEEK AGO WITH NO WARNING WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA JUST LOSS POWER AND DIED IT WAS SO SUTTLE I KEPT PRESSING THE GAS THINKING THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING. ALL ALONG STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH A 4 AND A 2 YEAR OLD IN THE BACK SEAT. IN THE PAST WEEK IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE LUCKILY JUST IN MY SUBDIVISION. ABOUT FOR MONTHS AGO I WENT THROUGH THE SAME THING AND NISSAN SAID IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR GONE BAD HAD IT REPLACED NOW PROBLEM IS BACK. IF SOMETHING CAN BE DONE IT NEEDS TO BE BECAUSE SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE SERIOUSLY HURT WITH THESE CARS JUST SHUTTING OFF WITH NO WARNING. ALL MY SYMPTOMS SEEM TO POINT TO CRANK POSITION SENSOR THAT I'VE BEEN READING ABOUT . NOW IM GOING TO HAVE TO FORK OVER 5-600 HUNDRED BUCKS TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT SHOULDN'T BE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW!!!! *NM

WE PURCHASED A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA IN JANUARY OF 2005. AFTER HAVING THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS THE CAR BEGIN STALLING WHILE DRIVING AND IT WOULD HAPPEN PERIODICALLY. WE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, THIS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES AND WITH MUCH BOLDNESS. WE TOOK THE CAR BACK AND DEMANDED THAT THE PROBLEM BE FOUND. BECAUSE SOMEONE ALMOST HIT US AND MY CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED DUE TO NEGLECT OF NISSAN/DATSUN. THEY INITIALLY TRIED TO GIVE US THE RUN AROUND AND STATED THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEMS, THEN AFTER THE TECH, DROVE THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES THE CAR STALLED AND THEY DETECTED THAT IT WAS A SENSOR AND WE HAD TO PAY FOR THIS. I KNOW THAT NISSAN SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING MORE THAN REPORTED, I JUST FOUND THIS SITE AND I KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE A DISSERVICE TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT MIGHT HAVE THIS DEFECT AND HAVE NOT HAD SYMPTOMS YET OF THIS POSSIBLY FATAL DEFECT. THANK GOD WE WERE NOT HARMED AND NO OTHER DRIVERS. *JB

RE: ACTION NUMBER RQ06001 MANUFACTURER: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA I HAVE EXPERIENCED ALL FOUR PROBLEMS WITH MY 2003 ALTIMA THAT NISSAN NORTH AMERICA CITED AS REASONS FOR THE RECALL OF THE DEFECTIVE PART. SERVICE RECORDS DOCUMENT THAT THE PROBLEM THAT MY CAR WOULD NOT CRANK WAS REPORTED AS EARLY AS 23,619 MILES WHEN I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED IN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. SINCE IT WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM, OTHER RECORDS SINCE THAT TIME REVEAL THE SAME COMPLAINT. EACH TIME THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THAT THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE REASON FOR THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN RECENTLY BECAUSE IT BEGAN CUTTING OFF ABRUPTLY WHILE TRAVELING - AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. NOW THAT THE WARRANTY PERIOD IS OVER, WITH OVER 60,000 MILES, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT NOTIFIED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE CRANK POSITION SENSORS AND THEY BOTH WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT DUE TO THE MILEAGE, IT WAS MY EXPENSE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. I CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS ABOUT THE SITUATION REMINDING THEM THAT THE PROBLEM BEGAN BEFORE THE WARRANTY PERIOD WAS OVER AND THAT I HAD READ THEIR INFORMATION REPORTED TO NHTSA. I WAS TOLD THAT MY 2003 ALTIMA WAS NOT AMONG THOSE PRODUCED JUNE 1, 2001 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2002 AND THEY WOULD NOT PAY TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED. OBVIOUSLY, MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA IS ALSO ONE IN WHICH DEFECTIVE CRANK SENSORS WERE INSTALLED AS EVIDENCED BY THE ON-GOING PROBLEMS AND THE CONCLUSIVE DIAGNOSIS GIVEN ME BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE CESSATION OF THE ENGINE WITHOUT WARNING WHILE TRAVELING THE INTERSTATE "COULD" HAVE COST MY LIFE. JUST AS MY CAR HAD A DEFECTIVE PART CREATING THESE PROBLEMS, THERE MAY BE OTHERS LIKE MINE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP ON YESTERDAY TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WOULD INVOLVE REPLACING THE TWO CRANK POSITION SENSORS AT A COST OF $115 FOR THE SENSORS AND $225 FOR LABOR ($340) PLUS TAX. I ASSUME THE OLD PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. *NM