2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WIFE HIT A SMALL PIECE OF ROADWAY DEBRIS, THOUGHT TO BE A PIECE OF TIRE DEBRIS, WHICH CAUSED THE FUEL TANK TO CRACK AND LEAK FUEL FROM TANK. DAMAGE WAS NOT DISCOVERED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. RUPTURE POSED A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD IF THERE HAD BEEN AN IGNITION SOURCE. GIVEN THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY A SMALL PIECE OF ROAD DEBRIS, THE TANK, MADE OF FIBERGLASS/COMPOSITE MATERIAL, DOES NOT SEEM AS SUITABLE AS A STEEL TANK IN A MAJOR COLLISION. DEALER (NORTH TEXAS NISSAN) WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY OR PASS COMPLAINT TO MANUFACTURER, SO I HAD TO PAY OVER $700 IN REPLACEMENT COSTS. DATE OF INCIDENT IS APPROXIMATE.

2003 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS TWO DESIGN FLAWS. ONE FLAW IS THAT THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR IS TOO SHORT. THE SECOND DESIGN FLAW WAS WHEN THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE FULLY ILLUMINATED,THE HEADLIGHTS LOOKED AS IF THEY WERE ON WHEN THEY WERE NOT. *MR *SC

NISSAN ALTIMA'S RADIATORS NEED TO BE RECALLED. I HAVE A 2003 V6 AND I DO EVERY MAINTENCE POSSIBLE. THE RADIATOR LEAKED AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE ENGINE DAMAGED. I CONTACTED NISSAN CORPORATE OFFICE AND NOONE SEEMS TO BE CONCERNED EVEN THOUGH THIS HAPPENS QUITE FREQUENTLY. I BROKE DOWN ON THE INNERSTATE AND I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT FROM THE BACK BY ANOTHER CAR. THE SERVICE MANAGER JEFF EVANS AT HALL NISSAN IN NEWPORTNEWS, VA 757 369-6600 SAYS HE HAD TO REPLACE A RADIATOR IN ONE ALTIMA THREE TIMES. I DON'T KNOW WHY NO ONE HAS RECALLED THIS BUT I HOPE THIS MESSAGE GETS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THE NEW ALTIMA MAY LOOK NICE BUT THAT'S ABOUT ALL IT'S WORTH. IT'S JUST EYE CANDY AND THEY OBVIOUSLY SPENT MORE TIME ONE THE OUTSIDE INSTEAD OF WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT "THE INSIDE". WHO WANTS TO RIDE AROUND IN A CAR WITH THEIR KIDS THAT IS SUBJECT TO BREAK DOWN? MY CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP AND IT WILL COST MY OUT OF MY POCKET $2500. PLEASE RESEARCH THIS AND GET THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE IT MAY AFFECT. ALSO I WANT TO ADD THAT NOONE FROM NISSAN WANTED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIRS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I THINK THEY DON'T WANT TO RECALL THE PART BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO BUSY TRYING TO SELL THE NEW 2005 MODEL. THANKS!

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S. THE GAS DOOR IS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. I GO GAS ONE DAY A MONTH AGO AND THE DOOR OPENED PERFECTLY. WHEN I WENT TO CLOSE IT, IT WOULDN'T SHUT. IT LOOKS LIKE THE HING ISN'T LINED UP CORRECTLY. I HAD TO FORCE IT SHUT AND IT GETS WORSE EACH TIME I USE THE DOOR.

DT: THIS WEEKEND TRIED TO PARK TO ENTER STORE. ATTEMPTED TO MOVE FROM DRIVE TO PAR, BUT THIS GEAR BECAME STUCK IN NEUTRAL. CHECKED OWNER'S MANUAL, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TO PARK. LAST NIGHT WENT TO PARK AND WHEN STARTING TO LEAVE WOULD NOT MOVE FROM TO PARK TO DRIVE. AGAIN, CONSULTED OWNER,S MANUAL. TOOK CAR TO DEALER, AND DEALER SAID COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK

2003 NISSAN ALTIMA ENGINE CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AND THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE.*MR WHILE PASSING A VEHICLE ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE'S AIR FLOW METER WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA ON 5/13/2005. AFTER THE PURCHASE IT WAS SENT FOR DETAILING WHILE I FINISHED THE FINANCE PAPERWORK. WHEN I RETURNED HOME (ABOUT 11PM) I SHOWED MY WIFE THE CAR. SHE NOTICED A DENT ON THE DASHBOARD COVERING THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. THIS DENT WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THE PERSON WHO SOLD ME THE CAR AND HE SAID THAT WHEN WE BROUGHT IT IN ON MONDAY IT WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF. HOWEVER IT IS NOW 18 DAYS SINCE PURCHASE AND WE ARE STILL ARGUING WITH THEM TO TAKE CARE OF IT, THEIR REASON BEING THAT BECAUSE IT WAS A USED VEHICLE IT WAS SOLD AS IS AND I DID NOT INFORM THEM OF THE DENT UNTIL AFTER I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT. THAT IS NOT MY MAIN CONCERN. I WISH TO KNOW IF THIS "DENT" CAN CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO MALFUNCTION. I WAS TOLD BY A NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT TECHNICIAN THAT THIS DENTED PANEL IS AN ENTIRE AIRBAG ASSEMBLY AND NOT A SEPARATE PART. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD INVESTIGATE WHETHER THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN (MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT) OR IF IT IS SIMPLY A DENT. IF YOU FIND THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE AIRBAG "COULD" FAIL AS A RESULT OF THIS DENT, DOES THE DEALER HAVE TO REPLACE THE PART? THE CAR STILL HAS SOME OF THE ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY AND I ALSO PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. SINCE WE ARE WITHOUT THIS CAR AT THE MOMENT (FOR ANOTHER REASON ENTIRELY) AND ARGUING WITH THE DEALER TIME IS AN ISSUE. IF YOU COULD GET BACK TO ME ASAP, I (AND MY WIFE) WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.

AT ABOUT 60,850 MILEAGE - 850 MILES AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, MY CAR STARTED TO STALL WHILE IN MOTION AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH AND AN ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC TEST, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR WAS FAULTY. I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT NISSAN HAD RECALLED 2002-2003 NISSAN ALTIMAS (ALOMST 75,000 OF THEM) BUT ONLY IN CANADA. I NEED TO KNOW WHY THEY HAVE NOT RECALLED THESE PARTS IN AMERICA. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. THE CAR TENDS TO SHUT OFF AND LOSE ALL POWER WHILE IN MOTION. MYSELF BEING A COMMUTER TO AND FROM WORK ON HIGHWAYS, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. AFTER SPEAKING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED THAT NISSAN HAD PUT A BULLETAN OUT ON THIS PART STATING THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. AGAIN, PLEASE ADVISE ME WHY THIS SERIOUS SITUATION HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED IN AMERICA.

ENGINE FAILURE ON 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THAT CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. REFUSES TO PROVIDE SAFE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE UNTIL CAR IS REPAIRED, UNDER WARRANTY. SINGLE FEMALE HAS ALREADY BEEN LEFT STRANDED ON HIGHWAY DUE TO THIS PROBLEM.

CRANK SENSOR FAILED, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE WHILE DRIVING. OWNER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY ASSISTANCE. *AK ENGINE SHUT OFF AND SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR MALFUNCTION. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR. *BF *NM