2004 NISSAN ALTIMA Complaints

HAD OIL CHANGE. WHILE ON THE LIFT,THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THAT THE UNDERBODY UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS ROTTED. WENT ON LINE AND FOUND PAGES OF PEOPLE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. *TR

DRIVER AND PASSENGER FLOORBOARDS ARE COMPLETELY RUSTED AND WILL NEED TO GET REPAIRED. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE SOMEONE CAN EASILY BREAK THRU IT AND INJURE THEMSELVES. I BELIEVE IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT AND NISSAN SHOULD DO A RECALL ON THIS CAR BEFORE SOMEONE GET HURT. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW AND IT SHOULDN'T GET THIS RUSTED OUT IN ONLY 9 YEARS. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR PAN HAS STARTED TO RUST COMPLETELY OUT. THE FLOOR PAN IS STARTING TO FALL OUT AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IF A PASSENGER WERE TO PUT TOO MUCH WEIGHT ON THE FLOOR, THEIR FOOT WOULD FALL THROUGH. THEM FALLING THROUGH COULD RESULT IN THEM CONTACTING THE ROAD SURFACE WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION OR RECEIVING CUTS TO THEIR LEG FROM THE RUST. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS GENERATION OF ALTIMA AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. *TR

IN DEC 2012, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DAMAGED AND WAS REMOVED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT WOULD HAPPEN. LESS THAN 30 DAYS LATER, BUTTERFLY VALVE AND 2 SCREWS WERE SUCKED THROUGH ENGINE'S INTAKE. DEALER TOLD ME CAMERA INSERTED INTO ENGINE AND SCREWS NOT FOUND BUT DUE TO BUTTERFLY VALVE, SCREWS AND PLATE MISSING SO DIAGNOSIS WAS SUCKED IN THROUGH INTAKE DUE TO MASSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH ZERO MILES ON 2/28/04 AND HAD IT SERVICED (OIL CHANGE) APPROX EVERY 3 MONTHS AT AUTOWAY NISSAN CLEARWATER, FL. THE CAR RAN PERFECTLY, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, 87,000 FOR A 9 YEAR OLD VEHICLE IS EXCEPTIONAL. THE CAR WAS IN PERFECT SHAPE AND RUNNING SMOOTHLY EVEN AFTER THE CAT WAS REMOVED. THERE WAS NO OTHER EVENT TO COINCIDE WITH MY ENGINE BLOWING UP. DEALER NEVER MENTIONED ANY RECALL, WANTED $5000 TO FIX ENGINE ONLY, NO CONVERTER REPLACEMENT MENTIONED. WAS TOLD TO FORGET ABOUT THE CAR. DEALER OFFERED ME $500 AND A NEW CAR. I'M A SINGLE MOM WITH 2 KIDS IN COLLEGE. HAVING TO USE MY ENTIRE TAX RETURN TO FIX THE CAR AS CANNOT AFFORD A CAR PAYMENT. NOT A HAPPY CONSUMER. WAS A LOYAL CUSTOMER FOR 9 YEARS. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE? IS THERE A CLASS ACTION SUIT IN THE WORKS? *TR

MY WIFE'S 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA FLOOR BOARD ON PASSENGER SIDE IS ROTTED OUT. TOOK THE CAR TO NISSAN DEALER WERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR AND THE THE MANAGER FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT A JACK MADE THE PROBLEM. NOT TRUE A LOT OF NISSAN ALTIMA THIS YEAR AND OLDER HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CAR HAD 75000 MILES ON IT AND THE HOLE WAS THE SIZE OF A BASEBALL NOW IT'S ABOUT OVER A FOOT LONG BY A FOOT WIDE. WHAT CAN I DO TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS MAJOR PROBLEM. *TR

EVERY WINTER OR WHEN THE WEATHER GETS COLD THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF RAW GAS COMING IN THROUGH THE AIR VENTS, WHEN CAR WARMS UP IN MORNING EVEN WITH ALL WINDOWS OPEN SMELL IS CHOKING AND UNBEARABLE. ALSO BRAKES SQUEAK TERRIBLY LIKE A BIG TRUCK WHEN TURNING TO LEFT AND BRAKING, EVEN AT SLOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS IN A DRIVE THRU OR PARKING. EVEN BRAND NEW BRAKES. LASTLY AND MOST SCARY IS THE DRIVER SEAT SHIFTS, ROCKS, FORWARD AND BACK WHEN BRAKING HARD OR DURING A SUDDEN STOP. PURCHASED CAR IN 2007 AS A LEASE RETURN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT MENTONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

THE FLOOR OF MY NISSAN ALTIMA IS RUSTING OUT. COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE. *TR

WHILE TAKING MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE (@ DEALER) DUE TO ADDRESS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (CATALYTIC CONVERTER), THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOOK ME OUT TO MY CAR TO POINT OUT 2 LARGE RUST AREAS - 1 EACH ON THE DRIVER/PASSENGER FLOOR BOARDS. THE ENTIRE REST OF THE CAR UNDERCARRIAGE HAS PRACTICALLY ZERO RUST. THE CAR WAS DEALER MAINTAINED FOR THE FIRST 5 YEARS AND OFF AND ON FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, BUT ALWAYS WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE (OIL CHANGES, COOLANT/TRANSMISSION FLUSHES, ETC.) AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR, I USED THE COMPLIMENTARY VEHICLE INSPECTION - WHICH DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY CALL OUT RUST, BUT IT HAD TO BE OBVIOUS. RUST LIKE THAT DOES NOT JUST APPEAR OVER NIGHT. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS NOT ADVISED OF THIS SOONER - IN FACT IT WAS NOT POINTED OUT AT A DEALER INSPECTION JUST 3 MONTHS EARLIER. SINCE I DO NOT PERFORM THE CAR MAINTENANCE I WOULD HAVE NO OTHER WAY OF NOTICING, UNLESS I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED SOME KIND OF RUST INSPECTION -- OR ASKED TO GO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE EVERY TIME IT WAS IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE OR OTHER MAINTENANCE. READING THROUGH THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS BOARD AND THE INTERNET IN GENERAL, I'VE COME TO FIND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM -- SEEMINGLY ATTRIBUTED TO A FAULTY DESIGN RELATED TO A DRAIN PLUG. WHEN THERE IS PRACTICALLY ZERO RUST ELSEWHERE, YOU CANNOT CLAIM THIS TO BE THE FAULT OF THE OWNER. I WAS NOT PLANNING ON GETTING RID OF THIS CAR FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO, BUT NOW AM FORCED TO START LOOKING. THE REPAIR COST IS NOT WORTH THE VALUE OF THE CAR (BASED ON MILEAGE). WHILE I WOULD HAVE ONCE PURCHASED A NEW NISSAN WITH NO HESITATION (BASED ON MY ALTIMA'S RELIABILITY), I NOW AM FORCED TO RECONSIDER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT VISIBLE AT NIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS HIMSELF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIR. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.