2003 NISSAN MAXIMA Complaints

THE MURANO LOST ACCELERATION ON THE INTERSTATE AND WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR; IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE EXIT RAMP BETWEEN I-95 NORTH AND I-26 TOWARD CHARLESTON, SC. I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND HAD TO BE PUSHED "OUT OF HARM'S WAY BY A TRUCKER, AND A COUPLE WHO STOPPED TO HELP. I WAS BROUGHT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP (20 MILES AWAY IN ORANGEBURG, SC). THE SERVICE DEPT. DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP SHUT DOWN, STOPPED WORKING. THE PART HAD TO BE ORDERED, AND I HAD TO PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR FROM ENTERPRISE , SO THAT I COULD DRIVE THE REMAINING 3 HOURS BACK TO MY HOME IN TRAVELERS REST (GREENVILLE,-SPARTANBURG AREA). THE PART ARRIVED ON 9-25-2007, AND I DROVE 3 HOURS BACK TO ORANGEBURG TO PICK UP MY CAR AND RETURN THE RENTAL). MY HUSBAND ASKED FOR THE "OLD FUEL PUMP". I HAD TO PAY $350.00 FOR THE PART AND LABOR AND $100 FOR TOWING. THE INSURANCE CO. REIMBURSED FOR TOWING. MY HUSBAND THOUGHT IT HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR THE FUEL PUMP TO GO AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE (57,000). THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT CONTROL SENSOR DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATE. THE SENSOR ACTIVATES WHEN CONDITIONS ARE COMPLETELY DARK. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, HOWEVER, THE CONTACT FIRST REALIZED IT AT 5,000 MILES. SHE HAS ATTEMPTED TO SPEAK WITH THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND WAS INFORMED THAT SOMEONE WOULD RETURN HER CALL. HER CALL HAS NOT YET BEEN RETURNED. THE VIN, PURCHASE DATE, POWERTRAIN, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. UPDATED 02-01-08 *BF UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE TIRE DEFLATED THROUGH ITS SIDEWALL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, BUT THE NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES WERE GOODYEAR AND THE DOT NUMBER, TIRE LINE, PURCHASE DATE, AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS; DURING WARRANTY PERIOD AND I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE THE DRIVER' S AND FRONT PASSENGER'S SEATS QUIT WORKING AND REQUIRED ELECTRICAL REPAIRS. THE POWER SUN ROOF ALSO QUIT WORKING AND REQUIRED ELECTRICAL REPAIRS DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. MY CAR WAS NO LONGER COVERED BY WARRANTY, AND POWER WINDOWS HAVE NOW QUIT WORKING. I HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR THAT I COULD NOT HELP BUT TO THINK THEY WEREALL CONNECTED TO THE SAME COMMON PROBLEM, AND IT MADE ME WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. ALSO, DURING THE 2ND YEAR OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD, THE BATTERY WENT COMPLETELY DEAD FOR NO APPARENT REASON, AND IT WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, HOWEVER, THEY TOWED MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP , EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND YET HAD TO KEEP THE CAR OVER NIGHT. I DIDN'T KNOW IF REPAIRS TO WIRING WERE PERFORMED OR NOT, BUT THEY DIDN'T ADMIT TO ANY UNDERLYING ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, YET THEY COULDN'T EXPLAIN WHY THE BATTERY BECAME DEAD, OR WHY IT REQUIRED MORE THAN 24 HOURS TO REPLACE A DEAD BATTERY. WERE THESE COCCURENCE'S COMMENLY REPORTED FOR THIS MODEL YEAR. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH. THE CONTACT BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL AUTO ZONE AND THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS FOUND TO BE THE ENGINE LIGHT SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER ON APRIL 16, 2007 AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS ALREADY REMEDIED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY OWNED. THE CURRENT MILEAGEWAS 67,700, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000. *AK

NOTICED A BANG SOUND FROM FRONT OF CAR ON ACCELERATION AND BRAKING. DISCOVERED FRONT ENGINE MOTOR MOUNT IS LEAKING FLUID, IS LOOSE AND CANNOT BE TIGHTENED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE HAD DIFFICULTIES STARTING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO REPLACED THE CRANKCASE POSITION SENSOR. AFTERWARDS, THE CHECK ENGINE CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V455000, REGARDING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

ON FEBRUARY 14TH OF THIS YEAR, DURING A REGULAR TIRE INFLATION INSPECTION, I NOTED THREE BULGES ON THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE LEFT FRONT NITTO 450, 225X50X17 TIRE. I IMMEDIATELY KNEW THAT I WAS HAVING A TIRE FAILURE AND THAT IT MUST BE REPLACED ASAP. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO DISCOUNT TIRE WHERE THE TIRE HAD BEEN PURCHASED AND THEY REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES FOR SOMETHING OVER $300. THE DEFECTIVE TIRE HAS MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES ON IT AND WAS PURCHASED APRIL 6, 2004. I AM RETIRED AND MOST OF THE MILES WERE ACCUMULATED WHILE ON VACATION. THE TIRE HAD LESS THAN 20,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD SUBSTANTIAL TREAD REMAINING. THE TIRE WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND I CONSIDER ITS FAILURE PREMATURE. SUBSEQUENTLY, I E-MAILED NITTO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WROTE THE NORTH AMERICAN PRESIDENT OF TOYO, THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. THE E-MAIL AND FOLLOW UP LETTER WERE FORWARDED IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR AND ELICITED NO RESPONSE FROM NITTO OR TOYO. I RETAINED THE TIRE AND HAVE IT IN PROTECTED STORAGE. I AM A FAST DRIVER AND SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE TIRE HAD FAILED AT SPEED. I AM DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED IN THE LACK OF CARE OR RESPONSE FROM NITTO OR TOYO. *JB

THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN MY CAR, 2003 ALTIMA WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD. DURING THE SUMMER OF 2004, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. IT HAD A FULL TANK OF GAS, THE BATTERY WAS FINE AND IT WAS EARLY IN THE MORNING AROUND 8AM. I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE CAR ON AND I GOT NOTHING. IT FINALLY STARTED AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF TRYING TO PUMP THE GAS WITHOUT TRYING TO FLOOD THE ENGINE. I CHALKED IT UP TO A HOPEFULLY ONE TIME EVENT. IT HAS HAPPENED 4 MORE TIMES SINCE THEN. AGAIN IN THE FALL OF 2004 AND I DID TAKE IT TO THE DEALER IN ARLINGTON, VA AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. IT HAPPENED TWICE IN 2005 AND MOST RECENTLY AROUND MEMORIAL DAY AND JUST THIS PAST WEEK. I KEEP THE MAINTENANCE UP ON THE VEHICLE EVERY, PUT "GOOD" GAS IN THE CAR BUT I STILL HAVE THESE ISSUES. THE VEHICLE INFORMATION SECTION OF THIS COMPLAINT ONLY HAD MAXIMA GLE AND FRONTIER LISTED AS VEHICLE TYPE, NOT THE ALTIMA. I SUBMITTED MAXIMA JUST TO GET THROUGH THE COMPLAINT. MY CAR IS AGAIN A 2003 NISSIAN ALTIMA. *NM

I BOUGHT A 2003 MAXIMA SE OCTOBER 2005. MY LEFT SIDE SPEAKERS WOULD CUT IN AND OUT ONLY ON THE CD PLAYER. I FOUND THE TSB ON THIS AND HAD ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 5 DAYS. SALESMAN TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW ONE AND HAD TO GET THE MANAGER TO SEND MY RADIO OFF TO A PLACE TO GET REPAIRED. ONE MONTH LATER IT QUIT WORKING AGAIN. I HAVE READ ON NUMEROUS WEB SITES ABOUT THE WAY NISSAN TREATS PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM. I CANNOT AFFORD TO SHELL OUT $600 FOR A NEW NISSAN RADIO THAT WILL BREAK IN A FEW MONTHS ANYWAY. AND AN AFTERMARKET RADIO TAKES AWAY FROM THAT ORIGINAL LOOK FOR ME. CAN THEY NOT REPLACE IT WITH THE 2002 RADIO (A NEW ONE ) BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY COMPLAINTS ON THAT YEAR. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CROWN PONTIAC IN HOOVER, ALABAMA. THEY PROMISED ME A TOUCH UP ON THE FRONT BUMPER AND HOOD BECAUSE OF THE PAINT CHIPS AND TO REDO THE TITANIUM WHEELS BECAUSE THE FINISH WAS RUBBED OFF AND THE RIMS WERE TURNING BLACK. NO TOUCH UP, HAD A GUY COME AND FIX 3 OF THE WHEELS AND TOLD ME TO BRING THE OTHER ONE TO THE SHOP AND HE WOULD HAVE TO WORK ON IT OVERNIGHT FOR $100. SO I HAVE ONE RIM THAT DOES NOT MATCH. I HAD TO SHELL OUT $80 FOR FLOOR MATS. EVEN BOUGHT THE $1800 EXTENDED WARRANTY. SO FOR SPENDING $22000 ON A 2003 CAR, BROKEN CD PLAYER, UGLY RIM, HALF THE PAINT IS MISSING FROM THE TOUCH UP I NEVER RECEIVED. THEY WERE SO NICE BEFORE I GOT THE CAR, BUT AS SOON AS THE PAPER WAS SIGNED, ALL I GOT WAS SORRY THAT WILL COST YOU. ALL I WANT IS FOR MY CD PLAYER TO WORK AND REDO ONE RIM. I CANNOT GET THAT OR EVEN 1 OF 2 WOULD BE OKAY. *JB