2000 Nissan Altima: check engine light

Filed Mar 7, 2014 · Engine · 153,345 miles · IN

Went out for dinner and noticed nothing unusual. On the way home, "check engine" light came on and engine began to run rough. Then, 200 yards from home, "check engine" light began flashing and engine roughness increased to shaking. Codes read: "knock" and "cylinder 4 misfire". If this had happened in heavy traffic or on one of the bridges that we frequently use, my wife and I both would probably be severely injured, if not dead! The onset was rapid! Guess I was not lucky enough to escape this much-stonewalled nissan manufacturing defect that I have learned about only from the multitude of online information. Until it happened to me, it would not have occurred to check into it, with no communication from nissan. Maintenance and all fluids are up-to-snuff.

Filed May 2, 2012 · Engine · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 nissan altima. The contact was driving 45 MPH when the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer confirmed that the catalytic converter failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure and current mileages were unknown.

Filed Mar 14, 2011 · Acceleration, Electrical · 115,000 miles · FL

While driving the dashboard goes out completely. You can not tell how fast you're going or what the RPM is or anything, including the gas gauge. When this happens, sometimes the car begins to lose power as if the gas pedal isn't working and then all of a sudden it comes back and you get propelled forward. This happens very frequently and I'm afraid that I am going to get a speeding ticket one day because there is no way for me to tell how fast I am going when the dashboard goes dead and even worse I'm afraid I'm either going to lose speed and get rear-ended or gain speed and be propelled into the vehicle in front of me. I have researched this, and this is a very common problem with this year, make, and model vehicle. In all the other complaints that I have found online, they all go to the mechanics and they can not figure out the problem. I believe this is a vehicle defect and the electrical unit on the dashboard needs to be recalled and fixed before someone gets injured or killed due to this malfunction. Also, this electrical issue causes the service engine light to turn on and gives a misread when you take it in to be diagnosed.

Filed Dec 17, 2009 · Fuel system · 150,000 miles · IL

I was driving the car and all seemed normal, until I pulled into a gas station to refuel. Surprisingly I could not get more than 1/4 gallon into the tank before the pump kicked off and gasoline spit out of the filler neck and all over the ground. My fuel gauge was at about 1/4 tank, so I knew I needed about 11 gallons. I continued to put fuel into the tank at a very slow rate, and the pump kept kicking off and fuel spitting out of the tank filler neck. I finally got 8 gallons into the tank and so I stopped there. Shortly after leaving the gas station my check engine light came on. I got home and hook up my code reader, and it returned a code p1441. Some problem with the evap system. I did some research and found that nissan dealerships have a service bulletin about this problems dating back quite a few years, but do not want to repair the problem free of charge. Dealers want about $100 to analyze the problem and about $400 to repair the car. I believe this could be a big safety issue when people with a 2000 altima try to fuel up their car and gasoline keeps spitting out of the filler neck of the gas tank.

Filed Feb 21, 2009 · Engine · 37,500 miles · NY

Service engine light coming on. Car constantly jerks when idling and sometimes cuts out. Spent $55 on a system diagnostic test. Intake valve gasket failure. Causing idle to fluctuate, intermittent stalling 2000 altima with 37500 miles, this is a manufacturing defect due to the egr pipe running to close to cylinder 4 area of the manifold. This is happening to all altimas 1998-2001. Nissan should repair as recall, this could cause accidents due to stalling. This should be investigated. Repairs are est. At $850.00. According to the nissan advisor the lifetime of the gasket should exceed 100000 miles. Nissan has a program to correct any unusual defects after the warranty is expired but they refuse to honor their agreement.

Filed Jan 14, 2009 · Engine · 86,000 miles · CT

Service engine light on 2000 altima gxe . Cylinder #4 mis-fire. Intake manifold gasket same as issue #'s : #10167168 #10145161 #10100639 #10163901.

Filed Dec 6, 2008 · Engine · GA

Engine shaking while idling, misfire in muffler, and check engine light on at 130k. Replaced spark plug system at a cost of $500 and intake manifold gasket due to #4 cylinder malfunction at $400. Based on comments on the discussion boards, agree that it appears to be a common nissan defect which should warrant a recall. Would like to see nissan take responsibility for this.

Filed May 21, 2008 · Engine · 90,000 miles · SC

A long time ago I started hearing some rattling sort of noise in the front. Took it to carmax, as I have the extended warranty. They said it was a loose belt and charged me $80 since belts aren't covered by warranty. The problem didn't really go away and only got worse. Around 89,000 miles it began to shake when idling and the noise was worse. The check engine light would come on intermittently. My husband found the info on this site, I printed it out and took it to carmax and told them to fix my manifold intake gasket! They wouldn't refund my $80 from the first visit, nor would the pay me $80 for diagnosing it myself. Ha. Oh well. They did $600 worth of repairs, which was mostly covered by my extended warranty (which expires at 92,500 miles). They discovered that the problem had also caused premature wear of my spark plugs, however, and the warranty would not cover that. Based on my online research, it is my understanding that this is due to heat around the cylinder 4 area from the egr pipe which bakes the gasket into leaking and that even though I got it fixed this time, it will likely have to be replaced again in the future. See #10167168 #10145161 #10100639 #10163901 also, see carcomplaints.com where you will find 36 complaints on this issue.

Filed Feb 19, 2008 · Engine · 46,100 miles · OH

At 46,000 miles the car began shaking and stalling at low speeds, then the check engine light came on. We took it to the nissan dealership and we were told it was the intake manifold gasket & it was repaired. Now 25,000 miles later the same problem is occurring and again it is due to the intake manifold gasket failing. We have estimates to repair it ranging from $600-$1,000.00. The nissan dealership who recently repaired it will not stand behind their product. This is a defective part, there is no way that gasket should fail in 25,000 miles. I have talked to a service manager at a local nissan dealership(not the one who repaired it the first time) and he said there is no way that part should fail in 25,000 miles and stated it should last at least 60,000 miles. This will be the third intake manifold gasket that has been put on this vehicle. The service shop who gave us the estimate said the gasket is falling apart like pieces of an eggshell. This should be recalled because I have found many documented cases of this exact same problem with the nissan altima.

Filed Jan 31, 2008 · Engine · 56,950 miles · CA

On 6/11/05 the intake manifold gasket failed as evidenced by the check engine light turning on and diagnosis by a nissan dealership in southern california. The failure had no consequences as I had the gasket replaced immediately; however, the part is not available. The same exact problem has resurfaced as of 12/27/07 and nissan corporation is not willing to help fix this problem in any shape or form. At this point, I have decided to not fix the problem and keep driving the vehicle until the condition deteriorates much further. From I am told this could cause the engine to stall, which is a definite safety issue since I can be rear ended in the event it does.

Filed Aug 31, 2006 · Engine · 92,000 miles · MD

Service engine light coming on. Car constantly jerks when idling and sometimes cuts out. Spent $65 on a system diagnostic test. Intake valve gasket failure. Nissan dealer wants over $600 to fix issue. After a lot of research I've found that this is a very common issue with the 2000 altima's. Why isn't nissan taking care of this problem for it's customers?

Filed May 10, 2005 · Acceleration, Electrical · 63,000 miles · OH

My vehicle is a 2000 nissan altima se. (also I have heard there are other nissans with this problem not just altima) the problem is the guages on the instrument panel failing during operation, ie. Speedometer, tachometer, gas guage, and temp guage. The first time it happened and just like every other time it happens there is nothing different the guages will just shut off and normally fall to the zero postion. Sometimes the will freeze in place. After the first month I owned the car (bought as a preowned vehicle) the check engine light came on during the guage failures I had the code checked and it was determined the speed sensor was bad. I bought and replaced the speed sensor with an oem part. However the guage failure was not fixed it still happens. The incident date started 21feb2003 and still persists and the numbers of failures I haven't kept count but about average of everyother day it goes out.