What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine will not start. If I get the engine to start the car may act as if it wants to cut off in traffic. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Engine may stop while in traffic possibly resulting in someone hitting me in traffic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No the dealership service department are refusing to service or even inspect my car. At first he lied like there wasn’t a recall. Now because we are in MS he is refusing to provide service because we are not in a cold state. I called Nissan to verify this information prior to speaking with the dealership and Nissan specifically stated that for my VIN there is an open campaign for a fuel pump screen. Then they were the ones who referred me to the nearest dealership which is Gray Daniels Nissan North in Jackson. MS.
The worst 2003 Nissan Altima problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine559
- Body126
- Electrical89
- Fuel system50
- Transmission34
- Acceleration33
- Airbags28
- Lights17
- Suspension15
- Visibility14
- Steering13
- Brakes12
- Seat belts9
- Seats6
- Driver assistance5
- Tires5
- Wheels5
- Locks4
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Nissan Altima
Stalling 246Check engine light 182Won't start 55Engine failure 51Oil consumption 45Loss of power 44Hesitation 28Headlights 22Jerking 22Fire or smoke 16Overheating 13Knocking 12Misfire 12Fuel smell 10Fuel pump 9No deployment 7Power steering loss 7Door locks 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2003 Nissan Altima mention
P0335 9P0420 7P0725 6P3142 3P0340 2P0507 2
Recalls 4
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- Risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. The recall began on august 21, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 06V242000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
- Risk
- This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01v357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261 or infiniti at 1‑800‑662‑6200.
Recall number 03V455000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, iowa, idaho, illinois, indiana, kansas, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, north dakota, nebraska, new hampshire, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. At extremely cold temperatures, moisture in the fuel tank could freeze and form ice crystals. These ice crystals may obstruct the suction opening of the fuel pump.
- Risk
- This can prevent the supply of fuel to the engine and cause the engine to stop, which could result in a crash without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a screen at the suction opening of the fuel pump to prevent ice crystals from blocking the opening. Owner notification began on august 18, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1‑800‑333‑0829.
Recall number 03V251000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin may catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate.
- Risk
- Either of these two conditions could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the protruding portion of the exhaust pipe hanger pin. In addition to the corrective action, in order to reduce the risk of fire in the event of poor or improper maintenance that could result in oil spillage, heat shield(s) will be installed on the pre-catalyst and exhaust tube. Owner notification began on july 28, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261. Nissan recall nos. R3007, r3014, r3015, r3016, r3017. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate. If substrate particles enter the combustion chamber, they could score the cylinder walls, resulting in increased oil consumption. If the engine oil level is not checked on a periodic basis and drops below the low level, and the driver continues to operate the vehicle ignoring noticeable engine noise, engine damage may occur which could result in a fire. The pre-catalyst will be tested to ensure it is working properly and replaced if necessary. If damage is found inside the pre-catalyst, it will be necessary to replace the engine.
Recall number 03V084000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 2003 Nissan Altima
Defect investigations
Engine stall - crank position sensor
On june 28, 2006 nissan submitted to the federal safety agency a part 573 report advising that certain model year 2003 nissan sentra and nissan altima sedans equipped with 2.5l engines would be recalled to reprogram the electronic control module (ECM). The recall is identified by the federal safety agency recall no. 06v242. The subject populations of the recall are 14,587 nissan sentra vehicles and 186,279 nissan altima vehicles.nissan determined that the operation of the crank angle sensor in altima and sentra sedans equipped with a 2.5l engine was significantly affected by temperature variations due to the unique location of the sensor. Under certain driving conditions the temperature variations may cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.if the interruption is brief enough, such that the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running while the vehicle is driven at a low speed. As a remedy, nissan will reprogram the ECM to prevent the stalling incidents due to signal interruptions from the crank angle sensor.additionally, as part of the recall query, nissan was requested to provide complaint information for my 2004 altima for comparative purposes.nissan has indicated to odi that the scope of the recall is limited to the my 2003 as comparatively, the my 2004 complaint rate is substantially lower. Odi will continue to monitor the complaint rate of the my 2004 altima. Accordingly the recall query is closed.
RQ06001
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Nissan Altima 102
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Wiring harness repair information
- Certification label and VIN plate replacement service information
- Vehicle key not detected / authenticated, engine will not start
- Windshield cracking
- Removing foreign material from the window glass
- Window glass warranty information
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2002-2006 ALTIMA AND 2004-2008 MAXIMA; FLOOR PAN Voluntary Service Campaign ID...
- Expiration Notification
- Diagnosis of vehicle pull (drift) and/or steering wheel off-center
- 12 volt battery testing for in-service vehicles service information
2003 Nissan Altima fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | FWD | 20 | 27 | 23 |
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17-19 | 24 | 19-21 |
What 2003 Nissan Altima owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Faulty crankshaft and camshaft sensors UNKOWN
The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 65-75 MPH, the sunroof detached from the vehicle. There were no reported injuries. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 177,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled and lost motive power. The vehicle had to be pushed to the side of the road and jump-started. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who replaced the CAM Sensor. The contact stated a day later the vehicle stalled and shut-off. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 187,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being repaired at an independent mechanic, the mechanic informed the contact that there was rusting on the front driver’s side floor pan. The contact also noticed that the front driver’s side floorboard was soft to the touch and a fuel odor was detected while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
I note some nissan altimas havr recalls on camsensor and speedsensonsor. This vehicle has same problems. Vehicle shuts off on the road cam sensor was changed but was good for a couple years does the same mechanic says faulty plastic clip. Also vehicle gets stuck in low gear while driving and the car will have to be pulled iver restarted to get it to reset otherwise car will run in low gear at high rpms.. I noticed recalls on the nissan altima for for these sensors. However not this model according to the dealer.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that while drive at various speeds, the vehicle check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was an abnormal odor coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic determined that the rear and front catalytic converters and the oxygen (o2) sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle then was taken to bosak nissan (220 verplank rd, burns harbor, in 46304 (219) 787-1777) to be inspected. The contact was informed that the VIN was not subjected to a recall. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
I bought this car last year may 2019 and within a month the engine blew. I replaced the engine and now it has issues with the catalytic converter. It says it needs to be replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the service engine warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the shoulder of the roadway, waited for about 10 minutes due to the steering wheel being difficult to maneuver. The vehicle resumed normal operation after 10 minutes. The vehicle was taken to palmetto 57 nissan (16725 nw 57th ave, miami gardens, fl 33055) but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure recurred intermittently. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
My exhaust system is to low that it hits every bump even when driving slow ,when they lifted the car underneath the car there's a yellow mark from all the speed bumps .also the door handles from the drivers n passenger snap off when I try to enter my vehicle .the shocks don't know if this is why the car is so low .
Compare the 2003 Nissan Altima
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2003 Nissan Altima
Is the 2003 Nissan Altima reliable?
Owners have filed 883 complaints about the 2003 Nissan Altima, 2.1 times a typical Altima model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2003 Nissan Altima year score?
The 2003 Nissan Altima scores 47 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Nissan Altima: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Nissan Altima?
Engine and cooling, with 559 complaints, typically around 86,000 miles. Next is body (126).
How many recalls does the 2003 Nissan Altima have?
4 recalls, covering engine and engine cooling and fuel system, gasoline.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Nissan Altima engine?
Yes, 3 recalls: 06V242000, 03V455000, 03V084000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Nissan Altima have bad engine?
The Nissan Altima model years with the most engine complaints are 2002 (682 complaints), 2003 (559 complaints) and 2005 (395 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2003 Nissan Altima get?
Official estimates for the 2003 Nissan Altima range from 19 to 23 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.5L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 20 city and 27 highway.
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