Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power intermittently and stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. Fred anderson nissan of asheville (629 brevard rd, asheville, nc 28806, (828) 348-6850) was contacted. The vehicle remained at the dealer for months, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 234,000.
2003 Nissan Altima: sudden loss of power
44 of the 883 complaints about the 2003 Nissan Altima describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 44
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical repair cost reported
- $430
- typical mileage
- 82,000
- recalls
- 3
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls and 13 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Sudden loss of power by model year
What owners say
Takata recall engine was remanufactured april 4th, 2012. Engine burning oil, more then likely catayltic converter, throwing codes. Cost around 5,000. Engine having symptoms...again, for the same thing. Nissan offered to diagnose for free, but states the warranty period is over. Also found that the engine was used, by source other then the dealership. Would like someone to honor this recall, as in 2012 it should have been replaced for free upon recall. Is there anything anyone can do to help the situation? Car began shaking, and losing power, on the road, had the car towed home. 25,000 miles on the reconditioned engine, oil blowing, 4 quarts in 3 miles.
Loss of all power while driving
My nissan altima 2003 2.5 sl has been experiencing lot of vibrations and power lost while traveling on city streets and highways, the problem seems get worse once your exit the highway sitting at the light the car want idle. It seems like it wants to shut off. Now my engine check light comes on so I took the car to tire plus car care, they told me the ECM program is out dated and the code they read indicate new program update and possible catalytic converter problem, I took my car to have catalytic converter changed $400.00 dollars they cleared the engine check light and said this should take care of the vibration and engine idle problem, one week later engine check light came back on, problems of vibration has gotten worse. I decided to take the car to courtesy nissan dealer had them to perform diagnoses service person told me the ECM was out dated so I paid $120.00 dollars to update ECM program, the service person told me the vibration is because maybe the throttle body (power valve screw) may be going bad and if power loss happen again I will need to replace the throttle body at my expense. Note: I have done some research and found nissan north america (in their voluntary service campaign papers) refers to it as the power valve. There are small screws on the valve that come loose and get sucked into the engine. Even though the 2002 through the 2005 altima 2.5s' all have the qr25de 2.5s engine (which is the exact same engine with the exact same problems), the manufacturer, in this case nna is able to loophole the laws concerning a recall. Like in my case and other people's cases, we have the 2002 and 2003 altima that is experiencing this problem, but nna won't take care of it even though they are aware of it and currently have a vsc on the 2004 and 2005 models.
The code is for crankshaft positioning sensor failure. The vehicle lost power during driving. The vehicle was not able to be started right after. Only pumping gas pedal while turning the key in ignition was able to start the vehicle.
Multiple times while driving between 30-45 MPH the vehicle has stalled and not produced full engine power when pushing on the accelerator. This has caused serious concern for the safety of my family and myself. Check engine light came on and I took the vehicle to nissan service repair (august 2011, ~94k miles). Nissan ran diagnostics and stated that the circuit board for crank/cam sensors had failed. Paid $430 to replace crankshaft and cam/crank sensors. Fast forward to december 2012 (~110k miles) where I experienced the same exact issues along with reduced engine power when pressing on the accelerator. Another local mechanic detected that the cam/crank sensors needed to be replaced again. I did some research and found out about recall #03v455000, which describes the exact symptoms that I have been having. I called the nissan service department that replaced the sensors in 2011 who said that my VIN wasn't included in the recall so I didn't qualify. After reading the complaints on this site for this specific year/make/model, it is beyond me how nothing hasn't been flagged about this being an issue. All these people are having the same problems (multiple times) yet they are told their VIN's don't qualify under the recall?? Something is fishy there. Other complaints with the same exact issue include the following numbers: odi id numbers: 10416743, 10384742,10370526,10342438,10332467, 10318898, 10318045, 10314479, 10283487, 10278805. Thank you for any assistance or light that can be shed on this issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the mass air flow sensor was replaced a total of three times. The contact also stated that the vehicle would lose power and stall when the failure occurred. In addition, the vehicle would jerk and would not accelerate beyond 45 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer after each failure, but after the final failure, the contact was informed that the part was not available. The dealer also stated that the mass air flow sensor for the 2004 infiniti i35 would correct the failure, but the manufacturer would not allow them to place that part on the 2003 nissan altima. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 55,000.
The car would intermittently stall and sometimes would lurch when driving. We replaced spark plugs and a coils, but periodically the check engine light would still come on. I was driving around town and was stopped at a stop light. As I took off from the light, the car stalled and suddenly stopped. I tried to restart the vehicle, the engine revved and smoke filled the interior of the vehicle and a strong burning oil/gas smell. I then had to have the car towed as it would not turn over. The person behind me nearly ran into me since the car stopped so suddenly. The mechanic replaced the crank position sensor and the pre catalyst and catalytic converters. It was discovered at that time that the vehicle had used about 2.5 qts of oil and no oil light came on. Today, I drove the car for the 2nd time since the repair and it is losing power and lurching while on the highway. There is a ticking noise in the engine, and the car shudders like it is going to stall. It is being brought back to the mechanic today. The engine light started flashing and then turned solid. Clouds of smoke began coming out of the exhaust. I'm afraid that the car will turn off while I'm driving on the highway and cause a crash. This problem has been ongoing for 2 years (begin around 65,000 miles) and occurs at various speeds from stopped to 65mph.
2003 nissan altima. Consumer expresses concern that other 2003 nissan altima vehicles were not identified or included in campaigns related to the airbag/driver control module, airbag sensor and the crankshaft position sensor *tgw the consumer stated her vehicle was serviced at the dealer due to the continuous flashing of the air bag light. The dealer informed the consumer the air bag sensor was defective. As a result, the entire unit needed to be replaced. The consumer stated her vehicle was excluded from the air bag recall even though the vehicle was manufactured in 2002. On january 15, 2010 the vehicle began displaying problems such as difficulty cranking, sudden jerks while accelerating and loss of power. On january 16, 2010 the service engine light later illuminated. Testing revealed a defective crankshaft sensor. Also, the o2 sensor and catalytic converter had to be replaced.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle would suddenly stall; he noticed reduced power from the engine and it would eventually stop altogether. He was able to immediately restart the vehicle most of the time. The contact also stated that at times, the vehicle was also difficult to start. The failure was intermittent but becoming progressively worse. The contact called both the dealership and the manufacturer and was told that the vehicle was not included in recall 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current mileage was 56,477. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, she noticed that the vehicle started losing power. She drove the vehicle to a repair shop where she was informed that the catalytic converter was replaced. A few days later, the mechanic noticed that the vehicle was becoming low on oil. The contact filled the oil reservoir and noticed that there was very little oil left. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was told that she needed a new engine and the problem was widespread with the catalytic converter. The contact called the manufacturer who advised her to take the vehicle in for a diagnostic fee before they could escalate her case to a regional specialist. The contact took the vehicle into the dealership where it was confirmed that she needed a new engine; the manufacturer stated that there was nothing they could do to assist. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The contact believed the failure to be related to recall 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe) but the manufacturer refused to repair it since the mileage was too high. The current mileage was approximately 124,000. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000. Updated 12/02/10 *bf updated 12/08/10*jb updated 05/26/11 *bf updated 12/07/11 *bf updated 12/12/11 updated 12/30/11 *cn updated 06/27/12. *jb updated 01/29/14
2003 nissan altima VIN# [xxx] . Loss of power and stalling at low speed. Obd codes show p0725 and p0335 which are engine speed sensor circuit malfunction and crankshaft position sensor circuit malfunction. Problem appears to be covered by previous recall rq06001 or 06v24200 however nissan denies that this vehicle is included in the recall notice.
Service bulletins that may apply
- MIL on with DTC U1000 or U1010 stored in engine control unit
- Engine oil cooler gasket available
- Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code U1000 or U1010 stored in engine control unit
- Engine will not start
- After a cold soak, the engine cranks but does not start
- Essential tool - J-47010 tamper resistant torx plus 25IPR bit
- Alternator noise after engine shut off
- Unable to maintain idle or low/rough idle at start
Related recalls
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
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
Questions about the 2003 Nissan Altima loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2003 Nissan Altima?
44 of 883 owner complaints about the 2003 Nissan Altima (5%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
How much does it cost to fix sudden loss of power on the 2003 Nissan Altima?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $430 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Nissan Altima?
There are 3 recalls and 13 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Nissan Altima
Stalling 246Check engine light 182Won't start 55Engine failure 51Oil consumption 45Hesitation 28Headlights 22Jerking 22Fire or smoke 16Overheating 13Knocking 12Misfire 12Fuel smell 10Fuel pump 9No deployment 7Power steering loss 7Door locks 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2003 Nissan Altima?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history