I was driving my car and it shut down on me while I was driving during rush hour traffic. My brakes locked up and steering became hard. I was afraid for my life because I was close to causing a crash. I found out there was an issue with the sensors on nissan altimas, including mine. I called the dealership to speak to them on having the issue fixed. I was told by the mechanic in the service department (after pulling my car's information up) that there was no such recall on my car for the sensors. I'm looking on /www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov for recalls, and it's clearly listed on there according to my specific make and model. I ended up having to buy the parts and had to get the service done somewhere else.
2003 Nissan Altima engine complaints
Page 10 of 20: complaints 251 to 280 of 559, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that intermittently the engine waring light will illuminate on the instrument control panel, and then the vehicle will stall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, in which the technician concluded that she would have to pay $200.00 to replace the crankshaft position sensor. She contacted the manufacturer in reference to recall# 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). Upon contact a representative stated that because the VIN number was excluded from the VIN range, she was ineligible for a free remedy. No repairs were made. The failure and current mileages were 60,000. Bl
The car started using oil around 30k. I noticed that I had to add some between oil changes this became worse over time and around 79k it became bad as in my wife called me about the engine oil warning light coming on when she was far away from home, we had to start checking the oil every day. The vehicle had always been well maintained and we got over 170k out of our last altima before we bought this one, that one never used oil? I did some research on-line and found that there was a problem with the pre-cat breaking down and being drawn in through the egr causing failure of the engine. We took the car to nissan and had it checked and sure enough that is what was wrong with ours also. We had exceeded the mileage for replacement by a few thousand miles. Had we'd been notified of this possible problem years ago, that would have explained our oil consumption and we could have had the problem resolved by nissan. We fully intended to purchase another new altima in the near future that would have been our third. I rely on the vehicle my wife drives as she also transports our children and grandchildren and if she hadn't called and asked about the red light on the dash, I believe the engine would have seized and left her stranded with my family several hours away from home possibly putting them in danger. How many complaints, or worse, are needed to admit there is a problem?? Is nissan hoping this will just go away??. If an emissions component failure is proven to cause premature engine failure isn't it the manufacturers responsibility to correct it other than reducing the time the egr is open to lessen the amount of defective catalyst drawn in the engine. In my opinion a way to delay failure of the engine until the fed 80k warranty expires for the cat, that?s all the previous recall did. Also the tsb is deceptive it starts with the external converter shield then much later mentions internal cat failure, were they hiding it? Sounds like two separate issues to me.
2003 nissan altima I've had two different problems that are safety issues that I've noticed many other altima owners have experienced. First, I've had two ignition coils go bad. Each time it occurred the engine would misfire and stalled out in the middle of intersections when traveling at low speeds. After the second ignition coil failed the mechanic recommended replacing of the remaining two original coils due to the likelihood of future failure. The second problem was the failure of the camshaft and crankshaft position sensors. This prevented the car from starting altogether and stranded my daughter and myself late at night. Both sensors were replaced. Fortunately this failure did not occur when I was driving the car on the highway. I've seen that other people have had this failure occur when driving. Obviously an extreme safety hazard. These problems were readily and quickly diagnosed by the nissan mechanic, which LED me to believe that he knew that my car was prone to these problems and that he has seen them many times before.
I own a 2003 nissan altima 2.5.the car shut down as I was on I-85 n without warning. It took about 5 minutes to start. The service engine came on and I took it to the shop. I was told it's the cam shaft positioning sensor. I did some research and this is a continuous problem. I contacted nissan they told me my car was not part of the recall. This issue started 9-1-09 and has stalled twice already.
I bought a 2003 nissan altima in jan, 2008. It had 53,000 mi. At 78,000 mi the service engine soon light came on. I took it to my mechanic it was diagnosed that there was a blown head gasket. I had him replace the gasket. At about 79,000 mi. There was a burning smell coming from under the car. I thought it was on fire so I pulled over but there was no fire. When I went to accelerate there was no power. The ses light was on so I took it to the dealer in ontario, ca it was the catalytic converter(it was clogged) they replaced it free because of the federal emission warranty. Then they told me that I was burning oil and that the probable cause was the converter, but told me that they would not replace the engine because someone else had worked on it. They said that if I had brought the car to them they would have replaced it. There was no notice about engine replacement when the gasket goes bad (which they said was also caused by the converter getting clogged up) some one needs to force nissan of north america to recall the 2003 altima and fix the engine and converter design. There could be a catastrophic engine failure that could cause an accident at high speeds.
I took my car to a mechanic because I had an engine service light on and I felt that something was wrong with the way my car was behaving. After inspecting my car, the mechanic found that a catalytic converter has failed, which created potential for a fire. The mechanic told me that there was a recall for catalytic converters for altimas 2002/2003 and that my car should qualify for it based on its VIN number ( I have a printout from my mechanic that includes eligibility of my car based on VIN#). However, when I called nissan manufacture I was told that my car no longer has warranty and that there were no open recalls on my car at that time. I took my car to a nissan dealership and received the same information. My on-line research showed that there was a recall on catalytic converters in canada and USA and also a lot of people here in us had experienced the same problem as I did after the warranty expiration and nissan was not helpful. Also, I found out that it is hard to diagnose this problem at the very beginning as engine service light can be on for a lot of reasons. My mechanic was able to diagnose this problem, as he was familiar with catalytic converters' failures in altimas because a lot of his customers who own altimas took their cars to him to be fixed. I did take my car to a nissan dealership, but I couldn't afford their prices, so I ended up going back to my mechanic. A representative from nissan manufacture asked me if I received any letter from them confirming my eligibility for a catalytic converter recall, but I am not the first owner of my car, so there was no way for me to receive it. Perhaps I bought this car with a damaged converter and had no idea about it.
I own a 2003 nissan altima, on the morning of july 27, 2009 I had driven only a few miles when I was slowing down to stop at a red light at that time the car began severely hesitating and then without warning, shut down, after which the engine light came on. I was extremely lucky the car behind me was far enough away to avoid a crash. I tried to crank the engine and it would only turn over, however after a few tries it did start. I then drove approx. Two miles to a repair shop where they used a code reader on the obd. The code reader indicated code p0335 crankshaft position sensor. I drove back home and checked the defects /recalls on where there are numerous recalls for this issue with various nissan vehicles including the altima. I called my local nissan dealer, where the car was purchased and told them about the situation. I was then informed that my car was not covered under any of the recalls for the crankshaft position sensor. So far, the car has not been driven or repaired since the day of the incident. I am very concerned about driving it on the road even for repair due to the unreliable and unpredictable operation of this car.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that there was a recall for the crankshaft position sensor for her vehicle. The vehicle was repaired according to the recall, but the failure recurred soon after and the check engine light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer, but they stated that they would not repair it again. She filed a complaint with the manufacturer. The federal safety agency campaign id number was unknown. The failure mileage was 68,000 and current mileage was 98,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the crankshaft position sensor was failing on his vehicle. As a result, the vehicle loses power, jerks violently, and stalls in the middle of the road. The contact paid to have the crankshaft position sensor replaced two years ago after the ECM was reprogrammed; however, the failure still persists. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall or warranty due to the mileage. The failure mileage was 50,000 and current mileage was 135,000.
Faulty crankshaft position sensor in nissan altimas.02 03 04 05.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated. A diagnostic test was performed, which produced two codes related to the engine. The codes were for the engine speed input circuit and the crankshaft position speed center. The failure was causing the vehicle to slow down and the engine to shut off. The manufacturer stated that nothing could be done to assist because the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 66,881.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The dealer stated that the engine crank angle sensor failed. The vehicle was repaired at the cost of $297.25. Upon further investigation, the contact discovered a recall for the failure she was experiencing with the vehicle. The manufacturer stated that her VIN was excluded from the recall; therefore, no compensation would be provided. The failure mileage was 93,500 and current mileage was 93,533.
2003 nissan altima's have a recall on the crank and cam shaft sensors. They are faulty and cause the car to shut off while driving. I had recently had the crank senor replaced by nissan and paid for it, and now the cam sensor is bad. I have called nissan consumer affairs, & they said it does not cover my particular VIN# even though it has the same problem as all the other 2003's ??? They say they will not cover this. ??? Am I the only one who does not get this??? Help!
Crank shaft sensor failure. The service engine soon (ses) light came on at approx.69,300 miles on 7/9/09. On 7/11/09 after driving the vehicle locally during the day, had parked it for about 90 minutes. Started the vehicle and all of the dashboard indicators remaied on. I shut off the car, and tried to restrat it. The car tried to start, but the engine would not run. It took about 5 times of turning the key and letting the car try to start for about 10 seconds each time before the engine kicked on. This time the dahboard display was normal. I drove the car straight home (1 mile). I did not try to start the car again until I took it to the shop on 7/13/09. On 7/15/09 I was advised that the ses code was the crank shaft sensor and the cost to replace is $250. The part was to come from a nissan dealership (not aftermarket). They checked the VIN and although early 2003 altima's are covered by a recall mine is not. Further internet searches have shown that this problem is rampent. Nissan needs to cover this! I am fortunate that I did not continue to operate my vehicle and have it stall in traffic as many others have. This is a safety issue and nissan must expand their coverage of the repair. My car is properly maintained, and I have no problem paying for wear and tear. Known defects such as this should be covered.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the crank handle sensor ECM does not work when the temperature is hot. While driving at an unknown speed, the engine stopped running and almost caused a crash. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was excluded from the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 32,000 and current mileage was 40,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While turning at 20 MPH, the vehicle shut off without warning. The vehicle also shut off while driving 30 MPH on the highway. The failure has been occurring for one month. The dealer stated that there was a recall for this vehicle, but the crank position and cam position sensor needed to be repaired first, and the ECM needed to be reprogrammed. The contact will be charged $500 for the repair because the vehicle is not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure is due to the poor design of the engine. The vehicle is currently at the dealer waiting to be repaired. The failure mileage was 34,000 and current mileage was 35,024.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the service engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled while driving 15 MPH. The dealer stated that they needed to perform a diagnostic, but they believe that the crankshaft sensor was the cause of the failure. The dealer will not assume responsibility for the repairs. Through research, the contact found the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact believes that the vehicle should be repaired according to the recall since the failures were identical. The failure mileage was 145,000 and current mileage was 150,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled and completely shut off in the middle of the highway. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle would not restart and had to be towed to a dealer for repair. The contact called the nissan dealer and manufacturer and was informed that there were no recalls. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing the same failures listed in the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 74,059.
Recall #06v242: check engine light came on 6/21/09 took to independent mechanic who diagnosed it as the crank angle sensor in my nissan 2003 altima needed to be replaced because it was being affected by temperature variations due to the location of the sensor. Called dealership they said it was not covered under my VIN number. They suggested calling nissan of north america. They kept my car for 4 days before getting back to me saying they would not cover repairs. Dealership is charging $150 to get car back for the diagnoses. Engine is cutting off during low driving causing very hazardous conditions. It has also stalled after starting the car several times.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the engine stalled without warning. The engine restated after the first attempt. There were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was able to resume normal operation and was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician recommended a diagnostic test, which was not performed on the vehicle. The identical failure recurred on fifty separate occasions. In addition, the engine warning indicator illuminated. Recently, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the crankshaft position sensor failed. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was unable to be entered into the system. The failure mileage was 80,000 and current mileage was 105,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While the vehicle was at a local repair shop, the mechanic noticed that the camshaft position sensor and crank position sensor were not working. The contact noticed that the vehicle hesitated and attempted to shut off while driving. Through online research, the contact found a recall for the 2002 model with the same problem, which generated a recall by nissan. He feels that this is a life and death situation and should be reimbursed and that all the vehicles need to be repaired. The current mileage was 94,000 and failure mileage was 93,638. Updated 07/08/09. *lj updated 07/08/09.
I've been driving this 2003 nissan altima since march 2009. Since april the car shuts off while moving every time I use it. The check engine light came on, so I brought it to my local auto parts store to have the engine codes read, and they said I have a bad crankshaft position sensor and a bad camshaft position sensor. After hearing of this I researched the parts and problems I've been experiencing and came across the recall. I then called a nissan dealer to have the recall addressed, and dropped the car off to have on 6/24/09. I received a phone call from the service department on 6/25/09 saying they can not perform the recall (ECM reprogram) unless I pay $300 + tax to have the sensors replaced and then they can perform the recall fix. I insisted he perform the reprogram before the sensors and he refused. So I said thank you and I'll pick my car up later on in the day. Now my real complaint is the sensors are going bad because nissan has a faulty ECM program. Nissan needs to be responsible for fixing the entire problem not just a simple computer fix. Nissan is making money off of a blatant defect caused by their own manufacturing at the cost of safety and their customers expense. This recall is only addressing the initial problem, not the results of the initial problem. Nissan is performing a slapstick recall campaign and the consumers need to have relief. For me to drive a safe car I and everyone else will have to pay an additional $300 for someone else's mistake...not fair and this should addressed asap.
My wife was unable to start her car (a 2003 nissan altima) for several tries (and with very weak power when it finally did start), so we took it to a nearby mechanic who informed us that there was a problem with the crank position sensor. After paying to have it repaired, we encountered the same problem again. This time, the car would not start at all. We had the car towed to another local mechanic, who again informed us of a problem with the crank position sensor. He repaired it using a dealer-specified part and informed us that the car might stop running while driving. He also gave us information about a 2003 recall regarding the crank sensor that states: "nissan has determined that some 2000-2003 model year nissan vehicles may have a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety. The engine might stop running while being driven if the crank position sensor or cam position sensor fails. This may also result in the 'service engine soon' light coming on or reduced engine power. If the engine stops running while driving, this could result in a crash without warning." this particular recall applied to the 2003 sentra, maxima, murano, and 350z, as well as the 2002 altima, but not the 2003 altima. Unfortunately, we are now encountering the same problems described in the recall. Several other complaints on the federal safety agency website indicate that their 2003 altimas have stopped running while driving, including some which have indeed resulted in crashes. Although my family has not yet encountered this tragedy, it seems as though it is only a matter of time. To me this represents a significant safety hazard not only to the owner but to other drivers on the road as well, yet nissan insists that they are "not liable" for any repairs beyond the original recall. I have asked them to honor the recall for other cars from the same model year that are now encountering the same problem, but they refuse.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The dealer repaired the vehicle according to the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer stated that an issue that was unrelated to the recall repair was causing the vehicle to stall. No additional repairs were made at that time. On a separate occasion, while driving over 60 MPH on the freeway, the vehicle stalled again. The failure still persists. The failure and current mileages were less than 120,000.
Well as usually I took my 2003 nissan altima 2.5s into the shop and for regular work. I have proof that my car is up to date on tuneup, coolant change, transmission change, and oil change. Tires are in good condition. I took a trip to texas and the car was fine for the 2 1/2 weeks I was down there. Three days before leaving the ses light come on, but I thought it was a minor issue being the fact that they look at my car weekend before going on my trip. When I hit louisiana I experienced a jerking back and forth motion when I was using the gas. Only things kept getting worse when I start seeing the lost of gas, lost power in my car, and hearing metallic noises coming from the engine. Lucky, I made it to my sister's house in augusta. I didn't want to cause anymore damage driving it back to columbia, sc so I had tow truck come and pick it up 190.00. So they look at the car and called me telling that one of the power valve screws came loose and damage two spark plugs. Now they want to replace the manifold and my catalytic converter is crack and needs to be replace. The cost of it would be around 1350.00. I know this is defect issue and nissan should take care of this issue. I hope all the information helps for current and future nissan buyers. I will never in my life buy another nissan again.
My 2003 nissan altima stalls at lights,going slow,does not restarts sometimes, surges forward while driving. The dealer told me the crank sensor needs is faulty,cost 225 dollars with labor. I see some 2003 altimas with a different engine has a voluntary recall from nissan, but not mine. On the nissan help.com website there are 40= pages of complaints regarding the same thing on many years of these vehicles with alot of safety concerns. I think all their sensors are bad and all these years altima vehicles should be recalled.
I purchased a 2003 nissan altima 2.5l car in july of 2007. The vehicle had approximately 51,000 miles on it and had no issues. Approximately 3 weeks ago I was driving my 13 year old son home from tae kwon do and was crossing a freeway to a side street when my car bucked and stalled. Luckily I had some speed and was able to "barely" get through the intersection before 55+ MPH traffic smashed into me. The ses light came on and I was able to start the car and make it home and then to my mechanic the next day. My mechanic informed me that the code read "crankshaft position sensor". He replaced it with a nissan part, I picked up the car and the vehicle stalled just before a very high, narrow, two-lane bridge in solomons maryland. I limped back to the auto shop and my mechanic read the code and it said "crankshaft sensor" again. I called nissan who informed me I had 3 recalls on my vehicle. I took the vehicle to sheehy nissan in waldorf md at 0730. I received a call from them at 1330 and they told me I needed a new engine due to the pre-catalytic converter substrate disintegrating and being ingested in the engine. After researching my VIN, I discovered that this problem was a recall that was completed on my car in 2004. I contacted nissan consumer affairs to lodge a complaint in that a "known" defective part failed "after" a recall and damaged my engine and came very close to causing a possibly severe accident. They denied my claim because my car was at 82,000 mi. I was told that if it happened before 80,000 mi., which I found out later was because of the federal emissions warranty act, they would have probably replaced the engine for free. It is my contention that the failure of a part that has "no maintenance" requirements, that had been previously recalled because of "known" deficiencies should be the responsibility of the manufacturer. I also contend that this defect could cause loss of power and cause a serious accident, possibly resulting in death.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact has experienced multiple failures with the vehicle shutting off in the last few months. While driving 45 MPH, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle lost power. The contact lost control of the steering and brakes. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and inspected by a technician, who determined that the crankshaft position sensor failed. The vehicle was repaired at the cost of $35. Two days after the repair, the vehicle failed again and shut off while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the crankshaft position sensor was failing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer would not provide compensation because there was no recall. The failure mileage was 77,000 and current mileage was 78,400.
Since may of last year, I have been a used owner of a 2003 nissan altima and have experienced the vehicle shutting off randomly while driving, as well as feeling sudden periods of loss in power while driving, like the car hesitates and almost shuts off while driving. The check engine light is constantly on. Upon getting my car inspected this past weekend, I was told I needed a new crank position sensor, ordered from nissan. Did some research online and it appears there are several owners of the same year, make and model of my vehicle who have also experienced similar problems with car hesitations and car stalling while driving. When I called nissan, they said my particular VIN number was not covered under the recall. I don't understand why it wouldn't or shouldn't be, given that I'm experiencing the same problems other owners have experienced with the crank position sensor. I'm requesting a formal complaint be made against nissan for not caring in the slightest about consumer/customer safety due to faulty car parts that could have potentially deadly ramifications involving the safety of everyone on the road, as well as the horrible customer service and extremely unethical judgment call in not taking full accountability with not replacing the faulty equipment that they had originally placed in the vehicle to begin with. I was informed by nissan that, with my particular year, make and model of vehicle, both the cam and crank position sensors were redesigned 3 times since 2003 - why would this be if there wasn't a legitimate issue with the part/s? I have been very lucky so far when the car does shut off while I'm driving it that, with no advance warning or anticipation that such a thing should happen at all, I haven't gotten hit from behind by another vehicle. So far. The engine hesitations and car shutting off while driving occur at least a few times a week. I would like the faulty parts replaced and installed, free of charge.
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