Nissan altima 2003 stalled at red light, without any warning of any sort. Failed to start up again for multiple tries. Team nissan of marietta ran a diagnostic and confirmed that it was because of a failed crankshaft sensor. I have to pay to replace the sensor though. Surprising even though the federal safety agency has a safety campaign 03v455000 that documents this problem. Am I being fleeced?
2003 Nissan Altima engine complaints
Page 11 of 20: complaints 281 to 310 of 559, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My 2003 nissan altima uses 4 quarters of oil in less than 50 miles of highway driving. The dealer service rep. Said that the engine is damage by the cat. Filter material. However, there is water on the oil cap of the engine as if the head is cracked or head is warped. I feel that is a design defect and something needs to be done about this product.
2003 nissan altima has had multiple problems with the engine. *nj the consumer was informed, the cylinder 1 misfired which caused the engine light to illuminate. There was a problem with the head gasket consuming 3 quarts of oil every 4000 miles and running terribly rough. The consumer believed her vehicle was among the hundreds of vehicles having problems with the pre-catalytic converter where it deteriorates and becomes sucked into the engine, scorching the cylinders causing massive oil consumption then followed by the engine running rough.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving approximately 60 MPH on normal road conditions, the vehicle did not respond when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The driver was able to coast to the side of the road. Suddenly, the vehicle resumed normal operation. The service engine, battery, and brake warning indicators illuminated intermittently on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the failure was related to the throttle body. The vehicle was repaired under warranty. The vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer on two separate occasions for identical failures, but there were no resolutions. The vehicle was repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the remedy was insufficient. The failure mileage was 36,000 and current mileage was 56,000.
I bought a 2003 nissan altima with 66k miles on it 6 months ago from wilsonville nissan. They promised this car was in perfect running order, even after the check engine light came on during the test drive, but the technicians there insisted that they just forgot to reset the computer after they performed an oil change. As I have come to find out, ses lights do not illuminate on altimas for this reason, but after I bought the vehicle and multiple problems arose, we ran diagnostics and cylinder 1 was misfiring. There are many more issues with this vehicle now, including problems with the head gasket, consuming 3 quarts of oil every 400 miles, and running terribly rough. There hundreds of thousands of people complaining of these same pre-cat related issues in their 02-06 altimas. The precat deteriorates and is sucked up into the engine, scorching the cylinders, causing massive oil consumption, and then followed by the engine running rough and then dying. We took the vehicle back to wilsonville nissan and they refused to give the precat a visual inspection. They claimed that since the computer did not throw a code concerning the precat, they had no reason to look at it. Instead, they charged us $110 to tell us that the computer was giving a cylinder 1 misfire code. We already knew that and we told them that before they took the car in. Under the federal emissions warranty, nissan has to pay for all costs to diagnose, repair, and replace all parts that are ruined by any faulty emissions part under 80,000 miles. The precat falls under this category, and the engine should also be replaced by nissan as its problems are a direct result from the precat falling apart and getting sucked into the engine. Recall id# 5450 requires them to test and look at the pre-cat, and if there is any damage to the cat, then the engine must be replaced, free of charge. Nissan will not cooperate and will not even look at the precat. Please help.
The 148,246 miles engine in the nissan altima is blowing oil out the exhaust at a rate of 4 quarts with in 20-40 miles of driving. I was told the cat. Filter came apart and the material was sucked into the intake of the cylinder causing damage to the cylinder wall to the degree where as an engine and cat. Filter need to be replaced.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle burns oil. The vehicle had just undergone an oil change and all of the oil has suddenly left out of the engine. She took the vehicle to a mechanic, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. She is concerned that the vehicle could ignite into flames due to the burning oil. The current mileage was 129,000 and failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that there were issues with the electronic control module (ECM), which caused the vehicle to stall. The vehicle was repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling), which stated that the dealer would reprogram the ECM for free. On a separate occasion, the vehicle stalled while traveling less than 15 MPH in heavy traffic. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, who verified that the ECM failed again. The manufacturer stated that the repair would not be covered under the recall a second time. The recall stated that if the interruption in the signal from the sensor is so brief, the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition. As a result, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed, thus increasing the risk of a crash. The contact was concerned for his safety. The failure and current mileages were less than 78,500.
Recall no. R0606 - part replaced 2 times in less than 2 years. Once again, the car is stopping while driving, which is very dangerous and unsafe. The dealership says the part is no longer covered under the warranty. Please help me to rectify this situation and obtain a reliable vehicle. Thanks,
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. In 2006, the contact noticed that the heating system was not heating properly. She took the vehicle to the dealer and they cleaned the air pockets. Previously in 2003, the vehicle was serviced according to the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). In 2007, at 77,000 miles, the catalytic converter was replaced. In addition, the contact noticed that the engine warning indicator was illuminated so she took the vehicle to the dealer. The diagnosis found that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced a second time. The head gasket also failed. She called the manufacturer and requested that they pay for the catalytic repair because the failures occurred after the recall repair was performed. The manufacturer stated that they would not assist with the repair, although they may consider paying for the head gasket. The failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 94,000.
I own a 2003 nissan altima 2.5l. This car is affected by recall # ntb03-070c, potential engine compartment fire. This recall has been modified several times. The "flash" programming alone has been modified by nissan six times. The recall was performed on my vehicle in 2004, under campaign id r3007. This was the first version of the recall and programming released by nissan. The recall "corrects" a problem of too much raw fuel being dumped into the precatalyst on deceleration. This extra fuel in the catalyst causes deterioration of the precatalyst causing it to fail, clog up, and release catalyst substrate into the motor (it gets sucked back into combustion chamber on deceleration) once the catalyst particles are sucked into the combustion chamber, the cylinder walls are scored, causing significant oil consumption. You can verify all of this by reviewing the recall. My car has been impeccably maintained. I am ase master l1 certified. The car has suffered this exact loss. The precatalyst has failed and is plugged up, the catalyst substrate was sucked into the motor scoring the cylinder walls, and the car immediately started burning oil. I took my car to nissan of mckinney, tx for confirmation and recall work. The dealership informed me that the recall work had been done by trophy nissan in 2004. I spoke to nissan north america. They informed me that since the recall work has already been performed, my car was no longer eligible to be fixed under the recall even though it is the same failure for which nissan issued the recall. I told nissan north america that obviously if the first version of software that they issued under campaign id r 3007 was sufficient, then they would not have changed the "flash" six times. They did not agree with me. I would like to propose that the fix that nissan north america is performing regarding this recall is not sufficient. I would like to request a hearing with the federal safety agency to prove my case.
- hesitation at slow speed and check engine light - hesitation once every 50km - car stalled in oncoming traffic during a left turn - crankshaft position sensor was replaced.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The vehicle was purchased used. The contact received a recall notice in august of 2006 for the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not experiencing any failure at the time, but the contact still took the vehicle in for the recall repair. Three years later, the vehicle began experiencing the failure listed in the recall. While driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled and had to be restarted. Prior to the failure, the service engine indicator illuminated permanently. The dealer stated that the crankshaft position sensor failed. The contact stated that the recall repair should have corrected this issue years ago, but the manufacturer stated that they were not responsible for the repairs. The vehicle was repaired again; however, the contact believes it should have been performed under the recall. The current and failure mileages were 66,138. Updated 4/16/09 *cn updated 04/20/09.
Camshaft position sensor failure on highway. Engine almost turned off on highway. Engine hesitation atleast once every 50km. Corrected with replacement of camshaft position sensor (sensor was redesigned) and not covered under recall.
The failure occurred for the first time february 17,2009. I was driving down the road and the power to my 2003 nissan altima se 3.5 completely cut out. I was stranded in the middle of the road with a service engine light, the battery light, oil light and brake light all on. I tried to re-start my car and it would not start. I was finally able to get it into neutral. At first the engine turned over like it wanted to start but it did not immediately start. After the 3rd attempt it started up. I was able to make it to my destination 5 minutes down the road before anything else happened. I am very lucky and was not rear ended. When I pulled into my parking spot the same thing happened. This time it took about 5 attempts to get it to restart. The car was taken to our local repair shop and I was told it is a crank/cam position sensor. We replaced this item at a cost of $185.21. My husband did an internet search and found out nissan USA did a recall on 2002 and early 2003 nissan altima's for the crank/cam position sensor. I contacted nissan to find out if my car was included in this recall and was informed I was not. I explained to them that this problem is a hazard to motorists and it should be addressed by nissan. I was given a file #6422418 and that was all they could do for me. Meanwhile I have investigated to see if others have had this problem and it appears to be wide spread among the nissan altima's and some maximas. It is also not just an issue with the 2002-2003 models but extends up to the 2005 models. Most of the consumers have either made a complaint with nissan or the better business bureau-automotive line. Nissan did make a recall on the 2005 nissan altima for the ECM which just resets the "check engine light" but still does not address the issue of the crank/cam position sensor. Some of these consumers have spent up to $500.00 to get this sensor fixed.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the crankshaft position sensor failed and caused the vehicle to shut off while in motion. The dealer stated that they would repair the vehicle at the contact's expense. The speed was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 62,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while idling at a traffic light. He was able to restart the vehicle and noticed hesitation when accelerating. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was driven to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the failure was due to a defective crank position sensor. The dealer stated that the crank position sensor needed to be replaced; however, they were not liable for the repairs. The manufacturer was notified and they stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. They also stated that they were not liable for the repairs. The failure mileage was 22,000 and current mileage was 23,500.
Engine light on car stalling chokes out in traffic has had tune up.
I brought my 2003 nissan altima into countyline nissan in middlebury, ct; the dealership I purchased the car from. It was 5-02-08 and I had 58,294 miles on it, I told them I heard a knocking sound in the engine in second and third gear, I also told them it sounded as if the engine bogged down while I was driving up hills. I explained to them that my warranty was going be up at 60,000 miles and wanted them to fix the problem before the warranty was up. I also told them that while they had my car to do an oil change. When I went to pick up my car later that day they told me they were unable to duplicate my concern, meaning that they could not hear the noticeably obvious sound the engine had been making. I assured them that I definitely heard a noise and that my car was acting weird , they assured me there was nothing wrong, they gave me my oil change and sent me on my way. On 9-21-08 at approx. 61,174 the faint knocking I heard suddenly turned into a loud banging in my engine. I stopped my car and not knowing what else to do checked my oil. There was not a drop in it, after I had just had my oil changed not even three thousand miles earlier, I knew it had to be the dealerships fault. I brought my car to the dealership on 9-22-08 and told them of the problem, they said they would look at it and call me back. A few hours later I received a call from the manager, he told me I needed a new engine and it would costs $4,500. I told him I would not be paying that because it was there fault and they needed to do something to fix it. He said the only thing he could do was replace the engine for $4,500. I then had my car towed to my house, I looked into my options and needed a car asap so I had another shop replace the engine for a little cheaper. I called nissan corp. And told them of the situation they said they couldn't help me. I have found numerous complaints of similar situations and I have also found a recall on the same engine in canada.
About 4 months ago my car started acting up then shutting down. At first it stalls while I slow down on stop signs, while turning, basically at low RPM. That's when my engine light came up. Then I got that checked and they told me that the crank position sensor was bad. So, I got it replaced. After that my oxygen sensor burnt out, got that replaced for $1k. Earlier last week my engine light came on again and brought my car to the dealer, they told me that the crank position sensor is burnt out and I said, "again!!" there's got to be some thing wrong with the engine if it burnt out twice, all they said was "well, there's no re-call for it". Almost cost me my life plenty of times over for this problem. Something has to be done with this especially there's a lot of 2003 altima owners having this problem. This can't be coincidental.
Several times over the past two months, my 2003 nissan altima 2.5s has stalled out during operation. Speeds ranged from 5-15 MPH during stall. Car also stutters periodically while in operation, but does not stall. Two weeks ago my vehicle stalled while pulling into traffic, almost causing an accident. Now vehicle takes 3-5 minutes to start.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the service engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. She received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling), which stated that a variation in temperature occurs due to the unique location of the sensor in the engine. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor. The vehicle was serviced by an authorized dealer for recall repairs and the ECM sensor was reprogrammed; however, the service engine indicator continued to illuminate. On a separate occasion, the vehicle hesitated to start and the check engine warning indicator illuminated once again. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 69,540.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the oil in the engine was burning and damaged the engine. The dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). The failure and current mileages were 85,000.
My 2003 altima 2.5s started having problems the day I took my car in for a recall to reprogram the ECM. That night my engine bogged down and would not accelerate even when the gas pedal was mashed to the floor. The next day I called the nissan service dept. And they told me there was no way their reprogram could have caused the problem. I noticed that when I turned my car off and then back on after about 5 seconds the engine would run fine, this by the way is going down the road with the car in neutral and turning off and back on. I have been dealing with this problem for a while and my service engine light comes on and says there is a camshaft and crankshaft sensor problem that is recalled on 2002 2.5s altimas. It came to a head the other day when I was taking my kids to school and it bogged down on me while pulling out into traffic and about getting me and my kids killed. There are numerous reports of this same thing on nissan forums.
I have a 2003 nissan altima - there has not been an accident yet in my car. I am writing to prevent this from happening ..my complaint is the crankshaft - the car shuts off in low speed driving - which there is a recall on the ECM (engine control module)) - but not the defective crankshaft it is on the 2002 model but not the 2003 but it should the same is happening with both models . The defective crankshaft will cause the engine to shut off as well. When the temperature changes it sends a signals to the sensor that goes to the engine - without the signals the ECM will not function properly - the point is there is a recall on the 2002 crankshaft and not the 2003. Which the crankshaft is defective in both not just the 2002.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling) and took the vehicle to the dealer. The technician reprogrammed the ECM. Several years later, she noticed that the engine warning indicator was illuminated on the instrument control panel. She received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling) and took the vehicle to the dealer. A technician repaired the vehicle and stated that she received the recall notice in error. The contact would have to pay $479.34 for them to release her vehicle. The manufacturer stated that they would not assume financial responsibility for the repair. The dealer still has possession of her vehicle. The failure and current mileages were 84,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that in order for his vehicle to pass emission testing, he must get the crank position sensor light repaired. The check engine indicator illuminates as a result of the crank position sensor. The contact is displeased because the vehicle is not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 131,000.
I have a 2003, nissan altima, 3.5l 6-cylinder. Car has 99k miles. Car recently stalled with no warning after warming up. Car started up right away, so I continued driving. Dealer did a diagnostics and found nothing. So I continued driving and car stalled (again with no warning) on a major interstate while traveling at 65 MPH. Dealer now diagnosed issue as a failed camshaft sensor, which is a known issue, but the recall does not apply to my 2003 6-cylinder altima. Clearly, this is a known issue and the recall must be expanded to cover all nissan altimas 2002-2003 (at a minimum). This was an extremely unsafe situation.
My car died out while stuck in traffic. I put the car in park, turned it off & tried to start it back up only for it to shut off again. I tried a second time, and again it shut off. On the third try I was able to move to the right side of the road & park & left the car on, only for it to shut off again. I let the car sit, shut off, to let it cool off. I was able to drive home safely, but only staying on the right side of the road, hoping that it wouldn't idle off & die out. I called corporate nissan the next day & explained the problem. I was told that an open recall on reprogramming of the ECM existed on my car & that was the reason why my car was shutting off. I took the car on thursday, 11/6/08 to a nissan dealer & had the ECM replaced. After the recall, I noticed that my car took a while to accelerate and that the RPM gauge was quickly shifting back & forth. On saturday, 12/6/08, my car died out again in traffic. I called corporate nissan & told them that the reprogramming of the ECM did not correct the problem because my car is still dying out. The car only has 52,000 miles on it & has never experienced any problems. The car has been maintenance with the necessary equipment. After much research, my car is not the only car which has experienced the same exact problems. Several complaints have been filed. Apparently the crank sensor is the source of the problem because the sensor isn't sending the signal to the ECM. Nissan has only recalled the ECM because the recalling of the sensor costs too much to recall. It's a safety issue to drive & then to suddenly have the car shut off. I am very disappointed in nissan. It's a world-wide known brand yet their cars are failing at about 50,000 miles. If after the ECM is reprogrammed, and the sensors are replaced, some cars are still dying & nissan recommends new engines. A car at 60,000 does not need a new engine. Engines are designed to last at least 100,000 miles not completely die out.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the check engine indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. She took the vehicle to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the crankshaft position sensor and catalytic converter failed. In november of 2007, the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling) and they reprogrammed the position sensor circuit. The following day, the camshaft position failed. The contact was informed that the dealer's repair would not have affected the failed component. The camshaft was replaced and the vehicle began operating normally. In december of 2008, while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle would "skip" intermittently and lose power between 40-60 MPH. The contact also noticed that the vehicle drove roughly when shifted into drive; however, it was not as bad when shifting into neutral. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in any relevant recalls. The current mileage was approximately 125,700 and failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
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