While driving my 2005 Nissan Altima in active traffic with my [XXX] child, the vehicle suddenly stalled without any warning. The engine completely shut off while in motion, creating an immediately safety hazard in live traffic conditions. Immediately after the stall, I observed oil leakage and smoke entering the cabin. The vehicle became inoperable and we were stranded roadside. This failure is consistent with a known defect involving the crankshaft position sensor and engine control system addressed in the federal safety agency Campaign 07V‑527, which describes sudden engine stall without warning due to sensor signal interruption. Although my vehicle previously received recall-related service, this incident suggests the prior remedy did not prevent recurrence of the defect. Sudden engine shutdown while driving in traffic Loss of vehicle power without warning Smoke entering passenger cabin Risk of crash involving child passenger Request: I am requesting that the federal safety agency: Review this incident for potential recall remedy failure Investigate whether this represents recurrence of a known defect Determine whether additional corrective action is needed for this vehicle population INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2005 Nissan Altima: engine stalls while driving
188 of the 1,091 complaints about the 2005 Nissan Altima describe engine stalls while driving.
- owner complaints
- 188
- of this car's complaints
- 17%
- typical repair cost reported
- $288
- typical mileage
- 84,000
- recalls
- 1
Engine stalls while driving by model year
What owners say
Vehicle: 2005 Nissan Altima | VIN: [XXX] To the Executive Team and Legal Counsel, I am writing this under extreme duress following a catastrophic, life-threatening vehicle failure on April 23, 2026, in Ripley, WV. While transporting my [XXX] son, my 2005 Nissan Altima suffered a sudden engine stall, followed by the engine bay becoming saturated with oil and emitting heavy smoke. This event is the direct result of Nissan’s failure to remediate known federal safety defects, specifically the federal safety agency Recall 07V527000 (Crankshaft Sensor/Stalling) and the federal safety agency Recall 06V223000 (Oil Consumption/Fire Risk). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding and whining sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an unknown diagnosis was made, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds and while at a complete stop at the red traffic light. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the crankshaft position sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 07V527000(Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled and felt as if the vehicle was going to stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed crank shaft sensor. The contact was informed that the crank shaft sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the vehicle overheated and failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived to inspect the vehicle and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 07V527000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, neither the VIN nor the model year was included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,591.
The car shuts off while driving.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle stalled upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the vehicle would hesitate while driving at highway speeds. The contact stated that the failures occurred without warning. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 07V527000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
The engine began to stall out randomly when driving down the road. After two times the engine light came on it stated that the crankshaft sensor was off. Since then, the engine light turned off bu, the problem still persists. When driving at low speeds through a city area, will cut off randomly. I have contacted Nissan regarding their recall about this exact problem of the crankshaft causing the engine to cut off but was simply told that my VIN number does not qualify under the recall even though it is exactly what the recall is for. Was also told that even if I were to get it inspected and checked for the problem that I would not be covered under the recall because they considered it "wear and tear." the car is only at 110000 miles and has this extremely dangerous problem, but Nissan refuses to help fix their mistake.
The fuel gauge failed to drop all the way to e. No warning light that fuel is low. While on a city street, on the on ramp to an interstate my car's engine just stopped, no sputter, no lagging just 3k RPM to 0 RPM. I was able to shift my automatic transmission to neutral and coast to the shoulder on the on ramp. Unable to restart engine. Cranked but nonstart. Added fuel and car started right up. At the time of the stall the fuel gauge read approximately 33/8 of a tank of gas. Prior to this occuring, when tank would get low the warning light came on around 1/8th of a tank.. About halfway been the 1/4 mark and e. Since this occured I have tested the fuel pump, sending unit and fuel level float, and they all test ok.. When the tank was filled after this the fuel gauge moved back up to the full mark (slightly above,) so the needle is not stuck.
Something is wrong with the crank shaft. It runs rough it stalls and the gas mileage is very off
I was gifted this car back in april and since the car randomly stalls while in motion a z while driving with no notice. I've gotten into 1 accident due to this.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle on several occasions however, on several occasions the vehicle required a jump start. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the battery and alternator were replaced however, the failure persisted. The contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency campaign number: 07v527000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Service bulletins that may apply
- OBD II evap
- Service information
- Nissan: revised VQ35 engine timing chain procedures
- Nissan: the MIL is on and code P1402 EGR open is stored in the ECM
- Airflowmeter service.
- Buzzing/whining noise from timing chain area
- MIL on with DTC U1000 or U1010 stored in engine control unit
- Engine oil cooler gasket available
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crankshaft position sensor can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- Risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the crankshaft position 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. Certain my 2006 altimas which have been previously remedied under recall campaign 06v223 (nissan r0606) are not included in this recall since the reprogramming for 06v223 also included this reprogramming. The recall began on december 31, 2007. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 07V527000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2005 Nissan Altima stalling
Is engine stalls while driving a common problem on the 2005 Nissan Altima?
188 of 1,091 owner complaints about the 2005 Nissan Altima (17%) mention engine stalls while driving. The model year with the most reports is 2003.
How much does it cost to fix engine stalls while driving on the 2005 Nissan Altima?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $288 (median of 19 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 2005 Nissan Altima?
There is 1 recall and 14 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2005 Nissan Altima
Check engine light 124Won't start 44Jerking 31Overheating 25Hesitation 23Airbag light 18Grinding brakes 18Loss of power 17Engine failure 15Fire or smoke 14No deployment 13Fuel smell 13Headlights 13Oil consumption 10Transmission failure 10Ball joint 8Fuel pump 8Harsh shifting 8Brake failure 7Door locks 7Knocking 7Misfire 7Power steering loss 7Water leak 6Whining noise 6Spongy pedal 5Won't shift 5
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