2003 Nissan Altima

DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR BEGAN TO 'HESITATE" AND I WAS LOSING 'POWER/SPEED" . GOT OFF FREEWAY AND A "RATTLE" TYPE NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE BAY. THE MUFFLER SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS "SPUTTERING". DROVE VIA CITY STREETS AT 20 MPG - 40 MPG TOWARDS A REPAIR FACILITY ( ALL THE WHILE FEELING AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS GOING TO DIE) AND 20 MINUTES LATER THE "ENGINE LIGHT" CAME ON. PULLED OVER AND HAD CAR TOWED THE LAST 4 MILES TO THE REPAIR FACILITY. FIRST DIAGNOSIS WAS A "FOREIGN MATTER" HIT THE #1PLUG AND CLOSED THE GAP. THE PLUG WAS REGAPPED AND INSTALLED. CAR SEEMED FINE , BUT 2 DAYS LATER THE SAME SYMPTOMS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE AGAIN. PULLED OVER AND DROVE TO REPAIR FACILITY WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2002 THRU 2005 ALTIMAS HAVE. THE BUTTERFLY VALVES SCREWS HAD COME LOOSE AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE SCREWS. RAN A MAGNET IN THAT AREA BUT PULLED NOTHING. TECH THINKS IT MAY HAVE BLOWN OUT OF THE EXHAUST IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY. SO THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED WAS PROBABLY A SCREW HITTING THE PLUG AND CLOSING THE GAP AND THE SECOND TIME WAS BECAUSE OF THE MISSING SCREW/SCREWS NOT LETTING THE VALVE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE INTAKE PLENUM WAS REMOVED AND THE SECONDARY BUTTERFLY PLATES WERE INSPECTED. THE #1 PLATE LODGED BY INTAKE VALVE AND 2 PLATE SCREWS WERE MISSING(PASSED INTO CYLINDER #1), ALL 4 PLATES WERE REPLACED AND ALL SCREWS SECURED WITH RED LOCTITE THREAD LOCKER, TOTAL COST FOR FIRST REPAIR WAS $200 WHICH INCLUDED DECARB SERVICE(BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT "LOOSE CARBON" HITTING THE PLUG CLOSED THE GAP). THE SECOND TIME TO CURE THE ACTUAL CAUSE WAS $460.87 WHICH INCLUDED REPLACING A GASKET ALSO. *TR

I HAD A SIMILAR, YET EXTREME EXPERIENCE. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO GET THE OIL CHANGED AT A LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP (IT WAS CHEAP.) WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY CAR, THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT HE PULLED LESS THAN A 8 OZ. OF OIL FROM THE ENGINE. HE SAID HE COULDN'T FIND ANY LEAKS, BUT TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE OIL EVERYDAY. I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP AND DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR FOR A DRIVE TO "REOIL" THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN RUNNING A BIT FUNNY: NOT STARTING RIGHT AWAY, TROUBLE SHIFTING FOR ABOUT 48 HOURS. I GOT ABOUT FIVE MILES AT ~55 MPH, AND WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A LEFT TURN, HEARD SOMETHING FALL OUT OF THE ENGINE. AFTER THAT, WHITE SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT THE EXHAUST. I KNEW THE ENGINE BLEW. THE STEERING AND BRAKES WENT OUT, AND I GOT IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (SOMEHOW.) THE BLACK SMOKE STARTED POURING IN FROM THE VENTS. I DON'T REMEMBER STOPPING OR GETTING OUT, BUT I REMEMBER TURNING AROUND AND SEEING FLAMES OUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE ENGINE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND PUT THE FIRE OUT, BUT THE CAR WAS TOTALED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE ENGINE AND INTERIOR, ESPECIALLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE, WERE DESTROYED. THE BACKSEAT WAS SMOKE DAMAGED. THE TRUNK AND THREE TIRES WERE RELATIVELY UNHARMED. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WHICH WAS JUST HANDED DOWN TO MY DAUGHTER AS HER FIRST CAR FOR HER 17TH BIRTHDAY IN JANUARY. WHILE ON HER WAY TO SCHOOL ONE MORNING IN MARCH THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF AT A STOP LIGHT AT A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION. SHE OBVIOUSLY HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO AND IT WAS POURING RAIN. SOMEONE BEHIND HER WAS KIND ENOUGH TO HELP A STRANDED TEENAGER AND SHE WAS ABLE TO CALL ME. WHEN I ARRIVED TO THE INTERSECTION I HOPPED IN HER CAR, TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN BACK ON, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND IT SEEMED FINE. I NOTICED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT HAD COME ON. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND HE PULLED UP A RECALL FOR MY EXACT VEHICLE AND THE EXACT SITUATION. IT READS: CRANK POSITION SENSOR RECALL - THIS COULD CAUSE THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON AND THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. HE REFERRED ME TO SEE THE DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY. I DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLAIM THAT THIS RECALL WAS VIN SPECIFIC AND MY VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT MY VEHICLE IS AFFECTED AND THAT NISSAN DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THE PRODUCT THEY PRODUCE. FURTHERMORE, NISSAN APPARENTLY HAS NO REGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THE PEACE OF MIND THAT THE CAR WE BOUGHT IS RELIABLE. THE NISSAN DEALER SAID IT WILL BE NO LESS THAN $350 TO REPLACE BOTH THE CAM AND CRANK POSITION SENSORS WITH LABOR. THE MECHANIC SHOP I WENT TO QUOTED ME $110 FOR PARTS AND $50 LABOR TOTALING $160. AGAIN, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH NISSAN. I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE THAT MY FAMILY WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER NISSAN VEHICLE. I WILL DO MY VERY BEST TO ENCOURAGE CAR SHOPPERS TO STAY FAR AWAY FROM NISSAN BECAUSE OF THE SIMPLE FACT THAT AFTER THE INITIAL PURCHASE YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE NISSAN TO RECONSIDER THIS PARTICULAR RECALL AND PERFORM BETTER BUSINESS PRACTICES AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 30 MPH AND UP, THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STALL OR WOULD HESITATE TO START. HE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE WARNING PANEL INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CAM SHAFT AND CRANKSHAFT WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER THE CONTACT WOULD CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME FAILURES AFTER REPAIRS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNDER 89,000.

MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND ON THE ENGINE AND RUNS ROUGH. I TRIED USING FUEL SYSTEM CLEANER BUT IT DID NOT WORK. I ALSO TRIED OIL TREATMENTS AND CHANGING THE OIL BUT NON WORKED. I TOOK TO A NISSAN CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND TOLD ME INTAKE VALVE SCREWS WERE LOOSE AND CREATING A KNOCKING SOUND THAT THE BUTTERFLY IS HALF OPEN CAUSING THE CAR TO IDLE ROUGHLY. THE MECHANIC ALSO SAID THE THIS HAPPENS ALOT WITH THIS CARS, ALTIMAS AND SENTRA AND THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR 2004 AND 2005 MODELS BUT NOT 2003 EVEN IF IT HAS THE SAME ENGINE. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT IF I DON'T GET IT FIXED THE IT WILL BREAK MY ENGINE AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ON THE SAME CAR I ALSO HAD TO PAY FOR A CRANK SENSOR THE FAILED ON ME. NISSAN SAID THE SAME THING, RECALL ON THE 2004 AND 2005 BUT NOT 2003. IT CAUSED MY CAR TO STALL AND RUN ROUGHLY. TOOK IT TO NISSAN AND THEY SAID NOTHINGS WRONG AND TAKE IT BACK TO THEM WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON. AFTER A MONTH IT DID TURN ON. LUCKILY HAVE WARRANTY BUT THEY STILL CHARGE ME. PLEASE HELP, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO REPLACE MY CAR JUST TO HAVE NISSAN FIX WHAT THEY MESSED UP ON. *TR

I OWN A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH A 2.5 L ENGINE. I AM HAVING ISSUES WITH THE CAR DYING AND SPUTTERING AND SOMETIMES NOT STARTING. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH TO DETERMINE THAT NISSAN HAD A RECALL FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR FOR MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE FROM 2002-2003 FOR THE CRANK SENSOR. I CALLED THEM AND GAVE THEM MY VIN NUMBER AND THEY SAID MY PARTICULAR CAR WAS NOT COVERED FOR THE RECALL. I HAVE HAD THIS PLUGGED UP TO A COMPUTER AND IT CONFIRMS THAT IT IS THE CRANK SENSOR. ALSO I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED ONE FOR ABOUT $600 IN 2008 FOR MY CAR. IT SEEMS NISSAN KNOWS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND RECALLED SOME OF THE CARS AND OTHER PEOPLE LIKE ME WILL HAVE TO KEEP TAKING THEIR CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP EVERY YEAR OR TWO AND SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY TO KEEP THE CAR FROM GETTING THEM KILLED IN A WRECK OR STRANDED. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO OTHER THAN CHARGE ME FULL PRICE FOR THE REPAIR. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF INTERNET RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TURNED ON AND OFF IN ORDER TO RESTART IT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL # 06V242000, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE NISSAN MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CALLED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,584.

LIKE MANY OF YOU, I HAVE ALSO HAD THE PROBLEM OF THE SENSORS GOING BAD CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STOP. I HAD THE SENSORS REPLACED TWICE AT MY EXPENSE BECAUSE NISSAN SAID THAT MY 2003 ALTIMA VIN# WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE SECOND TIME THE SENSORS WERE REPLACED, THEY LOOKED DIFFERENT. HOPEFULLY THE REDESIGN WILL FINALLY FIX THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. SHAME ON YOU, NISSAN, FOR NOT COVERING THIS KNOWN PROBLEM IN A RECALL. DOES IT TAKE A STALL ON A RAILROAD TRACK TO GET YOUR ATTENTION? *TR

IN JUNE 2009 I NOTICED THAT IN MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON. I ALSO NOTICED THEN THAT THE CAR IS OUT OF OIL. UPON REFILLING WITH OIL FEW DAYS LATER I NOTICED AGAIN DRY DIPSTICK. I THEN TOOK THE CAR TO COLONIAL NISSAN AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM. FEW DAYS LATER I WAS TOLD THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS CLOGGED (CODE P0420) AND THAT THERE IS AN ENGINE DAMAGE CAUSED BY FAULTY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I CONTACTED NISSAN OF NORTH AMERICA TWO TIMES IN WRITING AND WAS DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS. IT APPEARS AS THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND NISSAN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND DECLINES TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS MATTER. *TR