2003 Nissan Altima

THIS IS THE SECOND COMPLAINT I'VE FILED WITHIN THE SPAN OF 30 DAYS. I HAVE BEEN HAVING STALLING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA FOR THE LAST 2 MONTHS. THE ENGINE WOULD COMPLETELY STOP DURING LOW SPEEDS AND AT STOP (4 TIMES AT A STOP AND ONCE DURING A TURN). I HAVE ALREADY HAD ISSUES WITH MY NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN SERVICING MY RECALLS. FIRST I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON MY CAR SO I DROVE IT HOME. THEN I WENT BACK AGAIN AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS INDEED A RECALL FOR THE ECM. SO I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SHOWED THEM THE REPORTS. THE DEALERSHIP DECIDED TO REPROGRAM MY ECM (AS THE RECALL STATES) AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING ELSE WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE THAT COULD BE CAUSING THE STALLS. HOWEVER, JUST TWO WEEKS AFTER MY VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR THE RECALLS, MY CAR ENGINE DIES AGAIN. I CALLED INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM RUN A DIAGNOSTIC ON MY CAR ENGINE AND ONCE MORE THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE READ ONLINE REPORTS OF OTHER NISSAN OWNERS WHERE THEY COMPLAINED OF THE SAME SITUATION- EVEN AFTER THE REPROGRAMMING OF THE ECM, THE ENGINE STILL STALLS. SO NOW I HAVE MY CAR BACK BUT STILL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I'VE ALSO TAKEN MY CAR TO AN NON-NISSAN MECHANIC AND HE TOO COULD LOCATE THE PROBLEM. NISSAN SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN VEHICLES, OR AT LEAST BE ABLE TO LOCATE AND FIX THE PROBLEMS WHEN IT OCCURS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ENGINE STALLING WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE ADVISE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE RECALL REPAIR WORK #06V242000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE IN 10/06. THREE DAYS AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUN IDLE. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING IDENTIFIED THAT THE IDLE WAS OFF AND NEEDED TO BE RELEARNED, WHICH WAS PERFORMED. 12 MILES AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN IDLING WORST THAN IT DID BEFORE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE COMPUTER WAS BAD BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE RELEARNING OF THE IDLE. THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED. FOUR DAYS LATER THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS JUMPED AND TAKEN TO A INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE ALTERNATOR, BATTERY AND STARTER. THEY ALL TESTED NORMAL TO MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD PROBABLY NOT START DUE TO A DEFECTIVE COMPUTER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND RECOMMENDED THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO A DEALER.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED, AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTERWARDS, THE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE ENGINE WAS EASILY RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V455000, REGARDING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S. AS I HAVE RESEARCHED AND SEEN POSTED IN OTHER COMPLAINTS, MY CAR WOULDN'T START 2 MONTHS AGO AND BEFORE THEN FOR A FEW MONTHS IT WOULD CUT OFF IN TRAFFIC WHILE I WAS DRIVING, I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP THINKING THAT IT WAS MY CRANK ANGULAR SENSOR (MOST RECENT RECALL). HOWEVER THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE NOTIFIED ME THAT IT IS MY "CRANK POSITION SENSOR" THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. LIKE OTHERS, I NOTICED THAT THIS WAS A RECALL ON THE 2002 MODELS, BUT NOT ON 2003. LIKE ANOTHER COMPLAINT STATED, 2003 AND 2002 MODELS ARE NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENT (IF AT ALL) AND IF NISSAN WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, THEN THEY SHOULD MAKE THE RECALL ON THE 2003 MODELS AS WELL. NOW I AM BEING TOLD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WILL COST $243. NISSAN SHOULD REALLY DO SOME FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON THEIR 2003 MODELS TO FIND OUT IF THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE RECALLED, IN MY OPINION WITH SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, IT SHOULD BE. *JB

DEAR NHTSA, RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA, MORE SPECIFICITY, THE ENGINE HAS STOPPED RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED. I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND A RECALL ON THE NISSAN WEBSITE FOR THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR ON ALL 2002 ALTIMAS, BUT NOTHING FOR 2003 ALTIMAS. HOWEVER, WHILE RESEARCHING ON THE WEB I FOUND SEVERAL REPORTS, INCLUDING THE NHTSA WEBSITE (CAMPAIGN # 06V-242), INDICATING THAT A FEW 200,000 2003 ALTIMAS/SENTRAS (2.5 LITER) WERE BEING RECALLED FOR THE SAME CRANK ANGLE PROBLEM. I BROUGHT THIS ISSUE UP WITH THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT (CERRITOS) AND WAS THOROUGHLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE SUPPORT AND SERVICE FROM THE TECHNICIANS. FIRST, I WAS INFORMED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT UNDER THE RECALL. THEN, I WAS INFORMED THAT NOT ALL RECALLS ARE LISTED IN THE WEBSITE AND I WOULD HAVE TO GET MY CAR SERVICED FIRST AND ONLY AFTER COULD THEY DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT MY CAR IS UNDER THE WARRANTY. AND I WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR WHATEVER REPAIRS THAT WAS NEEDED TO BE DONE. I DO NOT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH PAYING FOR THE REPAIRS IF IT IS NOT A RECALL ISSUE; HOWEVER, SHOULDN'T THE NISSAN'S TECHNICIANS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS UNDER RECALL BY LOOKING INTO THE VIN NUMBER OR THE PARTS NUMBER? ALSO, THE RECALL IS NOT LISTED OR ANNOUNCED ON THE NISSAN WEBSITE BUT IS REPORTED IN SEVERAL ARTICLES. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NISSAN'S RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE, EVEN IF IT IS ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF VEHICLES. AND THE DEALERSHIPS RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK INTO THE PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER INSTANCES WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR. I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE ANY CORRECTION FOR THIS ISSUE AND AM HOPING YOU WILL BE OF SOME ASSISTANCE TO ME WITH THIS PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE HAD NO LUCK WITH THE DEALERSHIP. CINDY LIN. *NM

PURCHASED NEW 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S IN JULY 2003. CAR TAKEN TO DEALER FOR ROUTINE CHECKS AND OIL CHANGES. AT 59K, DEALER ADVISED THAT RADIATOR HAD CORRODED AND NEEDED REPLACING. DEALER ATTRIBUTED PROBLEM TO BEING IN A "SALT" STATE. HOWEVER, NISSAN RECALLED OTHER PARTS BECAUSE I LIVE IN A SALT STATE, BUT NOT THIS ONE. AFTER SEVERAL PHONE CALLS, FILED COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN BECAUSE I FELT THIS WAS A PART THAT SHOULD BE REPLACED DUE TO TECHNICAL BULLETINS PUBLISHED REGARDING RADIATOR CAP REPLACEMENT AND WHY WOULD A RADIATOR NEED REPLACING AFTER ONLY 3 YEARS? NISSAN ADVISED TO TAKE TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. SECOND DEALERSHIP PERFORMED PRESSURE TEST, FOUND A LEAK IN THE RADIATOR. CLAMPS ALSO CORRODED. THIS DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT RADIATOR CAPS SHOULD BE REPLACED ON NISSANS EVERY 30K. NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE CLAIMS THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE, THEY WILL NOT REPLACE AT THEIR COST. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE ALSO BAD AT RETURNING CALLS, NOT FORWARDING YOUR CALLS AND HAVE TO REPEAT EVERY THING YOU SAY MULTIPLE TIMES, AND CONDESCENDING TOWARDS CUSTOMER. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN AGAIN AND WILL TELL EVERYONE I KNOW OF THE PROBLEMS. REPLACED RADIATOR WITH AFTER MARKET PART, COST $600 OUT OF POCKET. SHOP THAT REPLACED PART ADVISED THAT NISSAN RADIATORS ARE ON NATIONAL BACKORDER AND THAT HE GETS NUMEROUS CALLS TO REPLACE THIS PART ON NISSANS. EVERY SHOP THAT I CALL WAS SURPRISED THAT I WANTED TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR SINCE THE CAR WAS SO NEW. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE CRANK SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHILE WAITING FOR AN ESTIMATE THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER #06V242000 REGARDING ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE RECALL REMEDY WAS TO REPROGRAM THE ECM SENSOR HOWEVER AFTER THE ECM SENSOR WAS REPROGRAMMED THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. TO FIX THE PROBLEM THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THE CRANK SENSOR BE REPLACED WHICH WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL CHARGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO ALERTED.

I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT READY TO TURN LEFT ONTO ANOTHER STREET WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR STALLS OUT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. IT TOOK ME A FEW TIMES TO GET MY CAR STARTED AGAIN AND WHEN IT FIRED UP AGAIN I STARTED DRIVING AWAY BUT MY CAR WOULD BE HAVING A HARD TIME GOING AS IF IT WAS STARTING TO BOG OUT. I LATER DID A DIAGNOSTICS TEST AND GOT THE CODE P0335 WHICH ENDED UP BEING THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, MY CAR HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS BUT IT WASN'T AS BAD. IT WOULD JUST BOG DOWN LIKE ONCE IN 2 WEEKS BUT THIS WAS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO!. *JB