2003 Nissan Altima

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, WHICH LOCATED FAILURE CODES AT THE CRANK POSITION SENSORS AND CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THE DEALER STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) WAS EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE CRANK POSITION SENSORS AND CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 218,000. UPDATED 8/10/15*CN

THE 2003 ALTIMA 3.5 SE SEDAN HAS SIGNIFICANT FLOOR PAN RUST ON THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDES WITH SECTIONS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER REPORTS I HAVE SEEN ON THE OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW WITH THE ALTIMAS. THE REST OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE SHOWS MINIMAL SURFACE RUST. ASSUME THAT THIS WILL BE A RECALL ITEM SOON AS THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. ASIDE FROM THE FLOOR PAN ISSUE, THE VEHICLE HAS PERFORMED WELL AND HAS BEEN DURABLE. MILEAGE IS APPROX. 150K.

MY FLOOR BOARDS HAVE BEEN RUSTING FOR SOME TIME NOW. I KEPT FEELING THE CARPET ON MY DRIVERS SIDE GETTING SOFT, IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I HAD A WHOLE LOT OF STABILITY. I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND I SAW A BIG HOLE WHICH HAD FORMED FROM RUST. I COULD SEE THE CARPET FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY CAR WHICH NOW GETS WET WHEN IT'S RAINING. I AM AFRAID THE CARPET IS GOING TO WEAR OUT AND I WILL HAVE NO PROTECTION TO THE OUTSIDE ELEMENTS.

CAR BEGAN TO IDLE ROUGHLY AND WAS HARD TO START. REPLACED OXYGEN SENSORS WHICH DID NOT CURE SYMPTOMS. WAS TOLD THAT THE 2 PRE-CATS (CATALYTIC CONVERTERS) NEEDED REPLACED. MOTOR MOUNTS ALSO RECOMMENDED. REPLACED AND PROBLEM PERSISTED. HARD TO START, RUNS ROUGH NOW SHUTTING DOWN WHILE DRIVING. RAN CODES MYSELF WITH OBD-II TOOL AND FOUND CRANKSHAFT AND CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS TO BE FAULTY. I HEARD OF A RECALL FOR THIS VERY ISSUE; EVEN DESCRIBED MY SYMPTOMS EXACTLY. EVEN THOUGH MY YEAR MODEL AND CAR WAS RECALLED THE NISSAN OF FORT WORTH SERVICE DESK TOLD ME MY VIN # WAS NOT COVERED. MY CAR HAS THE EXACT SAME ENGINE AS ALL OF THE OTHER NISSANS MADE IN THIS YEAR RANGE AND THE SAME FAULTY CRANKSHAFT AND CAMSHAFT SENSORS BUT FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON MINE ARE NOT COVERED BY THIS. HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE. I HAVE REPLACED A LOT OF PRICEY PARTS ALL WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY REPLACING THE SENSORS. EVEN IF I HAD TO PAY FOR THE CRANK AND CAMSHAFT SENSORS IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BAD IF I HAD NOT PAID OVER $3000 IN REPAIRS TO OTHER STUFF THAT MAY NOT HAVE NEEDED REPLACING. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR WHEN MY CAR SHUTOFF ALL OF A SUDDEN. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AND CARS WERE WHIZZING BY ME . FINALLY AFTER SEVERAL TRIES THAT SEEMED LIKE FOREVER, THE CAR STARTED AND I TOOK THE FIRST EXIT OFF THE HIGHWAY. THEN ONCE I MADE IT OFF THE HIGHWAY THE CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I MADE IT BACK HOME BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT START PROPERLY. IT COMES ON AND THEN SHUTOFF OR STAYS ON FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN MAKES A SOUND LIKE ITS GOING TO CUTOFF IF YOU PUT IT IN GEAR. FINALLY HAD THE CAR CHECKED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CAMSHAFT/CRANKSHAFT SENSORS BASED ON THE CODES. MY FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED DURING RUSH HOUR. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THESE PARTS SEEM TO CONTINUOUSLY GO BAD AND ENDANGER THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE. I HAVE LESS THAN 70,000 MILES ON THIS CAR. *TR

IN THE PAST 2.5 YEARS I'VE HAD TO REPLACE 2 COILS ON 2 DIFFERENT CYLINDERS, AND 2 DIFFERENT CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSORS AS WELL. EACH TIME IT'S COST ME UPWARDS OF $300 EACH INCIDENT. A REVIEW OF THE INTERNET WEBSITE FOR COMPLAINTS FROM NISSAN DRIVERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL/YEAR INDICATES THAT OTHERS HAVE ALSO RUN INTO THESE ISSUES WITHOUT ANY RECOMPENSE. SOME EVEN HAD THEIR CARS STALLING OUT WHILE DRIVING, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY CONCERN. "LUCKILY" (AND NOTE THAT I USE THE TERM IN QUOTES), MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT THE ENGINE STARTS RUNNING ROUGH, FEELING LIKE ON JUST 3 OF ITS 4 CYLINDERS, THEN THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COMES ON. IT WAS THEN ALWAYS OBVIOUS SOMETHING WAS REALLY WRONG. Q: WHY WASN'T THIS A RECALL ITEM FOR THE NISSAN ENGINE? P.S. I HAVE LESS THAN 60K MILES ON MY CAR AND IT'S IN PRISTINE CONDITION AND ALWAYS GARAGED. *TR

2.5L ENGINE S MODEL NISSAN ALTIMA. 2002-2003 HAS WELL DOCUMENTED BLOGS AND COMPLAINTS OF EXCESSIVE OIL USE. CAUSES ARE ANY THING TO POOR DESIGN VALVE SEALS TO DUST KICK BACK FROM OVERHEATED CATALYTIC CONVERTOR INTO PISTON/CYLINDER AREA CAUSEING RING FAILURES AS WELL. THIS CURRENT VEHICLE HAS TO BEEN DIAGNOISISED BY A NISSAN DEALER. IT BURNS 2 QUARTS OF OIL PER 160MILES. THE DEALER RECOMMENDS A NEW ENGINE AND NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTOR. THE REGIONAL NISSAN MANAGER CHRIS STATES NISSAN WILL NOT ASSIST IN ANY WAY TO REPLACE/REPAIR THESE ITEMS BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT OWNED THE VEHICLE LONG ENOUGH. THE CAR IS WORTH $3800. THE ENGINE +CONVERTOR+ LABOR IS OVER THE VALUE OF THE CAR. SOME ONE HIGH UP SOMEWHERE DROPPED THE ROYAL BALL ON RECALLING THIS ENGINE. *TR