2003 Nissan Altima

RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM, IT FELT LIKE WATER WAS SPLASHING UP UNDER MY FLOOR PAN ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. WHEN I HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK UNDER THE CAR, I NOTICED A LOT OF RUST AND A HOLE. I WENT ONLINE TO CHECK AND SEE IF THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY MAKE AND MODEL AND LO AND BEHOLD, MANY HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND ALL HAVE SAID THE SAME THING...AND THAT IS THAT NISSAN IS UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. I TRIED CONTACTING NISSAN ONLINE, BUT NO ONE HAS RESPONDED TO MY INQUIRY. FROM WHAT I AM SEEING OTHERS REPORT, NISSAN JUST DOESN'T WANT TO HELP. HAVING RUSTED FLOOR PANS IS A DANGEROUS THING AND NISSAN SHOULD BE WILLING TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. I'M AFRAID THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE A GIGANTIC HOLE AND PERHAPS MY SEAT COULD FALL THROUGH. INCIDENT DATE ABOVE IS APPROXIMATELY WHEN I DISCOVERED THE ISSUE. *TR

AT 9:30PM, ON NOVEMBER 16, 2011, A DARK RAINY NIGHT, I LEFT A HS PARKING LOT. AFTER A SHORT DISTANCE, THE ENGINE (3.5L) COMPLETELY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSED THE POWERSTEERING TO ALSO STOP. THE SITUATION ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CARS BEHIND ME AND ON THE OTHERSIDE OF THE ROAD ALMOST HIT MY VEHICLE. IT WAS TERRIFYING AND CONFUSING. TWICE BEFORE, GOING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER MY INSISTANCE, A NISSAN DEALERSHIP FINALLY EXAMINED THE CAR AND FOUND THE CAM POSITION SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THEY REPLACED IT WITH 23731-6J90B. IT WAS PAID FOR BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE COMPANY SAID THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF ANY RECALLS. THAT WAS 08/04/09. FROM THAT DATE TO 11/16/11, I HAD NO PROBLEM. THEN ON 11/16/11 IT HAPPENED AGAIN (SEE ABOVE).THERE IS A BASIC DESIGN FLAW IN THIS VEHICLE WHICH NEEDS TO BE FIXED. NHTSA'S CAMPAIGN # 03V455000 DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM. ALSO NVS-215 06V242 ALSO DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM. NO ONE SHOULD DRIVE THIS CAR UNTIL IT IS PROPERLY FIX. IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE RECALL. THE NISSAN SPECIALIST AT 800-343-6913 WAS VERY DISMISSIVE. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. *KB

DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR RUSTING THROUGH FROM INSIDE TO OUTSIDE , WAS TOLD IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED IN ORDER TO PASS STATE INSPECTION. WAS TOLD EVENTUALLY EXHAUST FUMES MAY LEAK INSIDE OF VEHICLE THROUGH ROTTED FLOOR. CAR ONLY HAS 73,000 MILES ON IT . WORRIED THAT CORROSION WILL WORK ITS WAY TO THE SEAT SUPPORT AND WILL FALL THROUGH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD REFUSE TO START AND EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL CLICKING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AT ANY TIME. THE CONTACT HAD THE ENGINE DUE TO A DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN DEFECT. THE DEALER DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED TO COVER A PORTION OF THE REPAIR COSTS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,128.

RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING MY SES LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST SERVICE CENTER AND HAD THEM READ THE CODES WHICH WERE 0725 ENGINE SPEED SENSOR AND 0335 CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. UPON LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY NISSAN OWNERS, PARTICULARLY THE ALTIMA MODELS. NISSAN HAS ISSUED A RECALL TO REPROGRAM THE ECM FREE HOWEVER THIS DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, AND NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE PART (THE PART HAS BEEN MODIFIED FROM PLASTIC TO METAL BECAUSE OF OTHER COMPLAINTS HOWEVER THEY WILL NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT, RIDICULOUS!) THIS IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE FACT THAT I CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO STALL RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING, WHICH HAS HAPPENED TO ME ON TWO OCCASIONS (LUCKILY NOT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OF ON THE HIGHWAY! BUT IT HAS HAPPENED IN MORE SERIOUS SITUATIONS TO OTHERS). *KB

WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AUTO REPAIR SHOP READ CODE AS A P0420. TOOK IT TO NISSAN DEALER TO HAVE FIXED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND BOTH O2 SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND IF NOT IT COULD LEAD TO PARTICLES GETTING INTO THE ENGINE AND RESULTING IN COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. AFTER LOOKING INTO THIS PROBLEM ONLINE TO SEE WHAT OTHERS WERE FACING, IT SEEMS THIS IS A VERY COMMON AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM. NOT ALL 2003 NISSAN ALTIMAS ARE COVERED UNDER RECALL OR WARRANTY, NOT SURE WHY ONE TYPE OF 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WOULD BE COVER, BUT NOT ANOTHER. VERY FRUSTRATING AND SCARY, ESPECIALLY AS IT CAN LEAD TO A VERY DANGEROUS CRASH EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS. NISSAN IS NOT HELPFUL OR CARING TO THIS ISSUE AND BECOMES DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH WHEN YOU EVEN FIRST MENTION IT TO THEM. SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE HAD LOT OF COMPLAINTS, BUT WILL NOT AND HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO FIX IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THOSE LISTED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), BUT THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE THE VEHICLE. A LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE CRANK SENSOR BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

CATALYTIC CONVERTOR PROBLEM RESURFACED. ORIGINALLY FIXED IN 2004 DURING THE NISSAN RECALL CAMPAIGN. LOCAL NISSAN DEALER QOUTED A PRICE OF OVER $2000 TO FIX. THEY DO NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY ON THEIR WORK. CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND BURNS THROUGH HIGH AMOUNTS OF OIL. LOCAL NISSAN DEALER DENIED ANY RECALL, EVEN THOUGH A PRINTOUT OF THE RECALL CAMPAIGN WAS PROVIDED TO THEM. NEVER, EVER WILL I BUY A NISSAN CAR AGAIN. THESE CARS ARE UNSAFE, AND YOU WILL PAY $$$ TO GET THEM FIXED AS NISSAN WILL NOT HONOR ANY WARRANTY. THESE CARS ARE PRICED CHEAP AT THE DEALERSHIPS BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSIVE FIX FOR THEM. BUY A TOYOTA OR HONDA INSTEAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE CRANKSHAFT AND CAMPSHAFT SENSORS WERE FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC PERFORMED THE REPAIRS ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.