2003 Nissan Altima

THE CAR WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STALL AND SOMETIMES WOULD LURCH WHEN DRIVING. WE REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND A COILS, BUT PERIODICALLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD STILL COME ON. I WAS DRIVING AROUND TOWN AND WAS STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT. AS I TOOK OFF FROM THE LIGHT, THE CAR STALLED AND SUDDENLY STOPPED. I TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE REVVED AND SMOKE FILLED THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE AND A STRONG BURNING OIL/GAS SMELL. I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED AS IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THE PERSON BEHIND ME NEARLY RAN INTO ME SINCE THE CAR STOPPED SO SUDDENLY. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR AND THE PRE CATALYST AND CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. IT WAS DISCOVERED AT THAT TIME THAT THE VEHICLE HAD USED ABOUT 2.5 QTS OF OIL AND NO OIL LIGHT CAME ON. TODAY, I DROVE THE CAR FOR THE 2ND TIME SINCE THE REPAIR AND IT IS LOSING POWER AND LURCHING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE IS A TICKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE, AND THE CAR SHUDDERS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL. IT IS BEING BROUGHT BACK TO THE MECHANIC TODAY. THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND THEN TURNED SOLID. CLOUDS OF SMOKE BEGAN COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I'M AFRAID THAT THE CAR WILL TURN OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND CAUSE A CRASH. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR 2 YEARS (BEGIN AROUND 65,000 MILES) AND OCCURS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM STOPPED TO 65MPH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FAILURE WOULD ALSO OCCUR WHEN FIRST STARTING THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTING INTO GEAR. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE LIABLE FOR ANY FURTHER REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT WAS 100,253. UPDATED 04/06/11*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE SERVICED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT MATERIALS FROM THE PRE-CATALYST WERE FRACTURING AND ENTERING THE ENGINE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT RESPOND. AFTER APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-SEVEN ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PRE-CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED; THERE WAS DEBRIS IN THE ENGINE THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL WHICH OVERHEATED THE CATALYTIC SUBSTRATE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED RECALL 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: EXHAUST SYSTEM: MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE) BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS AWAITING A RETURN CALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN TAKING HER VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE MECHANIC ADVISED HER THAT THERE WAS A RECALL 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: EXHAUST SYSTEM: MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE). ONCE THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, THEY NOTIFIED THE CONTACT AND ADVISED HER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE DUE TO METAL BEING JAMMED IN THE ENGINE. SINCE THE METAL WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE MECHANIC ADVISING HER OF THE PROBLEM, SHE HAD NEVER BEEN INFORMED OF THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE ENGINE COMPONENTS BUT NOT FOR THE METAL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 115,000. UPDATED 03/24/11*LJ UPDATED 05/02/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BURN OIL EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,147. UPDATED 03/24/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE REPAIR, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO BURN OIL THROUGH THE TAIL PIPE EXCESSIVELY. UPDATED 04/22/11*JB

2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. CONSUMER EXPRESSES CONCERN THAT OTHER 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA VEHICLES WERE NOT IDENTIFIED OR INCLUDED IN CAMPAIGNS RELATED TO THE AIRBAG/DRIVER CONTROL MODULE, AIRBAG SENSOR AND THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HER VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT THE DEALER DUE TO THE CONTINUOUS FLASHING OF THE AIR BAG LIGHT. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. AS A RESULT, THE ENTIRE UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER STATED HER VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE AIR BAG RECALL EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2002. ON JANUARY 15, 2010 THE VEHICLE BEGAN DISPLAYING PROBLEMS SUCH AS DIFFICULTY CRANKING, SUDDEN JERKS WHILE ACCELERATING AND LOSS OF POWER. ON JANUARY 16, 2010 THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT LATER ILLUMINATED. TESTING REVEALED A DEFECTIVE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. ALSO, THE O2 SENSOR AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED.*JB