2003 Nissan Altima

THE ELECTRONIC MODULE THAT CONTROLS TIMING STARTED TO FAIL. THE ENGINE WOULD STOP FOR A SECOND, AND THEN START AGAIN. THE DEALER DETERMINED VIA A DIAGNOSTIC PRINTOUT THAT THE MODULE WAS ABOUT TO COMPLETELY FAIL. WHEN I ASKED HOW THE FAILURE MIGHT IMPACT ON SAFETY, HE SERVICE ADVISER STATED THAT THE ENGINE COULD STOP DEAD WHILE TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC. *TR

CLUTCH PEDAL SUDDENLY LOOSES PRESSURE WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING AN INABILITY TO SHIFT GEARS. THUS RENDERING THE CAR UNDRIVABLE. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, CLUTCH PEDAL REGAINS PRESSURE. THIS TIME PERIOD VARIES, AND IS NOT CONSISTENT. DEALER RESPONSE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. MANY USERS ON THE INTERNET FORUM 'ALTIMAS.NET' HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME ISSUE, AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS GETTING DEALERS AND NISSAN MOTOR CORP. TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL WHEN STOPPING FOR A LIGHT OR PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER CRANKSHAFT SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) WAS REFERENCED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,136 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,136.

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2003 NISSAN. THE FIRST TIME I HEARD ABOUT A RECALL ISSUE WITH THE 2003 ALTIMA, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. THE CAR WILL SPORADICALLY NOT START. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES EARLY ON, THE PLUGS WERE ALSO REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS MISFIRING, THE BRAKES WERE SQUEAKY AT ABOUT 20,000 MILES, THE AC AND THE HEATER DID NOT WORK (AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES AND WE HAD TO REPLACE THEM), WATER SLOSHING SOUNDS, AND HAD TO REPLACE THE ROOTER. AT ABOUT 55,000 MILES THE CAR STARTED STOPPING SPORADICALLY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD FIXED IT. ON MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY, (3 MONTHS LATER) THE CAR STALLED ON US ON THE ROAD AND SHE MISSED HER OWN 3RD BIRTHDAY PARTY. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE BATTERY (LESS THAN 3 YEARS FROM THE TIME IT WAS REPLACED). 2 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, I WAS ON THE ROAD WITH MY 11 MONTH OLD INFANT, MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND THE CAR JUST STOPPED!!! THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS JUST INCHES AWAY FROM REAR-ENDING ME WITH MY INFANT IN THE BACK SEAT FACING BACK. I CALLED NISSAN HEADQUARTER AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF MY 2 YOUNG CHILDREN AND MYSELF IN THE CAR. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT WE DRIVE ON ONE OF THE BUSIEST FREEWAY IN THE COUNTRY (CA ? 405). MY CHILDREN'S LIVES ARE IN DANGER EACH TIME I DRIVE THEM IN THIS CAR. I REQUESTED A REPLACEMENT CAR FROM NISSAN AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DO THAT. THIS VEHICLE IS MY MAIN MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. I AM VERY FRIGHTENED ABOUT DRIVING THIS CAR. I FEAR BEING KILLED WITH MY CHILDREN IN THIS CAR; THIS CAR IS A DEATH TRAP JUST WAITING TO HAPPEN. WHY HAS NISSAN REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND DO SOMETHING TO PREVENT SOMEONE FROM BEING KILLED IN THEIR POORLY BUILT-MALFUNCTIONING VEHICLE? *TR

MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH 102K MILES ON THE 2.5LITER WAS DRIVEN ONLY ABOUT 8 MILES WHEN ENGINE SUDDENLY SLOWED AND STALLED WHILE I WAS IN TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. ALL VEHICLE SERVICE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PERFORMED. UNTIMATELY MY EXPENSE TO REBUILT THE ENGINE WAS $2.2K WITH NISSAN REFUSING TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY. HAVE OTHERS HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCE? DID NISSAN ALSO NOT STAND BEHIND THERE PRODUCT WITH OTHER CUSTOMERS? *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER 4 OR 5 ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED AND REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED, THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,000. UPDATED 01-29-08. *KB UPDATED

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, IT IDLED VERY ROUGHLY AND MADE A LOUD WHISTLING NOISE. THE CONTACT TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REPAIR, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT HAS NOT FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND HAS TO BE RESTARTED. WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AS IF IT WOULD SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WERE REPLACED TWICE AND CURRENTLY NEED TO BE REPLACED A THIRD TIME. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,675 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. ONCE, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO RESTART. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT DOWN AND NOT RESTART FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRESENT. THE PURCHASE DATE AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 121,000.