2005 Nissan Altima

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE CAR SPUTTERED ALMOST STALLING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED AND STAYED ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO A CAR PARTS STORE AND BORROWED THEIR COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS DEVICE AND FOUND OUT THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE ESM, BUT NOTHING GOING TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM (THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR). THROUGH MY RESEARCH I FOUND THE PROBLEMS ATTRIBUTED TO THIS PART ARE NOT STARTING, SPUTTERING WHILE DRIVING AND/OR SHUTTING-OFF WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR TO NISSAN ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS FOR NOT STARTING, BUT NO DIAGNOSIS COULD BE ATTAINED BY NISSAN. AFTER SPEAKING WITH DIFFERENT LOCAL NISSAN DEALER, THE SERVICE TECH ADMITTED THE PROBLEM IS THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR FAILING. I FEEL NISSAN IS PUTTING A BAND-AID ON THE REAL PROBLEM DISGUISING IT WITH THE ESM REPROGRAM. THE FAILURE OF THIS PART CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF YOU ARE DRIVING AND THE CAR SHUTS OFF. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON FORUMS, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS AND APPARENTLY NISSAN HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE ALTIMA AS FAR BACK AS THE '03 MODEL YEAR. IT WAS ALSO STATED ON THE FORUMS THAT MULTIPLE SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED OVER AND OVER. I AM NOW WORRIED ABOUT MYSELF AND MY YOUNG CHILD'S SAFETY AS THIS CAR IS OUR MAIN SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION. *TR

WARNING LIGHT CAME ON "SERVICE ENGINE SOON", TOOK IT TO DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT IS THE CATALYST CONVERTER, COST AROUND 800.00, CAR IS A 2005 ALTIMA 2.5 WITH 110,000.00 MILES, PURCHASED NEW AND WELL MAINTAINED. WAS TOLD BY NISSAN WORKER AND ALSO FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND THE INTERNET THAT THIS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, A PROBLEM THAT WE COULD DAMAGE THE ENGINE. PLEASE ADVISE AS WHAT CAN I DO. *TR NEREYDA CAMPOS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD CRANK FOR 30-40 SECONDS BEFORE THE ENGINE WOULD TURN OVER. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC, WHICH REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 98,100. UPDATED 04-17-09 UPDATED 04/20/09.*JB

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5SL. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE THAT ADVISED ME THE VEHICLE CAN STOP RUNNING WITHOUT NOTICE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. THE RECALL NOTICE ADVISED THAT THE FIX TO THIS PROBLEM WAS THE REPROGRAMMING OF THE ECM. TO KEEP MY DAUGHTER AND I SAFE ON THE ROAD, I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THE RECALL AS INSTRUCTED. BEFORE THE RECALL, MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON AND MY VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FINE. NOT TO LONG AFTER THE RECALL WAS DONE, MY SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. LAST WEEK I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE, WITH MY 10 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR AND THE CAR STALLED AND SHUT DOWN ON US WITHOUT WARNING. THANKFULLY ANOTHER VEHICLE DID NOT HIT US. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED ME IT WAS THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. AFTER DOING SOME READING I FIND THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM NISSAN HAS BEEN AVOIDING SINCE 2002 AND I WAS NOT THE ONLY OWNER WHOSE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN ON THEM WITHOUT WARNING. THE EVENTS, PATTERNS AND FAILURES I HAVE EXPERIENCED ARE THE SAME SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT SO MANY NISSAN ALTIMA OWNERS HAVE REPORTED AND COMPLAINED ABOUT. I CONTACTED NISSAN DIRECTLY AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. I PAID $285 TO HAVE THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR REPLACED. I THOUGHT RESPONDING TO THE RECALL WOULD TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING AND WE WOULD BE SAFE; HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT STOP MY CAR FROM SHUTTING DOWN ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. I BELIEVE NISSAN IS RECALLING THE WRONG THING AND DODGING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF REPLACING THE DEFAULT CRANKSHAFT SENSORS THAT ARE CAUSING THESE VEHICLES TO SHUT DOWN. A VEHICLE THAT IS SUBJECT TO SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE ON THE ROAD. I SAVED THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR THAT WAS REMOVED FROM MY VEHICLE JUST IN CASE SOMEONE DECIDES TO FINALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. AN INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED ON THE ROAD OR HIGHWAY. *TR

CAR TURNED OFF WHILE ENTERING ON RAMP OF HIGHWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. ACCORDING TO A RECALL NOTICE OF DEC 2007, THE ECM MUST BE UPDATED. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN FOR THE RECALL. I WAS TOLD IN ORDER TO PERFORM THE RECALL UPDATE THEY MUST FIRST RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR $98. I WAS THEN TOLD THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION CENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS WOULD COST ANOTHER $200. SINCE I DID NOT RECEIVE THE RECALL NOTICE AND THE ECM CAUSED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION CENSOR TO OVERHEAT HOW IS IT THAT I MUST PAY FOR THIS. THIS WAS DUE TO THE DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. I HAD NO WAY TO KNOW IF IT EVEN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD TO GO BY THEIR WORD AND IN ORDER TO HAVE THE COMPUTER IN MY VEHICLE UPDATED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. WHEN I CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE, I WAS FIRST TOLD THAT THE VIN ON MY VEHICLE DID NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL. WHEN I INSISTED THAT HOW IS IT MY CAR WOULD HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL THEY THEN CHANGED THEIR POSITION TO A LETTER WAS SENT OUT TO MY IN JUNE OF 2008. I WOULD NOT IGNORE SUCH AN IMPORTANT RECALL NOTICE. I NEVER RECEIVED THE LETTER AND IF NOT FOR STALLING WHILE DRIVING I STILL WOULD NOT KNOW. *TR

CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR - THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE A DELAY IN STARTING, SOMETIMES WOULD NOT START AT ALL. ALSO, THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED OR STOPPED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DID INTERNET RESEARCH. FOUND OTHER OWNERS OF NISSAN ALTIMA'S HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. BROUGHT THE CAR TO NISSAN DEALER WAS TOLD THEY HAD ALOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR GOING BAD. HAD IT REPLACED, THE CAR WORKS FINE NOW. NISSAN NEEDS TO RECALL THIS PART. WHEN THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING, YOU LOOSE ALL POWER! POWER STEERING, BRAKES, ETC. IT'S AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SPONTANEOUSLY STALL AND EXHIBIT A NO START CONDITION. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V527000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), BUT SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC FEE, PLUS THE FEE FOR THE COMPONENT BECAUSE THE FAILURE ALREADY OCCURRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000.