Body problems of the 2003 Nissan Altima - part 2

I took my car to get fixed last week and my mechanic told me the bad news. Both the passenger side and drivers side undercarriage is completed rotted out. He said Nissan Altimas are known for this and he has actually fixed 5 of the same year (2003) for the same problem over the last 3 years. This is a known issue with Nissan and there are a million complaints all over the internet regarding this same exact issues for 2003 Altimas. Why are there no recalls? it is happening all over the us so it is not the roadways and salt to blame. No hondas or toyotas are having this issue at 83k miles. So I called an autobody place and asked them to quote me the job. Without even telling them what kind of car I have, he said let me guess, you have a 2003 Altima. What the heck? Nissan knows of this issue just by seeing all the people filing complaints for rusted out floors. My car is down to the carpet and will not pass inspection. I get a car wash all the time and it only has 83k miles, it's older, but I never drive it! why doesn't anyone file a class action lawsuit? this is nuts!.

Had my car inspected,was told in will need floor pans,extreme rust. No rust any where else on car. Confirmed by Nissan dealer. Contacted Nissan north America,with no results. This is a design defect that many Altima's have. Can anything be done? thank you for your time john hamilton.

My passenger floor board is completely rusted out. This is where my younger daughter sits. We had no idea that it had been that way for the last year until we could hear the highway coming up through the floor. I am a single mom and had to go to a neighbors who pulled up the carpet to find no floor underneath. This is extremely dangerous and Nissan needs to take responsibility!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Noticed the floor board on the passenger and driver side are completely rotted through. Date noticed was 4/13/2014. This issue was first noticed atleast a year ago but the floor panel was not yet completely rotted away. It was just a simple case of surface rust. It was treated with rustoleum black primer to try and slow the rust down. This is a well know issue and it needs to be addressed by Nissan and not just thrown away.

Floor boards rusted out big holes.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being inspected by the dealer, it was found that the driver and passenger's side front floor boards were corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 159,000.

Tl - the contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the floor boards had completely corroded through on both the driver and passenger side. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician was unable to determine how to remedy the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 140,000. Pm.

Purchased this car from a dealer in 2011. Three weeks ago while putting new brakes, rims and tires noticed the whole under carriage on the driver side is rusted out and falling a part in chunks. Took it to a body shop to get a repair estimate, it will be $2,700. 00 to fix it. The dealer I purchased the vehicle is not much help and the Nissan seems to be aware of the issue but not willing to help or have a recall. I live in maryland where a state mandated inspection is required before I can sell or trade in this car. The car will not pass inspection without this issue resolved.

Tl- the contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that when inside the vehicle she saw an object dangle from the floor. She went to retrieve the object and discovered a hole on the front passenger side floor board. The vehicle has not been repaired or diagnosed. The manufacturer has not been notified of the incident. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000. The VIN was unavailable. - ll.

I purchased my 2003 Nissan Altima from the dealer 16 months ago and just learned that my front driver and passenger side floor is rusted completely out. I was walking up to the car and noticed something hanging underneath bent down to look under the dar and soon realized it was rust. The floor was rusted out on both sides driver and passenger. I contacted Nissan consumer affairs and try refused to fx it. I have 4 more years to pay for a car that I will soon not be able to drive. After checking online I have learned this a common problem with this year car and Nissan should be liable.

2003 Nissan Altima (127,000 miles) - passenger and driver side floor boards are completed rusted. Nissan is not helping with this known defect. How many complaints before NHTSA gets involved? over 70 reports on the this site and hundreds more if you perform a simple internet search.

In early August 2013, I noticed a rusted piece of metal hanging from the under carriage of my 2003 Nissan Altima. During a recent oil change, I asked the mechanic to look and see where the piece of metal was coming from. I was told that the car's floor panel on the passenger's side had completely rusted through leaving a gaping hole the size of a football in front of where the passenger seat is located. After doing some research on the internet, I discovered that this is a wide spread problem covering 3 model years, 2003 thru 2006 and has affected thousands of Altimas. My 2003 Altima was a "certified used car" that was purchased at arlington Nissan, arlington heights, IL in 2006. It's current mileage is 126,000. There is not one spot of rust on any other part of the car. It has been garage kept since I purchased it. I called arlington Nissan on 9-11-13, to ask if there had been some sort of recall on the vehicle about this specific problem. I was told that although they were aware of the problem, no recall had been initiated by Nissan corporate. They told me to contact Nissan's consumer affairs division who then instructed me to provide them with a diagnostic report complete with estimated repair costs from arlington Nissan. Nissan's consumer affairs division would then turn the claim over to the regional office that oversees arlington Nissan. That office would get back to me with a decision on repairing the defect. There was no promise of them fixing the problem at no cost or reimbursing me the costs of having an independent body shop do the repair. Now it is the waiting game. The NHTSA should mandate a national recall on this obvious defect as it poses a definite safety issue for anyone driving a 2003-2006 Nissan Altima.

Floor boards completely rusted through. No rust anywhere else on vehicle.

The floor of the driver and passenger side were rusted and had to be replaced. That was over 2 years ago. I recently noticed that the drivers side floor, near the gas pedal is also starting to dip and may be rusted. After watching a news report I decided to file a complaint since there are many other people who have been effected by this problem and I now believe it to be an issue relate to the design of the car.

Rust through the underbelly of the driver's and passenger's side, can feel the carpeting above. Worried about resale and safety. I see this defect is a very widespread concern and needs to be addressed.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that upon inspection, it was noticed that the driver front floorboard was completely rusted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was confirmed that the floorboard was perforated due to rust. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 98,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated the front driver's side floor board corroded. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

On a visit to the Nissan dealership to have my headlight replaced, I was informed the floor on the passenger side was rotted/rotting and needed to be replaced. I've not had it repaired as of yet b/c I'm comparison shopping based on the price quoted by the dealership. I purchased the car in 2006, had the engine replaced due to failure in 2011, the radiator replaced in 2013 and now preparing to replace the floor panels. For a 10 year old car, which has been maintained and serviced regularly and garaged, rotting seems highly unusual and shouldn't be a normal occurrence for a car. I've never had a car require this many costly repairs, and especially never an issue with the engine or rotting. Please investigate.

Floor board on the drivers side is rotting which left a sizable hole. This problem is getting worse and allows debris from street to enter vehicle.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the front passenger side floor pan became severely rusted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the failure was due to normal wear and tear. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 75,000.

I took my car in for an oil change and my mechanic indicated that I had a rusty driver's side floor board. He said that he was able to stick his hand through the bottom of my floorboard and touch my driver's seat. This had me very concerned due to the potential for the driver's seat to fall out of the car while I'm driving. My mechanic indicated that he's had the same problem with at least 2 other Nissan Altimas. Based upon the number of complaints, it looks like this is a known issue and that Nissan will not do anything to compensate. It cost me $550 to fix due to the extent of the rust.

Floor board rust through defect on all 2003 to 2006 Nissan Altima's that I looked at before purchasing my current Altima, which has recently suffered the same safety defect. I'm afraid it will become a fred flintstone pedal car at some point in the future.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while at a mechanic for unrelated repair the mechanic stated there was rust on the front passenger side floor board. Also, the mechanic stated that there was a hole in the floor board due to the rust. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated the floor board would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.

Discovered rust under the driver side floor. Upon further investigation discovered the entire floor plan had rusted off and was flaking off in pieces. This is a safety concern as hazardous gases can enter the cabin area. More over if I were to step in the correct place I could push the carpet out of the car. Numerous other people online have complained about this exact issue. Nissan should fix this with a recall.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger side floor boards were rotting. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer advised the contact to take the vehicle to a body repair shop. The contact did not take the vehicle to a body shop. The failure mileage was 147,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that holes developed in both the front passenger and driver side floor boards. The contact was concerned that his feet would fall through the floorboard and cause injuries. The vehicle was taken to a personal mechanic for diagnosis but they were unable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was scheduled to be taken to the dealer the following day. The manufacturer was notified and advised the contact to inform NHTSA of the issue. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 120,499.

1. The floor under the front passenger has rotted out making this car very unsafe. This is the most important one. The other ones I list because I am disappointed with the life of this car and because I have heard of multiple stories of the similar complaints. 2. The door handle broke off on the front driver side and on the passenger rear side. 3. Gas cap will not close/open properly 4. Trunk latch will not close. 5. Moon/sun roof is off its hinge and will not work properly. 5. Plastic part of the key broke not allowing it to attach to a key chain.

No crash or injury - the floor has rusted out all the way through. Nissan refuses to acknowledge the issue and there are tons of forums and complaints regarding this issue.

I went to have car inspected and found out the passenger side floor board is rusted completely through, this is some sort of defect as I am reading more people are experiencing the same problem. . . . Nissan will not cover this repair. Something needs to be done to help!.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima sl. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated repair where it was detected that the front passenger side floorboard was completely rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and they were unable to provide assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 84,800.

Same floor rot/rust as reported by thousands of others with the same issue. Contact Nissan and they send you to dealer to verify problem. Once it's verified they say it's too far out of warranty to offer any assistance. Some people get assistance after filing multiple complaints but most of us get the denial and runaround.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact noticed a hole in the floor of the vehicle, which could cause fumes to enter inside the cabin of the vehicle. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was aware of the failure but failed to offer any assistance. No repairs were performed. The current mileage was 113,000 and the failure mileage was unknown.

Pursuant to a non-related incident, my Nissan certified insurance adjuster warned me of the unusual rust formed holes on the drivers and passengers side floor boards. According to him, this is a very unusual rust issue that he has only noticed on older (2002-2003) Nissan Altima's. I have initiated my own research and have found that this is a wide-spread problem with Altima's, irrespective of mileage, where some have reported the problem at 50,000 and others at 160,000 miles. Despite the many complaints, Nissan has refused to issue a safety recall and has done nothing to help those who have been affected by the rust problem. Many, who had the problem, continued to drive without the knowledge thereof, until a mechanic or auto dealer informed them of the issue, as was the case with my Altima. As such, I can imagine that even more Altima drivers are affected, yet Nissan refuses to take responsibility. There must be a viable alternative to reach a resolution.

I had to replace the steering at 84000 miles because the steering had a knocking sound everytime you turn it left or right,or when you go over a bump,,,,it was very slack and eventually it felt as though it would fall out at anytime. . . . . Was advised at the dealership that it needed to be replaced no explanation could have been given . This was done yesterday 08/22/2013. Now there is a very huge rust hole on the passenger side under the car . . . This car is 10yrs old with 84000 miles and I take very good care of my car. . I bought it in 2006 with about 25000 miles. The hole is about twelve inches by six inches. The lighting is so poor most times at night I always have to use myhigh beam . . . . Worst car I ever had. . . There were so many other problems I have had with it . This car spent many weeks at the dealership. . .

I took my car in to midas, burlington, MA for brake assistance, and while up on the lift the technician pointed out that the front passenger floor panel was very rusted. Warned not to use that spot when jacking up the car when changing a tire, etc. (mentally add this to $$ to spend this year. . . ) had my car at ntb in cambridge, MA to check a front end rattle and the mechanic showed me the rust again. He is also a state safety inspector and wanted to let me know since it was rusted though it would not pass state inspection (due in August). Next stop was a local body shop and the estimate was $2k. Then saw so many complaints for the same problem for the Altima. I feel this is a known defect and should be paid for by Nissan. My car is well care for and maintained and is rotting!!.