general problems of the 2003 Nissan Altima - part 2

2003 Nissan Altima 2. 5 litre engine. Blowing oil out tailpipe with 101,000. Many blogs report same problem with same make and model.

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.

2003 Nissan Altima-86,958 mi. Purchased new March 2003 rusted floor boards I, too, am a victim of rusted floor boards(front driver and passenger) that will not pass inspection. This was found during an oil change on 4/21/10. All my maintenance work is done through the dealership on a regular basis. Why wasn't this noticed 3/30/10 when I had a catalytic converter replaced or on 10/23/09 at another oil change and multi-point inspection or at any of the other many garage appointments? my auto-body technician found manufacturer's tape over the drain holes. They sent pictures to the Nissan regional specialist. I was told by this person they handle things case-by-case, and they were not going to help me financially to get this repaired! the auto-body technician needs a section of floor. The hole is so bad patching with a piece of metal won't do the job. I have since been searching the web and found this is a common problem-Nissan not taking responsibility for a flaw in their product. I have also found many people have had the rusted floor board problem and/or the catalytic converter problem. Neither are inexpensive repairs. I'm ready to complete all the consumer forms I need to and spread the word that Nissan will not stand behind their product. As much as I love my Nissan, from what I've been reading I need to get rid of it(if I can). I have to foot the bill for the rotten floor boards-$1756. 73. I never filed a claim with Nissan for the catalytic converter because I was told it was a rare problem. So, I paid the $865. 10. From what I've read on catalytic converters one must figure out what caused the converter to go bad or it will happen again.

My air conditioner has always been running even when the button has been off. I've asked the dealer many times over the years and they said it's fine. Now about 2 years ago my airconditioner won't go on, it's intermittent but if it does go on it only works for 5 minutes. I finally paid the 129. 00 to have it checked and was told the intelligan power distribution module has failed. This has been recalled in many other Nissans but not the Altima. During a search I found lots of other Altima owners with the same problem. I tried contacting Nissan but they don't care.

Engine dies and start back up.

My car has turned off several times while I am driving. Yesterday this happened while I was stopped at an intersection. I almost got rear ended by a school bus. The car will shut off when I am going at a slow rate of speed. The rpm needle goes back and forth then the car just runs out of power. I took it to the mechanic where he told me about the ecm recall. I went to the dealership and filed a claim with Nissan. Now the dealership is saying that I need to replace the crank & cam shaft before they can reprogram it for the recall. And they want to charge me $317. 00+tax. I don't see why Nissan would not be held responsible for this defect.

2003 Nissan Altima's have a recall on the crank and cam shaft sensors. They are faulty and cause the car to shut off while driving. I had recently had the crank senor replaced by Nissan and paid for it, and now the cam sensor is bad. I have called Nissan consumer affairs, & they said it does not cover my particular VIN# even though it has the same problem as all the other 2003's ??? they say they will not cover this. ??? am I the only one who does not get this??? help!.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The dealer stated that the engine crank angle sensor failed. The vehicle was repaired at the cost of $297. 25. Upon further investigation, the contact discovered a recall for the failure she was experiencing with the vehicle. The manufacturer stated that her VIN was excluded from the recall; therefore, no compensation would be provided. The failure mileage was 93,500 and current mileage was 93,533.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. While the vehicle was at a local repair shop, the mechanic noticed that the camshaft position sensor and crank position sensor were not working. The contact noticed that the vehicle hesitated and attempted to shut off while driving. Through online research, the contact found a recall for the 2002 model with the same problem, which generated a recall by Nissan. He feels that this is a life and death situation and should be reimbursed and that all the vehicles need to be repaired. The current mileage was 94,000 and failure mileage was 93,638. Updated 07/08/09. Updated 07/08/09.

My wife was unable to start her car (a 2003 Nissan Altima) for several tries (and with very weak power when it finally did start), so we took it to a nearby mechanic who informed us that there was a problem with the crank position sensor. After paying to have it repaired, we encountered the same problem again. This time, the car would not start at all. We had the car towed to another local mechanic, who again informed us of a problem with the crank position sensor. He repaired it using a dealer-specified part and informed us that the car might stop running while driving. He also gave us information about a 2003 recall regarding the crank sensor that states: "Nissan has determined that some 2000-2003 model year Nissan vehicles may have a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety. The engine might stop running while being driven if the crank position sensor or cam position sensor fails. This may also result in the 'service engine soon' light coming on or reduced engine power. If the engine stops running while driving, this could result in a crash without warning. " this particular recall applied to the 2003 sentra, maxima, murano, and 350z, as well as the 2002 Altima, but not the 2003 Altima. Unfortunately, we are now encountering the same problems described in the recall. Several other complaints on the NHTSA website indicate that their 2003 Altimas have stopped running while driving, including some which have indeed resulted in crashes. Although my family has not yet encountered this tragedy, it seems as though it is only a matter of time. To me this represents a significant safety hazard not only to the owner but to other drivers on the road as well, yet Nissan insists that they are "not liable" for any repairs beyond the original recall. I have asked them to honor the recall for other cars from the same model year that are now encountering the same problem, but they refuse.

The contact owns 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact noticed the engine was consuming oil faster than normal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test that located the failure in the catalytic converter. The oil escaped into the catalytic converter causing the engine and the catalytic converter to fail. The dealer stated that the engine and the catalytic converter had to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer filed report 7135820 but would not assist with the repair because the warranty expired. The failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 14,000.

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.

2003 Nissan Altima ecm. The consumer is requesting reimbursement for the crank position sensor and the ecm that was reset. The consumer received a recall notice in the mail, however she was told the vehicle was out of warranty.

Camshaft position sensor failure on highway. Engine almost turned off on highway. Engine hesitation atleast once every 50km. Corrected with replacement of camshaft position sensor (sensor was redesigned) and not covered under recall.

The engine stopped while driving. Several times the engine stopped on red light. The last time was today 09/11/2008. I know there is a recall on the 2002 model related to the same problem. In some way 2003 owners will benefit for the same or similar recall?.

The car seems to not start once it ran for a short time. Example I drive to the supermarket turns on fine, once I leave it is hard to start. Almost seem to be flooded. It use to do it once a week know its doing it everyday. Just recently I was driving and it turned off on me. From the Nissan blogs it looks like this year has been giving problems. Another complain is the exterior lights they are faded or stain from inside, this could cause a visibility issue.

I have a 2003 Nissan Altima 2. 5 s model with a 4 cylinder engine. My problem is with the crankshaft position sensor. There is currently a recall out for the 2002,2005,2006 models regarding the crankshaft sensor. No recall is available for the 2003 model. If the 2003 model is having the same problem as the 2002,2005,2006 why no recall was put out for the 2003 models. It seems to me that all the same make and models should be recalled if the problems are the same. Just because the years are different do not mean the problems are different. It is clear that your aim is to protect big business. Not the consumer who spent$ 15,000 on a product that is defected. I am sure that if you spent $15,000 on a product you would what it to work correctly. Lets be fair! this is not something that cost 20 bucks.

In October of 2006, I had a problem the craft shaft position sensor on my 2003 Nissan Altima 2. 5 s. The dealership replaced the sensor at no cost. It is August 2008, and once again this code is coming up. I was just informed that there is a recall on this part for all 2002 and 2003 Nissan Altimas.

Car suddenly dies while driving down street or highway. Will not start. Nissan has acknowledged this problem as a crankshaft/camshaft sensor problem and recalled 2002 and some 2003 models. However they are excluding other 2003 models that exhibit the same problems.

2003 Nissan Altima 2. 5 died unexpected while driving. Dealer says crankshaft sensor, and not warranted. Repeated problem for Nissan and not taking responsibility.

On several occasions over the last few months, my car would not start the first time I turned the ignition. On 3/21/08 my "check engine" light came on. I brought the car immediately to my mechanic as I have a 60 mile ride each day. What he found after testing was that my engine crank angle sensor was failing. He called and advised me to bring the car , a 2003 Nissan Altima , to my dealer right away as this was a safety hazard. The good news was the sensor was part of a 2006 recall campaign #r0606 and that my VIN fell within the range of the VIN's listed on the report he had obtained on alldatapro. Com. When I called the dealer he agreed that this should be repaired immediately. I brought the car to my dealership kelly Nissan, lynnfield MA. When they looked my information up on the computer it did not indicate that my car was part of the recall. I said I would take this up with Nissan n. America and to please go ahead and continue with the repair. The cost to me was $180. 96. On 3/24/08 I spoke with two individuals at Nissan n. America regarding my belief that I should be re-imbursed. The sensor was part of a safety recall, my car fell within the range of VIN;s listed on the recall report and the part had failed. They could not give me a reasonable explanation as to why I was not eligible. I was supposed to hear back from someone from Nissan within 24 hours, this has not occurred and I'm now turning to you for intervention on my behalf. The person I spoke to at Nissan n. America was a shannon mcquire ext. 41643, my file # is:6092073. I am grateful for your assistance in this matter. Thank you!.

Vehicle crank sensor defective.

I have taken my 2003 Nissan Altima to the dealer for the crankshaft position recall (NHTSA campaign id number : 06v242000). Now the ses light is illuminated indicating that the crankshaft position sensor needs to be replaced. Seems to me that if this defect is common, and it obviously is based on my research, and if it could cause crashes and, therefore injury or even death, that Nissan would be obliged to rectify the problem--obviously they are not. What is being done to rectify the situation? why hasn't something been done already (obviously the reprogramming associated with the recall has not resolved the problem). By the way, if there were already injuries or deaths then someone failed to act in a timely manner.

While driving on the street and about to turn the car suddenly stopped running while driving. Since I was in the middle of a busy intersection, another driver came to help, he asked what happened, I said "I don't know". He got into my car, shifted to park and started it. Weird I said, and forgot about the incident until months later happened again, then months later again, the "service engine soon" light never came on so even I took the car for service and asked about the issues, it was never detected, but I kept complaining to my mechanic every month, replaced batteries each year thinking I had a power problem. I learned about the real problem because this last time it happened on 07/03/12, the help came from someone who knows about cars and he told me about the recall on the crank & cam sensors. I took the car to the nearest Nissan and, yes, that is exactly the problem with my car!. But they said because I didn't service and didn't buy the car from an authorized dealer and my car isn't on the "list" they won't fix it. The cost isn't the problem I told them, the fact the car came out of your factory defective should be your responsibility to correct it, never the less your responsibility to recall all units with the problem not just a few. I am taking the car to them to fix the problem right now and pay for the repair because I have a 4 months old baby and I don't want to be hit by another car when my car stops running in the middle of the street but I do want help and have them be responsible for reimbursing me on the cost of the repair and recall all and every single unit involved with this issue. Nissan corporate (yes, I called them too) will not take any responsibility on the case either.

1. The failing of the engine was sudden and unexpected. 2. Symptoms and diagnosed problem were identical to NHTSA recall id #03v4550. 3. The failed part ("crankshaft position sensor") was replaced.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The dealer reprogrammed the electronic control module, but would not replace the crank sensor for free. Currently, the vehicle is not starting properly and must wait a few minutes before it can be started. The current mileage was 45,000 and failure mileage was 44,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact heard a loud snap underneath the vehicle while driving. He attempted to place the vehicle in drive and reverse, but it failed to move. The vehicle was towed to his residence and was later towed to the dealer. The mechanic stated that the vehicle needed a new engine and transmission. Through online research, the contact discovered that the 2006 Altima's have a recall for the same failure. The speed and recall number were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 127,000.

My 2003 Nissan Altima lost power on the highway while I was traveling at 55-60mph on 7/11/2007. My breaks did not work after the failure but I was able to steer. The local Nissan dealership service department said the cam and crank sensor failed and said I needed a new "cam and crank sensor kit. " this is the exact part that was defective in 2002 Nissan Altimas (NHTSA campaign 03v455000) and resulted in a recall. When I pointed this out to the service department they investigated it and said that while some 2003s were also involved in the recall, my VIN number was not included. My '03 Altima's production date is 11/07/2002 and the delivery and in-service date is 12/12/02. I think the part should be investigated in 2003 Nissan Altimas to see if the recall of the cam or crank sensors in the 2002 Nissan Altimas (referenced above) should be expanded to include more 2003 models.

- the contact took his 2003 Nissan Altima sl on the first week of March to have NHTSA campaign id number : 06v242000 recall work performed on his vehicle. They perform the recall work, but contact continued to have the same failure that is stated on the recall. The dealer stated that they would need to replace the crank sensor assembly, but it would be at contacts expense.

Vehicle was taken in for recall # 06v242000. Dealership has reprogrammed ecm. Dealership now states that the crank position sensor is shorting and may cause vehicle to continue to shut down . Vehicle continues to shut down. Is there any way this recall could be related to the sensor going bad??.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact received a recall letter in the mail stating that his vehicle could shut off at any moment. In January of 2007, he brought his vehicle to the dealer where it was repaired. In April of 2007, as he was pulling out of a gas station, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. He attempted to start the vehicle the next day and it remained on for approximately two seconds. During this time, all of the instrument panel lights illuminated and then the vehicle suddenly shut off. The vehicle was towed to a different mechanic and the vehicle was repaired again. The contact compared the receipts from both mechanics and noticed that the second mechanic repaired the same failure that the Nissan dealer was supposed to have performed originally. Nissan is stating that they properly repaired the vehicle and are refusing to reimburse the contact for the repairs made by the second mechanic. The current mileage is 55,000 and failure mileage was 52,140.

I had recall work done and the result is my engine now needs to be replaced. My 2003 Nissan Altima now consumes 1. 5 quarts of oil every 100 miles. East charlotte Nissan performed the following recalls p5216 and r0606 in addition to this they replaced the O2 sensor at a cost of $365. 00. Within two days (300 miles) of getting the vehicle back the oil was completely empty and it has needed to be refilled every 200 miles since the original visit to east charlotte Nissan. This is unacceptable. Nissans own recall states that for a number of vehicles and engine replacement will be necessary. They are not honoring their very own recall notice. I have documented regular service on this vehicle that is well within the recommended guidelines. Including an oil change at a reputable retailer at intervals of 3-4000 miles.

2003 Nissan Altima recall on the engine customer states that the car is not safe and Nissan has not fixed the problem** the dealer stated the driver side window was inoperable, the window regulator was replaced.

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The crank shaft sensor was causing the car to shut off. The Nissan representative stated that this vehicle was not a part of the recall due to the VIN, and later indicated that it was related, which was the reason the dealer reprogrammed the crank shaft sensor instead of replacing them. Also, the dealer stated that they would not repair the vehicle again. Nissan refused to reimburse her for the repairs. The failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 74,000. The consumer states that performance Nissan in duarte, CA did the reprogramming of the sensors and two days later the sensors were failing again. Updated 05/15/07.

I have a 2003 Nissan Altima 2. 5 s. As I have researched and seen posted in other complaints, my car wouldn't start 2 months ago and before then for a few months it would cut off in traffic while I was driving, I have taken it to a Nissan dealership thinking that it was my crank angular sensor (most recent recall). However the dealership service notified me that it is my "crank position sensor" that is causing the problem. Like others, I noticed that this was a recall on the 2002 models, but not on 2003. Like another complaint stated, 2003 and 2002 models are not that much different (if at all) and if Nissan was having this problem before, then they should make the recall on the 2003 models as well. Now I am being told to fix this problem will cost $243. Nissan should really do some further investigation on their 2003 models to find out if this really needs to be recalled, in my opinion with so many other people complaining about the same problem, it should be.