2003 Nissan Altima

MY 02 ALTIMA HAS HAD FOUR RECALLS, INCLUDING THE LAST ONE IN QUESTION. I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR LURCHING THIS SUMMER. IT ACTED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO DIE. IT EVEN BEGAN TO DIE ON ME ONCE OR TWICE AT IDLE SPEEDS. ON AUG 24TH, WHEN I PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, THE CAR DIED. IT DIED THREE TIMES WHILE I WAS TRYING TO TURN AROUND AND GET BACK TO THE PARKING LOT. I TOOK THE CAR TO A REPUTABLE, ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC. MEANWHILE, I CHECKED THE WEB. NO ADDITIONAL RECALLS WERE LISTED.) THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR NEEDED REPLACING. THE CAR CONTINUED TO LURCH AND ACT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE TECHS RECOMMENDED I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. THE NISSAN DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS KNOWN. NISSAN HAD ISSUED A RECALL, THE CAR NEEDED THE ECM REPROGRAMMED. AFTER THEY REPROGRAMMED THE ECM, NISSAN STATED THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR STILL NEEDED REPLACING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE MECHANIC THAT HAD ALREADY REPLACED THE SENSOR. THEY ALSO SAID IT NEEDED A NEW CAM SENSOR. THEY REPLACED BOTH SENSORS AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. WITHIN A FEW DAYS, THE CAR EXHIBITED THE SAME, PREVIOUS SYMPTOMS. I TOOK IT BACK TO NISSAN. THE SERV DEPT INFORMED ME THAT THE ISSUE WAS THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY. THE BAD NEWS - THE COST WAS $1000. THE PART WAS ESTIMATED AT $550 AND LABOR WAS AROUND $450. ESTIMATE TIME OF REPAIR = 1 1/2 HOUR. THE WARRANTY IS 5 YRS / 60K MILES. HE STATED IF THE MILEAGE WAS 60K MILES, THEN THE THROTTLE BODY WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY... BUT, SINCE THE MILEAGE READ 65K MILES, THEN IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. THE SERVICE MANAGER APPLIED FOR A GOODWILL WARRANTY. THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. I CONTACTED NISSAN. AFTER FILING THE COMPLAINT AND WAITING FOR A RESPONSE, I FINALLY OPTED TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE. TO DATE, NISSAN DECLINED TO PAY FOR ANY PART OF THE THROTTLE BODY REPAIR. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE PROMISED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. *NM

THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT BEGAN TO APPEAR IN MID TO LATE JUNE. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND THEY HAVE RAN THE VEHICLE THROUGH THEIR SCANNERS AND CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE RESISTER ON THE TRANSMISSION HOWEVER THE CAR CONTINUES TO SHIFT HARD. NISSAN HAS A BULLETIN ABOUT PROBLEMS ON THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED AS A RECALL. MY CAR HAS REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND HAS STOPPED ON ME ONCE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED THOROUGHLY AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS STILL ON. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS VEHICLE JUST DIES. CONSUMER HAS NOT RESOLVED THIS PROBLEM. *TS WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE ALSO HESITATES INTERMITTENTLY. THE TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SLIPS OUT OF GEAR WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS ACCELERATING FROM A RED LIGHT. *NM UPDATE: CALLED THE LISTED NUMBER BUT WAS TOLD NO ONE LIVE THERE BY THAT NAME.

DT: THIS WEEKEND TRIED TO PARK TO ENTER STORE. ATTEMPTED TO MOVE FROM DRIVE TO PAR, BUT THIS GEAR BECAME STUCK IN NEUTRAL. CHECKED OWNER'S MANUAL, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TO PARK. LAST NIGHT WENT TO PARK AND WHEN STARTING TO LEAVE WOULD NOT MOVE FROM TO PARK TO DRIVE. AGAIN, CONSULTED OWNER,S MANUAL. TOOK CAR TO DEALER, AND DEALER SAID COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THERE IS A FRAME AROUND THE STICK SHIFT TO HOLD DOWN THE PIECE OF MATERIAL THAT KEEPS FROM EXPOSING INSIDE THE GEAR. THE FRAME CAME UNGLUED AND GOT STUCK INSIDE THE GEAR, CAUSING MY GEAR TO LOCK AND FORCING ME TO SUDDENLY STOP ON THE FREEWAY ON 65 MPH TRAFFIC. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, AND I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE MY CAR WAS AT 37,000, AND THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES. I WAS ALSO INFORMED BY THE PARTS DEPARTMENT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS COMMON ON NISSAN ALTIMAS, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON THAT HAD THIS PROBLEM. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ON AN EMPTY HIGHWAY AND WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND PULL THE FRAME FROM UNDERNEATH THE GEAR. THE AMOUNT THAT I'M BEING CHARGED FOR THE PARTS & LABOR ARE NOT MY CONCERN AT THIS TIME AND ARE MINIMAL, HOWEVER THE SAFETY OF OTHER DRIVERS IS PRICELESS. I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT IF WE CAN AVOID SERIOUS DAMAGES IN THE FUTURE IT'S VERY WELL WORTH A RECALL. *AK