2003 Nissan Altima

I HAD JUST BOUGHT MY VEHICLE IN MARCH 2010 FOR $4200. A FEW WEEKS AFTER I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BURNING THROUGH OIL EVERY FEW DAYS. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE STATED IT NEEDED A TUNE UP. A FEW DAYS AFTER THE TUNE UP I NOTICED IT STARTED TO RUN ROUGH ON THE HIGHWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK. WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN, NO POWER STEERING. I HAD TO GLIDE TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE HOPING AND PRAYING I WOULD MAKE IT AND NOT GET HIT. SO I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE MECHANIC WHO THEN TOLD ME THAT THE MOTOR WAS BLOWN. I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT SEEING AS I HAD JUST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE 6 MONTHS EARLIER. SO I THEN PARKED THE CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY UNTIL I HAD THE MONEY TO REPLACE IT($2000). ONCE I WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE 2 MONTHS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AGAIN. I TAKE IT BACK INTO THE MECHANIC AND HE TELLS ME ITS THE RADIATOR. I REPLACE THE RADIATOR ($200). A FEW WEEKS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. THE MECHANIC TELLS ME ITS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THAT HE'S DONE ATLEAST THREE NISSANS IN THE PAST MONTH WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT THERE IS A RECALL AND TO CONTACT NISSAN. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT IF I TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE LIKE THAT IT WOULD BLOW THE MOTOR AGAIN BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT CAUSED IT TO BLOW INITIALLY. AFTER TAKING IT TO A NISSAN DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOT "OPEN" RECALL ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER JUST AN ECM RESET AND THE HALOGEN LIGHT RECALL. THEY DID TELL ME THE CATALYTIC GONE DUE TO A CYLINDER 2 MISFIRE BUT THAT WAS NOT COVERED BY THEM. I THEN CALLED NISSAN DIRECTLY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL PREVIOUS FOR THE ENGINE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER BUT IT WAS NOT AN OPEN RECALL AND THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEND ME THAT INFORMATION. IF I WANTED THAT INFORMATION I WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH CAR FAX. THIS WAS FROM THEIR UPPER MANAGEMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, CRANK POSITION SENSOR, AND THE TIMING KIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. UPDATED 12/2/14*CN *JS

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! *TR

DRIVING LEGAL SPEED ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 59 SOUTH FROM MERIDIAN MS TO SLIDELL LOUISIANA. CAR STARTED USING OIL EVERY 20 MILES. I HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO NISSAN DEALER ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. IT WS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS BAD. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN NORTH AMERICA TO ASK FOR THEM TO REPAIR UNDER RECALL #03V084000. THIS RECALL STATES THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WILL CAUSE ENGINE DAMAGE. NISSAN DECLINED TO FIX MY CAR. I CONTACTED THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND THEY DID NOT HELP. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT. *TR

WAS DRIVING 45MPH WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, STEERING WHEEL GOT STIFF, AND I HAD TO MANEUVER TO SAFETY. TRIED REPEATEDLY TO TURN ON THE CAR, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK. I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, WAITED A FEW MINUTES, AND THEN THE CAR TURNED ON NORMALLY. I HAVE A FAMILY OF NISSAN OWNERS AND THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT OF THIS EVER HAPPENING. I JUST WANT NISSAN TO HELP FIX THIS, OR RISK LOOSING A VALUED CUSTOMER TO ANOTHER CAR BRAND. CONSIDERING INFINITY JUST LOST 2 CEO'S TO OTHER BRANDS MAKES ME (AS A CONSUMER) UNCERTAIN ABOUT THIS BRANDS FUTURE. *TR

ON JUN 29, 2014 OUR FAMILY OF FOUR (ALONG WITH MY WIFE AND 2 KIDS) WERE IN THIS 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT AROUND 55MPH. ALL OF A SUDDEN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE ENGINE STOPPED. PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR DID NOT DO ANYTHING. CARS WERE ALL OVER THE EXPRESSWAY, ZIPPING THROUGH AT A HIGH SPEEDS. A VERY SCARY SITUATION. SOMEHOW, WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE EXPRESSWAY WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY FATAL TO MY ENTIRE FAMILY. ONCE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE, I CALLED MY INSURANCE CO. TO SEND US A TOW TRUCK. WHILE I WAS PLACED ON HOLD, AFTER A FEW MINS WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND WERE ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. NEXT DAY, I CALLED NISSAN COMPANY AND TOLD THEM ABOUT MY INCIDENT AND THEY SAID THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON MY CAR AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND THEY RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND FOUND OUT THAT CAM SHAFT SENSOR WAS BAD AND THEY REPLACED IT AT MY COST. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH NISSAN AS TO HOW MY CAR IS NOT PART OF RECALL EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE JUST CUT OUT WITH OUT ANY WARNING PUTTING MY FAMILY AT GREAT DANGER (POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE INJURIES OR EVEN DEATH) AND NISSAN DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

WHILE REPLACING FRONT ROTORS/BRAKES, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A FAIRLY LARGE RUST HOLE IN THE FLOORBOARD, PASSENGER SIDE WAS DISCOVERED. I CALLED A COLLISION SHOP SEEKING ADVICE AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD REQUIRE A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT COSTING APPROX. $2,100/$2,500, AS THIS WAS THEIR POLICY. I CALLED ANOTHER SHOP LOOKING FOR AT LEAST A PATCH REPLACEMENT. PER THEIR INSPECTION, THEIR ESTIMATE IS APPROX. $700.00/$800.00, TAKING AT LEAST 1 FULL DAY TO WORK ON REPAIR. DECIDED TO CHECK ON SIMILAR ISSUES ON-LINE AND MUCH TO MY SURPRISE THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING RUSTED FLOORBOARDS. NISSANS' RESPONSE WAS THAT SALTED ROADS WAS THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, MANY COMPLAINTS WERE FROM STATES THAT USE SAND AND/OR IN SUNSHINE STATES. I CALLED NISSAN, MY REFERENCE NO. 15121312. PRESENTLY CAR AT SUBURBAN TROY DEALERSHIP, AS THERE WERE RECALLS ON MY CAR. NO WORD FROM DEALER OR NISSAN ON RUSTED FLOORBOARD ISSUE BEING REPLACED/REPAIRED. WHAT IS NEEDED FOR ISSUING RECALLS, AS WE ALL BELIEVE PROBLEM IS FROM DEFECTED STEEL AND/OR POOR DESIGN ??? SHOULD I (AND ALL OF US) CONTACT OUR LOCAL STATE AND/OR WASHINGTON ELECTED OFFICIALS ???, AS THIS WOULD BE THE PERFECT TIME TO DO SO, BEING THAT THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR !!! I'M HOPING THAT THIS WILL NOT BE A CASE OF WAITING FOR A SERIOUS INJURY AND/OR DEATH(S) TO OCCUR BEFORE CORRECTIONS TO THIS ISSUE GETS RESOLVED AND IMMEDIATE ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THESE RUSTED FLOORBOARDS. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR LOOKING INTO AND RESOLVING THE "RUSTED FLOORBOARDS" PROBLEMS ! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS POWERED OFF, BUT FAILED TO RESTART. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAM SHAFT AND CRANKSHAFT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, A SCRAPING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED THAT THE FLOOR BOARD WAS HANGING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE AND THE UNDER BODY WAS RUSTED OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.