2003 Nissan Altima

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) AS STATED IN MY LAST COMPLAINT WITH ODI ID NUMBER: 10327349, I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CAR IS NOW IN THE REPAIR SHOP THE ENGINE BLOWN.... THE CAR WAS BURNING EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL. HOWEVER, I ALSO STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, AND WOULD STAY ON. ALTHOUGH, WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AN REACHING THE SPEED OF 70MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD BEGIN TO START BLINKING. I DON'T HAVE $3,000.00 - $4,000.00 TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. I'M STILL MAKING MONTHLY PAYMENTS. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE ENGINE WITH VIN: [XXX] . FURTHERMORE, I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS CAN BE FIXED/ REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY BY THE NISSAN IN CANTON, MS. THE MILEAGE PRESENTLY ON THE VEHICLE IS 155,100. I DIDN'T PURCHASE THE CAR NEW, BUT USED. I TRULY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT. I'VE KEEP THE CAR MAINTAINED, AND THEN THIS HAPPENS. PLEASE SOMEONE FROM ODI CONTACT ME REGARDING THIS MATTER IMMEDIATELY. *TR

WE HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH A " MALFUNCTION IN THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR A CIRCUIT" (OBD2 CODE PO335) WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STALL OUT WHILE IN DRIVE CREATING A VERY UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. NISSAN HAS A RECALL BUT ALL THEY WILL DO IS REPROGRAM THE ECM WHICH DOESN'T FIX PROBLEM. EITHER THE CIRCUIT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED/REPLACED OR THE SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WE FEEL IT IS NISSAN'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REMEDY IT... SO FAR WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY LUCK IN GETTING IT RESOLVED... *TR

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THIS CAR IS BURNING OIL LIKE CRAZY. THERE'S NO SMOKE OR ANYTHING OF THAT SORT, BUT I HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT AND PUT OIL IN MY CAR TO KEEP IT RUNNING AT LEAST EVERY 4-5 DAYS OR SO. GAS IS HIGH AND OIL IS GETTING HIGHER; I HAVE TO KEEP AT LEAST 2-3 QUARTS IN MY TRUNK. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR SOMETIME NOW. WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IF I GO OVER 70MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTS BLINKING. WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STOPS BLINKING, BUT CONTINUES TO STAY ON. HOWEVER, I JUST HAD MY SPARK PLUGS CHANGED AND NOW THE CAR WON'T START. PLEASE I NEED SOME HELP ASAP.... I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO PURCHASE A NEW ONE AT THIS TIME, BUT WISH SOMEONE CAN TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON. THE DEALER IS NO HELP WHATSOEVER. THEY GET YOU IN THERE AND TELL YOU THAT THIS, THIS, AND THIS IS THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS THAT NOTHING IS UNDER WARRANTY WITH NISSAN, AND I DON'T OWN THE CAR AS OF YET I'M STILL MAKING MONTHLY PAYMENTS. I THINK THAT NISSAN NEEDS TO GO OVER THE ENGINE, ELECTRONIC, AND ETC. BECAUSE CANTON, MISSISSIPPI IS THE HOME OF NISSAN AND YOU HAVE SOME BIG PROBLEMS ON YOUR HANDS!!! *TR

2003 NISSAN ALTIMA- ISSUE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR DESCRIPTION: VEHICLE STARTS HAVING BRIEF INTERRUPTIONS IN THE ENGINE CAUSES THE CAR TO HALT FOR A VERY BRIEF MOMENT. CHANGED THREE SENSORS, TWO FROM AUTOZONE AND ONE OEM FROM NISSAN. CHECKED THE RECALL WITH THE DEALER, SHOWS NO RECALL IN THE DEALER SYSTEM. CAR STILL HAVE ISSUES WITH ENGINE STALLING FOR VERY BRIEF MOMENTS. CAR DIED TWICE IN THE PAST DUE TO SAME ISSUE AT LOW SPEED. IT HAPPENED THIS MORNING AGAIN. *TR

MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH 83,700 MILES WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT USED A LITTLE OVER ONE YEAR AGO. BUT PRIOR TO LEAVING HOME I READ AT THE NHTSA WEBSITE ABOUT SIMILAR PROBLEMS I WAS ALREADY HAVING, HOPING THIS DEALERSHIP WOULD ALSO HAVE SIMILAR, IF NOT, IDENTICAL RESULTS. TO MY DISMAY, THEY HAD NEITHER. THEREBY NO TYPE OF RECALL WAS SHOWING ON MY MODEL'S HISTORY VIA THE MANUFACTURER, SO I WAS TOLD. MY VEHICLE PROBLEMS ARE AS FOLLOWS, PER DEALER DIAGNOSIS: TW CATALYST SYS-B1 (CODE P0420), ENGINE OVER TEMP (CODE P0217), AND CYL 1 MISFIRE (CODE P0301). FURTHERMORE, MY COMPLAIN ESSENTIALLY WAS ABOUT THE CAR OVER-HEATING AND TAKING LONGER THAN USUAL PERIODS TO RESTART, USUALLY UP TO 10 MINUTES. THIS DEALER SAID IT COULD COST UPWARD FROM AT LEAST $400.00 TO FIX EITHER ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WHICH MAY STILL NOT CORRECT THEM ALL. BUT THE MOST SERIOUS WAS THE CATALYTIC PROBLEM THAT INVOLVES HOT GASES AND DEBRIS BEING DRAWN INTO THE ENGINE INSTEAD OF GOING OUT THE EXHAUST, RESULTING IN ENGINE DAMAGE. THE PROBLEMS BEGAN WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED LIT AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. BUT THE PROBLEM WITH STARTING DIDN'T SHOW UP UNTIL THE ONE YEAR POINT. JUST RECENTLY, I HAVE PURCHASED A TUNE-UP AS WELL AS A NEW BATTERY FOR MY VEHICLE IN ORDER TO REMEDY WHAT I THOUGHT WERE OWNER SERVICE ISSUES. SADLY, THIS LOCAL DEALER EITHER DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT YOUR RECALL OR SOMEBODY IS HIDING THIS FROM NOT JUST THEM BUT FROM OWNERS LIKE ME AS WELL. I PLAN TO CALL NISSAN-1 TOMORROW AS THEY WERE CLOSED AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP. I HOPE NO FIRE RESULTS FROM THIS OR ANY SERIOUS PROBLEMS RELATING TO INJURIES AS WE TRY AND RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN ADVANCE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN BRAKING AND COMING TO A FULL STOP OR DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL INTERMITTENTLY. HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A RECALL DESCRIBING THE FAILURE HE HAD EXPERIENCED IN HIS VEHICLE AND WHEN CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, HE WAS ADVISED HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED WITH THE RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V242000: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON APRIL 15, 2010, THE DRIVER STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, IT STARTED AND WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE CONTACT CALLED AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE REPAIR SHOP AND AWAITING A SENSOR REPLACEMENT AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,455. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,480.

DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR BEGAN TO 'HESITATE" AND I WAS LOSING 'POWER/SPEED" . GOT OFF FREEWAY AND A "RATTLE" TYPE NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE BAY. THE MUFFLER SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS "SPUTTERING". DROVE VIA CITY STREETS AT 20 MPG - 40 MPG TOWARDS A REPAIR FACILITY ( ALL THE WHILE FEELING AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS GOING TO DIE) AND 20 MINUTES LATER THE "ENGINE LIGHT" CAME ON. PULLED OVER AND HAD CAR TOWED THE LAST 4 MILES TO THE REPAIR FACILITY. FIRST DIAGNOSIS WAS A "FOREIGN MATTER" HIT THE #1PLUG AND CLOSED THE GAP. THE PLUG WAS REGAPPED AND INSTALLED. CAR SEEMED FINE , BUT 2 DAYS LATER THE SAME SYMPTOMS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE AGAIN. PULLED OVER AND DROVE TO REPAIR FACILITY WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2002 THRU 2005 ALTIMAS HAVE. THE BUTTERFLY VALVES SCREWS HAD COME LOOSE AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE SCREWS. RAN A MAGNET IN THAT AREA BUT PULLED NOTHING. TECH THINKS IT MAY HAVE BLOWN OUT OF THE EXHAUST IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY. SO THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED WAS PROBABLY A SCREW HITTING THE PLUG AND CLOSING THE GAP AND THE SECOND TIME WAS BECAUSE OF THE MISSING SCREW/SCREWS NOT LETTING THE VALVE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE INTAKE PLENUM WAS REMOVED AND THE SECONDARY BUTTERFLY PLATES WERE INSPECTED. THE #1 PLATE LODGED BY INTAKE VALVE AND 2 PLATE SCREWS WERE MISSING(PASSED INTO CYLINDER #1), ALL 4 PLATES WERE REPLACED AND ALL SCREWS SECURED WITH RED LOCTITE THREAD LOCKER, TOTAL COST FOR FIRST REPAIR WAS $200 WHICH INCLUDED DECARB SERVICE(BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT "LOOSE CARBON" HITTING THE PLUG CLOSED THE GAP). THE SECOND TIME TO CURE THE ACTUAL CAUSE WAS $460.87 WHICH INCLUDED REPLACING A GASKET ALSO. *TR

I HAD A SIMILAR, YET EXTREME EXPERIENCE. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO GET THE OIL CHANGED AT A LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP (IT WAS CHEAP.) WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY CAR, THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT HE PULLED LESS THAN A 8 OZ. OF OIL FROM THE ENGINE. HE SAID HE COULDN'T FIND ANY LEAKS, BUT TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE OIL EVERYDAY. I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP AND DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR FOR A DRIVE TO "REOIL" THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN RUNNING A BIT FUNNY: NOT STARTING RIGHT AWAY, TROUBLE SHIFTING FOR ABOUT 48 HOURS. I GOT ABOUT FIVE MILES AT ~55 MPH, AND WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A LEFT TURN, HEARD SOMETHING FALL OUT OF THE ENGINE. AFTER THAT, WHITE SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT THE EXHAUST. I KNEW THE ENGINE BLEW. THE STEERING AND BRAKES WENT OUT, AND I GOT IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (SOMEHOW.) THE BLACK SMOKE STARTED POURING IN FROM THE VENTS. I DON'T REMEMBER STOPPING OR GETTING OUT, BUT I REMEMBER TURNING AROUND AND SEEING FLAMES OUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE ENGINE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND PUT THE FIRE OUT, BUT THE CAR WAS TOTALED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE ENGINE AND INTERIOR, ESPECIALLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE, WERE DESTROYED. THE BACKSEAT WAS SMOKE DAMAGED. THE TRUNK AND THREE TIRES WERE RELATIVELY UNHARMED. *TR

MY '03 NISSAN ALTIMA CAR HAS A LARGE RUST HOLES IN THE FLOOR. I TOOK MY CAR TO NISSAN DEALER THE THEY WERE QUICK TO TELL ME THAT MY CAR NO LONGER HAD RUST PROTECTION. YESTERDAY, I TOOK MY CAR TO REPUTABLE BODY SHOP AND THEY PULLED CARPET BACK IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND SHOWED ME A HOLE THAT ALLOWED ME TO SEE THE GROUND. THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS A SAFETY HAZARD!!! *TR