2003 Nissan Altima

2003 NISSA ALTIMA, RIGHT FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF. *BF THE VEHICLE FELL TO THE GROUND AND THE CONSUMER DROVE TO THE LEFT SHOULDER DRAGGING/DAMAGING VEHICLE BODY PARTS AND CAME TO REST ON THE LEFT SHOULDER. THE WHEEL ROLLED OFF TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND LANDED IN A DITCH. ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, ALL FIVE STUDS SNAPPED OFF AND WERE MISSING; THE RIGHT FRONT FENDER WAS DENTED DUE TO THE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND; THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR WAS BENT AND THE RIGHT FRONT DISC BRAKE WAS BENT AND DENTED FROM IMPACT WITH THE GROUND; POSSIBLE UNDERCARRIAGE DAMAGE AS WELL. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS OBTAINED FROM THE DITCH. THE WERE TWO LUG NUTS WITH THE STUDS STILL ATTACHED TO THE WHEEL. OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0702-90. UPDATED LETTER 04/29/10 *BF

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WHICH WAS JUST HANDED DOWN TO MY DAUGHTER AS HER FIRST CAR FOR HER 17TH BIRTHDAY IN JANUARY. WHILE ON HER WAY TO SCHOOL ONE MORNING IN MARCH THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF AT A STOP LIGHT AT A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION. SHE OBVIOUSLY HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO AND IT WAS POURING RAIN. SOMEONE BEHIND HER WAS KIND ENOUGH TO HELP A STRANDED TEENAGER AND SHE WAS ABLE TO CALL ME. WHEN I ARRIVED TO THE INTERSECTION I HOPPED IN HER CAR, TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN BACK ON, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND IT SEEMED FINE. I NOTICED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT HAD COME ON. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND HE PULLED UP A RECALL FOR MY EXACT VEHICLE AND THE EXACT SITUATION. IT READS: CRANK POSITION SENSOR RECALL - THIS COULD CAUSE THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON AND THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. HE REFERRED ME TO SEE THE DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY. I DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLAIM THAT THIS RECALL WAS VIN SPECIFIC AND MY VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT MY VEHICLE IS AFFECTED AND THAT NISSAN DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THE PRODUCT THEY PRODUCE. FURTHERMORE, NISSAN APPARENTLY HAS NO REGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THE PEACE OF MIND THAT THE CAR WE BOUGHT IS RELIABLE. THE NISSAN DEALER SAID IT WILL BE NO LESS THAN $350 TO REPLACE BOTH THE CAM AND CRANK POSITION SENSORS WITH LABOR. THE MECHANIC SHOP I WENT TO QUOTED ME $110 FOR PARTS AND $50 LABOR TOTALING $160. AGAIN, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH NISSAN. I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE THAT MY FAMILY WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER NISSAN VEHICLE. I WILL DO MY VERY BEST TO ENCOURAGE CAR SHOPPERS TO STAY FAR AWAY FROM NISSAN BECAUSE OF THE SIMPLE FACT THAT AFTER THE INITIAL PURCHASE YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE NISSAN TO RECONSIDER THIS PARTICULAR RECALL AND PERFORM BETTER BUSINESS PRACTICES AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 30 MPH AND UP, THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STALL OR WOULD HESITATE TO START. HE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE WARNING PANEL INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CAM SHAFT AND CRANKSHAFT WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER THE CONTACT WOULD CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME FAILURES AFTER REPAIRS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNDER 89,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 35 MPH, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WITHIN A FEW MOMENTS AFTER SITTING IDLE, THE VEHICLE BECAME RESPONSIVE TO THE DEPRESSED ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED, HOWEVER THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SECOND DEALER BUT THEY TOO, COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,364 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND ON THE ENGINE AND RUNS ROUGH. I TRIED USING FUEL SYSTEM CLEANER BUT IT DID NOT WORK. I ALSO TRIED OIL TREATMENTS AND CHANGING THE OIL BUT NON WORKED. I TOOK TO A NISSAN CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND TOLD ME INTAKE VALVE SCREWS WERE LOOSE AND CREATING A KNOCKING SOUND THAT THE BUTTERFLY IS HALF OPEN CAUSING THE CAR TO IDLE ROUGHLY. THE MECHANIC ALSO SAID THE THIS HAPPENS ALOT WITH THIS CARS, ALTIMAS AND SENTRA AND THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR 2004 AND 2005 MODELS BUT NOT 2003 EVEN IF IT HAS THE SAME ENGINE. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT IF I DON'T GET IT FIXED THE IT WILL BREAK MY ENGINE AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ON THE SAME CAR I ALSO HAD TO PAY FOR A CRANK SENSOR THE FAILED ON ME. NISSAN SAID THE SAME THING, RECALL ON THE 2004 AND 2005 BUT NOT 2003. IT CAUSED MY CAR TO STALL AND RUN ROUGHLY. TOOK IT TO NISSAN AND THEY SAID NOTHINGS WRONG AND TAKE IT BACK TO THEM WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON. AFTER A MONTH IT DID TURN ON. LUCKILY HAVE WARRANTY BUT THEY STILL CHARGE ME. PLEASE HELP, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO REPLACE MY CAR JUST TO HAVE NISSAN FIX WHAT THEY MESSED UP ON. *TR

I OWN A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH A 2.5 L ENGINE. I AM HAVING ISSUES WITH THE CAR DYING AND SPUTTERING AND SOMETIMES NOT STARTING. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH TO DETERMINE THAT NISSAN HAD A RECALL FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR FOR MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE FROM 2002-2003 FOR THE CRANK SENSOR. I CALLED THEM AND GAVE THEM MY VIN NUMBER AND THEY SAID MY PARTICULAR CAR WAS NOT COVERED FOR THE RECALL. I HAVE HAD THIS PLUGGED UP TO A COMPUTER AND IT CONFIRMS THAT IT IS THE CRANK SENSOR. ALSO I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED ONE FOR ABOUT $600 IN 2008 FOR MY CAR. IT SEEMS NISSAN KNOWS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND RECALLED SOME OF THE CARS AND OTHER PEOPLE LIKE ME WILL HAVE TO KEEP TAKING THEIR CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP EVERY YEAR OR TWO AND SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY TO KEEP THE CAR FROM GETTING THEM KILLED IN A WRECK OR STRANDED. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO OTHER THAN CHARGE ME FULL PRICE FOR THE REPAIR. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF INTERNET RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR

2003 NISSAN ALTIMA 3.5L V6 SE - THE DOOR LOCKS KEEP LOCKING REPEATEDLY. WILL DO THIS WHILE I AM IN AND OUT OF THE CAR REGARDLESS OF KEY FOB USE. MY HAZARD LIGHTS FLASH EACH TIME. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR OVER A WEEK AND HAS INCREASED IN FREQUENCY AND DURATION. IT IS NOW CONSTANT - GOING ON EVERY 3-5 SECONDS. I HAD TROUBLE GETTING MY DAUGHTER OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE THE DOOR KEPT LOCKING ON ME. I WORRY ABOUT THE ABILITY TO GET OUT QUICKLY IF NEEDED. IT BRINGS ATTENTION TO MY CAR THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ON MANY LEVELS. IT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED YET. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT MAY BE THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THERE WAS RUST ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE UNDER CARRIAGE WAS DAMAGED AND THAT IF THE UNDER CARRIAGE WAS REMOVED THE BOLTS MAY FALL OFF. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE FUEL CAP AND THE REAR SUB FRAME WERE CORRODED. ALL OF THE ROTORS ON THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STATE AND OCEAN LOCATION MAY BE A FACTOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TURNED ON AND OFF IN ORDER TO RESTART IT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL # 06V242000, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE NISSAN MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CALLED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,584.