IllustrationThe car has a fuel problem and crankshaft position sensor issue causing the car to die and also not start up normal idling. When I do get it to start up it idles very groggy.
2004 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Nissan Altima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 231.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Altima years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
220–25K
3025–50K
6350–75K
5075–100K
47100–150K
13150K+
225 reports with mileage · 51 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 109 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
14 crash reports3 fire reports9 injury reports
Fuel/propulsion System complaints
5 reportsCAR DOES NOT START. ACTS LIKE IT IS NOT GETTING FUEL...MECHANIC SUGGESTING CPS VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY FOR ONLY TEN MINUTES.. RAN JUST FINE BEFORE HAND.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE GOING 60-65 MPH, WITH MY GIRLFRIEND AND MY NEWBORN DAUGHTER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR SHUT OFF AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITH A RIVER OF TRAFFIC SURROUNDING AROUND ME. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES THE CAR FINALLY STARTED BACK UP & RAN FINE. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR BECAME HARDER TO START A…
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I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE GOING 60-65 MPH, WITH MY GIRLFRIEND AND MY NEWBORN DAUGHTER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR SHUT OFF AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITH A RIVER OF TRAFFIC SURROUNDING AROUND ME. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES THE CAR FINALLY STARTED BACK UP & RAN FINE. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR BECAME HARDER TO START AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF ON THE INTERSTATE ONCE AGAIN. I GOT THE ENGINE CODE, CHECKED OUT AND IT WAS P0340 (CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR). UPON FURTHER RESEARCH I NOTICED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON NATIONWIDE PROBLEM. NOT ONLY DOES THE ENGINE STALL WHILE DRIVING, IT COMPLETELY CAUSES THE MOTOR TO SHUT OFF! THE MOTOR IN A VEHICLE SHUTTING OFF WHILE GOING DOWN A JAMMED INTERSTATE OR GOING ACROSS RAILROAD TRACKS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO NOT GET RECOGNIZED. AFTER EXPERIENCING THIS HORRIBLE SITUATION, AND VIEWING THE COUNTLESS PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED IT AS WELL. I AM FLABBERGASTED THE CAM/CRANKSHAFT SENSOR FOR THE 2002-2005 ALTIMA HAS YET TO BE RECALLED. THE CHANCE OF THE PART BEING DEFICIENT IS ABNORMALLY HIGH. THE PART IS INCAPABLE OF PERFORMING IT PURPOSE, BECAUSE ONCE REPAIRED IT CONTINUOUSLY HAS TO BE REPLACED. NISSAN DOES STATE THAT THIS IS A DEFICIENT PART AND THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON IT. BUT A SERVICE BULLETIN DOES NOT DO ANYONE ANY JUSTICE WHEN THE SENSORS HAVE TO BE REPLACED ONCE A YEAR!! *TR
I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE APARTMENT BUT IT WOULD ONLY GO ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR. THERE WAS NO SMELL OR NOISE AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD STARTED THE CAR TODAY. I RETURNED HOME, TURNED OFF THE CAR FOR A SHORT TIME, RESTARTED AND IT RAN FINE IN THE PARKING LOT. *TR
EVERY WINTER OR WHEN THE WEATHER GETS COLD THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF RAW GAS COMING IN THROUGH THE AIR VENTS, WHEN CAR WARMS UP IN MORNING EVEN WITH ALL WINDOWS OPEN SMELL IS CHOKING AND UNBEARABLE. ALSO BRAKES SQUEAK TERRIBLY LIKE A BIG TRUCK WHEN TURNING TO LEFT AND BRAKING, EVEN AT SLOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS IN A DRIVE THRU OR PA…
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EVERY WINTER OR WHEN THE WEATHER GETS COLD THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF RAW GAS COMING IN THROUGH THE AIR VENTS, WHEN CAR WARMS UP IN MORNING EVEN WITH ALL WINDOWS OPEN SMELL IS CHOKING AND UNBEARABLE. ALSO BRAKES SQUEAK TERRIBLY LIKE A BIG TRUCK WHEN TURNING TO LEFT AND BRAKING, EVEN AT SLOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS IN A DRIVE THRU OR PARKING. EVEN BRAND NEW BRAKES. LASTLY AND MOST SCARY IS THE DRIVER SEAT SHIFTS, ROCKS, FORWARD AND BACK WHEN BRAKING HARD OR DURING A SUDDEN STOP. PURCHASED CAR IN 2007 AS A LEASE RETURN. *TR
Official recalls
106V242000 · Engine And Engine Cooling
Jul 7, 2006
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.5L ENGINE, THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR IS AFFECTED BY TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, THESE VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURE CAN BE LARGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE A BRIEF INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL OUTPUT FROM THE SENSOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL FROM THE SENSOR IS SO BRIEF THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) LOGIC DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE CONDITION, THE ENGINE MAY STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AT A LOW SPEED INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ECM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 21, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.