Problems with 2003 Nissan Altima STRUCTURE

Tl- the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that when inside the vehicle she saw an object dangle from the floor. she went to retrieve the object and discovered a hole on the front passenger side floor board. the vehicle has not been repaired or diagnosed. the manufacturer has not been notified of the incident. the approximate failure mileage was 132,000. the vin was unavailable.- ll

Purchased this vehicle a year ago still paying on the car and upon state inspection passenger side floor boards on a 2003 nissan altima rusted through. failure mileage is 100,498

2003 nissan altima (127,000 miles) - passenger and driver side floor boards are completed rusted. nissan is not helping with this known defect. how many complaints before nhtsa gets involved? over 70 reports on the this site and hundreds more if you perform a simple internet search. *tt

In early august 2013, i noticed a rusted piece of metal hanging from the under carriage of my 2003 nissan altima. during a recent oil change, i asked the mechanic to look and see where the piece of metal was coming from. i was told that the car's floor panel on the passenger's side had completely rusted through leaving a gaping hole the size of a football in front of where the passenger seat is located. after doing some research on the internet, i discovered that this is a wide spread problem covering 3 model years, 2003 thru 2006 and has affected thousands of altimas. my 2003 altima was a "certified used car" that was purchased at arlington nissan, arlington heights, il in 2006. it's current mileage is 126,000. there is not one spot of rust on any other part of the car. it has been garage kept since i purchased it. i called arlington nissan on 9-11-13, to ask if there had been some sort of recall on the vehicle about this specific problem. i was told that although they were aware of the problem, no recall had been initiated by nissan corporate. they told me to contact nissan's consumer affairs division who then instructed me to provide them with a diagnostic report complete with estimated repair costs from arlington nissan. nissan's consumer affairs division would then turn the claim over to the regional office that oversees arlington nissan. that office would get back to me with a decision on repairing the defect. there was no promise of them fixing the problem at no cost or reimbursing me the costs of having an independent body shop do the repair. now it is the waiting game. the nhtsa should mandate a national recall on this obvious defect as it poses a definite safety issue for anyone driving a 2003-2006 nissan altima. *tr

I purchased my 2003 nissan altima from the dealer 16 months ago and just learned that my front driver and passenger side floor is rusted completely out. i was walking up to the car and noticed something hanging underneath bent down to look under the car and soon realized it was rust. the floor was rusted out on both sides driver and passenger. i contacted nissan consumer affairs and try refused to fx it. i have 4 more years to pay for a car that i will soon not be able to drive. after checking online i have learned this a common problem with this year car and nissan should be liable. *tr

Floor boards completely rusted through. no rust anywhere else on vehicle. *tr

We recently were informed that the flooboards on our nissan were completely rusted through on both the driver and passenger side of our vehicle. the estimate to have this fixed is around $2,000 and our car is in perfect condition otherwise. we have always taken extremely good care of our vehicle taking it in for maintenance every 3-5,000 miles so i cannot understand how this could happen. i have read on-line that this is happening to nissan altimas everywhere and it sounds like an issue that nissan should have put in a recall and fixed the cars. now we are left to either pay thousands to fix the car or get rid of it. *tr

Passenger side floor board completely rusted right through. this is not normal for this to happen to a car that is 10 years old. there really needs to be a recall on this situation with these cars. it seems that it is happening to quite a bit of the nissan altima's which is very dangerous especially if you have purchased it for your child. nissan doesn't seem to be taking any responsibility to this. *tr

The floor of the driver and passenger side were rusted and had to be replaced. that was over 2 years ago. i recently noticed that the drivers side floor, near the gas pedal is also starting to dip and may be rusted. after watching a news report i decided to file a complaint since there are many other people who have been effected by this problem and i now believe it to be an issue relate to the design of the car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that something was protruding from the under the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the frame was rusted and bore a hole on the passenger's side of the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileage was 120,000.

We live in pa. we took our 2003 nissan altima in for inspection and were told the driver and the passenger side floor panels were rusted though to the car. the car was bought new, has been garage kept, and our winters have been mild. nothing ever has been spilled in the car and the carpet have never been wet. had 4 local body shops give estimates (from $900 to $1500), all that said that this shouldn't happen to a 10 year old car and the rest of the car looks good. spoke with nissan customer affairs who had us take it to a nissan affiliated body shop. one of the body shops researched the problem and found numerous complaints regarding this problem. i was told there is a design flaw with the drainage of the sunroof or windshield, forcing water between the floor pan and rocker bottom. mentioned that a plug isn't sealed or installed correctly. i called nissan and the case was sent to a regional customer affair representative. after two weeks of 2-3 calls per day leaving messages with my contact number, i finally heard back today and was told that "the decision is final and they are not willing to give any help in fixing the problem" or stand behind their product/defect/design flaw. *tr updated 04/09/15. *jb

Rust through the underbelly of the driver's and passenger's side, can feel the carpeting above. worried about resale and safety. i see this defect is a very widespread concern and needs to be addressed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that upon inspection, it was noticed that the driver front floorboard was completely rusted. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was confirmed that the floorboard was perforated due to rust. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 98,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated the front driver's side floor board corroded. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

On a visit to the nissan dealership to have my headlight replaced, i was informed the floor on the passenger side was rotted/rotting and needed to be replaced. i've not had it repaired as of yet b/c i'm comparison shopping based on the price quoted by the dealership. i purchased the car in 2006, had the engine replaced due to failure in 2011, the radiator replaced in 2013 and now preparing to replace the floor panels. for a 10 year old car, which has been maintained and serviced regularly and garaged, rotting seems highly unusual and shouldn't be a normal occurrence for a car. i've never had a car require this many costly repairs, and especially never an issue with the engine or rotting. please investigate. *tr

Floor board on the drivers side is rotting which left a sizable hole. this problem is getting worse and allows debris from street to enter vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that the front passenger side floor pan became severely rusted. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the failure was due to normal wear and tear. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 75,000.

I took my car in for an oil change and my mechanic indicated that i had a rusty driver's side floor board. he said that he was able to stick his hand through the bottom of my floorboard and touch my driver's seat. this had me very concerned due to the potential for the driver's seat to fall out of the car while i'm driving. my mechanic indicated that he's had the same problem with at least 2 other nissan altimas. based upon the number of complaints, it looks like this is a known issue and that nissan will not do anything to compensate. it cost me $550 to fix due to the extent of the rust. *tr

Underbody of passenger side of car with large hole(20 by 20) in it discovered when 4 wheel alignment was being done. this affects the safety of person sitting in that seat since the seat base is damaged and the seat with the passenger buckled in that seat would propel out the windshield in an accident. hundreds and hundreds of safety concerns are noted online during a search of nissan altima underbody holes/rust. i think this is extremely unsafe and it has been noted over and over in complaints online and nothing has been done. there are no safety bulletins, no recalls, etc. my shop said this is the second one recently and when i called the nissan dealer he said they have another car just today that also has this problem. it's over $1000 to repair and no part is available to replace that/ the seat has to be removed, the carpeting removed, the area welded with a piece of metal , etc. etc. *tr

Floor board rust through defect on all 2003 to 2006 nissan altima's that i looked at before purchasing my current altima, which has recently suffered the same safety defect. i'm afraid it will become a fred flintstone pedal car at some point in the future. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while at a mechanic for unrelated repair the mechanic stated there was rust on the front passenger side floor board. also, the mechanic stated that there was a hole in the floor board due to the rust. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated the floor board would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 145,000.

Discovered rust under the driver side floor. upon further investigation discovered the entire floor plan had rusted off and was flaking off in pieces. this is a safety concern as hazardous gases can enter the cabin area. more over if i were to step in the correct place i could push the carpet out of the car. numerous other people online have complained about this exact issue. nissan should fix this with a recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that the front driver and passenger side floor boards were rotting. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer advised the contact to take the vehicle to a body repair shop. the contact did not take the vehicle to a body shop. the failure mileage was 147,000. updated 10/11/12*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was due to be repaired on sept 14, 2012. updated 10/11/2012 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that holes developed in both the front passenger and driver side floor boards. the contact was concerned that his feet would fall through the floorboard and cause injuries. the vehicle was taken to a personal mechanic for diagnosis but they were unable to repair the vehicle. the vehicle was scheduled to be taken to the dealer the following day. the manufacturer was notified and advised the contact to inform nhtsa of the issue. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 120,499.

1. the floor under the front passenger has rotted out making this car very unsafe. this is the most important one. the other ones i list because i am disappointed with the life of this car and because i have heard of multiple stories of the similar complaints. 2. the door handle broke off on the front driver side and on the passenger rear side. 3. gas cap will not close/open properly 4. trunk latch will not close. 5. moon/sun roof is off its hinge and will not work properly. 5. plastic part of the key broke not allowing it to attach to a key chain. *tr

No crash or injury - the floor has rusted out all the way through. nissan refuses to acknowledge the issue and there are tons of forums and complaints regarding this issue. *tr

I went to have car inspected and found out the passenger side floor board is rusted completely through, this is some sort of defect as i am reading more people are experiencing the same problem....nissan will not cover this repair. something needs to be done to help! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima sl. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated repair where it was detected that the front passenger side floorboard was completely rusted. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and they were unable to provide assistance. the approximate failure mileage was 84,800.

Same floor rot/rust as reported by thousands of others with the same issue. contact nissan and they send you to dealer to verify problem. once it's verified they say it's too far out of warranty to offer any assistance. some people get assistance after filing multiple complaints but most of us get the denial and runaround. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact noticed a hole in the floor of the vehicle, which could cause fumes to enter inside the cabin of the vehicle. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was aware of the failure but failed to offer any assistance. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 113,000 and the failure mileage was unknown.

Pursuant to a non-related incident, my nissan certified insurance adjuster warned me of the unusual rust formed holes on the drivers and passengers side floor boards. according to him, this is a very unusual rust issue that he has only noticed on older (2002-2003) nissan altima's. i have initiated my own research and have found that this is a wide-spread problem with altima's, irrespective of mileage, where some have reported the problem at 50,000 and others at 160,000 miles. despite the many complaints, nissan has refused to issue a safety recall and has done nothing to help those who have been affected by the rust problem. many, who had the problem, continued to drive without the knowledge thereof, until a mechanic or auto dealer informed them of the issue, as was the case with my altima. as such, i can imagine that even more altima drivers are affected, yet nissan refuses to take responsibility. there must be a viable alternative to reach a resolution. *js

I had to replace the steering at 84000 miles because the steering had a knocking sound everytime you turn it left or right,or when you go over a bump,,,,it was very slack and eventually it felt as though it would fall out at anytime.....was advised at the dealership that it needed to be replaced no explanation could have been given . this was done yesterday 08/22/2013. now there is a very huge rust hole on the passenger side under the car ...this car is 10yrs old with 84000 miles and i take very good care of my car..i bought it in 2006 with about 25000 miles. the hole is about twelve inches by six inches. the lighting is so poor most times at night i always have to use myhigh beam ....worst car i ever had...there were so many other problems i have had with it . this car spent many weeks at the dealership. .. *tr

The floorboard is rotted out on the passenger side of the car. i have talked to mechanics who say they see this all the time in nissans. i also know of others with the problem. everyone says it's a defect in stamping but nissan will not admit it or help anyone. *js

I took my car in to midas, burlington, ma for brake assistance, and while up on the lift the technician pointed out that the front passenger floor panel was very rusted. warned not to use that spot when jacking up the car when changing a tire, etc. (mentally add this to $$ to spend this year...) had my car at ntb in cambridge, ma to check a front end rattle and the mechanic showed me the rust again. he is also a state safety inspector and wanted to let me know since it was rusted though it would not pass state inspection (due in august). next stop was a local body shop and the estimate was $2k. then saw so many complaints for the same problem for the altima. i feel this is a known defect and should be paid for by nissan. my car is well care for and maintained and is rotting!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that the floorboard on the front driver and passenger sides of the vehicle were rotting. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and a claim was filed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired. the contact was awaiting a return call from the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 140,000.

Recently while driving in a rain storm, it felt like water was splashing up under my floor pan on the driver's side. when i had a chance to look under the car, i noticed a lot of rust and a hole. i went online to check and see if this was a problem with my make and model and lo and behold, many have had the same issue and all have said the same thing...and that is that nissan is unwilling to address the issue. i tried contacting nissan online, but no one has responded to my inquiry. from what i am seeing others report, nissan just doesn't want to help. having rusted floor pans is a dangerous thing and nissan should be willing to protect the safety of their customers. i'm afraid that i'm going to have a gigantic hole and perhaps my seat could fall through. incident date above is approximately when i discovered the issue. *tr

The floor structure under the driver and passenger side are rusted out. this issue is well known for models 2002 - 2006 altimas. nissan and dealerships refuse to do anything about. i initially complained when vehicle had 52,000 miles on it and they refused to do anything than now at 120,000 it totally rusted out and won't pass inspection. please complain. *js

Drivers side floor rusting through from inside to outside , was told it would need to be repaired in order to pass state inspection. was told eventually exhaust fumes may leak inside of vehicle through rotted floor. car only has 73,000 miles on it . worried that corrosion will work its way to the seat support and will fall through. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while at an independent mechanic for unrelated repairs the mechanic noticed a hole rusted through underneath the front passenger side seat. the mechanic stated the air conditioner drains are underneath the seat and moisture was retained there causing the corrosion. in addition, the vehicle was taken to the dealer who verified that there was a hole and large crack on the motor mount. the contact was unaware of the exact repairs needed. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 98,500. updated 09/18/12*lj updated 09/19/2012 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while having the vehicle inspected by an independent mechanic, the mechanic stated that there was excessive rust on the floor board. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer as well as an independent repair shop where the contact was informed that the floor board could not be repaired. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated the floor boards, front and rear suspension and the right and left stabilizer links were all covered with rust. the dealer and manufacturer were notified, but denied any assistance with repairing the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 112,000 and the current mileage was 124,000.

One day i was driving and i heard something scraping on the bottom of my car, i pulled over to see that the bottom of my floor board was dragging on the floor. it just completely rusted out without warning and there is a huge hole. i have no rust on any part of my vehicle, it runs great , the body is in good condition it is garage kept, and i have a whole on my passenger side floor board. the only rust spot on the whole car! and how many complaints does it take before nissan has to recall this? i have read over 50 complaints on this..... unacceptable. *tr

Passenger side floorboard has rotted out. it is an obvious defect since all other floorboards are rust free. nissan is aware of problem because they repair this problem on a daily basis.

Passenger floorboards completely rusted through opening a 16in long by 8 in wide hole in passenger floor. no other rust anywhere else found on vehicle. appears rust originated around floor plug. exhaust fumes can enter the cabin of the car. *tr

Passenger floorboards completely rusted through opening a 16in long by 8 in wide hole in passenger floor. no other rust anywhere else found on vehicle. appears rust originated around floor plug. *tr

Floor board rusiting on 2003 nissan altima, both driver and passenger side. *tr

Upon inspection of the undercarriage, a hole about the size of a softball had rusted through the floorpan on the passenger side. the vehicle is kept in a garage and is regularly cleaned and waxed. the corrosion problem seems to be a systemic issue with altimas based on nhtsa complaints and internet searches. nissan chooses to ignore the issue which could present a safety issue if exhaust fumes get into the passenger compartment

2003 nissan altima failed inspection sticker due to rusted out floorboards both on the drivers and passenger side front. had to have new floorboards welded in. i reside in maine. *tr

Floor board panels on 2003 nissan altima on passenger and drivers side rusting through from inside out. i am the original owner, car has 74,000 miles on it car was in for service when it was brought to my attention. updated 01/28/11 *bf pictures received. updated 02/03/11 *tr

The body underneath the passenger floorboard has prematurely rusted through (7"x3" hole) due to an obvious improperly sealed hole in the structure. same hole on driver's side was sealed and body appears to be in good condition with no rust. dealer quote to repair is $1100, or $3000 to replace entire floorboard. dealer stated they have seen several of same issue in last month on one or both sides of car. filed complaint with nissan, but they will not acknowledge manufacturing issue or offer any compensation for repair. numerous complaints in nhtsa database echo same issues. weakened/rusted through floorboard can be safety issue due to compromised body structure and potential point of entry of fumes into passenger area. updated 01/18/11 *bf pictures received 01/27/11