Problems with 2003 Nissan Altima ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Service engine soon light comes up on my dashboard of nissan altima 2003. when i took it to the dealer, they said that there are a few recalls on this vehicle and they will fix it. after about 15 minutes of driving from their location, the light came up again. the car runs like its brakes are on. it once stopped at a traffic light. there is a big concern if it stops in the middle of the road and causes accident. how can i get nissan to address it? *nm

Tl* -the contact stated that she took vehicle to dealer to be serviced on december 26, 2006 under recall 06v242000 that she received from nissan. the contacts stated that since the work was completed for the recall to the engine and cooling system the failure happened again. she returned the vehicle to the dealer yet they refused to repair the vehicle again for free. they insisted that the current failure was caused by an oil leak.*ak updated 1/26/2007 - *nm

While driving on the pa turnpike my engine cut out without warning. i had to come to a complete stop, put the car in park and restart it. it did restart, i drove a few more miles and the same thing occurred. this happened while i was in the passing lane on the turnpike in heavy traffic. *jb

Well i haven't necessarily "crashed" yet. i took my car into town north nissan off 183 due to a recall notice that was sent to my home. i got the vehicle back, as they said that they would need it for at least a day, 2 1/2 hours later. i noticed that the service engine soon light was still on. i took the car back immediately the following day. nobody was willing to help me. so later that evening i took my car to the auto zone to have a diagnostics scan done on it. sure enough the problem wasn't fixed. it stated that the crank shaft sensor was malfunctioning which was the key to the whole problem as this can cause engine failure. my car has completely turned itself off on my while drive (however the car was not in motion). *nm

2003 nissan altima was at the dealer for the recall ecm re program , after that down hill , dealer told me the code also called for a catalytic converter , the car stalled 15 times, one time i had to stay over night on a fast food place. next day a mechanic changed the crank pos sensor , then called for another sensor similar on shape , then back to the dealer, this time the car accelerates for no reason , they try to charge me for the diagnostic(for catalytic aging) they told me it was not the catalytic converter (and i have that in writing) that i need a throttle ? chamber 959+ tax. finally i think i make a mistake going in on the first place or the same issues the 2002 altima had is repeating on the 2003 and nissan is waiting for something real bad to happen, by the way , i call them about 6 times and no real solution just passing the buck. *jb

My vehicle's engine stopped running while waiting at a red light. the vehicle would not even crank its engine. after 10 mins the engine cranked and started, i had it towed to the nearest nissan dealership, and explained of a recall that stated, " that some 2003 altimas might stop running while driving due to a problem between the crank angle sensor and the ecm". when the service department called me back, they stated that i had to have the position sensor replaced and that i would have to pay for it out of pocket. when i explained to them that on the recall notice i had received it clearly stated that "if any one had to pay top have the issue resolved in before the campaign that they be eligible for a reimbursement. the service department repeated that replacing the sensor was not a part of the recall, and i would have to pay for it, out of pocket. *nm

2003 altima's check engine light illuminated. *ts the consumer received a recall notice pertaining to an electrical problem between the crank angle sensor and the electronic control module. the consumer called the dealer and made an appointment to have the recall work done. prior to the appointment the consumer's vehicle began to exhibit symptoms of the recall, the engine stopped running, and the check engine light illuminated. the consumer contacted the dealer immediately and scheduled an appointment for the next day. the tech informed the consumer that the crank sensor had to be replaced and they could not reprogram the computer without replacing it. *nm

2003 altima throttle body was defective causing check engine soon light to illuminate. chamber assembly had to be replaced. *ts the consumer believes that the recall she received for the crank angle sensor and electronic control module is related to the throttle assembly which had to be replaced. *nm

Recall on 2003 nissan altima 2.5l - electrical problem between the crank angle sensor and the ecm. my check engine light came on - i took the car to local dealership (central carolina nissan - sanford nc) and they refused to replace the crank angle and mass air flow sensors free of charge w/ this recall and stated these parts had to be replaced at a cost to me of apprx. $600 before they could perform the upgrade. i refused to pay this fee and took the car home and the next day it cut off while driving down the road and was able to steer it off the highway w/out incident. i managed to get the car home and called: nca dept. nissan n.a. inc. and was promised a call back by mon. 9/25/6 - ref. # 5477581. no one called and i've spent a couple of hours today 9/26/6 trying to get resolution and have now been promised a call back by the end of the day 9/27/6 from the regional office. i'm holding my breathe and i'm still not able to drive my car. rickey collins phone: (919)770-9670. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled. the contact shifted into neutral, restarted the engine, and drove to her residence. she called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was not being properly maintained. later that week, the contact received a recall notice stating that the vehicle's electrical control module (ecm) needed to be reprogrammed. the vehicle was returned to the dealer and they reprogrammed the electrical control module. immediately following the repair, the vehicle stalled again and the power steering became inoperable. she returned the vehicle to the dealer and they reprogrammed the ecm for the third time due to consistent stalling. six months later, the stalling recurred. she called the dealer and was informed that the recall was satisfied and they were not liable for further repairs. a diagnostic test was performed at a local repair shop, which revealed that the crank shaft positioning sensor was defective. the mechanic informed her that the crank shaft positioning sensor was supposed to be repaired before reprogramming the ecm. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls for the crank shaft positioning system. the vehicle has not been repaired. the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown. the current mileage was 125,000 and failure mileage was 62,000. updated 10-30-08 *bf updated 11/03/08. *jb

I was at a stop light ready to turn left onto another street when suddenly my car stalls out right in the middle of the intersection. it took me a few times to get my car started again and when it fired up again i started driving away but my car would be having a hard time going as if it was starting to bog out. i later did a diagnostics test and got the code p0335 which ended up being the crankshaft position sensor. a few weeks before this happened, my car had the same symptoms but it wasn't as bad. it would just bog down like once in 2 weeks but this was the worst case scenario!. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 mph, the brake light illuminated just before all power failed in the vehicle. the failure happened 25 times. the contact was unable to steer to the side of the road, as the power steering failed during the power loss. after 45 seconds the engine could be restarted. the vehicle was towed to the service dealer for service. on a prior visit the service dealer replaced the battery. the manufacturer was not contacted.

1) events that have happened are that my service engine light has turned on and my car has turned off while i am driving it on the road. it has been dangerous for my family. the a/c has stopped working also. my car is a 2003 nissan altima 2.5 sl. 2.) i have contacted nissan to find out what the price is to have my vehicle checked and its too high. for a car that is only three years old and that i am still paying on i should not be having these kinds of problems. i took my vehicle to one of the auto parts to have the check engine light checked and was told that its the speed sensor and the crankshaft sensor but they do not guarantee anything. i went ahead and ordered the parts and now i will have to find a mechanic that is not too expensive to have the parts replaced. *nm

Faulty driver side and passenger side power windows. when the car is locked, approximately 5 minutes later, the headlights blink once and the driver side and passenger side window automatically roll all the way down. *jb

I have a 2003 nissan altima 2.5 s and my oil is just disappearing from the engine. i do not see leaking, but it is being consumed somehow. there is a recall speaking of this issue. but nissan says that it doesn't matter because my vin number is not apart of the recall. i have the same make and model, and year so i believe if my vehicle is doing the same thing, then something needs to be done about it. my car has now been parked in the garage for 2 months because i don't want to blow up the engine, because if i drive anywhere, all the oil in the engine will be gone. *nm

Customer took her car in for service, was told that nothing was wrong but the service engine light was flashing after that the car stopped in the middle of the road, then after that the car would not start at all customer wants to be reimbursed**cc *jb

The engine shuts off in stop and go traffic. loss of power on highways and interstates. will not crank after a failure. the engine has to be turned over several times before cranking. the problem is gradually getting worse. *jb

While driving about a week ago with no warning while making a left turn 2003 nissan altima just loss power and died it was so suttle i kept pressing the gas thinking the car was still running. all along stuck in the middle of oncoming traffic with a 4 and a 2 year old in the back seat. in the past week it has happened twice luckily just in my subdivision. about for months ago i went through the same thing and nissan said it was the alternator gone bad had it replaced now problem is back. if something can be done it needs to be because someone is going to be seriously hurt with these cars just shutting off with no warning. all my symptoms seem to point to crank position sensor that i've been reading about . now im going to have to fork over 5-600 hundred bucks to fix a problem that shouldn't be. something needs to be done now!!!! *nm

1. car stalled and once i held the gas pedal down and was able to hold the key over and crank the engine a huge puff of black smoke came out of the car and it seemed to run fine, although the service engine light came on. it eventually went away after a week or so. 2) a week or so later i started the car, it turned over fine but had no power, it simply would not go. it did not even realize i was pushing on the accelerator. 3) i removed the key from the ignition in frustration and then tried again. the second time the car worked fine. it revved when i put my foot on the gas pedal and then took off just fine. 4) this began to be a more common occurrence and if i took the key out or waited a few minutes it would straighten up. 5) not now! the car won't move forward. and now it is even starting to stall out and flood. 6) now the battery even seems to be running down. this has all taken place in the matter of about the past 5 weeks and now it won't move forward or run at all. *nm

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that on 3 or 4 occasions the vehicle shut off while driving 45 mph. the contact stated that each time this occurred the vehicle would not restart immediately. however, on one occasion the vehicle wouldn't restart for an hour. the mechanic serviced the vehicle due to the failure on 04/26/2006. then, on may 1, 2006 nissan replaced the crank and cam sensors. on january 4, 2007 the contact received a recall notice for the crank and cam sensors. the contact has an invoice for the repairs. the current mileage is 69,000 and the failure mileage was 49,013 *ak the consumer has since had the vehicle repaired and wants to be reimbursed for expenses. update 4/30/07 *tr

For the past few days, car has been stalling and refusing to start up. once, it happened on the freeway and luckily the traffic was not heavy, so could manage to take it to the shoulder. managed to restart the car after a few minutes of trying. service engine light turns on, and there is hardly any power when you press the accelerator. took it to a mechanic, and he told me the crank position sensor needs to be replaced. searched online and found that there was a recall for this exact symptom, but when i called the dealer, my vin # does not have a recall. that is so strange. i hope nissan realizes that there are other altima's from 2003 that have the same problem. *jb

The vehicle will stall during operation. the vehicle will hesitate during operation. dealer confirmed that the crank position sensor is faulty. *nm

While driving the car or at idle speed, it would stall at any given time, hot or cold. i would have to restart the car and have found the crank sensor needed to be replaced. *jb

My car would lose power and turn off while driving down the road. *nm

On or about jan. 20, 2006 while driving my vehicles' check engine light would come on and then the vehicle would cut off. we took it took it to fontana nissan for repairs. the car was returned to us on jan. 28, 2006. maybe 2 - 3 hrs. after getting the vehicle, we were driving to l.a. area and the check engine light came on again. we called the service mgr. at fontana nissan and he said to bring it back and they would look at it on the following mon. well, we never made it back because while we were in route home (fontana) i lost control of the car while it was shutting off on the 91 fwy. to the 605 interchange. after the crash, the car was towed and the insurance company repaired the external damages (body work) but the internal was not fixed. then in june 2006 while driving home, the car cut off again. fontana nissan said it was the battery. so we purchased a battery. i refused to drive the car because we feel that the next time we might not be so lucky. in jan. 2007 there was a recall on the nissan altima for the same problem we had and consequently caused the crash. we were being represented by a law firm but as time passed our warranty expired. i am very afraid to drive the vehicle. which i have not driven since 2006. i would really appreciate someone's help in this situation. *tr

In january 2006 i began experiencing stalling episodes with my nissan altima 2003 while driving the car would without warning stall. this occurred more than once and twice happened on my way to work on i95. the dealer was not able to identify the issue until feb 2007 (in the meantime i drove this unsafe car). in feb 2006 a sensor was replaced that had been causing the problem. i paid close to $2,000 in unnecessary repairs and was charged for a rental car. i found today that nissan is officially reporting my 2006 issue as a recall. while i'm very thankful that i was not seriously injured or had a car crash that resulted in anyone else being hurt by the unidentified recall at the time of my experience i would like to receive compensation for the funds that i paid and i'm not sure how you place a price tag on the car stalling several times and 2 of those times being on 195. i have received to date after months of working directly with nissan and prior to today's announcement finally that nissan is recognizing my issue as a recall and hopefully saving several future accidents and/or fatalities a small check for $550.11. which comes nowhere near covering the monetary lose i suffered forget the mental anguish of the car stalling with no warning. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated the engine intermittently operated at a reduced speed while driving. each time this happened the contact pulled over and turned off the engine. afterwards, the engine restarted and the contact was able to proceed. no warning indicators were present when this occurred. the vehicle was seen by a dealer and the battery was replaced. the problem persisted, and the contact was referred to another dealer, who determined the problem was the alternator, which was replaced. the replacement of the alternator solved the problem. *ak updated 02/26/06. *jb

While driving 55 mph vehicle stalled. driver was unable to restart vehicle, had it towed to a dealer for inspection. however, mechanic could not duplicate the problem. *ak

The recall catalytic converter was replaced by the dealer while the vehicle was having other repairs made. fifteen months later the vehicle caught on fire while stopped at a red light. the consumer believes the fire was related to the recall. *nm *jb

Consumer had a hard time starting the vehicle. it was towed to the dealer, and the problem could not be duplicated. dealer stated that the starter was defective, and problem existed for a while. *ak * tc

The debris/fire recall 03v084000 was performed by the dealership twice, but the remedy failed both times. *nm

Do not really know? i found out only after extensive searching and multiple visits to the dealership. that the crankshaft position sensor was the problem. recalled on other vehicles but not on 2003 nissan altima. same issue as with the 2002 nissan altima. that has been recalled. *nm

The oil in the engine evaporated and white and black smoke emitted from the exhaust pipe while driving. the dealership serviced the vehicle 3 times, twice due to the debris/fire recall 03v084000. but, the problem still exists. *ak nissan had not authorized the service to place a new engine in the consumer's vehicle. *sc *jb

Whenever i try to start my engine the engine doesn't respond. i don't know what is the problem but the ignition doesn't seems to work sometime. i had this problem almost 3 times and the car is very new. i bought the car this year during feb. *la

I have a 2002 nissan altima 3.5 se. the crankshaft position sensor has now failed twice, the second time the car just died while driving! fortunately i was not on the highway with a big-rig following me, or most likely i would not be alive today. the car is still in the shop with the part on back order, which tells me that they (nissan) are having lots of failures with this part. i consider this to be a significant safety issue and fell that a recall on this item should at least be investigated. thanks, ronald j. colfer. *nlm

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that the doors on her vehicle are getting jammed, making it impossible to exit the vehicle. the consumer must place the key in the ignition and quickly roll down the windows to open the door from the outside. she also stated that the vehicle was purchased brand new and has never been involved in a crash. the nissan dealer wanted to charge her $400 to repair the vehicle and stated that they cannot do anything because her warranty has expired. the powertrain and failure mileage were unknown. the current mileage is 50,000. the consumer believes the vehicle has electrical problems. updated 08/07/07. *jb