On jun 29, 2014 our family of four (along with my wife and 2 kids) were in this 2003 nissan altima driving on the expressway at around 55mph. all of a sudden, without any warning, the engine stopped. pressing on the accelerator did not do anything. cars were all over the expressway, zipping through at a high speeds. a very scary situation. somehow, we were able to pull over to the side of the expressway without any incident, but it could have been very fatal to my entire family. once pulled over to the side, i called my insurance co. to send us a tow truck. while i was placed on hold, after a few mins we were able to restart the car and were able to drive home. next day, i called nissan company and told them about my incident and they said there are no recalls on my car and they suggested that i take it to a mechanic. i took it to a mechanic and they ran diagnostic test and found out that cam shaft sensor was bad and they replaced it at my cost. i'm very disappointed with nissan as to how my car is not part of recall even though the engine just cut out with out any warning putting my family at great danger (possibility of severe injuries or even death) and nissan does not want to take responsibility. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the contact made several attempts before the vehicle would start. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for a diagnostic test. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage were 137,095.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the cam position sensor had failed. the manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 180,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage and vin was not available. *tr
When i slowed down to take a right turn, my nissan altima stalled all of a sudden. my steering and brakes got locked. i could not start it immediately.. behind me was a cargo truck however at a more gap distance so that he could bring his truck to a halt before rear bumping me. i could have been killed if it was on a highway or if the speeds were higher. this car has given me starting problems. nissan told that my vin is not covered in any recall campaign, so i had get the cam shaft sensor & crank position sensor replaced at a local mechanic. after that i still face stalling problems, engine starting problems. my battery health is good and the engine cranks, but does not fire. pissed off with this car. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle would suddenly shut down whether it was idling or being driven. the contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who replaced the cam shaft sensors, but the failure recurred. the contact returned the vehicle to a certified mechanic who performed the repair a second time; however, the failure recurred. the contact informed the manufacturer who stated that the failure was related to nhtsa campaign number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the vin was not included. the manufacturer provided case number: 26771408. the approximate failure mileage was 145,755.
Crankshaft sensor not on recall yet 1000's have this problem. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. while driving various speeds, the check engine warning light remained illuminated and the vehicle stalled. in addition, the vehicle failed to start on the first attempt and the contact had to wait to try again. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the ignition coils needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. the vehicle was returned to the independent mechanic who replaced the camshaft sensor. the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 73,000.
I am a collage student and i bought a 2003 nissan altima i always like this car but i got a shock in my life the first week to school i saw the engine light blinking when i check there is no oil i odd 3 quart and it fill to the h level the next week it went to below low level i only got this car 3 weeks only and i almost used one gal oil can any one do any thing about the problem the car do not smoke it just burn the oil. *tr
I was sitting at a red light and when it turned green i went to go and my car stalled out. my check engine light came on and it's due to cam and crankshaft sensors. drove the car to work today the car stalled out again completely shut itself off. once again had to pull over on the side of the rode the best i could turn the car off and thankfully it turned back on. called nissan today spoke with a consumer affairs supervisor named [xxx] and they are telling me that my vin # is not included in the recall for this claim on crankshaft sensors and that they would be able to forward my information to a regional office for consumer affairs and see if they can get them to pay for the parts but in the mean time i have to get a diagnostics report done on the car at a nissan dealership and i have to pay for the diagnostics report and they will not waive it for me and in order to get approval for the parts i have to get the diagnostics report. so they transferred me to a dealership in albany ny a nissan dealership service department spoke with a guy named ed he said they would need my car for 24-48 hours and can not provide me with a rental, can not waive the diagnostics fee and they wouldn't be able to get my car in until aweek from now. this is outrageous. people are going to end up being seriously injured if not killed by this malfunction. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
While my son was driving, the engine began missing and started to smoke. at the same time the heater quit producing heat. the check engine light came on. engine diagnostics indicated cylinder # 4 misfire. took to independent mechanic where it was confirmed that the engine was destroyed by failed catalyst in the pre- catalyst. oil had fouled the missing cylinder's spark plug. the engine oil level was full and there had no previous indication of oil consumption, but the oil was found to contain coolant. these cars are popular for parents to purchase for teenagers and appear to be hazardous. nhtsa campaign id number: 03v084000 indicated that this pre-catalyst issue was a fire hazard back in 2003. it appears whatever was done in this recall did not solve the problem. this failure seems to be fairly common occurrence. *tr
This problem started gradually it would just turn off while i was driving without any warning.in the middle of traffic it was scary. thank god it would turn back on right away. i decided to see if doing a oil change spark plugs and air filter would help it didn't . one saturday on september 21 of this year on lunch break i need to come home really quick it stopped before i made it home it would not turn back on at all! i called the tow truck he was able to make it turn back on. i took it to auto zone they said my battery was bad so i bought a new one. it continued to stop on me. it would run for a few days without stopping at all until just a few days ago it didn't want to start at all thought it was the fuel pump. now that has been checked off the list. the engine light has then turned on and the codes that is being read out is for a recall that was issued in december 22 of 2003 r 3022 / infiniti what can i do? *tr
Engine oil excessively being consumed/burning. exhaust leakage. there is a recall that addresses this (nhtsa campaign number: 03v084000 ) and it covers my model year, but it would not come up on the dealer's computer so they did not fix the issue.
I was driving and my car just slowed down and eventually cut off. i put the car in park and started it back up. when i arrived at my destination and cut the car off and tried to cut it back on it would not start. *tr
Catalytic converter broke down and particals caused internal wear to the motor. that causes the motor to burn oil.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning light illuminated after the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed, which located the failure at the camshaft sensor. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer advised the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). the failure and current mileage was 147,655.
Check engine light came on. after running diagnostics the crank shaft sensor has been identified as faulty. i have read that there is a recall on the crank shaft sensor but not for my vin #. thought it appropriate to flag that there are other nissan's with faulty crank shaft sensors. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled with the illumination of the engine service light. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed, which located the failure at the camshaft position. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacture advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling). the failure and current mileage was 120,000.
Driving down highway and motor stopped in fast line of hwy 60 in southeast missouri and almost got rearended by on coming traffic, thank god they stopped . had car towed in and came to find out it blew a rod, have been told by a number of mechanic that this was a problem motor and should have been recalled years ago due to all problems these motors have caused people. you cant get a replacement motor anywhere only found one and they want 2000.00 i feel nissan needs to make this right. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the contact also mentioned that the check engine warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was able to be restarted approximately one hour later and was driven to the contact's residence. the vehicle was later taken to a private mechanic where it was determined that the crankshaft position sensor had failed. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). the failure mileage was 162,000.
Tl* the contact owns 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated while driving 25 mph the engine warning indicator illuminated continuously. the vehicle began idling once the contact stopped. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where the contact was advised that the camshaft and crank shaft position sensors would need to be replaced. the contact referenced associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling), however the contact's vin was not included. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
In the past 2.5 years i've had to replace 2 coils on 2 different cylinders, and 2 different crankshaft position sensors as well. each time it's cost me upwards of $300 each incident. a review of the internet website for complaints from nissan drivers of the same vehicle make/model/year indicates that others have also run into these issues without any recompense. some even had their cars stalling out while driving, which is obviously a safety concern. "luckily" (and note that i use the term in quotes), my experience has been that the engine starts running rough, feeling like on just 3 of its 4 cylinders, then the "service engine soon" light comes on. it was then always obvious something was really wrong. q: why wasn't this a recall item for the nissan engine? p.s. i have less than 60k miles on my car and it's in pristine condition and always garaged. *tr
Car stalls at red light twice. later, stalls but doesn't go dead. gas won't work. month later crankshaft sensor, transmission oil, fluid and screen was replaced, but when driven afterwards it stalled again. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while entering the highway, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was confirmed that the crankshaft and the camshaft position sensors needed to be replaced. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling), but was advised by the manufacturer that the vehicle was not included in the recall campaign. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 63,000. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without any warnings. the contact mentioned that the vehicle had been consuming oil excessively before the failure. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the catalytic converter was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle had been repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling ). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 132,000 and the current mileage was 133,931.
My car stalled at a stoplight twice, both while stopped at the light. the car suddenly turned off at the stoplight so i put it in park and restarted it. it started back fine. then it turned off again after a few seconds. turned back on again and nothing happened again for one week. then the car stalled out while in motion! it stalled out as i accelerated after turning onto a road traveling about 30mph. also stalled out three days ago while idling in a drive-thru. *tr
I have had my car shut off on me while driving down the road causing it hard to steer almost causing other cars to rear end me. then the car wouldn't start. every year i have had to buy a new cam shaft sensor since the install of the new engine that was put in by nissan. there is a recall on the cam sensor but my car is not under that recall. *tr
While driving on the highway, engine began to make rattling noise and lost a significant amount of power during acceleration. due to location and time of night, i coasted (barely using any acceleration) to a safe location. turned engine off to look under the hood- could not find any problem. tried starting car again and would not start. had it towed the next day to mechanic- he found shards of metal in the engine oil and stated that the valves screws had came off and ruined the engine. i had always put in synthetic oil every 5k miles, and did a complete engine flush every year/25,000 miles ever since i bought the car 6 years ago. this occurred at 133500 miles and the engine cannot be salvaged. to replace the engine, the estimates i am receiving are between 2,000 and 3,000 usd. *tr
I drove my car from ms to ga. when i reached my hotel and turned my car off and tried to leave again the service engine light came on and the car would not start. i had the light checked the next the and it came back reading the crank position sensor. when i made it back to ms i got the part replaced and the check engine light was turned off. 8 months later my car started cutting off at red lights and not starting again. the check engine light came back on. when i had it checked again the mechanic said it was reading for the crank position sensor again. once i explained to him that i just had that fixed he figured it was something else. replaced my battery, battery cables, alternator, and starter. cars still shuts off and wont crank. when i called nissan they said my vin wasn't included in the recall. my car stalls on me daily and shuts off at red lights. *tr
On january 15, 2013, my car shut down while driving down the roadway at about 40 mph while taking my daughter to school. i was able to pull over on the side of the road and restart the car and make it back home safely. thankfully, the person behind me when the car stopped did not hit me from behind. this is the second time that this has happened with my car. this also happened previously about 2 years ago. i was informed today by the nissan dealership that a failed cam shaft sensor was the reason that my car was shutting down. they are replacing the sensor for approx. $400.00. however, this exact issue is on the nhtsa.dot website as part of a recall. nhtsa campaign id number: 03v455000. my major concern is that my car could have shut down on 95, a major city highway, with my child in the car and no one wants to take ownership of this dangerous situation. i spoke to nissan usa today, and they offered no assistance. please assist me with this serious concern. *tr
Recently the engine blew on my altima. it had been function properly and received regular maintenance since its purchase date roughly 6 months ago with about 74,000 miles. the catalytic converter failed and overheated at around 78,000 miles. currently it is burning through about 3 liters of oil a week. because of the damage caused by catalytic converter, the engine is no longer serviceable. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph the vehicle stalled with the illumination of the service engine soon warning light. the contact was able to restart the vehicle after pumping the accelerator pedal several times. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic who performed a diagnostic test and advised that the circuit board for the crank position sensor failed. the dealer was then notified who advised that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). the manufacturer was notified who confirmed that the vehicle was not included under the recall and offered no further assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 180,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle consumed a large amount of the oil that had recently been replaced. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic advised the contact that the catalytic converter would have to be replaced. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 03v084000(engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe) that could have been related to the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000. updated 01/02/2013 *lj updated 1/7/2013 *js
I bought nissan altima 2003 on august 20 2012. i drove it around 800 miles and did oil change at lube express they changed oil at 67290 miles, after driving for around 200 miles car was making weird noise from engine. i got help of a local mechanic, he confirmed that there was no engine oil in the car !!! he put full 5 quart engine oil. i again got it inspected at lube express, they also confirmed there was no leakage. the third refill does not last for long. after 3 days again 5 quart engine oil was disappeared from engine. i again got it inspected at nissan dealership on 10/09/2012 they also confirmed that there was no oil leaks and they did burning oil consumption test, again there was no engine oil in the car. they had suggested me to change entire engine!!!. i can not drive car at all. the engine may caught fire !!! i surfed lot of websites and found that in nissan altima 2003, lots of people have experienced the problem and it had occurred after 60,000 miles i.e. after warranty expires and same happened with me as well. i complained at nissan but they replied that they can not do anything since warranty expires. problem in altima occurs after original warranty expires!!!! nissan is selling cars which can cause serious accidents and i want to stop this. problem in engine occurs after warranty expires. please help since this may case loss of life and serious accidents. nissan can not escape from its social responsibility since they are selling junk cars to americans. i can provide lot of website and blogs to prove that nissan sold 2003-altima with faulty engines. they must recall altima 2.5l - 2003 and they must find amicable solution for this problem. i know that i am at a big loss but my effort will help to save lot of lives who are driving nissan cars on highways with huge risk. i trust in god and law of the united states of america. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 133,000.
Vehicle stalled out in middle of intersection, after stopping for a stop sign. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while driving 13 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the failure recurred numerous times. on a separate occasion while driving 35 mph, the steering wheel seized after the battery warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis but they were unable to determine the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 96,000 and the current mileage was 97,240. ....updated 12/20/12 *bf the consumer stated the crank sensor malfunctioned, the motor mount was cracked and the a/c stopped working.
Like many other complaints, my car stalled on highway at 70 mph speed and stalls at intersections and low speeds or will not start. i can't believe nissan or nhtsa has not got serious about this issue. i checked your database and found following compliant numbers with same issue of altimas stalling due to crank or cam sensor failure. (odi id numbers: 10416743, 10384742,10370526,10342438,10332467, 10318898, 10318045, 10314479, 10283487, 10278805, ..... and many more). i am lucky to be alive. i am sure there are my accidents and deaths that did not get reported due to this manufacturers defect. this is a very unsafe and dangerous problem that could lead to many deaths. i hope nhtsa looks into this and get it fixed. *tr
My car began to shake uncontrollably and my check engine light started to flash. i've brought it into a shop 3x now and they can't seem to find the problem so my car has been sitting in my driveway since the incident. my oil is burning at an extreme rate. i only drive max. maybe 20 miles in 2 days and keep having to put 2qts. of oil in my car. it's smoking really bad too. i keep paying for labor when the problem hasn't been solved. i found the following on nissanhelp.com: ntb03-070c safety recall campaign -revised- 2002-2003 nissan altima, 2002-2004 sentra; voluntary recall campaign engine exhaust pipe hanger pin and pre-catalyst for 2002-2003 model year altimas and 2002-2004 model year sentras, there is a possibility that certain engine operating conditions may cause damage to the pre-catalyst. material from inside a damaged pre-catalyst could enter the engine and result in increased oil consumption. if the engine oil level is not checked on a periodic basis and drops below the low level, and the driver continues to operate the vehicle ignoring noticeable engine noise, engine damage may occur which could result in a fire. i don't know what to do. i keep paying money, but no one seems to fix the problem and i need a car. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact restarted the vehicle and the problem was corrected momentarily however, the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who inspected the vehicle and advised the contact that the failure was caused by the crankshaft position sensor, which needed replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure however no further assistance was offered. the current mileage was 54,000. the failure mileage was 52,000.
My camshaft position sensor, bank 1, was diagnosed by sears as needing be replaced. my service engine light went off is what first made me aware of this issue. i read online that it's a faulty part, which has been recalled for certain years/vin numbers by nissan. i contacted nissan directly, and they told me that my particular vin is not covered under the recall. it is a cheap plastic part, and the new/replacement ones are made of metal is what i'm reading in the numerous cases discussed online from fellow altima owners who have experienced the same issue with these years of production. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. while driving approximately 25 mph, the engine stalled with the illumination of the check engine warning indicator. the vehicle was restarted after waiting fifteen minutes. the failure recurred five times. the vehicle was taken to an independent auto mechanic for diagnosis where they stated that the defect was contributed to the crank sensor. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the contact's vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle had not been repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 87,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that the vehicle was burning excessive oil and the exhaust pipe was emitting black smoke. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the catalytic converter was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 140,223.
I was driving on the highway, 60 mph, coming back from a friend's house when the car started shaking violently i felt like i was in a lot of danger so i got off the highway and came home through the streets, even though it was shaking a lot. while i was going home the engine felt so weak and sounded like a diesel truck. after research online i found out that many 02 and 03 altima owners are experiencing the same problem because of the butterfly valve in the throttle body went into the engine, nissan north america refuses to address the problems in the 2002 and 2003 models even though they have recalled the 04 and 05 models with the exact same engine in the 02 and 03 models!!!! please help the 02 and 03 nissan altima owners because nissan north america is refusing to help even though they know the engine has major problems! *tr
Car began to idle roughly and was hard to start. replaced oxygen sensors which did not cure symptoms. was told that the 2 pre-cats (catalytic converters) needed replaced. motor mounts also recommended. replaced and problem persisted. hard to start, runs rough now shutting down while driving. ran codes myself with obd-ii tool and found crankshaft and camshaft position sensors to be faulty. i heard of a recall for this very issue; even described my symptoms exactly. even though my year model and car was recalled the nissan of fort worth service desk told me my vin # was not covered. my car has the exact same engine as all of the other nissans made in this year range and the same faulty crankshaft and camshaft sensors but for some unknown reason mine are not covered by this. how is this even possible. i have replaced a lot of pricey parts all which may have been avoided by replacing the sensors. even if i had to pay for the crank and camshaft sensors it would not have been bad if i had not paid over $3000 in repairs to other stuff that may not have needed replacing. *tr
While at a red light, the car unknowingly stopped! i didn't even know until the light turned green and i attempted to pull off. i put the car in park and resterted the car with no issue. a couple days later the engine started a slight shake and each day the shake became more intense and the engine would shut off when driven for a while & while my feet is on the break the meter would jump from 0 to 2 and shut off wen it hit 0. also while attempting to pull off the car feels like it's stuck then it'll shoot off. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the vehicle was included in the recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the technician stated the crankshaft sensor would have to be replaced at the contact's expense before the recall repair could be performed. the recall repair would include reprogramming the ecm. the contact stated the recall mentioned the replacement of the sensors. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 142,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that after having brake repairs performed, the vehicle failed to start. the dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 128,796.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph the vehicle suddenly stalled. the contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road and was able to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated the cam and crank shaft sensor needed to be replaced. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling) that may be related to the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 154,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. while driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic where the crank shaft sensor was replaced. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 134,023.