Problems with 2005 Nissan Altima ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My wife was driving our 2005 nissan altima when it completely shut off on the interstate she was driving approximately 60 miles per hour. after i took it to the auto parts store and they diagnosed i wanted to research how i could fix the problem that is how i ran across this. http://www.activetuning.com/blog2/2006/02/28/nissan-altima-crank-sensor-recall-being-reviewed/. *tr

While driving my car down the road, the engine completely shut off. i pulled to the side of the road, and put the car into park. i attempted to start the car back up, and was unable to do so. i then had the battery replaced, and was able to get the car cranked again. the next day, i went into town, and the car did the same thing. i was able to restart it after a few tries, but it then drove funny the rest of the way home. there has been a recall on the car, but i was never informed of any recall. i found it after searching on the internet when i got home. i will be contacting the dealership tomorrow. apparently the recall is for the crankshaft position sensor. this is a common problem in these cars. i am upset because i have never heard about this recall, and i am the only owner of this car. i bought it new. this is very dangerous, and could have resulted in a horrible accident. i am afraid to drive the car at all now, which means i have no means of transportation. *tr

Cam shaft sensor failure. similar in function to the recalled crankshaft senor, the cam shaft part can stall a car, or prevent from restarting due to overheating. it also is vital to engine timing and other items which pertain to engine performance. sept 12, 2011 67000 miles replaced this the second time in under 3 years part needed to be replaced. why is this not a recall like it's crankshaft counterpart. *tr

I own a 2005 nissan altima 2.5l engine. i had a recall on my car where they would reset ecm to keep the crankshaft position sensor from overheating and the car shutting off. after i take my car into the dealership to have this done 9months later my car has less than 100,000 miles and i am having to replace my crankshaft position sensor. talked with nissan numerous times they refuse to pay for the defective part. nissan should have to pay for the mistakes they made not me. oh and then they charged me to dispose of the old part which they left in my car. i contacted my dealership to find out what the charge was for and he said that osha made them charge it for disposal of the part and when i told him the part was still in my car he said well it is for paperwork fee as well. *tr

My car fails to start on occasion. the frequency is monthly. the engine sounds like it's going to start but just doesn't. if i wait several seconds and try again, then the engine starts. from what i've been reading everyone seems to be complaining that it's the crankshaft sensor. i thought the recall fixed this issue but apparently not. so many owners are complaining yet nissan is doing nothing. this is my first nissan and my last. i'll stick to honda next time. *tr

I am the owner of a 2005 nissan altima 2.5sl. i received a recall notice that advised me the vehicle can stop running without notice which could result in a crash. the recall notice advised that the fix to this problem was the reprogramming of the ecm. to keep my daughter and i safe on the road, i took the car in for the recall as instructed. before the recall, my service engine light never came on and my vehicle was running fine. not to long after the recall was done, my service engine soon light came on. last week i was driving my vehicle, with my 10 month old daughter in the car and the car stalled and shut down on us without warning. thankfully another vehicle did not hit us. i took it to the dealership who advised me it was the crankshaft position sensor. after doing some reading i find that this has been a problem nissan has been avoiding since 2002 and i was not the only owner whose vehicle shut down on them without warning. the events, patterns and failures i have experienced are the same sequence of events that so many nissan altima owners have reported and complained about. i contacted nissan directly and was told that they are not responsible. i paid $285 to have the crankshaft sensor replaced. i thought responding to the recall would take care of everything and we would be safe; however, the recall did not stop my car from shutting down on me in the middle of traffic. i believe nissan is recalling the wrong thing and dodging the responsibility of replacing the default crankshaft sensors that are causing these vehicles to shut down. a vehicle that is subject to shut down while driving without warning is very dangerous and should not be on the road. i saved the crankshaft sensor that was removed from my vehicle just in case someone decides to finally do something about this. an investigation needs to take place before someone is killed or seriously injured on the road or highway. *tr

My 2005 nissan altima had a recall for an electronic control module which i had replaced free of charge on reichert nissan in wenenchee wa. on 10-22-2008. after driving 106 miles my engine failed. i called reichert motors and they responded to have the vehicle towed back to there dealership by a certain towing company; which i did. (by the way before this incident ,this car had never had a problem ; this all happened after the recall) after the car was checked by reichert they stated that the problem was now a crank shaft position sensor which was not related to the original problem so i would now have to pay for the towing charge as well as the problem with the crank shaft sensor. this seems a little strange to me that a car with no problems prior would all of a sudden develop this problem after 106 miles which was the distance to my home in omak wa from wenechee . within 3 hours after the car was picked up from the dealership. it was a danger for the car to loose power while driving down the highway. i called nissan about the problem( file # 6327690) and they stated they are not at fault. if i would have caused a serious accident with this vehicle i think they would of been at fault. this company need to be reprimanded for an unsafe vehicle that could cause serious problems on our nations highways. *tr

The nissan dealership performed a recall on our vehicle on 06/10/2008 for the r0712 ecm program recall and the p5216 recall. since that work, the service engine soon light has been on in the vehicle which reported a valve problem. prior to this work being done, the light did not go on. we have had the car serviced 4 times for the the repair of the valve, and now a full diagnosis needs to be done to figure out why the valve keeps shorting out. it appears it is going to be something electrical or with the computer.

I had several complaints about a electrical problems with a 2005 nissan altima ser model for some reason it keeps breaking down i a ready spoke with nissan consumer affairs and made many complaints about the vehicle but they keep telling me they will find problem but no explanations was giving to me about this electrical problems. *tr

Was driving at about 45mph when the engine stalled as i was about to take a turn. the steering locked up, and i had to brake hard to avoid going off the road. luckily there was no fatal injury. had to get car towed to dealer where they replaced the crankshaft, cam sensor. *tr

I have a 2005 nissan altima 2.5 se which is becoming increasingly more difficult to start. symptoms: when the key is turned, it will just turn over but not start. after a few tries, it does start. the motor does not cut off unexpectedly after it's started. *tr

My wife wrecked her 2005 altima. the car just all of sudden left the road and she couldn't control or stop it. *tr

I took my 2005 altima in for the sensor recall on 2/18/2008. it's been a month now and they still have not been able to fix my car. the recall was fixed but the computer will not take back in the car and the part is on backorder. if nissan isn't making the part i'm curious if they are covering up a huge computer problem with the cars. the service dept has gave me a complete run around and can't tell me nothing. they gave me a rental car with no power options at all nothing comparable to what i had on my car. finally decided to switch me into something else which they gave me a cheverolet to drive. that should tell me something. the main headquarters was unable to repsond to my email they must respond by phone and since my phone number was not updated in their system they just overlooked my email. i can't call in and talk to the specialist assigned to my car because they don't allow that. the specialist must call you. i would recommend not buying a nissan it's more of a hassle and they are having to many recalls. *tr

I purchased my 2005 altima brand new and i have already had to replace the battery twice. the first incident happened just passed the 36,000 mile mark (less then two years) so i was stuck paying out of my pocket. the second incident just happened in dec. 17, 2007 where the car just turned off on me while driving at a low speed (possible cause: crankshaft sensor), and then the car would not start while at the intersection. a quick jump start got me up and running, but the battery tested bad at the local auto parts store.*cn

Got a letter stating that there was a recall that could cause engine to stop and cause a crash which has already happened to my car , it was a total loss. *tr

Car will jerk and cut off suddenly without warning, when car is in motion and when sitting still idling. makes driving very hazardous. found out a recall on the crankshaft sensor so called local nissan dealer and took in for the repair. found out nissan only allows dealer to reprogram the sensor under the recall. this, according to the dealer, probably will not fix the problem, after 3 days of driving with no event, it started again. i found out this is a major recall involving thousands of altima's. also, since the 2005 model, the nissan corp. has redesigned this sensor because of all the past problems . the local dealer that reprogrammed the sensor said we will have to pay $194.00 to replace it. when nissan redesigned this sensor due to problems in the past, they should stand by the owners of the still defective parts that reprogramming does not fix, and replace the sensor as part of the recall. this is absurd to pay for a replacement part involved in a recall. the reprogramming did not fix the sensor, the dealer said numerous times it has not. (with other owners) this problem with the car suddenly failing almost caused serious injury to me .it has cut off suddenly numerous times on the expressway and i had to navigate/coast to right side,, pull of the road and restart . also, when sitting at a stop light, stop sign, it cut off suddenly,when taking foot off brake and trying to accelerate, causing the car to slowly roll out in oncoming traffic, not realizing engine had failed. this puts anyone in your car in serious danger. i fear it is going to cause an accident, i never know when the engine is to fail.. if going at a higher rate of speed it will sometimes jerk,, then cut off, or fail with no warning. when idling it consistently fails. no jerking. because the sensor is linked to the computer system, check engine light stays on all the time . *tr

Periodically my vehicle fails to start on the first try, it just won't turn over, but on the second try it is fine. yesterday the vehicle would not turn over at all. it is not a battery issue as the wipers/lights come on. i had the vehicle towed to the dealer and they indicated they have had a few complaints regarding the same issue. the vehicle is actually 'flooded'? i went out an hour after my first attempt at starting the car and it still did not start. not sure how a fuel injected vehicle that does not use the accelerator to start, gets flooded? this makes me nervous i'm going to get stranded somewhere with a vehicle that periodically will flood and not start??? the dealer did not fix or replace anything. not very comforting. *tr

2005 nissan altima has defective crank sensor. the throttle stops working not allowing fuel to the engine therefore stalling the car even in motion. nissan has redesigned replacements but are incorrectly redesigned. even with warranty nissan refuses to remedy leaving people without cars. *jb

I have had my car for 2 years and i purchased it at the baker jackson that i am referring to. in august i started to experience problems with the car shutting down with no warnings which is a safety hazard considering i drive mostly on the freeway. i took it into the shop and they claim they did a diagnosis and found that my battery was eroded so they had to cleaned the battery and fuel injection. well after i paid and picked up my car the same thing happened a day later. to sum it up my car has been to the shop on the following dates 8/21/07,8/27/07,9/18/07 stayed there for days to weeks at a time and the problem is still unresolved. i am a teacher and a recent graduate student so i really don't have much money to be in and out of rental cars and get back a non-functioning car after every visit. the story i get when i speak to them is it runs fine when they drive it and they had it for two weeks at one time. i looked up my car online and many people have been having the same problem. i just want my car fixed so that i can go to work and come home safely with out endangering my life or anyone else. i did a little research on altima?s 2004 ^ and found that many have been having engine problems and have the same symptoms that i am experiencing. ?on certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, a variation in temperature occurs due to the unique location of the sensor in the engine. under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor. 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.? could you please help me investigate this so i can get to the bottom of this? i really appreciate you taking the time out to read my story. *jb

I drove a 2005 altima 2.5s which i purchased new in april of 2005. it was maintained in accordance with nissan recommendations. current mileage approximately 21,000. no accidents ,and was in excellent to good condition. while driving to work i exited the highway and approached a traffic light. as i approached the light, the car began to jerk and stalled. prior to the stall there was no indication of any problem with the car and no warning lights to signal a problem. upon stalling the oil light came on and then quickly shut off again. i tried to start the car. the car started right away and began the same jerking motion. as i came to the next light i was able to turn right and pull the car over to the side of the road just as the car came to a stall a second time. i called nissan. while on the phone, i noticed smoke coming out of the hood of my vehicle. in a matter of seconds the smoke became darker. i realized that the car was on fire. i exited the vehicle. while on the phone with the 911 operator,flames came out of the hood. over the course of the last three and one-half weeks i have been in contact with nissan regarding the car fire and warranty. nissan took two weeks to send an engineer to look at the car, and it has been over a week since the engineer visited, and i still have not been told what recourse was available other than the fact that i may have to go to arbitration with nissan to seek any damages. i have seen nothing but a complete disregard for professionalism and service from a company which touted itself as a service-oriented organization. i hope this complaint drew your attention to the need for a serious inquiry into potential problems associated with the 2005 altima. car fires which occur in new vehicles were a dangerous matter, and i am disappointed that nissan has not dealt with this issue in a more appropriate way. everyone involved was fortunate no one was injured or killed. *ak

Tl*- while driving at 30 mph the 2005 nissan altima caught on fire. the contact smelled a burning odor, but wasn't quite sure where it was coming from until a bystander informed her that the vehicle was on fire. the fire started underneath the vehicle by the accelerator pedal, continuing to burn underneath the hood. the insurance company stated that the cause of the fire was the main wiring harness. the contact could provide pictures of vehicle if needed. the failure and current mileage were both 18000.*ak

Alternator - i was told that the alternator is on backorder, i don't understand, i am number 11 on the list. *nm

I purchased a 2005 nissan altima on 2005, since i purchased the car every now a then, when i put the key in the ignition it will not turn, i try turn the key it turn and started the car. on 10/18/06 i tried to start the car when i put the key in the ignition it did not turn, the key goes in but the wheel is stock and it will not turn. i seen several complaints from customer with the same problem in the internet. i need my car so i have to tow my car to the dealer and see what happens. i think that the ignition has a defect and the company should be responsible for any fixing. *nm

I have a 2005 nissan altima with a faulty ignition. my grandson, who was a salesman at the dealership where i purchased my vehicle in 2005, took the car in to be checked because my key kept getting stuck in the ignition . i was told that the service department couldn't find a problem. the problem has continued to occur repeatedly and is getting worse. my key was stuck in the ignition for 5 days the last time it happened. i will just use the last occurrence date as the 'incident date' because it took the longest time to get the key out. *nm

Now, when i picked it up from that dealer, my car would not start. i cranked it 4 times and it would not turn over. nissan tech who worked on my car, raised his hands up and said "i just fixed the molding". and walked away. my car never had that issue before. just when i picked it up that from the dealer. another more helpful tech came and immediately told me he needed to reprogram my keys?!?! he did it and said bring in all the rest next week and i'll reprogram. i went home and none of my keys worked. i had to tow it into my local dealer "my nissan" in salinas ca and they told me they could reprogram all my keys for only $50. 2 hours later they said they couldn't figure the program as my car wasn't recognizing any codes they were using. so 5 days later, its' still at the dealers and they had to order a new eom and internal antennae. first they wanted me to pay for it. i have extended warranty and have followed all maintenance requirements so i refused. after 3 days, they agreed to cover the unit but not the antennae and finally approved for a rental car. i have yet to hear from them on my car. they offer no explanation on how or why it happened. *nm

Hello in 2006 august, my 2005 brand new altima's battery exploded and it was a miracle that me and my friend did not get hurt. when i called the dealership they told me warranty doesn't cover the battery. i had to get it towed to a third party shop where they replace my battery fuse (which i was told caused the explosion) and my battery. when i went over the dealership later they told me i should've brought the car over there. they claimed i was lying wheni said i was told by their service department that they don't cover the battery and did not even look at the car. now, my front bumper is covered in battery acid and is not repairable. i called the custemr service did everything i could but they simply won't do anything because i did not take the car to the dealership which i would if they didn't told me they did not cover the warranty on the phone. i have my receipt of the battery fuse and battery replacements but i do not have access to the old battery. i'm very dissapointed and frustrated by this and don't know what to do. i'm not looking to get any kind of money out of this but i bought this vehicle brand new not to have any problems especially a batter exploding to my and my friends face. thank you. *nm

On june 7, 2006 my wife was driving her 2005 nissan altima in a road construction area of i-10 in vidor, tx. there were concrete barriers on both sides of the interstate. she ran over a piece of tire in the middle of the lane and the car died. she was left stranded on the interstate. the car would not immediately restart, but started after a few minutes. the vidor police drove it off of the interstate but it was stuck in a higher gear. upon inspection there is a electrical connection on the bottom of the transmission that came undone. there is a heat shield around the connection, but it does not protect the connection from being struck by road debris. if this is going to kill the car engine along with the power steering and brakes, then it should be better protected. *nm

Our engine seized up while we were driving, oil light came on and the brake light came on as the car died but not before the car died, while we were out of town coming home from a business trip. the nissan dealership said that the drain plug was missing. the oil light is supposed to come on no matter what when it gets low on oil, that is an electrical problem which is covered under the warranty that they pressured us into buying for $1500. now they are not honoring any service agreements they made. they are in breach of contract. we have been paying for hotels, car rentals, food, gas, hitchhiking, everything..... we need to be reimbursed for everything and have nissan take over payments for our car rental, loss of work, returning car, and getting a new one. we have spent five days now screwing with everyone except someone that will help. i have literally talked to 90 people or more since our car broke down. we want help right now, or we will sue trophy nissan immediately. *jb

Key stuck in ignition switch. *ak

Forth time in the service department for ignition and electrical problems. i purchased a 2.5 sl in june 2005. the air bag light would not turn off in the passenger seat 6/20/05, sensor replaced. car would not start until trying 20 minutes later 7/4/05. service department told me to jiggle the gear shift from now on. on 7/28/05 car would not start again until after 20 minutes, service department invoiced me for reprogramming 33.83 and 79.20 for new electronic keys. now in nov. 2005 car in service department for the same problems listed above. service department is talking to nissan engineering, i am driving a rental car for the 2nd time. *nm

New 2005 altima 3.5 se bought august 2005 1st month i had noticed a vibration in the steering at high speeds, and the vehicle pulling/drifting from left to right. this concern makes the vehicle unsafe to drive because you do not have a sense of control when driving, in addition when driving on a highway for a long period of time the vibration in the wheel makes your hands and arms fall asleep. it is always necessary after an hour or hour and a half to pull over and give your arms/ hands a rest. the dealer addressed this concern by balancing the wheels by road force balance (corrected specs - 21lbs road force down to 7lbs) no alignment issues were noticed. after 3 tips to the dealership for the vibrations i had noticed a clunk in the front end, it ended up being a strut that needed to be replaced. with the next trip the dealership the vibration in the steering was now evident at all speeds, it was still drifting, and a new "hum" had developed at random times while driving. the dealer unable to verify any of my concerns suggested that i go for a ride with the service manger. after that ride he suggested that i have my tires swapped for new ones of another brand. on my next trip to the dealer they swapped all 4 of my tires for another brand name and re-aligned the front suspension and front end. throughout the winter the car ran ok other than some electrical problems that would kill my battery and the rear pillar airbags coming out. it was not until the spring that i was forced to bring my car down again for the vibration in the steering wheel and the clunk in the front end. the dealer could not verify any clunk in the front end but agreed that there is again a vibration and remedied the problem by adjusting the steering rack pre-load. initially the vibration was reduced, but within a month it was back. the service manager admitted that adjusting the steering rack pre-load was only a "temporary fix" a "bandaid for the problem". *jb

Dt: the caller's vehicle was accelerating from a stop light going 10 mph when it stalled. she could not get it started ,and had to have it towed to dealer. the battery light and the brake light came on. when she called the manufacturer, she was told she could drive the vehicle. there was no other indication that this was going to happen. dealer has vehicle now and will call her when they have check it. manufacturer was contacted and will call her back. *ak

I bought a 2005 nissan altima brand new last year. the car has been in for service up to six times. the past two times has me concerned. the car drops to 20 mph with no warning. i am a single mother with a 2yr old son and i compute 60 miles on way to work on 2 busy interstate everyday. the dealership is replacing the computer system in my car this time but makes me aware that this make not solve the problem. *nm

I purchased a new 2005 nissan altima 3.5 sl on april 2005, the car caught fire while parked in my garage on july 12, 2005 due to a pinched wire stated by nissan. it has now been 6 weeks and nissan is still not done repairing my car. nissan refuses to replace this car with another identical car. nissan has not been cooperative with me on this matter, they have been giving me the run around on this matter since day one!!! nissan did not offer to give me a loaner car, i had to rent a car myself for 6 weeks straight. nissan refuses to pay my rental expense and the damages done to my garage due to this fire. nissan also refuses to pay for smoke damages to my house.

dt: the contact owned a 2005 nissan altima. the car intermittently happened on the freeway driving at 65 mph. this incident happened twice, once was in los angeles, and once in las vegas. the engine restarted after the incident about 45 minutes to 1 hour later. after it restartd it will drive for a couple of minutes and shut down again. according to the dealership ,they repaired it twice. already the first time they repaired vehicle it was a key problem, but he knew that it was not. the second time changed the electronic control module ( ecm). the vehicle is now ready to be taking back to the dealer the third time. the manufacturer said that he could not turn in the car, and they did not care. *ak

Since i got the vehicle i had problems with it. the vehicle does not want to turn on, the key does not turn i have to jiggle with it so it can turn on. the brakes are making a lot of noise at least that is what i think the noise is .for the time i have had the vehicle there is no reason for it to be doing what it is doing i don't want a car like this that is the reason i got a new vehicle to have no problems and that is all its given me. *jb

Car sometimes won't start and cut off in traffic while driving. *tr

The car failed to start only two weeks after buying it, and the problem has recurred. the car acts as if it's flooded, cranking but not firing. both failures occurred after recently purchasing gasoline (the same gasoline retailer is used fairly consistently) and driving the car immediately home in cold, but not severely cold, temperatures. the dealer said these circumstances shouldn't cause flooding, but has been unable to find any problems and now refuses to research it further. nissan consumer affairs has advised of a recall that may be applicable, but the dealer doesn't seem to be aware of it and i'm in the process of following up on this point. *nm

At about 9,500 miles, faulty starter caused the car failed to start and stalled while driving on the freeway. i towed the car to the dealer where i purchased from and they tested right then, the car won't start but sparks with alot of white smoke from the tail pipe. i bought this car brand new on 7/4/04 with 50 miles on it.*ak

The vehicle would not start once the key was turned. after trying about 15-20 times, it will start and dark smoke emitted from the exhaust system. the dealer stated that all codes were normal and suggested the battery be replaced, however they did not replace it and the problem still exist. *jb

I purchased a new 2005 2.5s in may 04'...i've been having ignition/sensor problems for quite some time. the problem: when i try to crank the engine using the keys provided (at purchase) the car will hesitate (sounds like the engine is not getting enough fuel) i even thought it was a battery related issue and changed the battery...on several occasions i had to crank it nearly 5 times before it would start. i addressed my issues with the nissan service department on many occasions but they will only attempt to fix the problem if/when it happens there. recently, i was informed that a similar recall had taken place on the 2003-2004 models but that the 2005-2006 did not have the same issue...not!...i'm extremely disappointed in nissan's approach to this problem. in fact, after an attempt to find out when the problem would be fixed i was informed that it would be several more weeks (december 10,2007). *tr

While driving down the highway i noticed my car was not accelerating when i stepped on the gas. my "service engine light" also went on. the car stalled, and had to be towed back to the dealer. this happened one week after purchasing the car. since then i have had it back to the dealer six times for the same problem. the car is a 2005 altima 2.5sl. as i'm writing this my car is back at the dealer....again towed in!!!*ak