2003 Nissan Altima Engine Problems
- 106
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 106 stored complaint records:
- 0 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 3 indicate fire
What owners report
- engine light · 25 records
- check engine · 22 records
- position sensor · 18 records
- engine engine · 17 records
- failure mileage · 16 records
- engine cooling · 13 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 40 |
| 30–60k mi | 27 |
| 100–150k mi | 15 |
| 1–30k mi | 6 |
| 150–400k mi | 2 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling) and took the vehicle to the dealer. The technician reprogrammed the ecm. Several years later, she noticed that the engine warning indicator was illuminated on the instrument control panel. She received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v527000 (engine and…
ODI 10254011
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving at speeds of 30 mph and up, the vehicle would intermittently stall or would hesitate to start. He also noticed that the check engine light would illuminate on the warning panel intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the cam shaft and crankshaft were replaced; however the contact would continue to experience the same failures after repairs.…
ODI 10318898
Engine
My car died out while stuck in traffic. I put the car in park, turned it off & tried to start it back up only for it to shut off again. I tried a second time, and again it shut off. On the third try i was able to move to the right side of the road & park & left the car on, only for it to shut off again. I let the car sit, shut off, to let it cool off. I was able to drive home safely, but only staying on the right…
ODI 10251221
Engine · Exhaust System
I am the original owner of a 2003 nissan altima with about 95,000 miles. On 9/19, i took the vehicle to my local nissan dealer for service because the "check engine" light was on, the engine was running a little rough and had a slight rattle, and my oil light started blinking on occasionally. The dealer flushed and replaced the oil, and also replaced the catalytic converter and two oxygen sensors, at a total cost of…
ODI 10245781
Engine · Exhaust System
I bought a 2003 nissan altima with 66k miles on it 6 months ago from wilsonville nissan. They promised this car was in perfect running order, even after the check engine light came on during the test drive, but the technicians there insisted that they just forgot to reset the computer after they performed an oil change. As i have come to find out, ses lights do not illuminate on altimas for this reason, but after i…
ODI 10265913
Engine
I brought my 2003 nissan altima into countyline nissan in middlebury, ct; the dealership i purchased the car from. It was 5-02-08 and i had 58,294 miles on it, i told them i heard a knocking sound in the engine in second and third gear, i also told them it sounded as if the engine bogged down while i was driving up hills. I explained to them that my warranty was going be up at 60,000 miles and wanted them to fix the…
ODI 10256024
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving between 15-20 mph, the vehicle shut off and lost total power. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle restarts immediately sometimes, but can take five minutes to restart at other times. Once it restarts, the vehicle runs normally for the next day or next 30 days. The dealer could not determine the cause of the failure. The internet states that the…
ODI 10242719
Engine
Tla*the contact owns a 2003 niacin alton. The contact stated that her vehicle is burning inefficiently. She must change the oil every 500 miles. Before the oil is changed, it resembles black sludge. When the contact approached a stop, the vehicle shook, lost power, and would not restart quickly. The dealer rebuilt the engine at the cost of $2,500, but the failure still persists. The vehicle has been parked for 30…
ODI 10241121
Engine
About 4 months ago my car started acting up then shutting down. At first it stalls while i slow down on stop signs, while turning, basically at low rpm. That's when my engine light came up. Then i got that checked and they told me that the crank position sensor was bad. So, i got it replaced. After that my oxygen sensor burnt out, got that replaced for $1k. Earlier last week my engine light came on again and brought…
ODI 10256015
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The vehicle was repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). Six months after the repair, the failure recurred. While driving 70 mph, the engine suddenly shut off; however, the contact was able to restart the engine without stopping the vehicle. The vehicle is currently being diagnosed by the dealer. The vin and failure mileage were…
ODI 10236996
Engine · Fuel System, Other
I have a 2003 altima (almost 55,000 miles). The vehicle turned off while i was driving. All the suggested maintenance was and is up to date. When driving there is often a slight pull/stall like it is going to shut off. It was checked nothing was found to be wrong. Service engine like came on. Had the diagnostics done it showed something wrong with starter. Nothing was wrong with starter, never had any problems…
ODI 10240915
Engine
Own 2003 altima. While driving, car stopped running and would not restart. After several attempts, got car restarted and check engine light came on. Took the car to nissan dealer to have looked at and serviced and dealer replaced crankcase sensor. Inquired about a recall for same part on other years of altima and was told that there was no service bulletin or recall for the 2003 altima models for that part. *tr
ODI 10235407
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the crank handle sensor ecm does not work when the temperature is hot. While driving at an unknown speed, the engine stopped running and almost caused a crash. The manufacturer stated that the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). The vin was unknown. The failure mileage was 32,000 and current mileage…
ODI 10276845
Engine
Recall r0606 (campaign number 06v242000) repair was complete 12/21/06 by previous owner. Car still exhibits same symptoms of recall (engine stops while under way). *tr
ODI 10234034
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The vehicle lost power when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle would struggle to accelerate and take longer to start. On june 20, 2008, when the vehicle was started, the check engine light illuminated. While driving between 50-55 mph and changing lanes, the vehicle stalled. The contact quickly moved over to the left shoulder and was able to restart the vehicle.…
ODI 10232371
Engine
The service engine light came on, and the engine will stop running without warning. This has occurred on multiple occasions, and has been diagnosed as issue with the crankshaft and/or camshaft position sensor. Local nissan dealer has refused to fix, stating that this veh was not involved in that recall, even though there is evidence that this is a known problem with these sensors. This has happened several times…
ODI 10233363
Engine
My car quit first time in a parking lot when my 93 yr. Old grandmother was with me after that it has quit on me twice in the middle of busy traffic. The car just quits which could cause a major accident. This car needs to be recalled permanently to get them off the road. The manufacturer and dealers will not fix repair without charging. This is a continuous default in the manufacturing of this car. Replacing sensor…
ODI 10223354
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle would suddenly shut off intermittently. The vehicle is included in nhtsa campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the dealer would not diagnose the failure. The current mileage was 133,880 and failure mileage was 133,780.
ODI 10224441
Cooling System · Electrical System · Engine
2003 nissan altima stalls while driving. When i go in reverse and then put the car in drive the car continues to go in reverse. Stalls when i step on the accelerator but speeds up when i step on the breaks, i have to repeatedly slam my foot on the break to avoid hitting cars in front of me. The check engine light continues to come on, when it does the car stalls even more. I took it to a nissan dealership they gave…
ODI 10364044
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the crankshaft position sensor was failing on his vehicle. As a result, the vehicle loses power, jerks violently, and stalls in the middle of the road. The contact paid to have the crankshaft position sensor replaced two years ago after the ecm was reprogrammed; however, the failure still persists. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not…
ODI 10278514
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the engine shut off while driving at an unknown speed. The dealer stated that nothing could be done because her vin was not included in the recall. The failure has occurred on three occasions. The vehicle was repaired all three times; however, the failure still persists. The recall number was unknown. The failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage…
ODI 10210045
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. Since september 7, 2007, the contact's vehicle has shut off at least 50 different times while decelerating or making a turn. The failure was noticed while driving between 5 and 10 mph. The contact stated that the engine failed when the brakes were applied. The vehicle continued to move, but the engine failed and the steering wheel locked up. The contact made at least 6-7…
ODI 10202408
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The vehicle was repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the contact is currently experiencing the failures associated with the recall. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and the contact was informed that the ecm module needed to be replaced. The current mileage was 100,432 and failure mileage was 88,000.
ODI 10241085
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving 60 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The dealer repaired the vehicle according to nhtsa campaign id number 06v242000. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer stated that an issue that was unrelated to the recall repair was causing the vehicle to stall. No additional repairs were made at…
ODI 10272962
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalls. The contact must place the gear in park and then attempt to restart the vehicle. She took the vehicle to the dealer and they informed her that they would attempt to reprogram the ecm. The dealer also stated that they would not replace the crank shaft position and warned her that the vehicle may still stall. The contact…
ODI 10197586