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
2003 nissan altima engine shuts down at slow speeds and while at stop lights. This has happened multiple time while driving and has nearly resulted in 2 accidents. After approximately 12 occurrences the "service engine soon" light came on with a code indicating crankshaft position sensor circuit is faulty. There is a similar recall for 2002 vehicles but not for 2003. Was told not enough people have died from this…
ODI 10197224
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the engine would shut off at any time with no reason or warning. The failure would occur while driving 5 mph or greater. The current mileage is 63,673 and failure mileage was 62,673.
ODI 10195649
Engine
The 2003 nissan altima 2.5 s died while driving about 50 mph and i had to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road in traffic with no power steering or brakes. The car would then not start up until cooled off and then stalled at several traffic lights on the way home. The car had half as much power as normal and continued to stall. My check engine light illuminated and i took it to nissan where they found the…
ODI 10193429
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving 5 mph, the vehicle's instrument panel lights illuminated and the vehicle shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle immediately afterwards. The dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The failure has occurred on three occasions. The current mileage is 43,100 and the failure mileage was unknown.
ODI 10190019
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. While driving 65 mph the vehicle slowed down and shut off. The contact restarted the vehicle. On three occasions the vehicle shut off while driving without any warning. The mechanic, during a tune up, stated the crank angle sensor needed to be replaced. The dealer stated that recall #06v242000 repair was performed on the vehicle 3 months prior to the contact purchasing the…
ODI 10189416
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The vehicle stalled, causing another vehicle to crash into contact's vehicle. There were no injuries. The police was not notified. The contact requested the dealer to pay since the failure was due to recall#06v242000 ; however, the dealer advised the contact that she was responsible for cost of the repairs. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer informed her that there was a…
ODI 10189142
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The vehicle lost power while driving at 40 mph. The contact waited approximately 20 minutes before the vehicle was able to restart. The dealer stated that the computer needed reprogramming, and made the repair. Approximately three days later the vehicle began to hesitate and completely lost power again. The dealer recommended that the cam and crank shaft sensors be replaced.…
ODI 10186360
Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
Recalls on 2003 nissan altima concerning crank angle sensors and ecm, engine computer, received. Took it to a nissan dealer , and they reprogrammed the ecm. They said this would fix my problem. 2 days later light was back on, and car continued to cut-off just as the recall letter stated it would do. Took car back to nissan, and they refused to honor they recall, and have asked me to pay for it, and then they will…
ODI 10185651
Engine
2003 nissan altima 2.5s bought in january of 2003. Car intermittently will not start. Nissan dealers have performed all recalls including ecm software replacement and engine crank sensor replacement but the problem remains. This is an ongoing problem which has not been resolved. *nm
ODI 10182341
Electrical System · Engine
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…
ODI 10180662
Engine · Ignition
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…
ODI 10178092
Cruise Control · Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima s class. The contact stated that the motor has failed. On two occasions, the vehicle has automatically shut off while driving 60 mph. The most recent failure occurred one week ago and smoke ascended from the engine. The first time he took the vehicle to nissan, they did not offer an explanation other than possible engine failure. They are not providing any solutions to the…
Fire reported
ODI 10191468
Engine
Update to odi 10176518. Power valve screws were found missing. Screws were ingested into combustion chamber of engine. *jb
ODI 10176614
Engine
Slowed vehicle and sees light began to flash. Vehicle died. Restarted vehicle. Ses light on constant. Vehicle 'pulses' - like not getting enough fuel. *nm
ODI 10176518
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle constantly stalls at various speeds. The dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in recall # 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). The dealer also found numerous other reasons that contributed to the failure, but the contact cannot recall what they were. The powertrain was unknown. The current mileage is 67,000 and failure mileage…
ODI 10197083
Engine
My 2003 nissan altima vin [redacted] was displaying a service engine soon light with a code of p0 507- idle system too high.....this appeared approximately 3 weeks following the r0606 recall for a ecm re-porgram for a crank engine sensor. The intresting thing, my sister has the same car, did the same recall around the same time and had the same service engine soon light appear the same day with the same code.…
ODI 10172037
Engine
I have a problem with my crank sensor on my 03 nissan altima, the car will shut off while driving creating a very dangerous situation if on a heavy traveled road. I'm afraid that it will result in a accident possibly injuring me. I tried to have the nissan dealership fix this prob under their recall and they refused stating it was only for the 02 models. Many other altima owners are experiencing the same thing if…
ODI 10171286
Engine
Dt*: the contact stated the recall repair work #06v242000 was performed on the vehicle in 10/06. Three days after the recall repair, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle began to run idle. It was taken to the dealer where diagnostic testing identified that the idle was off and needed to be relearned, which was performed. 12 miles after leaving the dealer, the check engine light illuminated and the…
ODI 10169723
Electrical System · Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
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
ODI 10172229
Engine
Dear nhtsa, recently i have been having problems with my 2003 nissan altima, more specificity, the engine has stopped running without warning while driving at a low speed. I researched this issue and found a recall on the nissan website for the crank angle sensor on all 2002 altimas, but nothing for 2003 altimas. However, while researching on the web i found several reports, including the nhtsa website (campaign #…
ODI 10169034
Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
Courtesy copy re defective 2003 nissan altima. She is seeking reimbursement from nissan. *ts the vehicle stalled weather the vehicle was acceleration from a stop or while driving at various speeds. The check engine light illuminated the vehicle was taken to a dealer who indicated that the vehicle needed the crank case replaced, throttle sensor adjusted, fuel injection flushed, power steering flushed, and brake fluid…
ODI 10174302
Engine
My 2003 nissan altima stalls at intersections for no apparent reason. I'll come to a stop, and it will die. I'll get the vehicle started, try to go and it will stall. I blocked traffic momentarily, and made some other drivers fairly irritated. The car is going into the shop next week to hopefully correct the problem. *nm
ODI 10163607
Engine
2003 nissan altima customer paid for service and now recall notice and wants to be reimbursed for repairs**cc the vehicle's electronic control module failed prior to recall notification. This caused the check engine light to illuminate and the vehicle to stall intermittently. The consumer requested reimbursement for all charges associated with the recall. *nm
ODI 10179577
Engine
I have a 2003 nissan altima 2.5 s. For the last 6 months my car has been stalling periodically. The stall occurs anytime at any speed. When the engine stalls i lose power steering and power brakes. I have had several close call potential accidents, while trying to stop the vehicle with no brakes and no steering. I took the vehicle to the dealer but they could not tell me what the problem was. Just yesterday the car…
ODI 10161224
Automatic Transmission · Engine
The service engine soon light began to appear in mid to late june. I have taken my vehicle to two different mechanical establishments and they have ran the vehicle through their scanners and can not find the problem. They have replaced the resister on the transmission however the car continues to shift hard. Nissan has a bulletin about problems on the transmission solenoid but it has not been reported as a recall.…
ODI 10162911