2003 Nissan Altima Engine Problems
- 109
- 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 109 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- engine cooling · 23 records
- engine engine · 23 records
- check engine · 22 records
- position sensor · 21 records
- engine light · 16 records
- needed replaced · 14 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 37 |
| 60–100k mi | 26 |
| 150–400k mi | 21 |
| 1–30k mi | 6 |
| 30–60k mi | 5 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine
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…
ODI 10507373
Engine
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
ODI 10916709
Engine · Power Train
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…
ODI 10500053
Engine · Fuel System, Gasoline
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…
ODI 10594615
Electronic Stability Control · Engine · Engine And Engine Cooling · Steering
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…
ODI 10493065
Engine
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
ODI 10490611
Engine
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…
ODI 10490225
Catalytic Convertor · Engine
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…
ODI 10485861
Engine
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…
ODI 10482201
Engine
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.
ODI 10479338
Engine
Vehicle stalled out in middle of intersection, after stopping for a stop sign. *tr
ODI 10478564
Air Conditioner · Engine · Steering
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…
ODI 10477327
Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
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,…
ODI 10471579
Engine
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…
ODI 10466995
Engine
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…
ODI 10471722
Engine
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…
ODI 10463018
Engine
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…
ODI 10479819
Engine
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.
ODI 10461062
Engine
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…
ODI 10460370
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
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…
ODI 10713389
Engine · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
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…
ODI 10587325
Engine
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…
ODI 10460683
Engine
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:…
ODI 10481364
Engine
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.
ODI 10478614
Engine
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.
ODI 10724201