2003 Nissan Altima Body Problems
- 93
- 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 93 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- passenger side · 44 records
- side floor · 21 records
- floor board · 20 records
- front passenger · 18 records
- floor boards · 17 records
- rusted through · 14 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 36 |
| 60–100k mi | 28 |
| 150–400k mi | 8 |
| 30–60k mi | 4 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Body
The 2003 altima 3.5 se sedan has significant floor pan rust on the drivers and passengers sides with sections completely rusted through. This is consistent with hundreds of other reports i have seen on the obvious design flaw with the altimas. The rest of the underside of the vehicle shows minimal surface rust. Assume that this will be a recall item soon as this is unacceptable. Aside from the floor pan issue, the…
ODI 10715689
Body
My floor boards have been rusting for some time now. I kept feeling the carpet on my drivers side getting soft, it didn't feel like i had a whole lot of stability. I looked under the car and i saw a big hole which had formed from rust. I could see the carpet from the bottom of my car which now gets wet when it's raining. I am afraid the carpet is going to wear out and i will have no protection to the outside…
ODI 10715273
Body
My 2003 nissan altima, which i've owned since brand new, is developing a rot hole on the passenger side chassis. A visit to a local nissan dealer last month confirmed this but did not offer to cover it under a goodwill warranty. I did not contact nissan thinking it was a one-time issue. However, based on an nbc news report from 4/6/2015, i've learned this is a growing issue. Please work with nissan in obtaining a…
ODI 10705081
Body
Floor on drivers side is rusted and crumbling off-getting thinner-approx foot and half in length. Passenger side is about foot long crack. I noticed this myself about a year ago. Of all the oil changes i have had on the car no mechanic has ever mentioned the corrosion on my 2003 nissan altima. *tr
ODI 10703993
Body
Unusual rusting of underbody passenger side. Have become aware this is known issue on 2002 to 2007 altimas. Mechanic identified this to me several months ago but i thought it was isolated incident until recently. Clearly safety problem if it rusts all the through the floor board. I have never had a car do this including ones older and with more miles. *tr
ODI 10703834
Body
The 2003 nissan altima that we purchased, used, 6 months ago has significant rusting/floor rot on the driver and passenger side. The holes are getting bigger and wind rushes through when driving. Considering the broad range of altimas affected, i can't believe there has not been a recall yet. This is definitely a safety issue for driver and passenger.
ODI 10727044
Body
On march 17, 2015 my mechanic discovered front floorboards rusted through from inside vehicle. I can put my fist through one of the holes. The rusted floorboards are a safety issue. This is a design issue well-known to nissan and previously reported to nhtsa by other nissan altima owners. Cost to repair is over $3,000. My nissan altima is low mileage and has been well-maintained. It has been garaged and is otherwise…
ODI 10732811
Body · Engine
The floor boards rotted out, just found out about it, give it a few more months. I can become fred flintstone and start pushing my car around when the camshaft/crankshaft sensor goes out again. Both sensors have been replaced and still had not corrected the problem. Brought the car in today and was told there are no recalls for your car. That's interesting when you can't go anywhere and you are sitting at a light…
ODI 10918678
Body
I took my car for inspection and found out that there was a hole in the bottom of my floor board. I had to have this repaired in order to pass inspection. My car is garage kept and i only have 67,000 miles on my car as of today's date. My mechanic told me to purchase a new car within the next year. This car is in excellent condition except for this problem. I thought i would be able to get a decent amount for a…
ODI 10704023
Body
The driver and passenger floor panels are totally rusted out with significant holes extending into the vehicle. My research indicates the root cause of this problem is a design defect. Rusting began around the drainage holes because they were not properly sealed by the manufacturer. I am the original owner of this vehicle and it has been kept in pristine condition. Nissan is fully aware of this problem as there are…
ODI 10652912
Body
I took my car to get fixed last week and my mechanic told me the bad news. Both the passenger side and drivers side undercarriage is completed rotted out. He said nissan altimas are known for this and he has actually fixed 5 of the same year (2003) for the same problem over the last 3 years. This is a known issue with nissan and there are a million complaints all over the internet regarding this same exact issues…
ODI 10640808
Body
Had my car inspected,was told in will need floor pans,extreme rust.no rust any where else on car. Confirmed by nissan dealer.contacted nissan north america,with no results.this is a design defect that many altima's have.can anything be done? [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
ODI 10650203
Body
My passenger floor board is completely rusted out. This is where my younger daughter sits. We had no idea that it had been that way for the last year until we could hear the highway coming up through the floor. I am a single mom and had to go to a neighbors who pulled up the carpet to find no floor underneath. This is extremely dangerous and nissan needs to take responsibility!!!!!!!!!!!! *tr
ODI 10704217
Body
Noticed the floor board on the passenger and driver side are completely rotted through. Date noticed was 4/13/2014. This issue was first noticed at least a year ago but the floor panel was not yet completely rotted away. It was just a simple case of surface rust. It was treated with rustoleum black primer to try and slow the rust down. This is a well know issue and it needs to be addressed by nissan and not just…
ODI 10579443
Body
FLOOR BOARDS RUSTED OUT BIG HOLES . *TR
ODI 10705492
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being inspected by the dealer, it was found that the driver and passenger's side front floor boards were corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 159,000. ...updated 12/03/13 *bf updated 12/05/2013 *js
ODI 10544108
Body
Purchased this car from a dealer in 2011. Three weeks ago while putting new brakes, rims and tires noticed the whole under carriage on the driver side is rusted out and falling a part in chunks. Took it to a body shop to get a repair estimate, it will be $2,700.00 to fix it. The dealer i purchased the vehicle is not much help and the nissan seems to be aware of the issue but not willing to help or have a recall. I…
ODI 10544020
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that the floor boards were completely corroded on both the driver and passenger side. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the technician was unable to determine how to remedy the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The failure and current mileage was 140,000.
ODI 10534508
Body
Tl- the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that when inside the vehicle she saw an object dangle from the floor. She went to retrieve the object and discovered a hole on the front passenger side floor board. The vehicle has not been repaired or diagnosed. The manufacturer has not been notified of the incident. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000. The vin was unavailable.- ll
ODI 10534477
Body
In early august 2013, i noticed a rusted piece of metal hanging from the under carriage of my 2003 nissan altima. During a recent oil change, i asked the mechanic to look and see where the piece of metal was coming from. I was told that the car's floor panel on the passenger's side had completely rusted through leaving a gaping hole the size of a football in front of where the passenger seat is located. After doing…
ODI 10543078
Body
2003 nissan altima (127,000 miles) - passenger and driver side floor boards are completed rusted. Nissan is not helping with this known defect. How many complaints before nhtsa gets involved? Over 70 reports on the this site and hundreds more if you perform a simple internet search. *tt
ODI 10537745
Body
I purchased my 2003 nissan altima from the dealer 16 months ago and just learned that my front driver and passenger side floor is rusted completely out. I was walking up to the car and noticed something hanging underneath bent down to look under the car and soon realized it was rust. The floor was rusted out on both sides driver and passenger. I contacted nissan consumer affairs and try refused to fx it. I have 4…
ODI 10534332
Body
Floor boards completely rusted through. No rust anywhere else on vehicle. *tr
ODI 10522307
Body
The floor of the driver and passenger side were rusted and had to be replaced. That was over 2 years ago. I recently noticed that the drivers side floor, near the gas pedal is also starting to dip and may be rusted. After watching a news report i decided to file a complaint since there are many other people who have been effected by this problem and i now believe it to be an issue relate to the design of the car. *tr
ODI 10703857
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan altima. The contact stated that something was protruding from the under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the frame was rusted and bore a hole on the passenger's side of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vin was unavailable. The failure and current mileage was…
ODI 10520197