1993 Nissan Altima Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WHEN DRIVING IN COLD WEATHER VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
ENGINE MISS AND STALLING DUE TO THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR FAILURE. *MJS
CONSUMER NOTICED OIL SPOTS IN PARKING LOT, AND IT GOT WORSE AND WORSE. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC OIL PAN WAS WORN OUT, AND OIL WAS JUST RUNNING OUT FROM BACK OF IT.*AK
THE TIMING COVER GASKET FAILED AND IS LEAKING OIL, TSB IS ISSUED CONCERNING THIS FAILURE. *MJS
VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL FROM THE BOTTOM. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, AND TECHNICIAN SAID THAT ENGINE TIMING COVER WAS DEFECTIVE. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK *ML
OIL LEAK DEVELOPED AT ENGINE TIMING COVER. ESTIMATE TO REPAIR OVER $2000. MANUFACTURER CONTACTED BUT DENIED THERE WERE ANY OPEN SERVICE BULLETINS ON THIS PROBEM AND DECLINED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIR DESPITE THERE BEING A BULLETIN NUMBER NTB95058A ON THIS EXACT PROBLEM IN THE NHTSA DATABASE.*AK
THE EXHAUST SYSTEM HAS FAILED US TWICE ONCE WHEN WE FIRST GOT THE CAR FOR NO REASON IT HAPPENED ON OR AROUND 09/1997 AND THEN AGAIN 10/1999 THE TAIL PIPE KEEPS BREAKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START RIGHT AWAY, USUALLY IT TAKES ABOUT 30 MINUTES - 1 HOUR TO START. VEHICLE WILL ALSO STALL/SHUT DOWN INTERMITENTLY. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM ,CLAIMS THAT THE VEHICLE IS NORMAL. *AK
THIS PROBLEM BEGAN WITH THE CAR STALLING AT STOP SIGNS. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURED THE CAR STALLED OUT AND RAN REALLY ROUGH. THERE WAS LOTS OF WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THOMAS NISSAN AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY PUT THE CAR ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE AND THE PROBLEM WAS THE SPARK PLUGS. THEY CHANGED THE PLUGS AND THE CAR DIDN'T STALL ANY LONGER BUT IT RAN SORT OF JERKY. IT PROGRESSED FROM THERE TO STALLING AT EACH AND EVERY STOP. IT SOON BEGAN TO STALL WHEN EVER I SLOWED TO MAKE A TURN. WE TOOK IT IN TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED, CHANGED THE FUEL FILTER, AND THE PLUGS. AFTER THIS WORK WAS COMPLETED THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY STREET AND HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT OF THE STREET. AT THIS POINT WE REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR AND THE CAR RAN OKAY. WE HEADED FOR HOME ONLY TO HAVE THE CAR DIE COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. WHEN IT DIED I WAS DOING ABOUT 65MPH. THE PERFORMANCE DETERIORATED TO THE POINT THAT IT WILL NO LONGER START AT ALL. I HAD THE DISTRUBITOR REPLACED AT THE ADVICE OF A MECHANIC AND THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. SO IF ANYONE OUT THERE KNOWS HOW TO SOLVE THIS RIDDLE OR HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW THEY HANDLED THE PROBLEM.
EXTERIOR PARTS - EXHAUST SYSTEM, T-BAR - RUSTED AND COMPANY CLAIMS THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGES OR REPLACEMENT OF PARTS. CAR WAS BOUGHT WITH A 6-YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY AND COMPANY WAS CONTACTED BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND THEY CLAIM THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS REPLACED AND T-BAR MUST NOW BE REPLACED DUE TO FAILURE OF PART. MECHANICS STATE THAT T-BAR AREA WAS NEVER PROPERLY RUST-PROOFED BY MANUFACTURER. THIS PIECE SUPPORTS THE ENGINE MOUNT AND RADIATOR, WHEN DELEAR WAS VISITED THEY STATED THAT COMPANY WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE. A PHONE CALL AND LETTER WERE SENT TO COMPANY AND COMPANY REPLIED IT WAS NOT THEIR BUSINESS. CAR RADIO HAD TO REPLACED DUE TO A VOLUME CONTROL DEFECT, COMPANY ONCE AGAIN STATED NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
COOLING FAN BLADE HIT THE RADIATOR AND PUT A HOLE IN IT, RADIATOR WAS RUNNING HOT, ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALER CONTACTED, AND STATED THE SAME PROBLEM AS DEFECT. *AK
VEHICLE STALLS OUT WITH NO WARNING WHEN COMING FROM ANY STOP POSITION INTO A TURNING POSITION. *AK
DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH, VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIED OUT; HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER; THEY COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. TRIED TO RESTART & DID NOT START IMMEDIATELY, FINALLY STARTED & THEN DIED OUT AGAIN. AT DEALER'S. *AK
VEHICLE IS LEAKING MOTOR OIL BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE O-RINGS. TT
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 1993 Nissan Altima has 14 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.