2003 Nissan Altima ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR WHEN MY CAR SHUTOFF ALL OF A SUDDEN. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AND CARS WERE WHIZZING BY ME . FINALLY AFTER SEVERAL TRIES THAT SEEMED LIKE FOREVER, THE CAR STARTED AND I TOOK THE FIRST EXIT OFF THE HIGHWAY. THEN ONCE I MADE IT OFF THE HIGHWAY THE CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I MADE IT BACK HOME BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT START PROPERLY. IT COMES ON AND THEN SHUTOFF OR STAYS ON FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN MAKES A SOUND LIKE ITS GOING TO CUTOFF IF YOU PUT IT IN GEAR. FINALLY HAD THE CAR CHECKED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CAMSHAFT/CRANKSHAFT SENSORS BASED ON THE CODES. MY FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED DURING RUSH HOUR. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THESE PARTS SEEM TO CONTINUOUSLY GO BAD AND ENDANGER THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE. I HAVE LESS THAN 70,000 MILES ON THIS CAR. *TR

WHEN I WAS CAME HOME FROM SHOPPING I STOP CAR AND SWITCH OFF AND GO HOME AFTER ABOUT 15 MIN GOING TO SOME WHERE BUT CAR TAKE TIME TO START AFTER FEW SECOND CAR START. TRY 3 TIMES SAME. NEXT DAY GOING TO WORK AND SAME STARTING PROBLEM START CAR AND GOING ABOUT 1 MILE DRIVE POWER CUT OFF AND LUCKILY NO ONE BEHIND ME ABLE TO GO ON SIDE BECAUSE CAN NOT DO ANYTHING NO BRAKE NO GAS GOD HELP ME AFTER ONE MINT START CAR AND RICH WORK ABOUT 2 MILE . AT WORK WE HAVE MECHANIC HE HAS SOFTWARE FOR CAR DIAGNOSIS HE CHECK AND TOLD ME CODE P0340 FOR CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WE CHANGE ONE BOUGHT FROM DEALER AFTER 2 HR GOING HOME SAME PROBLEM STARTING. MECHANIC RESET AND GO HOME NEXT DAY GOING TO WORK SAME THING HAPPENED POWER SHUTOFF ABOUT 1 AND 1/2 ABLE TO PARK ONSIDE AND START AGAIN AND DROP TO REPAIR SHOP. HE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME YOU HAVE TO CHANGE ANOTHER CAMSHAFT SENSOR AFTER WOK FINE FOR UP TO NOW. BUT THEY RECALL SOME CAR BEFORE FOR THIS PROBLEM IF I WAS IN HIGHWAY THEN WHAT HAPPENED DO YOU THINK I WILL ABLE TO WRITE NOW OR DIE. CAN YOU CHECK ON THIS AND DO SOMETHING OTHERWISE SOME ONE DIE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY AIR CONDITIONER HAS ALWAYS BEEN RUNNING EVEN WHEN THE BUTTON HAS BEEN OFF. I'VE ASKED THE DEALER MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS AND THEY SAID IT'S FINE. NOW ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO MY AIRCONDITIONER WON'T GO ON, IT'S INTERMITTENT BUT IF IT DOES GO ON IT ONLY WORKS FOR 5 MINUTES. I FINALLY PAID THE 129.00 TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND WAS TOLD THE INTELLIGAN POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE HAS FAILED. THIS HAS BEEN RECALLED IN MANY OTHER NISSANS BUT NOT THE ALTIMA. DURING A SEARCH I FOUND LOTS OF OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I TRIED CONTACTING NISSAN BUT THEY DON'T CARE. *TR

THE ENGINE STALLS WHEN STOPPED OR MOVING AT SLOW SPEEDS. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, BETWEEN 1-15 TIMES A MONTH IN NORMAL DRIVING. THERE IS AN OUTSTANDING RECALL (06V242000) THAT MATCHES MY PROBLEM BUT MY VIN DOESN'T MATCH THOSE BEING RECALLED. *TR

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 IT A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THEY STATED THAT THEY ENTERED A CODE FOR THE SENSORS, BUT WERE NOT SURE IF THAT WAS THE ACTUAL PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. I HAVE BEEN TAKING THIS CAR TO NISSAN MECHANICS SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN 2007 AND IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING IN 2010. THE ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON AND IT CONTINUES TO STALL. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR

THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOR THE FIRST TIME FEBRUARY 17,2009. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE POWER TO MY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA SE 3.5 COMPLETELY CUT OUT. I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH A SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, THE BATTERY LIGHT, OIL LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ALL ON. I TRIED TO RE-START MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET IT INTO NEUTRAL. AT FIRST THE ENGINE TURNED OVER LIKE IT WANTED TO START BUT IT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY START. AFTER THE 3RD ATTEMPT IT STARTED UP. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO MY DESTINATION 5 MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENED. I AM VERY LUCKY AND WAS NOT REAR ENDED. WHEN I PULLED INTO MY PARKING SPOT THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME IT TOOK ABOUT 5 ATTEMPTS TO GET IT TO RESTART. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO OUR LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND I WAS TOLD IT IS A CRANK/CAM POSITION SENSOR. WE REPLACED THIS ITEM AT A COST OF $185.21. MY HUSBAND DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND FOUND OUT NISSAN USA DID A RECALL ON 2002 AND EARLY 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA'S FOR THE CRANK/CAM POSITION SENSOR. I CONTACTED NISSAN TO FIND OUT IF MY CAR WAS INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL AND WAS INFORMED I WAS NOT. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THIS PROBLEM IS A HAZARD TO MOTORISTS AND IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY NISSAN. I WAS GIVEN A FILE #6422418 AND THAT WAS ALL THEY COULD DO FOR ME. MEANWHILE I HAVE INVESTIGATED TO SEE IF OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS TO BE WIDE SPREAD AMONG THE NISSAN ALTIMA'S AND SOME MAXIMAS. IT IS ALSO NOT JUST AN ISSUE WITH THE 2002-2003 MODELS BUT EXTENDS UP TO THE 2005 MODELS. MOST OF THE CONSUMERS HAVE EITHER MADE A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN OR THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU-AUTOMOTIVE LINE. NISSAN DID MAKE A RECALL ON THE 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA FOR THE ECM WHICH JUST RESETS THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" BUT STILL DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF THE CRANK/CAM POSITION SENSOR. SOME OF THESE CONSUMERS HAVE SPENT UP TO $500.00 TO GET THIS SENSOR FIXED.*TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, RESTARTED THE ENGINE, AND DROVE TO HER RESIDENCE. SHE CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BEING PROPERLY MAINTAINED. LATER THAT WEEK, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE STATING THAT THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL CONTROL MODULE (ECM) NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPROGRAMMED THE ELECTRICAL CONTROL MODULE. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE REPAIR, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN AND THE POWER STEERING BECAME INOPERABLE. SHE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPROGRAMMED THE ECM FOR THE THIRD TIME DUE TO CONSISTENT STALLING. SIX MONTHS LATER, THE STALLING RECURRED. SHE CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECALL WAS SATISFIED AND THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR FURTHER REPAIRS. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHICH REVEALED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MECHANIC INFORMED HER THAT THE CRANK SHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR WAS SUPPOSED TO BE REPAIRED BEFORE REPROGRAMMING THE ECM. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS FOR THE CRANK SHAFT POSITIONING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000. UPDATED 10-30-08 *BF UPDATED 11/03/08. *JB

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 BY AN OIL LEAK.*AK UPDATED 1/26/2007 - *NM

CUSTOMER TOOK HER CAR IN FOR SERVICE, WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG BUT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING AFTER THAT THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, THEN AFTER THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL CUSTOMER WANTS TO BE REIMBURSED**CC *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON 3 OR 4 OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EACH TIME THIS OCCURRED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART IMMEDIATELY. HOWEVER, ON ONE OCCASION THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T RESTART FOR AN HOUR. THE MECHANIC SERVICED THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE FAILURE ON 04/26/2006. THEN, ON MAY 1, 2006 NISSAN REPLACED THE CRANK AND CAM SENSORS. ON JANUARY 4, 2007 THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE CRANK AND CAM SENSORS. THE CONTACT HAS AN INVOICE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 69,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,013 *AK THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AND WANTS TO BE REIMBURSED FOR EXPENSES. UPDATE 4/30/07 *TR

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 CAN I GET NISSAN TO ADDRESS IT? *NM

I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT READY TO TURN LEFT ONTO ANOTHER STREET WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR STALLS OUT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. IT TOOK ME A FEW TIMES TO GET MY CAR STARTED AGAIN AND WHEN IT FIRED UP AGAIN I STARTED DRIVING AWAY BUT MY CAR WOULD BE HAVING A HARD TIME GOING AS IF IT WAS STARTING TO BOG OUT. I LATER DID A DIAGNOSTICS TEST AND GOT THE CODE P0335 WHICH ENDED UP BEING THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, MY CAR HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS BUT IT WASN'T AS BAD. IT WOULD JUST BOG DOWN LIKE ONCE IN 2 WEEKS BUT THIS WAS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO!. *JB

THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. LOSS OF POWER ON HIGHWAYS AND INTERSTATES. WILL NOT CRANK AFTER A FAILURE. THE ENGINE HAS TO BE TURNED OVER SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE CRANKING. THE PROBLEM IS GRADUALLY GETTING WORSE. *JB

FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS, CAR HAS BEEN STALLING AND REFUSING TO START UP. ONCE, IT HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY AND LUCKILY THE TRAFFIC WAS NOT HEAVY, SO COULD MANAGE TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER. MANAGED TO RESTART THE CAR AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF TRYING. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON, AND THERE IS HARDLY ANY POWER WHEN YOU PRESS THE ACCELERATOR. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, AND HE TOLD ME THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT SYMPTOM, BUT WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER, MY VIN # DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL. THAT IS SO STRANGE. I HOPE NISSAN REALIZES THAT THERE ARE OTHER ALTIMA'S FROM 2003 THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB