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Nissan Altima

Nissan Altima • Stalling • Engine problems • Gas tank • Steering • Paint --- • Other Nissan Models

Charissa of Swansea SC (09/01/08)
I bought a 2002 Nissan Altima 2.5 in February 2002. North America's Car of the Year WHAT A JOKE! Nissan obviously really screwed up when they built this car. I have had the same problems with my car as everyone else. Now I am facing new guts for my car. I am sick about this. My first brand new car and my '88 Toyota Celica is better than this piece of crap that Nissan is so proud of. Nissan should be ashamed of how they have effected their customers. I paid almost $24,000 dollars for this thing and now I am having to figure out how to afford all the repairs. Warranties are no good when their repair people don't have a supposed clue as to what is wrong with these vehicles. Nissan made a fortune off of its customers and now will be making even more for repairs that should have been corrected before they were ever sold to costomers. My repairs.... head gasket, radiator, catilitic converters, oxygen sensors.... or new engine. Nissan needs to be made responsible for their mistakes not us! From all that I have read and heard we will probably be waisting our money again by attempting to repair IT. WAY TO GO NISSAN! I will never purchase a Nissan again. Looks good, runs like CRAP!

I am out $24,000 plus interest not to mention all the repairs and maintenance. Physically I have nerve problems so when I see or think of IT I literally get sick to my stomach and get migraines. Thanks to Nissan I suffer mentally and physically not to mention it is hard to keep my religion when I think of how wrong Nissan has done myself and others.

Steve of Mclean VA (08/28/08)
I purchased a brand new 2006 nissan altima on Fevruary 26th 2007. One day later I realized the Rotors on the Car were Warped and immediately took it into Brown's Sterling Nissan in Sterling VA. I was told the Rotors on the Brand new Car could not be replaced, instead they were turned.

Later on before my 36k WARRANTY was to expire, I took the vehicle back in and asked them to Replace the Rotors and was instructed they would be turned and I had another Year Warranty on the Vehicle's Rotors. Recently I purchased tires and noticed the car would shimmy on stopping.

That being said, my break pads are still factory ones and have over 25% life left on them. I am a defensive driver and take great care of my vehicle. Nissan North america advised me to take my Vehicle into the dealership so they could offer me financial assistance. The Nissan cost to replace the rotors is $272.

A new car should not have to have rotors turned one day after purchasing the vehicle. Being the day I bought the car it was snowing, I could not tell however, One day later I took the car in. I have been trying to rectify this issue with both the dealership and Nissan warranty and they decline any assistance. Why would I be held accountable for a Pre-existing problem with a New Vehicle and now have to pay out of pocket for rotors on a vehicle that have already been turned 2 times. New Car should have new working parts and Nissan is not taking responsibility for there actions. Please help.

So far no damages have been caused accept the depreciation of the rotors. Brake pads are wear and tear items that should be replaced far before Rotors. On both occasions when the car was taken in, I was instructed the Pad were FINE and there is no negligence on the driver. Why were the Defective parts not replaced and just repaired, causing me the consumer to later have to acquire a higher expense?

Mary of Santa Cruz CA (08/22/08)
I purchased my Nissan Altima 2002 2.5s in October of 2003. It had 26,623 miles on it when purchased. I now have 96,764. I have maintained my automobile with all of the necessary oil changes and major tune ups as required. The car still looks imaculate as the day I purchased it. The problem I have started when the service engine light came on so I took it into the Nissan dealership where I bought it and they verified light on scanned vehicle for faults, p0420 catalyst system bank 1 needs catalytic converter. Estimate of $736.00. I paid $109.00 for the diagnostic test.

I did some research on the web and found many consumer complaints with the catalytic converter. The recall campaign #ntb03-070c also 03v084000 went out in July 28th, 2003 three months prior to me purchasing the car. The work according to the dealership was never done on my car and I was not notified of the recall. I was told that all recalls pertaining to my vin # have been complete. I called Nissan North America Inc. to let them know the work had not been done and I was not notified of this recall. They said even though my vin# was within the range of the cars to be recalled it would still have to be vin specific.

I just feel that since my car is within the year, make, model and within the range of the recall that they should honor this for me. I have received no help from Nissan North America Inc. and the local dealership where I purchased the car can't seem to understand why they won't cover it? I have seen so many complaints with regards to the catalytic converter on the 2002 Nissan Altima 2.5s that there should be some kind of class action suit against this corporation.

I am not driving my car at this point even though I a told It is still driveable. I don't want to do anymore damage until I can at least get some answers on whether they should honor the recall.

Sandra of Providence RI (08/13/08)
We purchased the 2002 Nissan Altima when it was first released - we were ecstatic and received compliment after compliment on the vehicle. We had little issues here and there, mainly with the interior of the vehicle; the stripping on the door was falling off, the tint on the rear view mirror faded, etc. When we were slightly under 30,000 miles, check engine light was on, turned out to be the catalytic converter. After fighting with the dealership, I went straight to Nissan; luckily replacement still fell under the Federal Emissions Warranty. I dodged a $700.00 bullet. As I'm sure all other owners know, we had the miscellaneous recall work done here and there. June 2008 my service engine light was coming on. At the same time I went for an oil top off at my local Valvoline and they told me I was down 2 1/2 quarts of oil in less than 3 weeks. Brought the car to a garage near me, was told the light was due to the CATALYTIC CONVERTER! The burning oil issue was a bigger problem the dealership would need to help me with. Took car back to what is now Balise Nissan in Warwick, RI - another diagnostic test shows...CATALYTIC CONVERTER!!! But in order to diagnose the burning oil issue, I would need to have an oil consumption test performed for a whopping $379.00 - then of course replacement of the converter at $750.00. Of course this does not include any oxygen censors if per chance they are shot or the cost of fixing the root of the burning oil. The response I get from the manager @ the dealership is I have high mileage, 126,000 so my car is not new. I may have high mileage, however the car has always been well maintained and regardless the converter should not be shot twice in 6 years nor should my engine be shot in 6 years. I am in the process of playing phone tag with Regional Specialist to see what, if anything, Nissan is willing to do for me. This has been ongoing for 2+ weeks...of course she is only in the office until 4:30 and the only person who can help me. I've spoken with other mechanics who have told me they would not be surprised if the cause of the converter replacement 3 years ago was due to burning oil and it just wasn't caught. If I replace the converter, this will be the 2nd CONVERTER IN 6 YEARS! I am sick to my stomach reading these other entries and seeing repeatedly converter and burning oil problems AND Nissan not doing anything about it! I for one purchased a new vehicle so I wouldn't have to worry about these issues. My car was paid off in March and now I run the risk of either soaking money that I do not have into a vehicle that who knows what will go next or bite the bullet and buy another vehicle. I have a young child and being without a car at this time is not an option. NISSAN NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND OWN UP TO AN OBVIOUS FAULTY VEHICLE!!!

Jeff of St. Augustine FL (08/13/08)
The odometer and speedometer in my 2005 Nissan Altima registers vehicle speed and miles traveled too quickly. I have confirmed this using a GPS device.

My vehicle's limited warranty has expired too quickly, leaving me exposed to a potential loss. Also, this signifies that my fuel economy is significantly lower than advertised.

Logan of Olney MD (07/31/08)
Owner of a 2003 Altima 2.5S. Around 55,000 - 60,000 miles, my oil level was getting low enough to turn the stupid light on, 2,000 miles after an oil change. I have always been religious about oil changes every 3,000 miles so I was curious as to why this was happening. I now have 85,000 miles on the car and the problem is still occuring. I've even had my car cut off while drivig through a parking lot. Luckily I did not hit anything, but what if this occured on the highway? I had Nissan perform an engine diagnostic and they indicated that the ompression was low and oil was seeping through the rings. This was caused by a faulty catylitic convertor. Basically the cat spat back debris into the engine scratching the cylinder walls causeing the rings to fail. Remedy; NEW ENGINE! Of course I called Nissan consumer affairs to request this be fixed and they responded with Your warranty is over the mileage. Sorry. If you have this issue, call & comlain. There will not be a recall on the product until they have a certain number of files. I've seen a headlight get replaced quicker than this. Needless to say, this has been my second and LAST Nissan I will purchase! A good product gets return business. Better customer relations keeps the business. Nissan seems to have missed on both.

Joan of Canton GA (07/21/08)
I own a 2002 Nissan Altima. I began experiencing problems with it beginning in February 2007, in which I immediately took it into Town Center Nissan in Kennesaw, GA. to have serviced. The car was idling heavy, sputtering, hesitating, and the check engine light was on. It also smelled heavily of gasoline when the heater or defrost was on. I explained the symptoms to Mike Little, and left my car there for the entire day. At the close of the business day, I recieved a phone call from a service technician trying to sell me services that were unrelated to the symptoms and was informed that they have no idea what is happening with my vehicle. Again in October 2007, I began experiencing the same exact problems. I decided to take my car to Team Nissan of Marietta this time. I again was told that they were unable to duplicate the problem. I paid for another diagnostics and went on my way again. In March of 2008, I took my car in for the same exact problems. They told me that I had faulty spark plugs and replaced them. I had purchased the extended warranty when I bought the car, and this covered the cost. I also payed out of pocket to have the 90,000 mile check-up service at this time. Less than 5,000 miles later my car began again with the same exact symptoms. I brought my car in for the fourth time on July 11, 2008. I was called later that evening with the news that my car had a blown head gasket and that my extended warranty had expired two months before, in May 2008. I explained to the service technician that this has been an ongoing problem that I have made multiple attempts to get fixed before my warranty expired. He agreed with me and said that he would call Nissan to see if they would help out with the situation. They denied the request based on the age and mileage of the vehicle. I then called 1-800-NISSAN1 and asked to speak with a representative. I first spoke with Melissa Watson in which she explained to me that it was Nissan's final decision and that she was the highest available representative. I refused to believe that as the truth and asked to speak with her manager. The following day her manager, Erica Hill called me and said the same exact thing. She insisted that she was the only person that I could speak with regarding my situation. I went online and found the number (615-725-1000) to the executive office located in Nashville, TN. Two days later, I recieved a call back from Kim, in which she was unable to share any additional information with me and I was again told that she was the highest possible person for me to speak with. In short, Nissan has sold defective automobiles to thousands of people and they are unwilling to rectify the situation. I absolutely refuse to spend another penny with their company aside from the remaining amount owed on my vehicle. I will pay for oil changes, repairs, and sevices elsewhere. I kept my car serviced appropriately and this situation did not occur as a result of any negligence on my part. This company knowingly sold vehicles with multiple internal problems. I will never buy another Nissan product!

Jean of Morganton NC (07/21/08)
I bought a new Nissan Rogue 2008 last Nove mber. It was a great car. I loved it! I had never had a new car, so at 61 I wanted to buy a new one that would bet me through retirement. Boy, was that a mistake!! I should have saved my money or at least bought my ususal car--a Toyota!! I had driven Toyotas for years without a single problem. I only changed the oil, put in gas and new tires every four years. It was great. Had 165,000 miles on it so I traded for a new Nissan. First one ever! I drove it home from work Thursday, July 17, 2008 and parked it on a paved driveway. I used the air conditioner going home because of the extreme heat. About 15 or 20 minutes later, I came out of the house to find the window in a million pieces lying on the pavement and inside of my car. I called the police to check it out and they found no foul play. No rocks had been thrown or anything. I called Nissan and they said they would look at it. Then they told me that it could not have been a defect because they usually blow out instead of in. They were tested in every way for defects and they would not take responsibility for it!!! I feel that the cold inside and the hot outside caused the window in implode instead of explode. That was why the glass was mostly inside!! I was so disappointed in Nissan when I had heard so much good about their vehicles. That is why I decided to give them a try. My old Toyota would still be going strong! I have never seen a class nor have I ever broken a class in a car before. It is so weird that it broke on its on that quickly and so dangerously. I usually have a small baby in a car seat in that particular spot where the glass shattered. My car insurance is going to have to pay for this damage and my car is only 8 months old. I think that there is more than a reasonable probability that the window could have imploded. My car is rounded at the top so the glass had to fall in--not out. We do still have gravity-don't we?

Stuart of Sugar Loaf NY (07/07/08)
I am writing about a mechanical situation on our 2002 Nissan Altima, Vin # 1N4AL11E02C146711. The vehicle was running great for approximately 95,000 miles. We started noticing that we needed to add oil a bit more frequently but it wasnt so much to cause alarm. At one visit to Middletown Nissan in 2006 I mentioned the fact that it seemed to be burning more oil, though I never saw a drop on the ground. The response was that its an older car, and they tend to use more oil. So I stopped thinking about it as an issue. The car started to use more oil, and at around 110,000 miles the Check Engine light came on. The engine was running rough, sounding like it was missing. We had Dawson Motors check the vehicle and it turns out the engine was shot and needed to be replaced. At this point we werent sure why the engine failed, since regular oil changes were performed throughout its life. Since the rest of the car was in great shape, and/or had already been upgraded, we decided to bite the bullet on obtaining a new engine. It was a Nissan engine with a 12,000 or 1 year warranty. The replacement occurred on 08/08/2007 In April 2008 we started noticing that the Altima was once again using oil. This didnt make sense on a brand new engine with roughly 10,000 miles on it. The check engine light came back on and the use of oil got more evident. We took the vehicle back to Dawsons and they found that the Catalytic Converter needed to be replaced. We went ahead with that job, but the Check Engine light would not stay off. The car was still running rough, and it was still using oil. Dawsons did some significant diagnoses and found that the new catalytic converter was no good. So after much hassle with Middletown Nissan, he was able to get another and installed it. But the problem with the engine still persisted. The conclusion now is that the second Nissan engine is shot. Bill Dawson, the owner of Dawson Motors, having documented the situation very well, requested that a claim be open up with Nissan to address the issue with a second bad engine. That claim number is 6193543. I traded phone calls with the Regional Manager, Suzanne at 866-799-1690 x1589. She talked to Bill and ultimately to me. According to Suzanne, the engine was just out of warranty mileage wise and would not be covered. I pressed, and was told that she had escalated the problem but was denied. I asked her who I could talk to above her in a management or a decision making role and she said there was no one else. She also suggested that using an independent contractor to work on my car did not play a positive role in the decision. I took offense to that since there is no one more knowledgable nor respected in the county than Dawson Motors! Bill and I started doing some research on the internet and it turns out that the early 2000 Altimas have had a track record of bad catalytic converters. What is more interesting is that these bad catalytic converters seem to have directly impacted the life expectancy of the engine. That means that very likely, when I visited Middletown Nissan and was told that my older Altima uses oil, that my first engine was failing at that point because of a KNOWN problem with the catalytic converter. And chances are high that it was because the catalytic converter was failing as well back then. So we end up replacing the original engine (rather costly by the way at $4,000), with a new Nissan engine. Now the new engine is bad. And whats extremely frustrating is that this appears to be a significant issue with the Nissan Altima, and Nissan does not want to correctly solve the problem. Instead they point fingers at the customer, and the independent repair shops, or hang their hat on the fact that were a couple thousand miles outside of the engine warranty. But the issue is certainly not the engine itself. Its bad catalytic converters destroying the engines. Realistically what I should be doing is pursuing retribution for BOTH engines. If Nissan had dealt with the catalytic converter issue in the first place many of the issues that a LOT of customers are facing now would be moot. And Im just not talking about dealing with my situation specifically. If they had honestly taken a proactive role in correcting ALL catalytic converters on the appropriate vehicles, there wouldnt be so many customers looking for new engines now! I certainly dont want to be stuck with an unusable car after spending over $8000 to have it put in excellent shape (new brakes, clutch, tires, windshield, battery, and engine!) for my 17 year old son to drive because Nissan is hiding behind a warranty. Worse yet they are hiding a significant issue thats affecting many Altima owners! This isnt a warranty issue! What I would like Nissan to do, and I truly believe to be the proper thing to do, is to replace my new second engine. I already paid for the catalytic converter so the source of the problem is presumably fixed. Im a business owner, Im savvy to the process, and I would be described as someone thats fair, and very much a believer in common sense. Common sense tells me, and it should tell Nissan, that this motor is not failing after 15,000 miles because of neglect. Its failing because of a secondary bad component that has been a known issue with Nissan and the auto industry for 7 years! Just talking to Bill Dawson, I know that these 2001, 2, & 3 Nissan Altimas are passed up at the auctions just knowing the history. Common sense tells me that to ignore this situation, and not bend over backwards with the customer, is not the appropriate way of doing business. And it is certainly not the appropriate way to promote a positive customer experience. And it certainly isnt good customer service to tell me I can only speak to one person who is purely the bearer of bad news, and definitely not a decision maker! To have someone dictate a bad business decision, and then be allowed to hide behind a regional representative, is disgraceful. Attached are just a couple of the comments easily found on the internet to support this issue. And please know that this is just a very tiny sampling of the complaints that we found. Bottom line is the right thing for Nissan to do is replace my SECOND very new engine! Id appreciate feedback as soon as possible. We only have two cars now with the Altima out of commission, and with two working parents and a son working two jobs, the transportation manipulation is nearly impossible.

Barbara of Williston SC (07/02/08)
in march 2003 i purchased a 2002 nissan altima i felt very confident when i bought the car. no problems wit hthe car till june of 2006 first problem i had to get the head gasket replaced this cost me $800 dollars never did find out what the problem was or what caused the head gasket to blow. august 06 car starts to burn oil a littlew at first then it got real bad had to put bout 5 to ten quarts in a car a week. it costs about 20 week for oil in the car. decemebr 06 converter stopped up cost $500 dollars next problem have to replace spark plugs all the time cost $10 dollars per plug. next problem june 07 converter stopped up again had to get repalced next problem january 08 car would not start cost $120 to get it fixed after that got recalls in thge mail bout car cutting off while driving it did it once so i took it to the nissan palce to get it reporammed had to also pay $100 fo them to repalce plugs again! jul;y 08 car wont currently start and was toed today to get running!!!

Sam of Ashburn VA (07/01/08)
I'm an owner of a Nissan Altima 2005 2.5 sl. Last week I got a letter last week 6/21/2008, informing me that my car has been recalled because the engine can cut off while it is running and could result in accident or death. Imagine this letter coming from the manufacurer of a defective product that is capable of causing death and yet they did not inform me as soon as they found that out. From what I have found out, this problem was found out at least SIX months ago by Nissan and they did not inform every Nissan Altima 2.5 (2005-2007 & also 2002 Altima) owner at once, instead they choose to send letters slowly to individuals. Not only is this irressiponsible, but it must be criminal to knowingly avoid informing those at risk while using their product. How about other motorists that get expossed to the risks of such vehicles that have engines that can cut off any time infront of them and get them involved into accidents? Don't they have a right to be safe from such an accident waiting to happen? Why on earth does my car have to pass a safety inspections such as head lights and tail lights, whereas the manufacture denies me the knowledge that their car's engine can cut off while I'm on the road and could result in causing deaths to me and or other motorists ? Who would be liable if such an accident happened ? What about those like Barbara that got riped off before Nissan Auto Maker admitted to their errors ? I need your support in persuing this issue so that a law is passed which will oblige any car manufacture to inform not only the owners of those cars recalled, but also to make a public notice to every motorist (through the public media and State Motor Devision Centers) of the dangers their product posses to them as they drive along the road meeting their defective vehicles that can cause deaths any time. Infact, once a car is recalled because of a multfunction that is severe enough to cause death to anyone, then, the state motor devision should not allow such a vehicle on the road at all. And any delay or failure of the manufacturer to inform the public should be met with a heavy penalt for endangering the public. And any costs to fix those problems must be paid by the manufacture.

Cindy of Irving TX (06/30/08)
July 30, 2008 - As I was driving my car on July 27, 2008 around 5:30 pm, my car all of a sudden shut off on me WHILE driving. My power steering and brakes locked up on me and I could have been badly injured in a collison. I was told that my CAM SENSOR PO340 & CRANKSHAFT SENSOR PO335 are defected. A mechanic also told me there's a recall on those parts per NHTSA, but when I called the dealership & NISSAN, they claimed there was no such recall. I fear driving my car for my safety along with others on the road. I don't know what else to do. Nissan refuses to fix it. Why is there a recall per NHTSA but Nissan refuses to fix the matter. They said it's not on my VIN. I don't understand why it's not covered with my VIN number if the problem still exists!!!! I am OUTRAGED!!

MY SAFETY!!!

Ernestine of Dalzell SC (06/30/08)
I purchased a 2006 Nissan Altma (2.5S) from Jones Nissan on December 05, 2005. Within the first year of purchasing the car I had the car towed to Jones Nissan because it would not crank. According to Jones Nissan there was nothing wrong with the car and it was given back to me. The car has stalled on me several times afterwards, and has stopped while I was driving it on the highway with no warning several times. I made several complaints to Jones Nissan and I have also filed a complaint with BBB Auto Line. The engine burns a lot of oil and taps and the crank sensor needs to be replaced. I contacted the headquarter office for Nissan and once again I was given the run around even though the car had less than 55,000 miles and is still covered under warranty.

Barbara of Miami Shores FL (06/26/08)
My car is involved in a Nissan recall/reimbursement campaign for defected sensors and defected EMC in the engine. I found this information out via a television informational after I had paid $1800.00 to have the car repaired. I filed a claim with Nissan North America in March 2008. Since then, I've gotten nothing except a run-around. Customer Service told me that my reimbursement went from the $1800 to $500.00. When I called today to get the status of my claim, which is supposedly being processed for authority to issue payment, I was told my payment is $88.00.

As a consequence, I have gone through quite a lot of pain and suffering as well as tension and aggrivation in dealing with Customer Service at Nissan about this issue. I'm seemingly out of $1800.00 and am being avoided by the person who is handling my claim, Jefferson Cruz. Please advise as to how I can remedy this dilemma. Respectfully, Barbara

Jeff of Elmont NY (06/15/08)
My Nissan Altima Hybrid went in for routine service along with needed repair for a few problems I experienced with the hybrid system. WELL, to make a long story short that was 29 days ago and the car is still in the dealership unfixed although they may be getting closer to a fix...hah. The dealership is Garden City Nissan and I cant put the blame on them because its beyond their ability to fix, I put the blame on Nissan Corporation for manufacturing this car with the defect it has. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get anywhere with the regional specialist that the Nissan Corporation has assigned to investigate my case. The latest info is that last week Nissan flew one of their top Engineers from Japan to repair the car and he is in the process of repairing the car...still. The dealership, Garden City Nissan, has rented me a car from Enterprise which is at Nissan's expense. Well the rental is the only positive thing.

Stacy of Baltimore MD (06/04/08)
My car is consuming oil and having engine noise.The noise is associated with, what eventually became, and extreme engine consumption problem.

Sital of Antelope CA (06/03/08)
I bought my car from Nissan in 2004. They sold me expended warranty and told me that it would be good for 72 months or 100K miles which ever came first from date of purchase. Both of the contracts state start date of 4/11/2004. I went to get my car fixed for the first time in March and they told me my warranty had expired. I provided them copies of the warranty but they still refused to cover the cost of the repair. I called Nissan consumer affairs and they created a file for me. Its been 2 months and they have not provided me any updates besides to say that they are looking at it. I have called them multiple times and have asked for supervisor to call me but no one responds. They have hung up on me and put me on hold for long times because they would not allow me to talk to the supervisor.

Cathy of Oxnard CA (05/20/08)
I bought a 2008 Nissan Altima about a month and a half ago. Last week on May 12, 2008 my husband was gonna wash the car and as he put the car on our front lawn he noticed that the front tire on the driver side was bald and that the threads were showing. So on Tueday the 13 I had him take it to the Nissan dealership here in Oxnard, they had my husband take the car to Thousand Oaks, CA to where the person  did the tires and Rims,

They put the car up and checked it out to see what caused it and they noticed that it had a bent strut and that the rims was bent also, so they went ahead and put a replacement tire on by the way it is much smaller then the rest of my tires. They said the we neede to take it back to Nissan so they can fix it before he can replace the tires he said it is a severe problem. So we made the appointment for Thursday the 15, I took the car in and the gentleman went ahead and did the paperwork where it said there would be no charge, than about 2 hrs later a gentleman calls me from the service department and he tells me that are not gonna fix my car because it was not something done by Nissan and it had to of been done by me and that there is no warranty, and why did we take it 3000. miles later.

Walter of R. Cucamonga CA (05/19/08)
I have a 2003 Nissan Altima 3.5L V6 with 87,000 miles. Reecently the check engine light came on and I took it to the dealer. Service dept told me it had an error code of P0420 (cataylist under threshold, and needed a new pre-catalylist (L-Bank) at a cost of $900.00. I researched this error code online and found 100's of other people with this same problem. Since I have over 80,000 miles the warranty is expired on emmissions. Now that I see others have this same problem, I think Nissan is installing cheap parts which fail. I contacted Nissan and was told they would do nothing since it is out of warranty. However, the service guy told my they know this is an issue. The emissions should last well over 100,000 miles. I had a Honda Accord with over 250K miles and NEVER had any problems other than basic service. So, I know people want to get a class action law suit started for this issue based on what I have read on other web sites.

Nerfis of Chmabersburg PA (05/07/08)
I purchased my brand new 2003 Nissan Altima in May of '03 and should've known I was making a mistake when I found out it only had a 36k mile warranty on it. My vehicle had over 4 recalls on it and it was just a matter of time before something major happened. In Aug.'07 my check engine light came on and my vehicle started to sputter. I immediately called the dealer and took it in for service the next day. I was told I needed a new head gasket and radiator but was out of warranty. My car only had 62k miles on it. I was quoted $1600 for parts & repair. Nissan Corp. offered to cover the parts as goodwill but I was responsible for labor. I still ended up paying $1600 and had to get a new radiator as well! It is now May '08 and I have the exact same problem! I am told I need a new engine and radiator(again!)& it will cost over $4500! My car has a little over 75k and Nissan refuses to stand behind their parts or their work. I am a student, single parent, and work parttime and obviously can't afford to pay for Nissans mistake! I will never purchase another Nissan product again.

Armando of Lemon Grove CA (05/07/08)
Nissan has a recall on 2002 Nissan Altima's. The recall # is NTB03-070c So, Nissan fixes the issue with the Catalytic Converter and the Exhaust Manifold on January of 2007. This part went bad again after they replaced it and now they don't want to replace it. and this is the 3rd time the Catalytic Converter has gone bad in the past 2 years. They told me that once they replace the part, they no longer are responsible for it. The engine is causing the cat to go bad, (per their recall) and they don't want to replace either part. There is definitly increase oil consumption and the oil goes low really fast. I took it to Mossy Nissan and they gave me a $4800 estimate as it also needs a new engine. This recall even says that engine damage may occur. I am going to pursue this further as I believe that I am entitled to a new engine and a new Catalytic convertor. This is the recall - 2002-2003 NISSAN ALTIMA, 2002-2004 SENTRA; VOLUNTARY RECALL CAMPAIGN ENGINE EXHAUST PIPE HANGER PIN AND PRE-CATALYST Nissan has determined that some 2002-2003 model year Altima and 2002-2004 model year Sentra vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine have defects that relate to motor vehicle safety. For 2002-2003 model year Altimas, there is a possibility that the exhaust pipe hanger pin may catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the catalytic converter and cause a fire. In addition, for 2002-2003 model year Altimas and 2002-2004 model year Sentras, there is a possibility that certain engine operating conditions may cause damage to the pre-catalyst. Material from inside a damaged pre-catalyst could enter the engine and result in increased oil consumption. If the engine oil level is not checked on a periodic basis and drops below the low level, and the driver continues to operate the vehicle ignoring noticeable engine noise, engine damage may occur which could result in a fire.

Julie of Central Valley NY (05/07/08)
I have been battling with Nissan for 3 years now. I had been living with a vehicle with a leak causing it to reek very heavily of mildew. They replace the carpetin in the entire car twice,ozone treatments 3 times, and 2 leak repairs. The leak was never obvious nor was any moisture in the car found.

I

Monica of Irvine CA (04/30/08)
The check engine light came on so I took my 2002 Nissan Altima to the dealership. The vechicle was extremely sluggish and shaked upon stopping. They advised that a sensor needed to be replaced and eventually I would need a new catalytic converter. My vechicle had approximately 104K miles. I had the recall repaired and the sensor replaced in which I was charged $565 and paid for at the time of service 2/22/08. The checked engine light came on approx. 1-2 weeks after and the car continued to run sluggish. I brought the vechicle back to the above mentioned dealership were the intial repairs were done and they stated that I needed a new catalytic converter and that was causing the car to run sluggish. I had them repair the vechicle again on 3/18/08 and paid $885 for the catalytic converter. After picking up my car and driving it for a week it was running worse then before. I brought the vechicle back to the dealership and they stated that I needed to pay for a new motor! Joe from OC nissan told me that they would cover the cost of the motor even if the motor no longer had a warranty as a courtesy and I was responsible for $1,776 for the labor. I contacted the manufactor and they have not been helpful with this matter. I was told that I can get a discount if I want to buy a new Nissan.

Thomas of Novi MI (04/28/08)
Even though I was way under on mileage and my leased vehicle is in way better condition than any other lease vehicle (GM, Saab, etc) that I have ever turned in they are trying to charge me $845 for a bunch of little scratches in the paint that I am having buffed out. This is after they have had fit, finish and quality issues with the car (including the radio falling into the dash 3 times befroe they fixed it right) since day one. All of this so that they can hold $500 dollars over your head to try and force you to buy another car from them. I want to warn future Nissan buyers about these low integrity business practices so that they can avoid my mistake. I will buy American vehicles for good now.

Kevin of Bellevue WA (04/28/08)
Same issue as many other owners. Radio died, can't get CDs to eject. Everytime I turn on the car the radio beeps several times as is scans through radio channels and does some sort of power on self test. I disconnected the battery and tried doing a hard reset with no luck.

Michael of Bozeman MT (04/23/08)
I bought my 03 Nissan Altima back in the summer of 04. Up until about a month and a half ago to two months everything had been great with the car. When I reached the plateau of 90000 miles in my car, nothing seemed to work right. On February 27th, 2008, I had to replace my radiator, due to a coolant leak. 1 Radiator (a2414), 1 radiator cap (19045-PM-003), 1 cleaner, coolant and labor, ran me $548.45. The work was done by The Auto Works, inc., 28797 Norris Road, Bozeman, MT 59718. On April 5th, 2008, Check Engine Light had come on in the car. I had noticed it running real strange. It would not go if you gave it gas while you were driving at 2000 to 2500 rpm's. So at 90,023 miles, I took it to the Local Nissan Dealer; JC Billion, 1919 West Main Street, Bozeman, MT 59718; to have the car diagnosed. Only to find out that I had to get both my oxygen sensors replaced. Pre and Post Catalyst oxygen sensors. On a diagnostic test; codes- P0031, P0733, P0171. 1 pt# 22690-8J010, and 1 pt# 226A0-8J010. Total parts, labor, and freight- $529.02. After I had picked the car up on April 7th, 2008. I had gone home, got ready for the gym, gone to the gym, and on the way home from the gym, my check engine light had come on again. On April 11th, 2008, at 91037 miles, I dropped my car off again at JC Billion, the Local Nissan Dealer, again to diagnose the new problem. Only this time to find out that it was the Catalytic Converter that had gone out. I then took my car to D&B Muffler, 320 West Griffin Drive, Bozeman, MT 59715. Where they had ordered the Catalytic converter from JC Billion, to install on my car. Being that the catalytic converter on a 03 Nissan Altima meets California Emissions, I had to go ahead and get that converter. Exhaust manifold assembly with converter plus freight, pt# 14002-8J008JC, manifold to head gasket, pt# 14036-6N200JC, manifold to header pipe gasket, pt# 20695-8J010JC; hook up scanner to clear service light, and replace manifold and all gaskets, came to a total of $720.00. I needed the car to be fixed before the 18th of April, 2008, so I could take my 2 and a half year old disabled son to Primary Children's Hospital of Salt Lake City, Utah for Doctors Appointments. So on April 17th, 2008, I had an oil change done with Quaker State Synthetic oil, because that's what I use, at Speedy Lube, 438 North 7th Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715. When I had left on April 18th, 2008 for Primary Children's Hopsital in Salt Lake City, UT. The car had been running fine all the way to Salt Lake City, UT from Bozeman, MT. (est. 425 miles one way). On my way back, around Big Sky, MT (35-40 miles from my home in Bozeman, MT) the car had developed a slight knock in the engine. The stretch between Big Sky, MT and Bozeman, MT is a canyon stretch of US 191, and there is No phone service in that stretch. So I proceeded to drive home. About 5 miles from my doorstep the Check engine light had come on again and the oil light had come on. When i had finally made it to my doorstep the car had died. The car has been up at Speedy Lube of Bozeman, Mt, being that was the last placed that had done anything to the car. They checked it over with us and their insurance company. The Oil plug was still in place, the oil filter was tight and in place. When they had drained the oil plug there was only 2 qts. of oil in the car out of the 4 and a half they had put in. Ther was no oil residue on the bottom of the car due to oil leaks. There was a black film now developed on the inside of the exhaust, due to burning oil. I had not ever had a problem of oil burning in the 03 Nissan Altima, until now. It is now up at JC Billion again getting looked at by their service technicians. I seem to be having the same problems that Guy of Hinesville, GA wrote of, abck on September 21st, 2003. My 03 Nissan Altima motor has seized up due to an internal failure of the engine that has allowed engine oil to pass into the exhuast and burn up. People Buy foreign cars for there reliability and for how long they last. At 91000 miles that doesn't seem like a lot, and I am very dissapointed in Nissan's ability to put out a good product. I would like for Nissan to step up and fix this car.

Marisa of Barberton OH (04/14/08)
My 2005 NIssan Altima, which I have had numerous problems with in the past is now rusting. The whole car has little rust spots all over it. This car has been kept in a garage the whole time I've had it. It is only 3 years old. I will not buy another Nissan.

Tracy of Winder GA (03/16/08)
I have a 2003 Nissan Altima that I bought pre-owned in 2006. Since then I have had to replace the factory Cooper tires due to tread separation and losing pressure. I stupidly put another series of Cooper tires on the rear and the driver's side rear immediately started losing pressure. The second problem I have with this car is, if you don't crank it and let it run for more than 2 minutes it won't start until you crank and flood it for A LONG time. So long that you start to lose your battery. My brother has a 2002 model that does the same thing. So if you want to move your car out of the garage or jsut around the driveway you need to let it run. According to the testimonials I have read online this has been a persistant problem since 1995.

Harvey of Newark NJ (02/12/08)
I had an ignition problem where I could not remove my key from my 2005 Nissan Altima. After taking the car to them on two occasions and being told that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle, my car was stolen when I could not remove the key. On my fourth visit to the dealer, they finally admitted that there was a problem. All of these visits are documented with invoices. I recently found out that there was a memo detailing this defect from 2005. I have this memo in my possession and I'm awaiting a court date. T

Corey of Chunchula AL (01/17/08)
Nissan Altima has a recall for oil consumption it fails the Alabama lemon law Nissan not willing to honor recall or lemon law. excessivly loosing oil. not cranking.

Charlene of Pflugerville TX (01/16/08)
I called the Nissan customer service department because I read an article published in consumer affairs that listed my year and type of vehicle as being a part of a recall. This article interested me because my engine would shut down on me with out any warning in the middle of traffic. When I had a diagnostic done, the code came back as a defective crankshaft sensor. The same problem that many other Altima's were beinf recalled for. Upon calling Nissan, one representative asked for my VIN number and told me that yes, my car was a part of the recall and she would fax over the open recall to me. She also instructed me to call the dealer and set-up an appointment and once I received the open recall, they should honor it. Well, when I called the dealer, they told me that they would not honor it because it was not in the system. So, I called back and I spoke to another rep and she gave me the same information. But because two dealerships refuse to honor the open recall that they said would be faxed to me, I had to speak to the next level supervisor who did not give a name. Once she got on the phone, she told me that my car was not a part of the recall even though I was told before it was and I was having the same exact problems as the others that had been deemed a part of the recall. So, I would have to get my car fixed at my own expense and then the dealer would reset the computer component free of charge. I don't understand why my vehicle vin wasn't apart of the recall if I'm having the same problem.

John of Jackson MS (01/08/08)
I have a 2006 nissan altima that just turn a year old this december of 2007 and i have taken my car back 3 times for the same problem and was chaarged a lot of money and the problem is still not fixeed. I took the car to the shop this morning for the same problem and i have not heard anything as of yet to whats going on.This is getting to be a very big problem for me, because i cant continue to be late for work due to taking my car back for the same problem and its not being fixed. So would you please help me with this matter i have 4 more years to pay on this vechicle and i certainly dont want to be driving it in this condition. I ask of you again to please help me sole this matter.

J of Winston Salem NC (01/08/08)
I have a 2002 Nissan Altima. The airbag light has been flashing for 3 years now, and Dealership says it is not possible to determine what the problem is-it might work, it might not. The check engine light is on-then off-then on and it is due to a catalytic converter failure according to Nissan. They tell me I will not just need the catalytic converter replaced but a whole new engine. This is ridiculous situation with a 5 year old car that has been regluarly maintained. Nissan refuses to look at any maintenance records because Nissan didnt do the oil change and regular maintenance. I cannot understand why a 5 year old Nissan would need a whole new engine! This appears to be an issue based on other complaints by other 2002 Altima owners. Nissan dealership in Winston Salem and consumer affairs representative are all dismissive, rude and unwilling to take any responsibility!

Janice of Wynantskill NY (12/04/07)
My daughter has my 2005 Nissan Altima in Miami while attending grad school. The side moulding was stolen off the car and she went to the dealership she has been dealing with since living in Miami to have the correct parts ordered and then installed. The parts dept ordered the wrong color moulding (black instead of white) and when my daughter informed them the moulding was the wrong color, they told her to take it to a body shop on 36th street and have it painted, that the moulding doesn't come in white. I checked with Nissan personally, gave them the vin number of the car and the moulding is available in white. The dealership would not order the correct moulding, forced my daughter to take the black moulding with her (it was not installed), and I have tried repeatedly to contact the dealership only to be transferred from one dept to another. Left a message for the GM who never returned my call but someone else finally did and said I needed to speak to a gentleman who is the VP of all these depts but he is rarely available as he is VP of six different dealerships. No one has called me to address the issue despite numerous attemtps and when I have tried to call Nissan consumer affairs phone (800-647-7261) and get through the prompts appropriate for my type of complaint, within 60 seconds it disconnects me and I have not been able to reach Nissan Corp. either. This is all over a $77 part. I cannot imagine how we would be treated if this were an even more expensive mistake on their part.

Roberto of Vallejo CA (12/04/07)
I bougth a '02 Nissan Altima and Five years later is burning oil and the O2 sensors needs to be replaced. I contact NISSAN and they will not do anything about this problem, they will like me to cover any costs for the repairs incuding Test, Parts and Labor. Thay mention that my warranty was exparied and since I never got and extended warranty at the time of purchase I am out of luck and on my own.

Tanya of Wilmington DE (11/26/07)
I've been experiencing on several occaissions that my 2002 Altima Nissan will not start back up after driving it. No warning lights never came on when these incidents have occurred. Service has been preformed and I was never told or aware of the recall that the engine might stop running while being driven if the the crank position sensor or cam position sensor fails. I am very concerned that while driving this could result in a crash without warning. Please advise.

Glenda of Stone Mountain GA (11/14/07)
My husband and I purchased a brand new Altima December 23rd 2006. The 2007 models have a keyless start/stop botton. Instead of getting car keys you are given two computer key rings that controls entry and start/stop. Well not long after purchasing the vehicle my husband got stranded about 1 and 1/2 hours away from home because the computer on key ring was not registering with the ignition and the car would not start, no matter what he tried.

Needless to say we were very upset, due to the fact that this was on a Sunday and we had no idea how my husband was going to get home. I finally able to get a ride and thankfully the other key ring worked. We took the non-working key ring in to the dealership and they said it would have to be replaced and the key ring must have been near a cell phone or some other digital device. Needless to say the key cards would go out at any given time without any for warning, with the potential of leaving you stranded.

By July we had been back to the dealership 4-5 times with the key ring going out. During the week of July 4th we had scheduled vacation and were going to drive to our destination, but once again one of the key rings went out yet again. My husband brought the car to the local Nissan dealer on a Saturday. We left the car the dealership, so they could troubleshoot to see what was the problem. We were given a rental and left for vacation that Monday in the rental car. While on vacation our vehicle was ready for pickup. When the dealership called, my husband explained that we were on vacation and would not be back until the end of the week. Upon our return we returned the rental and picked up our vehicle.

However, we were billed for rental charges after the vehicle was ready, even though we were on vacation, our car was six months old and we could not drive it on vacation due to the malfuntioning key rings. We complained about our credit card being billed for the remaining balance to Nissan and consumer affairs stated they were not in a position to reimburse the balance. My husband and I could not believe it. We purchased a brand new car, and were having problems with the keyless start/stop from almost the beginning of ownership. By the way, Nissan has done a recall on the keyless ring, because apparently a lot customers were having the same problems. So, I ask why should my husband and I have to pay for Nissan's defect?

Ericka of Lees Summit MO (11/07/07)
I am so outraged with Consumer Affairs w/ Nissan. I purchased my vehicle (new) in Feb 2002, its a 2002 Altima Nissan and I have problems every since I purchased it. There have been several recalls on this vehicle and my service engine soon light has been on for the last 2-3yrs. I am having to replace the oil in my vehicle every other day. Also, I took it into a local Nissan dealership and they have indicated that the catalytic converter needs to be replaced. I can't afford to replace this item, this has been going for several years. Nissan is aware of the problem and will not fix the problem for myself and many others. 

Danette of Hot Springs AR (11/06/07)
6 months after I purchased my 2006 Altima, had to put in the shop for squeakie brakes. they replaced on the left side the strut and brake and turned the rotor with the car only having 7976 on it.

2 weeks later the squeak came back. took it to the car dealership and told me they don't hear anything that they would not do anything to it that I would have to contact Nissan. so I did on 5/8/07.

I took the car later on to another dealership an hour away to see what they could do for me. after I sat there for 4 hrs. for them to tell me their shop manager could not hear anything so I am out of luck again.

Renee of Mesquite TX (10/08/07)
I purchased my vehicle Nissan Altima 2003in 6/05 and here recently in the last few months the car had started giving me problems.I received a RECALL notice by mail and took my vehicle in to be fixed,per recall.I was charged a check-in/check-out fee and the recall was never fixed.Instead,they did a service check on the car and gave me a print of what the car needed and the amount was around $3,000. they told me that if my car had any other problems,that would need to be repaired first before the recall can be fixed.

So,Me being a single mother,I don't have $3,000 dollars to just give.What made me bring it in was,I was driving on the freeway I-45 in Dallas,Tx and my car shut down on me and I had to pull over out of harms way and call for help. I kept trying it and it started back up and wouldn't go no faster than 40mph.Next,I had a mechanic to put in on the diagnostic check machine and they said it was inside the engine and numerous of things.And while checking it ,they had to remove the valve cover that over the engine and the engine has a SALVAGED part number written on it and as well as the inside fender.I was not made aware that this car was a salvaged vehicle or had salvage parts when I purchased this car.I've had several occasions to happen when a red flag warnings have been raised.I made an attempt to trade the car off @ a Toyota dealership and they test drove the car,did a check inspection under the hood and the appraised the vehicle.

But after that they asked me had the car ever been wrecked?And in return I said no,not to my knowledge because I've never wrecked it.Another instance was I was on my way out of town and was stopped by the Highway Patrol,and he told me that I need to close my hood and I told him that it was closed.I took my car to Trophy Nissan on 10/5/07- Friday and I was treated like crap.

The managers/director has the worst attitudes that I've ever seen.My car is giving me problems and now you want a $3,000.00 down payment on a Nissan Titan truck which is more expensive in price and in gas.If you can put me in a vehicle at that price,why can't put me in what I want and is going to have to pay for.I didn't go there for another car/truck/suv/van.I want my fixed and first of all not to be ran off the premises with a threat from the law.

Beth of Melville NY (10/08/07)
Air Conditioning stopped working after 1 year. This is not the issue that concerned me at all. About the same time that the AC stopped working, every time I would press the gas peddle to pass another vehicle in traffic the transmission would sputter and jam. I was almost rear ended by a large truck in fast moving traffic with my young daughter in the back seat.

I brought the vehicle in and they told me it was the battery!! Being a busy single working Mom of two children and not knowing any better I believed them. I picked the truck up although the AC worked (temporarily) the transmission had the same banging upon pressing the accelerator to pass in moving traffic. This was immediately after driving from the Amity Nissan service center. I mentioned it to my Male friend and he said he would test drive it and see. He came back and told me it seems like it is the transmission and although the trucks and cars today rely on an electronic brain center, something like this is not electrical, it's mechanical..!! We decided to test the truck fully and see how often it would happen and exactly when..

Well, I was in fast moving traffic again approx. 1 week later with my young daughter in the back seat when I went to pass a turning vehicle. I hit the accelerator and poof, the truck almost stopped dead right there. It made me jolt forward in my seat and jerked my daughter in her seat (Thankfully we always wear our safety belts). The thing that really ticked me off this time is that I was just barely missed being rear ended by a large tractor trailer truck and I was also immediately pulled over by a highway patrol officer.

After explaining the mechanical issues with my car he said to bring it in at that moment for servicing (even offering to follow me there to drop it off at Amity Nissan..!!). Now they call me to say it was the Radiator and I owe them $800.00..!!! I refuse to drive this lemon any more and I am sincerely scared for the safety and welfare of not only myself, but my children and other young passengers. Someone please help me as I do not know where to turn for help regarding this matter..

Kharima of Houston TX (10/07/07)
I have had my car for 2 years. In August I started to experience problems with the car shutting down with no warnings which is a safety hazard considering I drive mostly on the freeway. I took it into the shop and they claim they did a diagnosis and found that my battery was eroded so they had to clean the battery and do a fuel injection. Well after I pay and pick up my car the same thing happens a day later. To sum it up my car has been to the shops on the following dates 8/21/07,8/27/07,9/18/07 stayed there for days to weeks at a time and the problem is still unresolved.The story I get when I speak to them is it runs fine when they drive it and they had it for two weeks at one time. I looked up my car online and many people have been having the same problem. I just want my car fixed so that I can go to work and come home safely with out endangering my life or anyone else.

Joseph of Chicago IL (10/02/07)
I am a dissatisfied Nissan customer in need of some major help and I was wondering if you could help me. On September 22, 2007, I purchased a 2007 Nissan Versa hatchback.  As first-time new car owners, my new wife and I were naturally excited to bring our Versa home. The following days after our purchase has; however, been an excruciatingly frustrating experience for the both of us.

On 9/24/07, I noticed a mechanism error on the cars LCD when I attempted to use the CD player. On 9/25/07, I started experiencing some difficulty with starting the vehicle. When I turned the ignition, the vehicle would stall for 3+ seconds before finally starting. My wife also noticed that the car would not accelerate smoothly. The starting problems seemed to occur when I left the vehicle alone for an hour or longer and it happened about 4-5 times before I decided to take it in. At about 7:00 pm on 9/25, my wife and I took the car in to get looked at.

The mechanic could not replicate the problem and told us to bring it in the next day so it can be left overnight. I brought the car back in on 9/26/07 and it was left overnight. We were given a loaner car through Enterprise.

On 9/27 I received a call from the service department stating that the fuel pump was not functioning correctly and that it would not be drivable until it was fixed. I
 called the dealership later that day and spoke with Bruce, a sales manager for the dealership. I expressed my concerns with our new car and stated that I don't feel safe with this particular car, as we only had it for 4 days before it needed repairs.

On 9/28, I was told by a service worker that the needed part would not be available until 10/10/07 and that he can't give an accurate timeline as to when it will be ready. Angered at this response, I filed a complaint with Nissan's customer service number and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

On October 2, 2007, I went back to the dealership. I calmingly stated that all I needed was some kind of measure of good will that the dealership or Nissan will take care of their new customer, as no one seemed to take my predicament seriously. John then received a cell phone call, excused himself, walked away and talked on the phone for several minutes.

I need your help in contacting Toyota and relaying to them what I plan to do. In hindsight, I should've opted to get a Toyota Yaris or a Scion XB, as Toyota is known to have excellent cars and service. My plan is to ask Toyota if they could pay for the remainder of the car while I purchase an XB or Yaris with the same features as my Versa. In return, I will go on camera and destroy the Versa with a hammer in front of the dealership where I purchased it.

Ive read online many other complaints similar to mine. Perhaps I could even convince them to join me. A crazy idea? Perhaps. But this way, I will completely rid myself of the car and the company while providing Toyota with some free advertising. I truly appreciate any help you can offer me in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at any time.

Vanda of Snellville GA (09/06/07)
owner of 2002 nissan altima with bad engine and loosing coolant.

Amber of Owasso OK (09/04/07)
My 2003 Altima has been stalling when I'm driving down the road or just sitting there I found out today that there was a massive recall of roughly 200,000 altimas 2003 2.5L due to a faulty crank angle sensor when I contacted a nissan dealership here in my town they told me that nissan hasn't given them permission to replace the sensor so they informed me that they were just going to clear my computer?? Does this make sense? But I have been reading and was noticing a few people on here have had the same awful feeling as I have when you have a child in the car and it dies in the intersection not a pleasant feeling. I hope this helps you all out! Oh and in the recall it states that it might not register in the vehicles computer. It didn't register on mine!

Wendy of Sherrills Ford NC (07/05/07)
Since the purchase of my 2003 Nissan Altima S5 in 2003 I have had nothing but trouble. Started with the air conditioner and the heat not working then the tires begun to blow out and I have had them replaced several times, then the radiator had to be replaced 2 times within 13 months, the check engine light continuously would illunminate, the brakes had to be replaced early and then the engine began to shut off on me while I was driving it! I have stalled out so many times with my son in the car and could not get out of the road. Nissan was more than happy to come and tow me for $55 to take my car 1/4 of a mile to the dealership because I was on my way there again for an appointment and it shut off on me. Through all of this and the constant trips to various shops, Nissan finally told me at 80,000 miles that I just need a new engine....How do you want to pay for that? It was no discussion and no explaination on why my car has always performed so poorly. I was told I do not make the cars or sell them I just work on them. I told him he must be very busy with these poorly made cars and that it is a shame that these cars can continue to be sold in this condition. Now that I have been conducting research I now understand that I am not the only person with these SAME problems.

Sergio of Temple City CA (06/23/07)
The Intake manifold gasket needs to be replaced for the 2nd time within 20,000 miles. The first time at around 65,000 miles it was under warranty, now at over 80,000 it needs to be replaced again!.I seen several people at www.carcomplaints.com have the same problem. Engines on the Altima's 2000-2001 have a defect casuing the intake manifold gasket to fail, usually between 40,000 & 90,000 miles.

It is very annoying, the car shakes at idle and I cant pass a smog check until I fix it because of the check engine light. It costs between $400 and $700 to fix! OUCH! ANy suggestions? Im concerned it will happen a 3rd time!

Betsy of La Quinta CA (06/20/07)
in 2002 i bought a nissan altima. it was the first year they were out. i was really impressed with the look. they resembled the lexus. living in the desert, i noticed the first summer that the air conditioner wasn't blowing very cold air. i took it in and they fixed it. within a year, the same problem. this time they couldn't find anything wrong with it. i noticed after a couple of years that the heater didn't work. again, i took it in and they said the problem was the radiator. i bought a new radiator and still the heater doesn't work. everytime i deal with the dealer, i'm paying a hundred dollars off the bat just to find out what is wrong with it. and still i haven't had the problems fixed. my car is currently in the shop again. i have no power when accelerating. i'm waiting to hear from nissan to see how much this will cost me.

Mayra of Wood Ridge NJ (04/30/07)
I purchased a 2002 Nissan Altima in Dec. 2001. I have had the same problems as many of other 02 Altima owners. The cold start problem which occurs only in the winter happened only a few times in 2002 but by 2006 it was a constant occurence. Finally Nissan service fixed the problem by doing a fuel injection cleaning. My major problem is the engine. Like many other 02 owners my cataylic convertor broke into pieces causing my engine to fail. I know need a new engine. I have 113,000 miles on my car but have maintained my car throughout my ownership. Nissan is Aware of the problem but the only thing they are doing is extending the warranty until 100,000. So if you are one of the lucky ones that this happens before you hit 100,000 miles you are in luck. If you are like me who thought if you maintained you car you would have it past 200,000 miles you are out of luck. According to some Nissan service centers, they are well aware that this problem exists with the 2002 Altimas yet Nissan is choosing to close their eyes to this problem.

Tamika of West Nyack NY (04/07/07)
The dealership sold me a lemon ad would not allow me to trade, even after I complained after the first wk. I bought the car brand new. It has been a yr and I have made over 8 attempts to fix this problem.

I am going through a lemon law case right now.

Kathy of Rock Spring GA (03/30/07)
I purchased a 2007 Altima from Pye Nissan in Nov. of 2006. On Thursday, March 29, 2007, I was traveling down I-75 S. into Georgia when the engine totally cut off. The engine then burst into flames. I was moving on the interstate and had to hit a guard rail in order to stop the car. My daughter had to jump out of the window and I jumped out of my side as it burned. We have fire and police reports to back this up and it was even carried on the local tv news station in Chattanooga, Tn.

My husband and I went to the dealer and was totally shown no compassion by the manager of Pye. A salesman finally helped us with the numbers we needed to contact Nissan. State Farm ins. is handling our claim but we were shown no consideration by the dealership. We were told they sold the cars, not made them, and he would just sue.  

Jimmy of Augusta AR (03/27/07)
engine stall,,,,My wife was dropping off a friend at work and as she came up to a stop sign the 2003 Nissan Altima with 61000 miles just died and she rolled through a stop sign and almost got T-Boned by a Ford truck,,, Nissans have this engine stall issue and the recall work has been done to my car to stop this problem (supposedly) how many ppl is suppose to get hurt of killed before someone steps in and makes this automaker seriously fix this issue and not patch it to get it by

Dan of Mission Viejo CA (03/12/07)
Faulty window they could not fix, faulty low tire pressure sensors they could not fix and a navigation system that was absolutely worthless. They refuse to provide me paperwork to back my claims such as service records and contacts with Infiniti/Nissan Consumer Affairs.

I travel and planned to use the navigation quite often. Instead, this $2,000 option was replaced by Mapquest.com Any continuous driving for more than 30-45 minutes resulted in a low-tire pressure warning, making me constantly pull over the check the pressure. The window broke three times, going up as expexted than lowering again 4-5 inches.

Randy of Manchester NH (03/11/07)
My 2005 Nissan 3.5L looses the brakes brakes in cold weather. The nissan dealerdhip diagnosed it as a fualty brake booster. Had the dealership change the booster ($500). Keep losing brakes in cold weather. We know have to rent a car for the next two and half weeks ($900) while nissan is trying to figure out the problem. I dont feel I should have to keep paying for repairs and rentals while nissan is using my money and time to figure out their faulty brake design. The service manager informed that another altima with same problem came in the shop at the same time, so this is not a isolated problem.

So far we have paid $500 in repairs that were not need. $200 in rental but have two more weeks until maybe its fix. Then will have to pay to have the new part installed that MAY fix the problem. Wont find out until we drive through another stop sign. Nissan doesnt know what is causing the saftey issue. They are playing trial and error with my safety, time and money. Nissan Corp no help.

Annie of Columbus OH (03/01/07)
I have a 02 nissan altima with 74,000 miles on it. The engine shield under the car and the wheel well shield have feel off the car, The door is hard to open on the front passenger side, and now the check engine light come on and it sometime will cut off while driveing it, then its also hard to start . Buckeye Nissan was the cheapist nissan dealer that I called, for a diagnostic to be done on it. But, they are the only one that will not apply the fee toward the repair of the car. So far this is the fourth Altima I heard that the car will just stop running while you're driveing it. I guest I need to go back to buying Toyota's Annie

James of Knoxville TN (01/29/07)
Purchanes 2004 Nissan Altima from Twin City Nissan, Knoxville. Front struts were replaced at 32,000 miles under warranty, due to making noise. Struts once again started makng nose at 62,000 miles.

I was told the warranty was not in effect anymore. Complaint to Nissan North America was answered with a letter saying they were sorry. ( No Action!!) This leaves me with a $600 repair. Also in same time period heater coils were makng noise from air in the system. This was addressed when the struts were repalced under warranty.

They stated the radior cap was defective. I still have the same problem and the heater does not work proplerly unless you race the engine. They also said they were sorry about this problem. I fell that since this seems to be some type of defects in the car they should be made to stand behind it.

Steven of Santa Paula CA (12/19/06)
We bought a new Nissian Altima SeR 2006 from this dealership, we were happy with the car, the next morning when the car is cold it will not go into second gear at all. We made this complaint to nissian they say the car shifts like butter.

we have been fighting with them for 2 weeks wasting gas and going back and forth already I have almost had many collisions because when its cold the car wont shift into second gear. They refuse to withold the warranty and are very rude to us and we feel the car is unsafe. We now use our other car in the mornings and are very unhappy with our car and find it unsafe to drive.

Kanahnee of Phoenix AZ (11/20/06)
I rented the 2006 Altima for a road trip to CA.Within about 1h15m of my trip the engine started ticking and 15 minutes later the engine blew, started smoking with myself and my daughter in the car and within 5 minute the entire front end of the car was engulfed in flames. Fortunately I got myself and my daughter out of the car, but not without injury, trauma and loosing almost all my trip possesions in the fire. It was a very scary experience and what is more upsetting is that after the accident I found out there was a recall for this very reason. I hold both companies fully responsible for placing so little value on safety and lives.

I was able to get a few of my daughters items out of the car, but lost all of mine and still some of hers. While attempting to get items out of the car I did damage to my back that has made walking or sitting for long periods of time almost unbearable. In addition, my 10yr daughter is still scared to ride in cars and it is a constant chore trying to convince her everytime that it will be ok. The whole ordeal has been very upsetting to say the least, especially for something I feel could have so easily been prevented.

Jeff of Alexandria MN (11/16/06)
We purchased a 1999 Nissan Altima with approximately 57,000 miles on it in the summer of 2005. It is our daughter's college car. The car now has 64,000 miles on it. The automatic transmission began to slip/hesitate, especially shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. A whining noise began to accompany the hesitation in shifting.

We took the car in and learned that the transmission was shot, kaput, done for, junk. We had to have the transmission replaced at a cost of over $2600.

Jessica  of Columbus GA (09/20/06)
I Bought a 2002 Nissan Altima in November of 2005. I paid it in full at the dealership, in february the car started to make a knocking noise from the engine, i brought it back to the dealership and they looked at it and said i would need a new engine, i was supposed to have a warranty and nissan said they would not pay for any of the expenses so now i am in a car with a bad engine and i loved nissan but this is outrageous. They told me they wouldn't do anything and i don't have the finances to fix my car i need help.

Mary of Wheaton KS (08/23/06)
My 2005 Nissan Altima started making a whining noise in the real end. We have our tires rotated every 6 miles. The tires were rotated and nothing was said. I took the car to mechanic and was told it was the tires and they were cupping. They tires on the back were rotated to the front and the noise was whining again. Whoever rotated the tires should have noticed this and reported it to us. We talked with the service at Briggs and was told that a lot of people were upset because their tires were also cupping. Now if this was happening why wasn't Nissan notified and put out a bulletin to people to have the alignment checked. And also we were told that we should have our alignment check once a year. You should not have to have it checked on a vehicle with less than 20,000 miles on it.

I paid out over $200.00 for 2 tires and $70.00 for alignment. I am not happy with Nissan. I have owned other Nissan cars and had never had a problem like this. Needless to say I will not take my vehicle back to Briggs for any kind of service. I might possibly buy another car but it won't be there. Nissan should put out a notice to people if this is a very large problem. Basically we were told oops sorry there is nothing we can do for you. I have been satisfied with Nissan in the past but make look into buying a competitor car in the future. I expect to get a response back from this Company.

Dawn Panama City FL (08/07/06)
We purchased a brand new 2006 Nissan Altima 2.5S for our daughter. Since our purchase the car had been recalled for the oil problem and has been in an accident. As for the accident I contacted Nissan and place a complaint in to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. One of the problems I noticed is you can step on the brake peddle and the accelerator at the same time. The car doesn't stop and you loose control. I let Nissan know this before they did their investigation. The results of the investigation showed nothing wrong with the car. When I called Nissan and asked if they didn't think that this was a safety issue, they said not unless it is with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration page there are at least five to six other complaints that are very similar. I called the NHTSA again to ask how many people need to complain before something is done and was told they look at each complaint, but due to budget cuts it may be awhile. I think most people would consider this a serious safety issue.

Kathy of Portland CT (07/28/06)
I have an 02 Nissan Altima with 98,000 miles. While my son was driving on a highway, the engine blew---Catalytic converter overheated, came apart and a rod from engine went through motor. Fortunately, my son was not involved in a crash as a result of this. The dealership that I have done business with for several years and have had my car serviced with acknowledged the fact that this was not an isolated incident with the 02 engine and was in fact related to the recall.

Unfortunately they could do nothing for me. I contacted corporate Nissan and spoke with the regional manager, Joe Guaraszio. He told me that although similar defects were found in other engines, it was not a big enough problem to warrant good will replacement of engine. Unfortunately I was able to run about 50,000 since the car was recalled......so I was out of luck....the car was past warranty.

Perhaps Nissan will consider it a big enough problem when a life is lost or someone is seriously injured due to an accident from an engine blowing...how reckless is that?

Neil of Erial NJ (07/23/06)
My complaint is in regards to the Nissan Altima's 1998 - 2001 premature failure of the intake manifold gaskets due to heat around the cylinder 4 area. I have a 2000 Altima with 57,000 miles with an intermittent idle fluctuation, I have also read about possible stalling. I am really upset with this as the cost for repair for this is $550 to $950 depending where you go. This is a design flaw and should be covered as a recall or emissions warranty. Reading the forums on the Internet this is happening to all these models. Every 40 -80 thousand miles this happens over and over. I believe this needs to be addressed.

James of Baytown TX (07/17/06)
My 2004 Nissan Altima was stalling at low speed just as described in the 2003 recall. It cost me $145 to have the crankshaft position sensor replaced. Is this common with 2004 Altima's? Should 2004 Altima's be included in the recall?

Thomas of Mamaroneck NY (06/14/06)
In August 2005 we leased 2 Nissans, a Murano and an Altima. Both have gone in for service as required.  Keep in mind both vehicles have under 6,000 miles at this point of my issue.

During the week of June 1, 2006 (10 months later) the handbrake cable broke on the Altima while at an event. We were stuck with a grinding sound by the rear wheel.  We drove the car (no other choice we were not offered roadside assistance) was driven around 5-8 miles to the dealership and the keys were left in the drop box.

A follow up call was made to service as well as to the salesman that sold us the 2 cars. The salesman of course was of no help and said service needed to look at the car. Service stated on a Monday that they could not get to the car until Thursday.

Finally Thursday arrives and we get a call stating that the damage was inconclusive and that we would have to pay $678. Very frustrated, I explained if the cable which may have been a defect didn't break we would not be in this position. As usual I was put off and they stated that they would re-review the matter.

Knowing this was going to be an issue I immediately contacted Nissan directly and opened up a case file, hoping Nissan would want to keep a good customer happy and fix the car under warranty as it should. In a day or so the dealership service department called again stating that the work could not be done under warranty but they would lower the price to $317.

I guess if I rolled over the 1st time I would have been suckered out of $361. This offer actually made me more upset and I stated that I contacted Nissan and wanted the work covered under the warranty.

I waited 3 days for Nissan to call and had to place another call as they refused to respond. Again I got the runaround and was told someone would get back to me, of course no one did and after being without the car for a week the blood was boiling.

On the 7th business day after I put in another call I got a call back and the Nissan rep stated he could not conclude that the work be done under warranty and was asking for payment again in the amount of $317. I told my story again about the possible defect (the car had a recall for a rusting subframe) and stated this may have been a reason why the cable broke and why did only one side (the driver side) break?

The defect apparently caused the pins to break on one side which led to having the brake shoe stay closed. Of course by driving the car the shoe and rotor were damaged. But how can this be our fault, if the cable did not break we would not be in this position.

After laying down a pretty penny for 2 cars, Nissan must be in need of cash and cannot afford $317 to satisfy a good customer. Not a very wise business decision by Nissan Corp, or the dealership.

Yes, I had to pay.

Tom of Oconomowoc WI (05/20/06)
I have experienced the same problem with my 03' 3.5L Atima as Peggy. I have problems breathing and have been given an inhaler. I am unable to afford another car at the moment so my wife and I split time driving the car. I've also had braking problems which after 40K miles, I had to completely redo the braking system prematurely. The dealership said that I should have purchased a rather expensive PM brake program every 10K miles (which is unheard of).

I have spent a lot of money, time and have experienced headaches, shortness of breath and breathing problems due to my Altima.

Erin of Exeter NH (05/17/06)
I purchased a 2005 Nissan Altima brand new in early 2005. I have had the vehicle for just over a year and have had all of the following isses:

1. First week of ownership - panel on driver's side door kept flipping up - took three times seperate attempts to have it repaired.
2. After two months of ownership transmission began to jump and check engine light came on. Cause unnknown.
3. Glass from sunroof exploded while driving on highway. Cause: manufacturer installation defect.
4. Water on floor in back seat (soaking wet). First attempt to repair: cause unknown. Replaced carpets.
5. Water on floor in back seat. Second attept to fix: found crack in floor and sealed crack. Replaced carpets again.
6. When carpets were replaced the drivers seat was not bolted down properly and was rocking back and forth. Dealership fixed this after I brought it back again.
7. Unable to open sunroof. Brought to dealership and then determined that they installed it incorrectly after the glass exploded. Currently waiting for new sunroof to come in.
8. Water on floor in back seat for 3rd time. Dealership currently investigating.

My vehicle has been in and out of the dealership atleast 8 times in the last two weeks. Nissan refuses to provide a rental vehicle to me.

S. of Coral Springs FL (05/11/06)
Intermittent starting problems with the the '04 Altima.  I've owned for 2 years, and in that time it has failed to start probably 7 times. Fortunately, this has never happened when I was stranded with my small children, or alone late at night in some deserted parking lot. Brought it in to 2 different dealers, neither could recreate the problem, because it only happens sporadically. Eventually, the car starts. But no saying how long that will take. It is very hot where I live, so not related to cold weather starting. Still have no explanation and feeling like everything else about this car is great, but due to this one factor, I would not buy again.

Richard of Bay Shore NY (04/24/06)
I purchased a 2003 Altima on 3-29-06 from this dealer and one day after having it the check engin soon light came on and the brakes were squeeking.that next day i went to start it and it stalled. I got it to start and brought it back to the dealer and had it serviced and they had my car for almost 3 day and found i neede new front brakes but the light came on due to sensor in gas cap .

At this point we purchased the extended warranty which was told to myself and my girlfriend it covered everything but brake pads, windshield wiper and freon for air conditioner. A few days later the lught came on again and we called again and brought it back again and had the car serviced and this time it was a canister they said. We had it a few days again and it stalled and light came on again -- this time we brought it to the dealer in West Islip. It was much closer for us.

They found the reason why the light continues to come on due to what they say was the fuel pump was replaced at one point and not replaced properly and gas was leaking and it was a very unsafe car to be driving.  I was driving with my small childeren in the car. After all this was fixed the car is still stalling it will turn over and then stall.I have had nothing but problems with this car.

I have lost time from work due to no car.I have driven around in a unsafe car that if hit a bump and sparks came i could of went up on flame awith my 3 year-old and 18-month-old.

Norma of Los Angeles CA (04/11/06)
I have been having major problems with my car and no one seems to be helping or calling back. I feel like I am being given the run around. My car just dies on me while I am driving without no warning. It has happened as of now about six times. It is a 2003 Nissan Altima. Took it to dealer service and they have no idea what is wrong with the car. Please help me. I almost got hit once due to this problem.

Susan D of Elk Grove CA (03/14/06)
My 2003 Nissan Altima, which I purchased in Sep. 2002, stalled while I was at a red light and then it cut out on me while I was driving on the freeway (between 60 and 65 mph). I took the car to the deal (it had cut out on me again on the way at 45 mph) and they found that the Crank POS Sensor needed to be replaced. So far things seem ok (I'll keep my fingers crossed, though). Other '03 owners have noted the same problem at various on-line forums, so I know I am not the only driver whi's been affected. Nissan North America needs to do a recall to remedy this hazardous problem.

I had to pay $244.39 to have the Crank POS sensor replaced.

Robert of Marlborough MA (02/03/06)
I bought a brand new Nissan Altima 2.5 in August of 2002. Recently, after attaining 90,000 miles I had problems with the engine. First, the service engine soon light came on due to the car running extremely rough. Brought it to be fixed at a shop near my home and the owner told me cylinder one was misfiring. He changed the plug and reset the error codes.

30 days later it did the same thing and he performed the same fix, only this time cylinder one and four were misfiring. Both sparkplugs were replaced and error codes reset. Last week as I was in town the car began running roughly again and I brought it to my mechanic again. It turned out that the intake manifold had dropped two of the four butterfly valves into the engine compartment due to the fact that the two screws that affix each valve became loose and fell off completely.

$700 later, I still have problems and Nissan Consumer Affairs claims that no one other than myself has called to inquire about this problem. Thats a lie since I have proof that a friend had the exact same thing happen to his 2002 Nissan Sentra SE. Today, while driving to work, guess what happened? Service Engine Soon light came on again...Error code was PO420 Catalyst System Efficiency below threshold....bank one. Guess who's never going to buy another Nissan again.....ME!

Had to get a ride for the six days it was in the shop. Nissan wasn't open for business when the car broke down so I had no choice but to bring it to someone else to attempt to repair it. Nissan Dealerships and call in centers have obviously been coached to deny any knowledge of such problems. They were of no help whatsoever, bordering on not caring or being sincere about my problem.

Grace of La Crescenta CA (01/09/06)
I have an '03 Altima 2.5S. My car has a stalling problem. It has stalled countless times, all at fairly low (15-25mph) speeds as well as when I'm stopped or when I'm accelerating/decelerating from a stop. I have never had any previous problems with this car. The stalling began when my car hit 3 years (about 60,000 miles). I have taken the car in to the dealer 5 times and been dealing with several regional specialists at Nissan North America.

The first time, the dealer replaced the throttle body. The second and third times, the dealer insisted there was nothing wrong and that the car drove beautifully. The fourth time, the car finally acted up while the dealer test drove it and they replaced the air flow meter. It still continues to stall. NNA's position is essentially since their technical assistance folks can't identify the problem, there's nothing to fix and the car, as far as they're concerned, is fine.

According to Nissan, I am essentially on my own since the vehicle is out of warrany. The only option offered to me was that I keep driving the car until it stalls and then have it towed immediately to the dealer, of course, at my expense. I refuse to do this as it is a waste of my time, not to mention potentially dangerous driving around a defective vehicle!

Peggy of Antelope CA (2/11/03):
Purchased a 2003 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE. It has a bad smell coming from defroster and vents. This started only after 2400 miles approx. Took in for repairs 3 times to no avail. Had the smell verified by 3 of their employees at local dealership, where taken for service, but since none of these 3 people are service techs (service dept. was closed at time odor returned) Nissan is not dealing fairly with us. I even have a written statement from the person that the Service Mgr. entrusted to give a fair analysis of the odor. Then Nissan insisted the manager go with us. Even though the smell was present, the manager denied "smelling anything unusual." He then gave my husband a booklet for filing complaints, and said don't tell anyone I told you this. He pointed to lemon law info.

The car has made me physically sick. I have been ordered to stay out of the car, by an Urgent care doctor. My lung function is less than normal, and I am using an inhaler to improve my respiratory status. The dealership refuses to bring it back in, since he said the problem cannot be duplicated, so we are left to pay for this dead horse, in which we sank 1/3 of the price down, as a down payment. We are also paying monthly for something that we can't enjoy to its fullest.

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