2003 Nissan Altima SL from North America - Comments

My car will sporadically not start. When this first happened, my "starter" was replaced. Approximately 3 weeks after that, my "battery" was replaced. The third time, a month later, the car would not start. I noticed a pattern in that when you attempt to start the car; you do not hear anything. All lights flicker on, but no action/start. After about 15 min., later, I am able to move the gear to neutral, after pressing down on the brake, then, the car will start. I have taken it to the dealership and they are baffled as to what is causing this problem or if there is a fix. The dealership also says they have not seen this problem before and have no other occurrences of this happening. I decided to see what I could find out on the Internet and found your web site which will allow me to vent and share with others to NOT BUY A NISSAN ALTIMA. I have always had a foreign car. The ones I have had in the past, Mitsubishi and Honda have been the most reliable and I thought I would upgrade to a Nissan. I bought this car brand new and am very disappointed in this problem. I intend to write letters and do whatever I can to draw attention to this web site, as well as my experience. I hope no one will sit by idle and allow this to continue, if you have experienced the same.

If you want a reliable vehicle, do not buy a nissan altima.

All of my previously owned vehicles have been foreign cars; all, up to now, have been reliable. this is the first time owning a nissan --- stay away from the altima.

I bought brand new Nissan Altima 2005 and my car is having the same problem. It won't start! It only has 9,000 miles and I am having it towed tomorrow morning. I don't understand. My car is having exactly same symtom as yours. Did you ever find out what the problem was?

I had that problem three months after purchased and again after eight months dealer found no problems have not had the problem again, but did receive a recall notice something with the manifold screws entering the engine so I guess next I will need a new engine and I have the 75,000 warranty so

hopefully if I need a engine my warranty will cover.2004 Altima

I drive a 2003 Nissan Altima 2.5s and have also experienced it not starting properly especially in cold weather. If I keep turning the ignition, it eventually starts, but with a high idling rpm- this levels out after a while though. I recently changed the spark plugs and after a few weeks they were as filthy as the old ones. A mechanic friend looked into it for me and he said that this happens because sometimes the spark plug doesn’t fire properly resulting in it being drenched in fuel. He recommends using only top grade fuel. So now I am using the more expensive fuel and will see what happens.

Hmmm, I don't own a Altima, but why don't you guys make them check the switch (or unit) that determines if the car is in "P" or "N" because if the vehicle thinks that the car is left with the tranny in "r" or "d" it will not start... just something to think about.

BTW, can anyone please let me know @ toni_i110@yahoo.com. Thanks and good luck!

Hey guys.

This was what I was able to find from Transport Canada's web-site, www.tc.gc.ca, or the U.S. National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA) web-site, www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

Transport Canada Recall Number 2003171. Units affected: 30132.

2002-2003: On certain vehicles at extremely cold temperatures, moisture in the fuel tank may freeze and form ice crystals. These ice crystals may obstruct the suction opening of the fuel pump which can prevent the supply of fuel to the engine and cause the engine to stop. Correction: Dealer will install a screen at the suction opening of the fuel pump.

Transport Canada Recall Number 20033267. Units affected: 74143.

2002-2003: On certain vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor may have an improper solder joint. This could cause the Service Engine Soon warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation. Correction: Dealer will replace the crank position sensors.

This may explain the starting problem with 2003 Altima.

Good luck.

I purchased a brand new 2003 Nissan. the first time I heard about some recall issue with the car, I took it back to the dealership and they told me there was nothing wrong. Just like everyone else, I have had to replace the tires early on, the plugs misfired, squeaky breaks, the AC and the heater did not work (at about 30,000 miles), water sloshing sounds, had to replace the rooter, and very bumpy handling on the freeway. On my daughter's birthday, the car stalled on us on the road and she missed her own birthday party. I took it to the dealership and they said it was the battery (less than 3 years from the time I changed the last one). 2 weeks before Christmas, I was on the road with my 11 month old infant, making a left turn at a busy intersection and the car STOPPED!!! The driver behind me was just inches away from rear-ending me with my infant in the back seat facing back. It was by the grace of God that I got out of that. I had the car towed to a mechanic who told us we had to fix the converter. He purchased the part from a Nissan dealership who asked the millage on the car and the mechanic told them 70,000. The dealership sold him the parts, he put them in and the car is still not working. I called Nissan headquarter, they told me there was an ECM recall for my car, that at 80,000 it was still under warranty, but now that another mechanic "tampered" with the car, the warranty is void. We were there when the mechanic called the Nissan dealership for the parts. They asked how much millage is on the car, we told them 70,000; why didn't they tell him not to fix the car? Now the engine needs to be replaced, and is going to cost $4600. NISSAN IS THE WORSE CAR ON THE PLANET!!! I WILL NEVER BUY ANY NISSAN CAR AGAIN! Their customer service SUCKS!! I told them how I nearly got hit with my baby in the car and all they could say was "there's nothing they can do?? Is anyone starting a class-action petition? I want to sign-on!! Can they really get away with this?