Problems · by component
2003 Nissan Altima power train problems
34 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Nissan Altima cite power train, 4% of all 883 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
34
4% of all complaints
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I NOTE SOME NISSAN ALTIMAS HAVR RECALLS ON CAMSENSOR AND SPEEDSENSONSOR. THIS VEHICLE HAS SAME PROBLEMS. VEHICLE SHUTS OFF ON THE ROAD CAM SENSOR WAS CHANGED BUT WAS GOOD FOR A COUPLE YEARS DOES THE SAME MECHANIC SAYS FAULTY PLASTIC CLIP. ALSO VEHICLE GETS STUCK IN LOW GEAR WHILE DRIVING AND THE CAR WILL HAVE TO BE PULLED IVER RESTARTED TO GET IT TO RESET OTHERWISE CAR WILL RUN IN LOW GEAR AT HIGH RPMS.. I NOTICED RECALLS ON THE NISSAN ALTIMA FOR FOR THESE SENSORS. HOWEVER NOT THIS MODEL ACCORDING TO THE DEALER.”
“TAKTA RECALL. HELLO, I HAVE PURCHASED A NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S 2003. MY ENTIRE CAREXTREMELY SHAKES FROM THE MOMENT I START MY CAR UNTIL I TURN IT OFF. WHEN I'M DRIVING THE CAR , THE CAR AT TIMES DRIVES LIKE IT'S GOING TO FAIL. MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN DRIVING, THE CAR WOULD STOPPED OPEREATING PROPERLY. WHEN MY CAR IS TURNED ON GAS/FUEL LIKE FUMES THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM AND THROUGHOUT MY VEHICAL MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO BREATHE AT TIMES. THE DOOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE, OUT OF KNKWHERE SHIFTED TO WHERE I CAN'T SHUT MY DOOR COMPLETELY. THE DOOR SENSOR LIGHT STAYS ON WHEN I TURN MY CAR OFF AND IT DRAINS MY BATTERY BECAUSE MY DOOR DOESN'T SHUT COMPLETELY, AND THE DOOR SENSOR STAYS ON. ALSO, OUT OF KNOWWHERE THE GAS TANK DOOR, HAS SHIFTED OUT OF KNOW WHERE TO WHERE I CAN'T SHUT THE GASOLINE DOOR COMPLETELY. ALSO, MY CAR"A WINDSHIELDS GETS VERY FOGGY RAPIDLY AFTER I CLEAN THEM, MAKING VISIBILTY DIFFICULT.”
“CAR BEGAN TO IDLE ROUGHLY AND WAS HARD TO START. REPLACED OXYGEN SENSORS WHICH DID NOT CURE SYMPTOMS. WAS TOLD THAT THE 2 PRE-CATS (CATALYTIC CONVERTERS) NEEDED REPLACED. MOTOR MOUNTS ALSO RECOMMENDED. REPLACED AND PROBLEM PERSISTED. HARD TO START, RUNS ROUGH NOW SHUTTING DOWN WHILE DRIVING. RAN CODES MYSELF WITH OBD-II TOOL AND FOUND CRANKSHAFT AND CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS TO BE FAULTY. I HEARD OF A RECALL FOR THIS VERY ISSUE; EVEN DESCRIBED MY SYMPTOMS EXACTLY. EVEN THOUGH MY YEAR MODEL AND CAR WAS RECALLED THE NISSAN OF FORT WORTH SERVICE DESK TOLD ME MY VIN # WAS NOT COVERED. MY CAR HAS THE EXACT SAME ENGINE AS ALL OF THE OTHER NISSANS MADE IN THIS YEAR RANGE AND THE SAME FAULTY CRANKSHAFT AND CAMSHAFT SENSORS BUT FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON MINE ARE NOT COVERED BY THIS. HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE. I HAVE REPLACED A LOT OF PRICEY PARTS ALL WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY REPLACING THE SENSORS. EVEN IF I HAD TO PAY FOR THE CRANK AND CAMSHAFT SENSORS IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BAD IF I HAD NOT PAID OVER $3000 IN REPAIRS TO OTHER STUFF THAT MAY NOT HAVE NEEDED REPLACING. *TR”
“CAR STALLED TWO TIMES WITHIN 20 MINUTES WHEN SLOWING CAR DOWN TO MAKE A TURN. MEINEKE AND PAUL MILLER NISSAN OF FAIRFIELD, CT IDENTIFIED THAT PARTS 23731-AL61A (CRANKSHAFT/CAMSHAFT SENSOR) AND 23731-6J90B (CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR) NEED TO BE REPLACED. THESE SENSORS WERE PART A RECALL FOR THE SAME MAKE, YEAR AND MODEL OF CAR THAT I OWN. NISSAN N.A. CLAIMS THAT MY VIN WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. 630,000+ VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL BUT MY VEHICLE DOES NOT APPLY. ON LINE COMPLAINTS SUGGESTS THAT THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINT KEEPS RECURRING BUT NISSAN HAS NOT EXPANDED THERE VIN REGISTRY TO INCLUDE ALL CARS THAT ARE AFFECTED. SPOKE WITH NISSAN N.A. CASE EXPEDITER WHO STATED MY VEHICLE VIN WAS NOT ON THE AFFECTED LIST ALTHOUGH MY COMPLAINT WAS THE SAME AS THOSE VEHICLES ON THE LIST. NISSAN REPRESENTATIVE WOULD NOT TELL ME WHERE MY PART WAS MADE AND WHERE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS WERE IN FACT MADE. CLAIMED THAT THIS WAS INTERNAL NISSAN INFORMATION THAT THEY HAD NO OBLIGATION TO GIVE ME. *TR”
“WHILE AT A RED LIGHT, THE CAR UNKNOWINGLY STOPPED! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW UNTIL THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTERTED THE CAR WITH NO ISSUE. A COUPLE DAYS LATER THE ENGINE STARTED A SLIGHT SHAKE AND EACH DAY THE SHAKE BECAME MORE INTENSE AND THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF WHEN DRIVEN FOR A WHILE & WHILE MY FEET IS ON THE BREAK THE METER WOULD JUMP FROM 0 TO 2 AND SHUT OFF WEN IT HIT 0. ALSO WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL OFF THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT'S STUCK THEN IT'LL SHOOT OFF. *TR”
“I WAS DRIVING AND MY CAR JUST SLOWED DOWN AND EVENTUALLY CUT OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND STARTED IT BACK UP. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION AND CUT THE CAR OFF AND TRIED TO CUT IT BACK ON IT WOULD NOT START. *TR”
Showing 6 of 34 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.