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2003 Nissan AltimaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 883 owner complaints about the 2003 Nissan Altima, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 4 safety recalls.

2003 Nissan Altima
24
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid3.2× the Altima median · #8 of 32 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Free fix at dealersOwner complaints88376 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage79kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 28, 2022. Updated daily. Photo: Cutlass, CC0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Nissan Altima has problems

883 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling45014
Structure1261
Engine1172
Electrical system894
Power train345
Vehicle speed control3310
Air bags2818
Fuel system, gasoline281
Exterior lighting173
15 other systems12414

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2003 Nissan Altima recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 06V-242 · Jul 7, 2006 · 294,166 vehicles

Risk. IF THE INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL FROM THE SENSOR IS SO BRIEF THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) LOGIC DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE CONDITION, THE…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 03V-455 · Nov 17, 2003 · 630,000 vehicles

Risk. 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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Storage: tank assembly

Recall 03V-251 · Jul 14, 2003 · 377,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS CAN PREVENT THE SUPPLY OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Nissan.

Mileage at failure

When do engine and engine cooling problems start?

79kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 390 engine and engine cooling complaints. 73% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
20under 30k miles284under 100k miles106100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

72 owners mentioned a cost

$335median

Middle half: $200 – $867

Structure

10 owners mentioned a cost

$1,550median

Middle half: $1,000 – $2,600

Electrical system

8 owners mentioned a cost

$600median

Middle half: $207 – $1,850

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other Altima year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Altima median. How we score

'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2003 Nissan Altima safety ratings

2003 Nissan Altima 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2003 Nissan Altima frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2003 Nissan Altima side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Nissan Altima, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE STALL - CRANK POSITION SENSORRQ06001 · closed Jul 18, 2006
    Led to recall 06V-242
In owners' words

What Altima owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANK POSITION TIMING SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE…
Complaint 10865452 · May 17, 2016 · 208,000 miles
2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINE, POWER STEERING AND BRAKE SYSTEM ISSUES WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER STATES "NEVER RECEIVED DEFECTIVE SENSORS REPLACEMENT RECALL NOTICE". *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE IN THE MIDST OF DRIVING. THE CONSUMER HAD NO STEERING OR…
Complaint 10849523 · Mar 15, 2016 · 67,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS. IN ADDITION, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OPERATIONAL AFTER MANUALLY RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE…
Complaint 10795029 · Nov 20, 2015 · 122,000 miles

Own a 2003 Altima?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.