Most common 2003 Nissan Altima problems
Share of the 883 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Altima complaints by model year
Best Altima years: 2022, 2025, 2023. Years to avoid: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2009, 2002. Compare all years →
2003 Nissan Altima recalls (4)
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. The recall began on August 21, 2006. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor May have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s).
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, iowa, idaho, illinois, indiana, kansas, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, north dakota, nebraska, new hampshire, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah,…
Remedy: Dealers will install a screen at the suction opening of the fuel pump to prevent ice crystals from blocking the opening. Owner notification began on August 18, 2003. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-333-0829.
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin May catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions May cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the protruding portion of the exhaust pipe hanger pin. In addition to the corrective action, in order to reduce the risk of fire in the event of poor or improper maintenance that could result in oil…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2003 Nissan Altima:
Engine stall - crank position sensor
On June 28, 2006 Nissan submitted to the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) a part 573 report advising that certain model year 2003 Nissan sentra and Nissan altima sedans equipped with 2.5l engines would be recalled to reprogram the electronic control module (ECM). The recall is identified by NHTSA recall no. 06V242.
What 2003 Nissan Altima owners say
Engine & cooling all 559 →
The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled and lost motive power. The vehicle had to be pushed to the side of the road and jump-started. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who replaced the CAM Sensor. The contact stated a day later the vehicle stalled and shut-off. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 187,000.
My car shut of on me while driving at night which was hard to see because the headlamps didn't give much light and both airbags deployed and my seat belts don't work either...I own a 2003 Nissan Altima...the car would usually turn of on me like that but not a higher speeds...the car's engine has been making a loud noise it had 3 recalls for it( headlamp recall, engine exhaust recall, & engine cooling recall) before I had this done I had a service engine light on which came out as p0420, p0240, and had 3 p0335...after I had the "recall done"...a week later my car "blew a head gasket" and I had a code p0300...I immediately got it fixed for like $1300...after that...2 weeks later I got a service engine light on which came out as p0335, p0240, & p0420...I've also been in contact with Nissan consumer affairs...I've been in touch with a regional specialist which can't really help me at …
Body & structure all 126 →
The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being repaired at an independent mechanic, the mechanic informed the contact that there was rusting on the front driver's side floor pan. The contact also noticed that the front driver's side floorboard was soft to the touch and a fuel odor was detected while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
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. …
Electrical system all 89 →
I was driving home with my husband and 3 grandchildren after having dinner noticed smoke and exited the road way to find there was a fire under hood, the inside of car filled up with smoke before we could exit, we called 911 and they responded, they said it was caused from an electrical fire was all we were told, they towed the car away with out any investigation, was wondering if any recalls have caused this? The car is at lauzons towing in malone ny, all we could think of at the time was to get the children out of the cold and off the highway then to seek what had caused this. Im writing in hopes to maybe get some answers as to what could have caused this. Hoping to hear back from someone soon on this matter. Thank you[redacted]
On or about jan. 20, 2006 while driving my vehicles' check engine light would come on and then the vehicle would cut off. We took it took it to fontana Nissan for repairs. The car was returned to us on jan. 28, 2006. Maybe 2 - 3 hrs. After getting the vehicle, we were driving to l.a. Area and the check engine light came on again. We called the service mgr. At fontana Nissan and he said to bring it back and they would look at it on the following mon. Well, we never made it back because while we were in route home (fontana) I lost control of the car while it was shutting off on the 91 fwy. To the 605 interchange. After the crash, the car was towed and the insurance company repaired the external damages (body work) but the internal was not fixed. Then in June 2006 while driving home, the car cut off again. Fontana Nissan said it was the battery. So we purchased a battery. …
2003 Nissan Altima engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 20 / 27 / 23 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Nissan Altima a good car?
Based on 883 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Altima rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Altima at the same age. It is one of the Altima years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Nissan Altima?
The engine & cooling — 559 complaints, 63% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the body & structure (126) and electrical system (89).
How many recalls does the 2003 Nissan Altima have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2003 Nissan Altima, the most recent from July 7, 2006 (engine and engine cooling). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Nissan Altima?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2022, 2025 and 2023. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2009 and 2002. See the full Nissan Altima years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Nissan Altima problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 85,000 miles; 18% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.