Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 …
I had a similar, yet extreme experience. I took my car in to get the oil changed at a local Chevy dealership (it was cheap.) when I went to pick up my car, the technician told me that he pulled less than a 8 oz. Of oil from the engine. He said he couldn't find any leaks, but to keep an eye on the oil everyday. I left the dealership and decided to take the car for a drive to "reoil" the engine. The engine had been running a bit funny: not starting right away, trouble shifting for about 48 hours. I got about five miles at ~55 MPH, and while accelerating from a left turn, heard something fall out of the engine. After that, white smoke started pouring out the exhaust. I knew the engine blew. The steering and brakes went out, and I got it to the side of the road (somehow.) the black smoke started pouring in from the vents. …
We purchased the vehicle from a private individual. It had 105000 miles on the odometer, it is a 2003 Nissan Altima with a 2.5l (4 cylinder engine) shortly after purchase.. We noticed a very foul smell coming from the exhaust and into the passenger cabin. Also the engine consumed 1 quart of oil per 50 to 60 miles. No exaggeration ! I discovered a recall on the Altima concerning it's precat/catalytic converter could over heat, break into pieces and some of the pieces could be sucked back into the engine, scoring the cyclinder walls and causing excessive oil consumption. I emailed Nissan with my concerns. They assigned a case # to my concern. They asked for a Nissan dealer to evaluate the problems and give them a formal diagnostic of the issues. The Altima had a new catalytic converter installed in 2007. …
This Nissan is burning oil like crazy. It started in jan, 2015, engine was making terrible noise, oil level checked, completely empty. I took it to Nissan who said it wasn't a problem and did oil change. Then, just this Saturday, June 27th the car was hard to start and sounded like metal so I turned it off and checked the oil- completely empty again. We had to pour 4 quarts in!!! It does not have a leak, nothing is ever seen where it has been parked. It is just burning oil like crazy due to some type of defect from Nissan that hundreds and hundreds have complained about on line if you google nissans burning oil... And dangerous situations that have occurred . I do not want to wait for an accident, please, please, listen to all of us and get Nissan to address this failure with their vehicles. This vehicle only has 100,000 on it and I have changed the oil every 3500 miles without fail. …
My wife was driving our Nissan Altima with our kid when all of a sudden the car started to stutter and then it just stopped in the middle of the road. Luckily the car behind her did not hit her. She was able to start the car again after a few minutes and then was able to drive it home. After she reached home, I then took the car to a nearby auto shop when the car just stopped again in the middle of crossing an intersection. The steering wheel was stiff and it could not be turned. I tried to start the car but it wouldn't start. I waited for a few minutes and then I was able to start and drive the car. I turned on the hazard lights and then drove the car to the auto shop. The mechanic mentioned the cam shaft sensor was bad and upon searching online I found similar drivers mentioned the same issue and that there has been a recall on this. …
Loose power valve screws - while driving my 2003 Nissan Altima 2.5 s both on city streets and on the freeway, the vehicle arbitrarily ran super rough to the point of almost completely cutting off in middle of traffic lanes. One instance was particularly dangerous because I was making a left turn across traffic lanes, and the engine stalled in the middle of opposing traffic lanes and I was almost t-boned by oncoming cars. Finally the engine wouldn't start at all one day, so I had the car towed to the dealer, and they identified a problem with intake power valve screws that needed to be replaced at a significant price. I had to get the car towed once before, and the dealer diagnosed the problem as a defective camshaft position sensor, not covered by any recalls, but obviously a significant problem for 2003 Nissan Altima owners. …
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. …
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. …
This vehicle is on its second catalytic converter and flex pipe, I previously changed them in autum of 2017. After installing a brand new one from rockauto.com eastern catalytic for $290 less than two months later I got a check engine light on my car. I took it to two mechanics and advanced auto parts where the diagnostic tool read code p0420 low efficiency bank 1. I had no money to replace it and now it's so clogged up it's shooting carbon monoxide back inside the vehicle causing me to end up at the emergency room where they told me I had symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. I am suffering from memory loss, noncoherent speech, unable to see 20/20 vision and chest pain. I hope you here at the nation highway transportation safety board can do something when it comes to all these cheap parts coming I from china and being sold to people as if there high quality goods. …
Related recalls
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).
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 investigations
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.
Engine complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2003 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 559 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2003 Nissan Altima, 63% of the model year's 883 complaints. The component named most often is engine (106 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Nissan Altima engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 06V-242 (engine and engine cooling, Jul 7, 2006); NHTSA recall 03V-455 (engine and engine cooling, Nov 17, 2003); NHTSA recall 03V-084 (manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe, Mar 11, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2003 Nissan Altima engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 7 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.