Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Nissan Altima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 66 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 66, in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND IT SWAYED WHILE BEING DRIVEN, ESPECIALLY AROUND A CURVE. THERE WAS ALSO A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE VENTS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.
I HAVE BEEN READING COMPLAINT SECTION MY CAR DOES THE SAME THING STARTING THE ENGINE IT STARTS TO SHAKE AND SPUTTER . SOME TIMES I CAN GIVE IT MORE GAS AND IT MAY STOP OR WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING WHEN IT DOES IT AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT I PUT IT IN PARK AND STEP ON THE GAS PEDDLE, THIS USUALE STOPS THE PROBLEM. IT ONLY HAPPENS EVERY FEW MONTHS OR SO. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS COLD, BUT NOT THE CASE . IT HAS BEEN DOING IT FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. I HAVE LOW MILES ON IT ABOUT 77,5000. I SEE SOME PEOPLE THINK IT IS A INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEM AND I HAVE THE SAME ISSURE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER WAITING A FEW MOMENTS, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED FIVE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
I WAS DRIVING FROM WORK WHEN I HEARD A CRANKING/SQUEALING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE, I STOPPED AND CHECKED COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING, BUT NOTICED THAT ANYTIME I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES/MAKE A TURN THE SOUND WILL COME ON, TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME IT WAS THE MOTOR MOUNT AND ALSO THAT THE BRAKES WERE BEEN AFFECTED AND I COULD NOT DRIVE MORE THAN A CERTAIN MILE ON THE HIGHWAY. ALSO THE ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON MY DASHBOARD, AFTER SEVERAL REPAIRS TO WHATEVER THE PROBLEM WAS, IT;S STILL ON, NOW NO ONE CAN TELL IF IT IS RELATED TO THE ISSUE CAR HAD OR NOT, THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE CAR HARDLY COME ON PROPERLY, EVEN IF I PUT THEM ON FULL LIGHT, IT'S STILL LOOKS DIM AND I CAN SEE WITH THEM AT NIGHT WHEN AM DRIVING, THE HEAT SUDDENLY COMES ON EVEN WITHOUT TURNING IT ON, AM REALLY SCARED NOW CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT. NISSAN NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT ALL THIS COMPLAINTS ESPECIALLY WITH SUCH HIGH RECALLS . *TR
CAR IS IDLING ROUGH AND WILL STALL AT LIGHTS OR ANYTIME STOPPED WHILE IN GEAR. HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO BE REAR ENDED ON MANY OCCASIONS BECAUSE IT WILL IDLE THEN STALL. *TR
WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL THE ENGINES RPM WOULD FALL BELOW 500 AND AT TIMES WOULD STALL THE ENGINE MAKING ME VULNERABLE TO A COLLISION. IT GOT SO BAD MY DAUGHTER WOULD NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE CAR TO SEVERAL MECHANICS OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR AND NO ONE COULD FIX THE PROBLEM TUNE UPS AND SUCH DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, I SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM TO NO AVAIL. I FINALLY TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WITH A SMOKE MACHINE AND HE FOUND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD A LEAK AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM COST $850.00 PLUS TAX. I RESEARCHED INTAKE MANIFOLD VACUUM LEAK ON THE 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF NISSAN OWNERS WITH THE SAME VACUUM LEAK! SEVERAL OF THE NISSAN OWNERS HAD TO MAKE THE REPAIR MORE THAN ONCE, SOME PEOPLE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON VARIOUS FIXES THAT DID NOT WORK, I WAS TOLD BY ONE MECHANIC THAT IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER LUCKILY I DID NOT GO FOR IT. I BELIEVE IT IS A SAFETY DEFECT BECAUSE WHEN THE CAR STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD UNEXPECTEDLY IT LEAVES YOU WIDE OPEN FOR A CRASH OR WORSE!! I THINK NISSAN, NORTH AMERICA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR, IT SEEMS TO BE A DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET OR POOR ENGINE DESIGN WHICH CAUSE'S THE GASKET TO FAIL- IT MAY ALSO BE TOO CLOSE TO A HEAT SOURCE (THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD) CAUSING THE GASKET TO FAIL. I THINK IT IS UNFAIR TO THE CONSUMER TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR BECAUSE IT HAPPENS TO SO MANY NISSAN'S. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR WHEN THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT BOTH MOTOR MOUNTS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MOTOR MOUNTS WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 11/27/12 *CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE ENGINE RPMS AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT AN INTAKE GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THERE WAS A PIECE OF TAPE OVER THE AIRBAG LIGHT AND AUTO ZONE HELPED ME TAKE IT OFF. THE NISSAN DIED GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE AND I LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND BRAKES. LATER TO FIND THAT I NEEDED A OXYGEN SENSOR AND NOW ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT BEING ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED EVAC HOSES BUT ALL THE DEALER DID WAS UNHOOK ONE SO THEY COULD CHARGE ME FOR CODES BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND MY PROBLEM WITH NO ENGINE LIGHT PRESENT. SO MY MECHANIC FOUND THE UNHOOKED HOSE AND PUT IT BACK ON AND IT WAS PREVIOUSLY NOT UNHOOKED. THE CAR DIES RANDOMLY IN TRAFFIC AND IS VERY HAZARDOUS TO BE REAR ENDED OR EVEN TO HIT SOME ONE ELSE WITH THE DEALER NOT EVEN KNOWING HOW TO PROPERLY RESOLVE THIS ISSUE???? MY MECHANIC WILL BE HELPING ME TO MAKE THIS CAR SAFER FOR ME TO DRIVE. *TR
I JUST HAD TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON THE #4 CYLINDER FOR THE 2ND TIME ON MY 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE FIRST TIME WAS FEB 23, 2005 AT JUST UNDER 57,000 MILES. NOW, THE MILEAGE IS 123,225. LUCKILY, MY FIANCE WORKS AT A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY GAVE ME A BREAK ON THE LABOR RATE! AT A REDUCED LABOR RATE, THE REPAIR WAS $287.00, ALL LABOR EXCEPT $7.13. MY CAR STARTED TO IDLE ROUGH WHEN STOPPED AT LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS, ALMOST LIKE IT WANTED TO DIE. SINCE IT HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE, I KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS THIS TIME!! *TR
MY 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA HAD TO HAVE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AT THE #4 CYLINDER REPLACED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 56,955 MILES ON IT IN FEB 2005. THE PART WAS LESS THAN $10.00 BUT THE REPAIR WAS OVER $734.14 DUE TO LABOR. I JUST HAD TO REPLACE THE EXACT SAME PART A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THE VEHICLE HAS A LITTLE OVER 123,000 MILES ON IT. BOTH TIMES, THE VEHICLE WOULD START IDLING EXTREMELY ROUGH WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. WHEN YOU START TO ACCELERATE, AT TIMES, THE CAR WOULD ACT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE. *TR
2001 ALTIMA SE IDLE PROBLEM WHEN ON A STOP. SIMILAR IDLE PROBLEMS I HAD IN MAY 2005 IN WHICH THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WHICH IS LEAKING AT #4 CYL. PAID NOTHING BECAUSE ITS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SAME PROBLEM AGAIN IN MAR 2007, WITH 60,802 MILES, DEALER REPLACED THE SAME INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET INWHICH THIS TIME, I PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO GET IT FIX. NOW, ON THE THIRD TIME, WITH 120,000 MILES, I'M HAVING SIMILAR IDLE PROBLEM AND PROBABLY I WILL HAVE THE DEALER TO WORK ON IT. THIS IS REALLY A BIG PROBLEM FOR THIS CAR AND I TAUGHT THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON IT. IT'S REALLY UNSAFE AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF THE DRIVER DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE/OPERATE WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. *TR
I HAVE A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 50,000 MILES ON IT, AND GOT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. AT 52,000 MILES, I HAD MAJOR SHAKING AT IDLE, TOOK IT IN, AND THEY REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET UNDER WARRANTY. NOW, AT 74,000 MILES, ONLY 22,000 MILES MORE, THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO AUTOZONE, AND THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK, WHICH INDICATED THE PROBABILITY OF A VACUUM LEAK, POSSIBLY DUE TO A FAULTY GASKET, ETC. THIS PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY VERY COMMON WITH THIS YEAR ALTIMA, AND NISSAN HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL. FROM WHAT I CAN GATHER, THERE IS EXCESSIVE HEAT IN THE AREA NEAR THE MANIFOLD GASKET (WHICH IS A 15.00 PART), LEADING TO PREMATURE BREAKDOWN OF THE GASKET. SIMPLE HEAT SHIELDING WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT NISSAN HAS DONE NOTHING. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE CAR COULD DIE AT IDLE AT A STOP LIGHT, AND THE DRIVER COULD BE REAR ENDED. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE JOB, DUE TO 5 OR MORE HOURS OF LABOR TO GET THE GASKET REPLACED. *TR
THE VEHICLE FREQUENTLY STALLED DURING THE PAST MONTH. NOW ITS MILLAGE IS 105,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THEN THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIANS INFORMED THAT THE MANIFOLD GASKET EXHIBITED A LEAKAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.
THE FAILURE I AM WRITING ABOUT IS INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IN THE 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA IN DOING RESEARCH IT IS EVIDENT THIS PROBLEM OCCURS IN MOST OF THESE CARS IN ORDER TO FIX HAD TO BRING TO MECHANIC AND PAY $900 FOR A PART THAT COST NO MORE THEN$20 THERE HAS BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS SUBMITTED TO YOU ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE FROM OTHERS IT IS EASY TO SEE HOW WIDE SPREAD THIS ISSUE IS WITH ONE QUICK INTERNET SEARCH. *TR
CAR STALLING WHEN NOT IN MOTION, SHUTTING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, OCCURS WHENEVER I DRIVE THE CAR. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAS TO BE REPLACED. MANY OTHER CONSUMERS SHARE THE SAME PROBLEM. NISSAN ALTIMA 2001 LIMITED EDITION. *TR
GASKET ISSUE...CAR STARTS SHAKING AT STOP SIGNS AND ONE HAS TO PUSH THE GAS PEDAL PRETTY HAND. CAN BE DANGEROUS. THE PART WAS REPAIRED ....BUT BECAUSE IT WAS 100K MILES + ....HAD TO PAY 1200 DOLLARS TO FIX THE ISSUE. LOOKS LIKE A SCAM BY NISSAN AND DEALERS....SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME TOPIC. *TR
THE CAR STARTED TO ALMOST DIE AND VIBRATE WHILE STOPPED AT RED LIGHTS. I AM PAYING $636 TO HAVE THE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 66000 MILES ON IT AND IS GARAGE KEPT AND PERFECTLY MAINTAINED. BASED ON THE LARGE NUMBER OF IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS REPORTED TO NHTSA, I BELIEVE THIS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND SHOULD BE REIMBURSED BY NISSAN. I ALSO REGISTERED THIS COMPLAINT WITH THE NISSAN WEBSITE TODAY. *TR
2001 NISSAN ALTIMA ,ROUGH IDLE APPEARS TO ACT AS IF THERE IS A DEAD MISS. CHECKED OUT BY MECHANIC AND ITS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE . NISSAN SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND RECALL THIS. FAILURE MILEAGE 58,000. *TR
SECOND TIME MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON MY 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. IT HAS A ROUGH IDLES WHEN STOPPED AT LIGHTS, IN GEAR, NEUTRAL OR IN PARK. NISSAN NEED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. BOTH INSTANCES HAVE INCLUDED THE ENGINE STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. *TR
2001 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS A DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, CAUSES ROUGH IDLE AND CAR TO SHUT OFF WHEN ENGINE IS ON. THIS LEADS TO LOSS OF CONTROL OF CAR AND STALLING IN TRAFFIC. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH A $10 PART, WHICH COSTS $600+ TO REPAIR. NISSAN SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS COMMON PROBLEM AND HAVE IT REPLACED ON THESE CARS. *TR
EXTREMELY ROUGH IDLING THAT DULLS DOWN UPON PUTTING CAR IN PARK BUT DOES NOT STOP. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE CAR MIGHT STALL AT TIMES. PROBLEM HAS BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS. I WAS STOPPED THE OTHER DAY ON A HILL AND THE CAR LOST ACCELERATION POWER AND ALMOST STALLED. THIS COULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS WITH STALLING OR THE LOSS OF ACCELERATION POWER. THIS PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS ALSO APPEARED AND REMAINED ON CONSTANTLY. TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR AND APPARENTLY IT IS A INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET THAT NEEDS REPLACED, WHICH IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR ($600-$800). IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED/RECALLED.TR
INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, WHICH IS A PROBLEM NISSAN IS AWARE OF ON MOST OF THE 2000-2004 ALTIMA CARS, MAKES THE CAR SHAKE AND SEEM LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL WHILE IDLE. SOMETIMES IT DOES IT WHILE DRIVING, AND HAS IN SOME CASES MADE THE CAR GO DEAD WHICH DOESN'T ALLOW THE CAR TO BE STEERED AWAY FROM DANGER. *TR
ONLY 64000 MILES AND THIS CAR SHAKES RATTLES AND ROLLS AT IDLE. I DID A SEARCH IN GOOGLE, IT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE FOR 2000 AND 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. THERE ARE ALREADY QUITE A FEW SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER, THE REPAIR BILL IS $1175. THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE GAS INTAKE GASKET. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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