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 2004 Nissan Altima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 138 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 138, in the owner's own words
The car has a fuel problem and crankshaft position sensor issue causing the car to die and also not start up normal idling. When I do get it to start up it idles very groggy.
The crankshaft position sensor (cps) was not responsive when the repair shop was testing the vehicle because of the "service engine soon" light came on. After a short search online they 1.) Had no signal to the cps from the pcm 2.) That there was also a voluntary recall by nissan for this issue covering this make an model. I called nissan and told me that the recall wasn't for that car but the vehicle was in fact built in the years covered and also had the exact issues the recall covered
ENGINE STALLS DURING DRIVING. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST EVERYDAY. CAM SHAFT SENSOR REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE BURNED TOO MUCH FUEL TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME MECHANIC WHERE THE DIAGNOSTIC WAS THE SAME. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER TWO MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FORT WORTH NISSAN (3451 W LOOP 820 S, FORT WORTH, TX 76116) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION AND EXHAUST FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 214,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE EXTENDED CRANK FAILED TO SPARK THE CRANK SENSOR. WHILE THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS PLACED IN DRIVE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED MIDDLETOWN NISSAN AT 860-632-6550 (LOCATED AT 1153 NEWFIELD ST, MIDDLETOWN, CT 06457) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 192,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REPLACED THE MANIFOLD, OXYGEN SENSOR, AND A COMPUTER CHIP; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURERS WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,361.
"TAKATA RECALL"TENGO PROBLEMA CON MI CARRO DESDE Q LO AGARRE SIEMPRE FALLABA DE LO MISMO ENGINE Y HASTA AHORA SE DESCOMPUSO Y NO PUEDO ARREGLARLO Q TENGO Q HACER O SOBRE EL PROGRAMA RECALL .GRACIAS
MI CARRO TIENE PROBLEMAS CON LAS CABEZAS .Y AHORITA NO LO PUEDO USAR PORQ ESTA PARADO POR NO ARREGLARLO TODAVIA QUISIERA SABER SOBRE RECALL.GRACIAS
FOR THE 2ND TIME CAR RUNNING VERY ROUGH AND STALLING. HAD IT SERVICED SEEMS THE SPARK PLUGS WERE DESTROYED AND NOT FUNCTIONING. PAID OVER $500 FOR MECHANIC TO PUT IN NEW PLUGS NOW IT HAPPENED AGAIN. SEEMS THERE IS A VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN QR25DE POWER VALVE. CAMPAIGN ID P5202. A BOLT FROM MANIFOLD IS FALLING INTO CYLINDER AND BLOWING OUT SPARK PLUG AND CAUSING INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE, MY MECHANIC PUT CAMERA IN CYLINDER. CAR IS RUNNING BUT IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TO CYLINDER 1 AND 4. NEXT TIME MY 22 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY ON HER HIGHWAY COMMUTE. HOPEFULLY THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALER CAN RECTIFY PROBLEM BEFORE THE PROBLEM BECOMES MORE SERIOUS. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THAT SAYS TO SERVICE ENGINE SOON, IT IS STILL ON...FROM WHAT I HAVE FOUND ONLINE SOUNDS LIKE POWER VALVE SCREWS ARE COMING OUT AND CREATING ENGINE DAMAGE.
STALL AT STOP AND IDLE WHEN ENGINE IS HOT.
NISSAN WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THE RECALL RQO600/RO606.
WHILE I WAS PULLING OUT FROM A PARKING LOT, MY CAR JUST CUT OFF. I HAVE NOT HAD THE MONEY TO EVEN TAKE IT TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT UNTIL RECENTLY AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH OF MY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WERE GOING BAD AND THAT IT WOULD COST $1100 TO GET IT FIXED. SO I CHECKED ONLINE TO SEE IT WAS ANY RECALLS ON IT AND IT WAS SEVERAL BUT WAS TOLD IT DID NOT INCLUDE MY CAR. SINCE THE FIRST TIME THAT IT CUT OFF IT HAS DONE IT AT LEAST 6 MORE TIMES. ONCE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY THE CAR BEHIND ME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE RECALLS SAY MY MAKE AND MODEL AND MILEAGE OF MY ALTIMA BUT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE MY CAR. *TR
SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT APPEARED DOING HIGHWAY SPEED. GARAGE REPLACED CAM SHAFT SENSOR. 2 WEEKS LATER THE LIGHT APPEARED AGAIN. GARAGE REPLACED CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. PROBLEM RESOLVED BUT THIS SEEMS TO COME UP TIME AND TIME AGAIN WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL. WHEN LIGHT WAS ON THERE WAS SEVERE LOSS OF POWER SINCE THE BAD SENSOR WAS CONFUSING THE ONBOARD COMPUTER. DANGEROUS SITUATION DEMONSTRATING NEED FOR RECALL. *TR
I'M AN OWNER OF A NISSAN ALTIMA 2004 2.5 (BROUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW). TODAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SO I QUICKLY GOT HOME AND RAN THE DIAGNOSTIC TOOL WHICH RETURNED CODES P0035 ? CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENOR AND P0725 ? ENGINE SPEED SENSOR MALFUNCTION. I FOUND MANY AND SIMILAR COMPLAINTS BY NISSAN ALTIMA OWNERS WITH THE CRANKSHAFT. I CALLED NISSAN USA AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. I INFORMED NISSAN USA THAT THERE WERE PREVIOUS RECALLS ON THE CRANK ANGLE SENOR (ITEM AFFECTED: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, DATE ANNOUNCED: 7/7/2006). THEIR FIX WAS TO REPROGRAM THE ECM BUT THE ISSUE IS WITH THEIR CRANKSHAFT. PER RESEARCH AND ONLINE, THERE ARE MANY ISSUES WITH NISSANS CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WHICH COULD AFFECT THE ENGINE/STALL THE ENGINE. ITS A MATTER OF TIME, WHERE DRIVERS SAFETY AND A PERSONS LIVES ARE AT RISK. IF THE ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY OR ON ANY ROAD COULD CAUSE SERIOUS HARM OR FATAL DEATH DUE TO FAILED CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND/OR CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND GET ALL NISSAN VEHICLES WITH FAULTY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR RECALL AND FIX ASAP BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!!! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. A PRIVATE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CRANK SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MERGE ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSE THAT THE CRANK SHAFT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
THE CAR WILL NOT CRANK. THE COMPUTER IS READING A CRANK SHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR, AND I HAVE BOUGHT AFTERMARKET PRODUCTS THAT STILL WILL NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO CRANK. *TR
ON MY WAY HOME I WAS GOING ABOUT 25MPH, THE CAR STARTED LOSING POWER AND STARTED TO STALL. I PULLED OVER AND TOOK ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND STARTED IT BACK UP AND IT STARTED FINE. I MADE IT TO NAPA AND ONE OF THE GUYS TOOK A LOOK AT IT AND SAID IT WAS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T MOVING. SO I GOT THAT AND HAD MY FATHER PUT THAT PART ON AND PUT IT INTO DRIVE AND IT STILL DID NOTHING. I PARK IT BACK IN THE DRIVEWAY AS I NORMALLY WOULD WITH THE LITTLE POWER THAT IT DID HAVE, AND THE TRANSMISSION JUST MADE A LOUD THUMP. MY FATHER TELLS ME TO START IT UP AND I STARTED IT UP AGAIN AS I NORMALLY WOULD AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTS WHINING. THIS JUST HAPPENED OUT OF NOWHERE, THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF ANYTHING ABOUT TO HAPPEN. NO LIGHTS WERE ON, NO WEIRD NOISES, AND THE POWER WAS DOING COMPLETELY FINE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ELEVEN TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CRANK SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, WHICH WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ECM WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.
ON 9/19/2013, WHILE DRIVING ON ROUTE 21 HIGHWAY, I WAS ON MY WAY TO RUTGERS DRIVING IN THE FAST LANE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR ENGINE WAS FULL OF SMOKE, MY RADIATOR BLEW UP ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY AND EVEN WORSE MY CAR JUST SHUT OFF INSTANTLY. THE GUY BEHIND ME WAS VERY CLOSE TO HITTING MY CAR BUT LUCKILY HE HAD TO SLAM HIS BRAKES VERY HARD. I WAS SO CLOSE TO THE DIVIDER THANK GOD I DID NOT SLAM INTO IT OR ELSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. ANOTHER MAN CAME OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT DOWN MY CAR. A POLICE OFFICER AND OTHER MEN PUSHED MY CAR TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. ANOTHER INCIDENT, 9/21 AS I PICKED UP MY CAR FROM A MECHANIC THAT REPLACED MY RADIATOR, ON ROUTE 17 MY CAR WAS DRIVING AT A VERY SLOW SPEED AND STALLED. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED IT BACK ON AND ENTERED A LANDMARK PARKING LOT. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT ON NHTSA.GOV THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR PARTS: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME MY CAR ENGINE WAS UNABLE TO COOL SO A TOW TRUCK TOOK MY CAR TO MEADOWLANDS NISSAN DEALER IN NJ AND THEY REFUSED TO PERFORM THE "ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING" RECALL CLAIMING THAT THEIR ECM RECALL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TEMPERATURE AND DRIVE-ABILITY. I MENTIONED THAT ON THE GOVERNMENT SITE IT CLEARLY STATES "ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING" BUT THEY STATED THAT NISSAN DEALERS ARE PRIVATE DEALERS AND DO NOT CARE WHAT ANYBODY ELSE SAYS. THE MAN TOLD ME THEY FOLLOW WHATEVER THEY HAVE IN THEIR NISSAN SYSTEM, NOT THE GOVERNMENT. I AM SO OFFENDED THAT MY LIFE WAS ON THE LINE TWICE OVER NISSAN'S HAZARDOUS RECALLS. YET, THEY ARE REFUSING TO MAKE MY CAR A SAFE VEHICLE. I DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANYBODY ELSE I'M ONLY 21 I"M WAY TOO YOUNG TO DIE OVER A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE ENGINE. MY CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALER AND I WANT THEM TO FOLLOW GOVERNMENT RECALLS AND MAKE THEIR VEHICLES SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE. *TR
THE IGNITION COILS KEEP BLISTERING AND BUBBLING/MELTING AFTER REPLACING NEW ONES. IT IS NEVER ENDING. *TR
ON 7/29/2013, MY 2004 ALTIMA WAS LOSING POWER, FEELING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY HEADING TOWARDS WORK. THE ISSUE WAS DOING THE SAME ON THE WAY HOME AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK CAR INTO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC RAN A TEST AND IT SAID I HAD A MISFIRE ON NUMBER 4 SPARK PLUG. HE PULLED OUT THE PLUG AND GAP WAS PUSHED TOGETHER. ALL FOUR SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED. THE CAR RAN FINE UNTIL LATER THAT NIGHT AND THE SAME ISSUE WAS HAPPENING AGAIN. TOOK BACK TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. HE GOT THE SAME READING, MISFIRE IN SPARK PLUG 4. HE PULLED OUT SPARK PLUG AND THE GAP WAS PUSHED TOGETHER. WE LOOKED UP TO SEE WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS. WE FOUND OTHER WERE HAVING A ISSUE OF A SCREW CAN COME LOOSE FROM THE POWER VALVE INTAKE. HE TOLD ME TO TAKE TO DEALERSHIP WHICH I DID ON 8/4/2013. THEY DID THEIR OWN TEST AND EVEN SCOOP THE ENGINE AND DEALER FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SCREW MISSING. THEY FOUND THE SCREW MISSING HAD COME FROM THE POWER VALVE INTAKE IN THE POWER VALVE. EVEN FOUND PART OF THE PLATE HAS BROKEN AND ENTERED THE ENGINE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL ON SUCH ISSUE. SINCE I PURCHASE THE CAR IN 2011, NOT SURE IF THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE ISSUE TAKEN CARE OF. BUT SINCE IT HAPPEN I DON'T THINK THEY DID. THE RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER IS P5202. *TR
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE GOING 60-65 MPH, WITH MY GIRLFRIEND AND MY NEWBORN DAUGHTER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR SHUT OFF AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITH A RIVER OF TRAFFIC SURROUNDING AROUND ME. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES THE CAR FINALLY STARTED BACK UP & RAN FINE. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR BECAME HARDER TO START AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF ON THE INTERSTATE ONCE AGAIN. I GOT THE ENGINE CODE, CHECKED OUT AND IT WAS P0340 (CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR). UPON FURTHER RESEARCH I NOTICED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON NATIONWIDE PROBLEM. NOT ONLY DOES THE ENGINE STALL WHILE DRIVING, IT COMPLETELY CAUSES THE MOTOR TO SHUT OFF! THE MOTOR IN A VEHICLE SHUTTING OFF WHILE GOING DOWN A JAMMED INTERSTATE OR GOING ACROSS RAILROAD TRACKS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO NOT GET RECOGNIZED. AFTER EXPERIENCING THIS HORRIBLE SITUATION, AND VIEWING THE COUNTLESS PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED IT AS WELL. I AM FLABBERGASTED THE CAM/CRANKSHAFT SENSOR FOR THE 2002-2005 ALTIMA HAS YET TO BE RECALLED. THE CHANCE OF THE PART BEING DEFICIENT IS ABNORMALLY HIGH. THE PART IS INCAPABLE OF PERFORMING IT PURPOSE, BECAUSE ONCE REPAIRED IT CONTINUOUSLY HAS TO BE REPLACED. NISSAN DOES STATE THAT THIS IS A DEFICIENT PART AND THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON IT. BUT A SERVICE BULLETIN DOES NOT DO ANYONE ANY JUSTICE WHEN THE SENSORS HAVE TO BE REPLACED ONCE A YEAR!! *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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