2003 Nissan Altima problems & reliability
883 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Nissan Altima, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
22 complaints report injuries (25 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Nissan Altima vehicles were involved in 61 fatal crashes with 47 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 450 | 51% |
| Structure → | 126 | 14% |
| Engine → | 117 | 13% |
| Electrical System → | 89 | 10% |
| Power Train → | 34 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 33 | 4% |
| Air Bags → | 28 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 28 | 3% |
| Unknown OR Other | 25 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting → | 17 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 85,000 miles (middle 50% between 59,000 and 120,000 miles), based on 712 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine will not start. If I get the engine to start the car may act as if it wants to cut off in traffic. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Engine may stop while in traffic possibly resulting in…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jun 28, 2022
“The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 65-75 MPH, the sunroof detached from the vehicle. There were no reported injuries. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the…”
Visibility · filed Feb 7, 2022
“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…”
Engine · filed Nov 23, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE STALL - CRANK POSITION SENSOR
Recall Query RQ06001 · opened Feb 22, 2006 · closed Jul 18, 2006 · led to recall 07V527000
Technical service bulletins
101 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Nissan Altima. The 10 most recent:
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
NTB09-131C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2026
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
NTB09-131C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2026
VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-107G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2024
WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB17-019H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-028I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB09-081K · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
Expiration Notification - Maxima/Altima Floor Pan ***** Dealer Announcement ***** On October 28, 2022, in connection with the court-approved settlement of class action litigation filed in Missouri, Nissan launched a…
PC926 04-08 Maxi · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2023
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2002-2006 ALTIMA AND 2004-2008 MAXIMA; FLOOR PAN Voluntary Service Campaign ID # PC926 is no longer active. ï · Repair orders opened after this bulletinâ s published date are no longer…
NTB22-095A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2023
DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB08-097L · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2023
SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION Do not apply Silicone-based lubricants or grease to, or around, any interior electrical components. To avoid the risk of death or…
NTB23-053 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 16, 2023
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2003 Nissan Altima has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Nissan Altima?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 85,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.