There are 24 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2004 Nissan Altimain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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
CAR WAS STALLING 2 DAYS AGO SHUT IT OFF AND DROVE AWAY JUST FINE NOT EVEN 4 HOURS LATER MY FIANCE WAS DRIVING THE CAR HOME HE CAME UP AROUND A HILL /BEND ON A CITY STREET THE CAR LOCKED UP ON HIM ALONG WITH THE OIIL BRAKE AND BATTERY LIGHT THE BREAKS WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING CAR WOULDN'T STOP HE ENDED UP GOING HEAD ON INTO A TREE IN THE NEIGHBORS YARD. CAR IS COMPLETELY TOTALLED. THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE CAR SOMEWHERE AND I BELIEVE THE SECURITY OF THE CAR OR THE ECM IS WHAT LOCKED IT UP ON HIM THERE WAS NO STEERING IN THE CAR AS WELL. NO RECALLS POP UP WITH MY VIN # BUT I AM SUSPECTED TO BELIEVE THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG INTERNALLY. IT WAS AT 240,700 MILES.HE WAS EXPECTIDLY ONLY GOING 30 MILES AN HOUR BUT WITH THE PICTURES IM ATTACHING IT SEEMS LIKE THE COMPUTER TOOM OVER THE SPEED CONTROL
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.
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.
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
NISSAN ALTIMA JUST DIED ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND WE HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. WE BOTH SUSTAINED MULTIPLE SURGERIES AND WAS ADMITTED FOR ABOUT A WEEK. CALLED NISSANUSA TO INFORM THEM, BUT THEY DON'T CARE. THERE WERE SUPPOSE TO GET BACK TO US AND NOBODY DID. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN NISSAN. THEY ARE CRAP CARS!!! *TR
THE VEHICLE KEPT SHOWING CODES P1148, P1278 AND P1279. TOOK IT TO NISSAN DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY CHANGED MAF SENSOR, ALL OXYGEN SENSORS, FUEL SYSTEM CLEANING BUT THE CODE KEPT SHOWING UP. THE VEHICLE FINALLY SHUT OFF ON THE PARKWAY WITHOUT WARNING AND WE WERE REAR ENDED. LUCKILY WE WERE ONLY TWO IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. WE BOTH HAVE SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES FROM THIS ACCIDENT. THE NISSAN ALTIMA IS A DEATH TRAP. NISSANS IS A BAD COMPANY....BEWARE!!! *TR
WE HAVE HAD THE SAME SENSOR RELATED COMPLAINT WITH THIS CAR MORE THAN 3 TIMES NOW. THE 1ST 2 TIMES WE TOOK TO A LOCAL GARAGE, BUT THE SAME ISSUE CAME UP A YEAR LATER. SO WE WENT TO WOODFIELD NISSAN, HOPING THAT THE DEALERSHIP, ALTHOUGH COSTS ALOT MORE, CAN DEAL WITH THE ISSUE BETTER. BUT JUST AS THE 12 MONTH WARRANTY EXPIRED, THE ISSUE PRESENTED ITSELF AGAIN, WE WENT AGAIN TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP - BUT THEY REFUSE TO HONOR THE WARRANTY , EVEN THOUGH IT WAS WITHIN THE MILEAGE (BUT PAST THE 12 MONTHS). WE HAVE NOW SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS CRANK/CRAM SHAFT SENSOR. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD US THAT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR DRIVING OR CARE, THIS ISSUE WILL OCCUR EVERY YEAR OR SO AND WE WILL HAVE TO GET IT REPAIRED OR CAR WILL STALL. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT WE CAN PAY THEM TO TAKE OUR CAR TOTALLY APART AND THEN THEY CAN TRY TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM - BUT I CANNOT SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY TO THE DEALERSHIP TO SPEND HOURS LOOKING INTO MY CAR SO THEY CAN MAYBE FIX THE ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET NISSAN TO HELP - BUT NOBODY RETURNS MY CALLS. I ALSO TRIED THE DEALERSHIP - BUT THERE TOO - NO ONE ANSWERS OR RETURNS MY CALLS. I WANT NISSAN TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS ISSUE AND FIX IT. I HAVE 2 CHILDREN AND I CANNOT DO WITHOUT A CAR AND CERTAINLY CANNOT PAY SO MUCH TO KEEP GETTING IT REPAIRED FOR THE SAME ISSUE. WE HAVE HAD THIS CAR REPAIRED FOR THE SAME STUFF 4 TIMES. IT HAS STALLED AND WE HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH IT. OUR SCHEDULES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. OUR LIVES HAVE BEEN DISRUPTED. I HAVE BEEN LATE TO PICK UP MY CHILDREN, WE HAD TO CANCEL THEIR ACTIVITIES BECAUSE THE CAR WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL OR IN THE SHOP. WE HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY TO GET IT TOWED EVERYTIME IT STOPPED. I THINK IT IS ABOUT TIME NISSAN TOOK CARE OF ITS PRODUCT. I CAN UNDERSTAND WEAR AND TEAR - BUT THIS IS BEYOND ANYTHING. NISSAN HAS TO HELP FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR
WHEN I BOUGHT THIS CAR NOT LONG AFTER I HAD IT THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND NOW IT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. *TR
WHEN SLOWING DOWN FOR A LIGHT I NOTICED THE LIGHTS DIM IN THE REFLECTION OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I ALSO SAW A RED LIGHT ON THE DASH WHICH I HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE NEAR THE TOP ABOVE THE GEAR INDICATOR. THEN WHEN I APPROACHED THE RAMP TO THE HIGHWAY I NOTICED THE LIGHTS DIM AGAIN AS MY RPM'S DROPPED BELOW 1000. ALL WAS FINE ON THE HIGHWAY AND I GOT OFF AT AN EXIT NEAR MY HOUSE WHEN SLOWING TO MAKE A LEFT ON MY ROAD THE CAR JUST COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. COMPLETELY DEAD ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OFF NO RADIO NO HEAT NOTHING! I SHIFTED IT OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL AND IT WOULDN'T EVEN TURN OVER TRIED TO TURN MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND THEY DID NOT WORK EITHER. I COULD NOT SHIFT IT OUT OF N/D WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THIS WAS AN AWFUL EXPERIENCE AS I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED AND PISSED OFF A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AS I WAS IN A DARK INTERSECTION FOR ALMOST 5 MINUTES IN A BLACK CAR. I TRIED TURNING THE KEY BACK AND FORTH AND NOTHING HAPPENED ? IT WAS ONLY ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER THAT I COULD HEAR SOME ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY (THE KEY WAS IN THE ACCESSORY POSITION) AND THEN SOME LIGHTS ON THE DASH AND ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS LATER I COULD START THE CAR AND GO ON MY WAY. ALL ELECTRICAL SETTINGS WERE RESET TO FACTORY DEFAULTS ALL RADIO PRESETS ETC THE RADIO AND HEAT WERE POWERED OFF. *TR
MY 04 NISSAN ALTIMA V6 ONE DAY BEGAN TO BUCK WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. I MADE IT HOME, THEN WHEN I WENT TO START IT WOULDN'T. BASICALLY EVER SINCE THAT DAY IT'S BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM W/ NOT STARTING, SHUTTING OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING AND COMPLETELY LOCKING UP MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO PULL OVER AND DANGEROUS. AT ONE POINT IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I AM THE MOTHER OF AN INFANT SO UNTIL I FIND A RESOLUTION I NEED TO BORROW CARS TO TRAVEL WITH HIM. I HAVE REPLACED THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR AND THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WHICH WERE THE CODES THAT CAME UP AND STILL I CANNOT DRIVE MY CAR. I THEN RESEARCHED MY MAKE/MODEL/YEAR AND FOUND I WAS NOT ALONE. MANY OTHERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME ISSUES AND HAVE YET TO REACH A RESOLUTION AND APPARENTLY NISSAN IS NOT DECLARING A RECALL ON 2004'S BUT HAVE ON "02" AND "03" WHICH HAD THE SAME EXACT ISSUES. I DO NOT WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUY PARTS AND TRY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT IS DEFECTIVE AS I READ MANY OTHERS HAVE DONE. I PLAN ON CONTACTING THE BBB AND TAKING IT FROM THERE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. SO HERE I AM MAKING PAYMENTS ON A VEHICLE THAT IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE FOR MY CHILD AND I AND NO ANSWERS ON WHY THESE CARS ARE MALFUNCTIONING AND CONTINUING TO READ CAMSHAFT...ETC EVEN AFTER BEING REPLACED???? PLEASE HELP. *TR
CAR SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. CAR ALSO DOESN'T START UP RIGHT AWAY. TRIED TO BRING IT TO NISSAN BUT THEY SAID MY VIN# WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE WELL KNOWN RECALL (CAMSHAFT SENSOR). BS IF YOU ASK ME! THEY'RE GOING TO PUT PEOPLES LIVES AT RISK. SO I WENT TO ADVANCED AUTO PARTS STORE AND GOT THE CODE READ AND IT WAS A P-03040 WHICH WAS A CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR MALFUNCTION. I GOOGLED A BIT AND FOUND OUT THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH THIS PROBLEM. I EVEN CALLED NISSAN AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. OUTRAGEOUS DIAGNOSTIC FEE ALSO. $105 JUST TO PLUG IN A OBD READER. YOU CAN BUY YOUR OWN OBD READER FOR THAT PRICE. OR JUST GO TO YOUR LOCAL AUTO STORE AND GET IT CHECKED FOR FREE!!! NOT HAPPY. NISSAN ALSO SOUNDED LIKE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DEAL WITH ME SINCE I DON'T BRING MY CAR TO NISSAN FOR OIL CHANGES/REPAIRS. *TR
2004 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS BEEN JUST DYING OUT FOR NO REASON, VERY DANGEROUS, IN TRAFFIC CAR JUST STALLS OUT. *TR
CAR SHUTOFF WHEN DRIVING. *TR
2004 NISSAN ALTIMA ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WHILE ON THE RUN DUE TO FAULTY CRANK POSITION SENSOR AND CAM SHAFT SENSOR. I FIXED CRANK SENSOR 2 YEARS BACK AFTER A DEATH INCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN LAST MONTH. THIS TIME ITS THE SENSOR NEXT TO THE OTHER. THE CAM SENSOR. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN 2002 TO 2008 ALTIMAS AND SENTRAS. AND NISSAN CONTINUE TO MAKE FAULTY CHEAP SENSORS TO PUT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AT RISK AND NOT EVEN CARED ABOUT HAVING A RECALL. *TR
WHEN REAR DEFROSTER WINDOW IS TURNED ON, RECEPTION OF RADIO FUZZES OUT. TOLD THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRENTEE EVEN THOUGH WARRENTEE STATES AUDIO AND ELECTRIC COVERAGE, WINDOW IS NOT DAMAGED.
MY 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA SIMPLY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60 MILES AN HOUR AND THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART IT, IT ACTED LIKE THERE WAS NO 'SPARK' BUT IT DID TURN OVER. AFTER A LITTLE COOL DOWN, IT CRANKED AS NORMAL. SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THIS, WHILE EITHER DRIVING OR STOPPED AT A LIGHT IT WOULD SHUT DOWN JUST LIKE TURNING OFF THE SWITCH. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES IT WOULD START NORMALLY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR AT MY EXPENSE ($197.38) EVEN THOUGH I PROTESTED THAT THERE WERE COMPLAINTS AN EVEN RECALLS ON OTHER ALTIMAS IN THE SAME SERIES. I FEEL THAT NISSAN SHOULD REIMBURSE ME CONSIDERING THE ONSLAUGHT OF COMPLAINTS AND POTENTIAL DANGER WHEN THIS OCCURS. (THE POWER STEERING FAILS TO WORK!) *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH, WHEN THE BRAKE AND BATTERY WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE ENGINE THEN BEGAN TO PERFORM WITH A REDUCTION IN POWER. THE FAILURE RECURRED FREQUENTLY. THE CONTACT HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED THREE TIMES AS WELL AS THE ALTERNATOR BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER HOWEVER, THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND A CLAIM WAS FILED FOR THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,500. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN SERVICED BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT FIND ANYONE TO MAKE THE REPAIR. SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A CRANK ANGLE SENSOR/ECM REPROGRAMMING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 63,000. UPDATED 09/06/07. *JB
A FEW PROBLEMS HERE. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW. FROM THE SECOND I TOOK IT OFF THE LOT THE HEAT DID NOT WORK. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN NOVEMBER, DO YOU THINK I WAS HAPPY? SO THEY FIXED THIS PROBLEM ON A BRAND NEW CAR. THEN LAST YEAR IN 2004 MY CAR DECIDED IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL. TURNS OUT IT WAS THE STARTER THAT WENT AND THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED ON A VEHICLE THAT WAS ONLY A YEAR OLD. SO BECAUSE OF THIS I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED FROM MY DRIVEWAY TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEN THE LATCH BROKE OFF ON THE CENTER CONSOLE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I AM NOT ROUGH USING IT AT ALL. ITS NORMAL USE FOR THIS LATCH YET IT BROKE OFF AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR A YEAR. THE PROBLEM THAT I FACE NOW IS THAT I CANNOT GET OUT OF MY CAR!!!!!! I ARRIVED HOME ONE DAY AND FOUND THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. I AM 7 MONTHS PREGNANT AND WAS VERY SCARED WHEN I FOUND THIS PROBLEM. WHAT IF THERE IS EVER A CAR FIRE OR AN ACCIDENT AND I CANNOT GET OUT? YOU CAN OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE BUT NOT THE INSIDE. HYANNIS NISSAN CLAIMS ITS A DOOR LATCH PROBLEM AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. SO SINCE MY WARRANTY JUST RAN OUT I HAVE TO PAY $192.00 TO GET THIS REPAIRED. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? ON A 2004 VEHICLE? TALK ABOUT UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS!!!! THE LAST PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS A BAD SMELL COMING FROM THE VENTS IN THE VEHICLE UPON TURNING THE CAR ON. NOT SURE WHAT THAT PROBLEM IS. COULD THAT BE HAZARDOUS TO MY HEALTH? NOT SURE BUT IT WORRIES ME WITH THE BABY I AM CARRYING. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF PAYING FOR REPAIRS WHEN THE PROBLEM IS NOT ME ITS NISSAN YET I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. AND TO THINK I HAVE TO PAY $433.00 PER MONTH FOR THIS VEHICLE PLUS PAY FOR REPAIRS THAT I CAN NOT AFFORD. IT'S NOT FAIR AND NISSAN SHOULD HAVE TO PAY.*JB
Showing 1–20 of 24 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026