There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2004 Nissan Altimain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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.
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, 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.
"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
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.
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
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
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
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 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 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
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
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
THE IGNITION COILS KEEP BLISTERING AND BUBBLING/MELTING AFTER REPLACING NEW ONES. IT IS NEVER ENDING. *TR
IN DEC 2012, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DAMAGED AND WAS REMOVED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT WOULD HAPPEN. LESS THAN 30 DAYS LATER, BUTTERFLY VALVE AND 2 SCREWS WERE SUCKED THROUGH ENGINE'S INTAKE. DEALER TOLD ME CAMERA INSERTED INTO ENGINE AND SCREWS NOT FOUND BUT DUE TO BUTTERFLY VALVE, SCREWS AND PLATE MISSING SO DIAGNOSIS WAS SUCKED IN THROUGH INTAKE DUE TO MASSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH ZERO MILES ON 2/28/04 AND HAD IT SERVICED (OIL CHANGE) APPROX EVERY 3 MONTHS AT AUTOWAY NISSAN CLEARWATER, FL. THE CAR RAN PERFECTLY, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, 87,000 FOR A 9 YEAR OLD VEHICLE IS EXCEPTIONAL. THE CAR WAS IN PERFECT SHAPE AND RUNNING SMOOTHLY EVEN AFTER THE CAT WAS REMOVED. THERE WAS NO OTHER EVENT TO COINCIDE WITH MY ENGINE BLOWING UP. DEALER NEVER MENTIONED ANY RECALL, WANTED $5000 TO FIX ENGINE ONLY, NO CONVERTER REPLACEMENT MENTIONED. WAS TOLD TO FORGET ABOUT THE CAR. DEALER OFFERED ME $500 AND A NEW CAR. I'M A SINGLE MOM WITH 2 KIDS IN COLLEGE. HAVING TO USE MY ENTIRE TAX RETURN TO FIX THE CAR AS CANNOT AFFORD A CAR PAYMENT. NOT A HAPPY CONSUMER. WAS A LOYAL CUSTOMER FOR 9 YEARS. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE? IS THERE A CLASS ACTION SUIT IN THE WORKS? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT MENTONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.
Showing 1–20 of 50 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 26, 2026