2001 Nissan Altima Electrical Problems

Your car is stalling without warning while you're driving at various speeds, and this has happened multiple times. A mechanic found that your crankshaft, catalytic converters, emissions control system, and sensors have failed and need replacement. The fix will likely involve replacing these major engine and emissions components.

Your instrument panel lights flicker on and off without a pattern, and your car loses electrical power intermittently without warning. The dealer told you there was nothing they could do to repair it. This electrical issue started around 54,000 miles and persisted through 75,000 miles.

While driving at 55 mph, your instrument panel gauges suddenly failed and reset to zero, then returned to normal after you shut down and restarted the engine. This appears to be an electrical glitch in the gauge cluster that resolved on its own, but may happen again. The issue could be caused by a loose connection, failing instrument cluster, or electrical problem that may need diagnosis at a repair shop.

2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER 3.5L 4WD SE MODEL STARTED MISFIRING AT 89,000 MILES, WHICH THE JEFF WYLER NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN OHIO ADVISED ON REPLACING AN IGNITION COIL. CAR RAN OK FOR 2 WEEKS, THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THIS TIME IT WAS A VALVE TIMING SENSOR. REPLACED THAT AND 2 WEEKS LATER MORE MISFIRING, AND THE SAME DEALER SAYS IT'S ANOTHER IGNITION COIL. A LITTLE RESEARCH SHOWS THERE ARE OVER 2500 PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ENGINE TYPE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES (MAXIMAS), AND OTHER CAR MANUFACTURERS NOT HAVING THIS ISSUE. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT AND NEEDS SERIOUS SCRUTINY OR LEGAL ACTION.

VEHICLE LOST SPEED FROM 40 TO 80 MPH. GAUGES SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ENGINE STILL RUNS. I AM ABLE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL , BACK INTO DRIVE AFTER COASTING. THE ACTS LIKE IT WANTS TO TURN OFF. ON OCT 31, 2005 THE SPEED SENSOR UNIT WAS REPLACED. CAR RAN GREAT UNTIL WARM WEATHER. NOW IT IS SHUTTING DOWN AGAIN, AGAIN, AND AGAIN ON WARM DAYS. DEALERSHIP CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, BUT IT HAS ACTED THIS WAY ON THEM ALSO. *NM

CAR HAS TO BE SHIFTED FROM PARK ALL THE WAY DOWN THE SHIFTER AND BACK UP TO START SOMETIMES. I'VE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE APRIL 24, 2001. DEALER WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING SINCE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" WASN'T ON. *NM

WHILE DRIVING THE GAUGES SUDDENLY STOP WORKING, THE RADIO STILL WORKS BUT ALL THE GAUGES IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GO TO ZERO. ONE TIME THE ENGINE APPEARED TO STOP BUT TURNED BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON FIVE OCCASIONS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER (REGAL NISSAN) BUT THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES SO THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. THEY DID A TUNE UP (REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS, PLUG WIRES, DISTRIBUTOR AND CAP) BUT THE GAUGES HAVE SHUT OFF TWICE SINCE THE TURN UP. THE DEALER SAID THAT UNLESS THERE IS AN ERROR CODE, THEY COULD NOT HELP ME. THE GAUGES SHUT DOWN FOR FIVE MINUTES OR SO, USUALLY THE CAR STILL RUNS. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, THE GAUGES WORK. *NM

VEHICLE LOST SPEED FROM 65 MPH TO 20 MPH , AND ALL THE GAUGES ON THE DASHBOARD SHUT DOWN, BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. VEHICLE THEN WENT TO 0 AFTER ABOUT 20 SECS. ALL GAUGES WENT DEAD. BATTERY LIGHT BRAKE LIGHT AND AIRBAG LIGHT COME ON. INTERMITTENTLY PRIOR TO THIS OTHER ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES WOULD BEGIN TO MALFUNCTION HEAT/AIR BLOWERS, WIPERS, LIGHTS DIMMING, ETC. ALTERNATOR CHECKS GOOD, BATTERY REPLACED. RUNS FOR A COUPLE DAYS THEN DOES IT AGAIN. MALFUCTION IS NOT LIMITED TO HIGH SPEED TO LOW. HAS HAPPENED AT VARYING SPEEDS.*AK

WE HAVE HAD REPEATED ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRICAL WINDOWS, VIDEO CASSETTE PLAYER, RADIO CONTROLS ON THE STEEING WHEEL, VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF PARK, A RATTLING IN THE FRONT WHEEL AREA. A MONTH AGO, THE ELECTRON FUSE BLEW IN THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO START, WHEN THE FUSE IS REPLACED IT BLOWS AGAIN. WE WERE TOLD THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS HAS GONE BAD - THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 34,000 MILES ON IT! WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT IT FROM GOING BAD - "IT JUST WENT BAD". THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INOPERABLE SINCE OCTOBER 5, 2004 - WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A NEW WIRING HARNESS, NISSAN SENT THE WRONG PART TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE. THE CORRECT PART WE ARE TOLD IS ON BACKORDER INDEFINATELY - NISSAN HAS NO IDEA WHEN THE PART WILL BECOME AVAILABLE. A SUPERVISOR FROM NISSAN HAS FAILED TO RETURN MY PHONE CALLS AND THEY WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS 38 MONTHS OLD (EVEN THOUGH IT ONLY HAS 34,000 MILES ON IT). HOW CAN A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD HAVE A PART, THAT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT RUN WITHOUT, BE ON BACKORDER INDEFINATELY? AND, HOW CAN A MAJOR WIRING PART GO BAD SO SOON AND NISSAN NOT BE LIABLE FOR IT? *AK

FLAPPING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE. WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND VEHICLE LOSS POWER. BELTS CAME APART GOING APPROXIMATED 65 MPH. TOWED INTO DEALERSHIP. FOUND BELTS MISSING FROM PULLEYS. DEALERSHIP INSTALLED DRIVE BELTS AND PERFORMS SEVERAL RECALL SERVICES RELATED TO 03V455000 & 03V4777000. ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON. BATTERY DISCHARGES OVERNIGHT SEVERAL TIMES. ERRATIC IDLE/STALLS OVER TIME. AUGUST 2004 CAR STALLS ON FREEWAY DRIVING 65 MPH. CAR TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP THAT REPORTS LOSS OF SPARK ON CYL 2, BUT FAILS TO FIND PROBLEM. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHO FINDS ECM FAILURE. REQUIRES 800.00 TO FIX. *JB

WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNED ON THE ENGINE THE BATTERY EXPLODED. THE CONSUMER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS SPLASHED WITH BATTERY ACID. *AK THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER SIMPLY TURNED THE KEY AND THE BATTERY EXPLODED. *SC *JB

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

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND OTHER PARTS.*AK PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

IN 2001 I PURCHASED A NISSAN ALTIMA. IT LEFT ME STRANDED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. I COULD BE RUNNING ERRANDS AND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY ERRANDS THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. I WOULD CALL A TOW TRUCK AND ONCE IT MADE IT TO THE NISSAN DEALER IT WOULD START RIGHT UP (I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM). I CONTACTED NISSAN IN DECEMBER OF 2001 REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND THEY "COULD NOT DUPLICATE" IT AND WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME OUT. I LEFT IT AT MY DEALER FOR WEEKS ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. SINCE NISSAN WOULD DO NOTHING TO HELP ME OUT AND I LIVE IN MINNESOTA WHERE BEING STRANDED IN COLD WEATHER COULD KILL YOU, I HAD TO TRADE IT OFF. THEN THE OTHER DAY I SAY AN ARTICLE THAT THEY HAD RECALLED ALL THESE VEHICLES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAD. SO I CONTACTED THEM AGAIN AND THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY DESIGNATE WHAT GETS RECALLED AND WHAT DOESN'T, BUT IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE OTHER 2.56 MILLION VEHICLES. *LA

CAR WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN GARAGE. WHEN KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION, EXPLOSION OCCURRED UNDER THE HOOD. SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND ACID WAS DRIPPING TO THE PAVEMENT. THERE IS A DENT ON THE HOOD FROM THE INSIDE DIRECTLY ABOVE THE BATTERY LOCATION. THERE WAS ALSO ACID ON THE ENGINE AND LOCAL AREAS. *AK

I HAVE A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. AT APROX 34,000 MILES (CAR NOW HAS 42000) THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WOULD FAIL, THE OVERDIRVE LIGHT WOULD START FLAHING THEN OVERDRIVE WOULD DISENGAGE. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND OVERDRIVE WOULD COME BACK ON THEN MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE WOULD START LURCHING CAUSING THE CAR TO SLOW TO 30 MPH AND EVENTUALLY STOP. THE ENGINE WOULD STILL RUN BUT REVVING IS CHOPPY AND LAGGED. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OR SHUTTING THE ENGINE DOWN AND RESTSTARTING THE ENGINE THE CAR WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL, BUT AFTER A PERIOD OF 10 MINUTES WOULD REPEAT INCIDENT. HAVE TAKEN TO A DEALER ON 4 OCCASIONS, BUT MECHANICS CANNOT DUPLICATE FAILURE. ONLY ONE CODE HAS COME BACK FROM THE DIAGNOSTIC P0500 (SPEED SENSOR FAILURE) AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS ONLY COME ON ONCE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RE-OCCURRING SINCE APRIL OF 2003 AND NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED DUE TO THE FACT THAT MECHANICS CANNOT FIND NOR DUPLICATE PROBLEM. I HAVE RECORDED 15 OR MORE FAILURES SINCE APRIL AND 9 IN THE PAST 4 DAYS.*AK

BATTERY EXPLODED WHEN KEY TURNED TO "ON" POSITION. CAR WAS IN GARAGE. IT WAS INITIAL CRANKING OF ENGINE THAT DAY. A LOUD "BOOM" WAS HEARD. UPON INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED TOP OF BATTERY IN THREE PIECES AND A SPLIT IN CASE NEXT TO NEG TERMINAL. ACID ON UNDERSIDE OF HOOD AND SURROUNDING AREA OF BATTERY. POOL OF ACID COLLECTED ON GARAGE FLOOR.*AK

THE POWER DOORS AND LOCKS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB

WHILE STARTING THE ENGINE THERE WAS A VERY LOUD BOOM, CONSUMER STATED SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER HOOD, BATTERY HAD EXPLODED, DENTED THE HOOD OF VEHICLE AND BATTERY ACID WAS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND THEY REPLACED BATTERY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY A LOUD NOISE OCCURRED FOLLOWED BY FUMES FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SECONDS LATER, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH AND HIT A BRICK WALL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

COMPLETE ENGINE SHUTDOWN AT ANY TIME-NO WARNING.*AK