2003 Nissan Altima Brakes Problems

WHILE REPLACING FRONT ROTORS/BRAKES, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A FAIRLY LARGE RUST HOLE IN THE FLOORBOARD, PASSENGER SIDE WAS DISCOVERED. I CALLED A COLLISION SHOP SEEKING ADVICE AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD REQUIRE A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT COSTING APPROX. $2,100/$2,500, AS THIS WAS THEIR POLICY. I CALLED ANOTHER SHOP LOOKING FOR AT LEAST A PATCH REPLACEMENT. PER THEIR INSPECTION, THEIR ESTIMATE IS APPROX. $700.00/$800.00, TAKING AT LEAST 1 FULL DAY TO WORK ON REPAIR. DECIDED TO CHECK ON SIMILAR ISSUES ON-LINE AND MUCH TO MY SURPRISE THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING RUSTED FLOORBOARDS. NISSANS' RESPONSE WAS THAT SALTED ROADS WAS THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, MANY COMPLAINTS WERE FROM STATES THAT USE SAND AND/OR IN SUNSHINE STATES. I CALLED NISSAN, MY REFERENCE NO. 15121312. PRESENTLY CAR AT SUBURBAN TROY DEALERSHIP, AS THERE WERE RECALLS ON MY CAR. NO WORD FROM DEALER OR NISSAN ON RUSTED FLOORBOARD ISSUE BEING REPLACED/REPAIRED. WHAT IS NEEDED FOR ISSUING RECALLS, AS WE ALL BELIEVE PROBLEM IS FROM DEFECTED STEEL AND/OR POOR DESIGN ??? SHOULD I (AND ALL OF US) CONTACT OUR LOCAL STATE AND/OR WASHINGTON ELECTED OFFICIALS ???, AS THIS WOULD BE THE PERFECT TIME TO DO SO, BEING THAT THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR !!! I'M HOPING THAT THIS WILL NOT BE A CASE OF WAITING FOR A SERIOUS INJURY AND/OR DEATH(S) TO OCCUR BEFORE CORRECTIONS TO THIS ISSUE GETS RESOLVED AND IMMEDIATE ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THESE RUSTED FLOORBOARDS. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR LOOKING INTO AND RESOLVING THE "RUSTED FLOORBOARDS" PROBLEMS ! *TR

IN MORNING, STARTED CAR, DROVE DOWN ROAD SHORT DISTANCE,WENT TO STOP AT STOP SIGN AT HIGHWAY AND BRAKES WERE HARD, WOULDN'T DECOMPRESS AT ALL, SLID ONTO HIGHWAY. TOOK TO DEALER, CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. IT WAS IN WI, WAS COLD OUTSIDE,PARKED OUTSIDE AT NIGHT. THIS ALSO HAPPENED LAST YEAR IN WINTER, HAD IT HAPPEN TWICE, ONCE BACKING UP AFTER WORK AND ANOTHER AT STOP SIGN IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING CAR WHERE BRAKE PEDAL WAS FROZEN AND CAR WOULDN'T STOP. NARROWLY AVOIDED ACCIDENTS IN THESE CASES. SEEMS TO WORK BETTER AFTER CAR WARMS UP FOR A BIT. LAST YEAR, NISSAN DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND CLOSURE VALVE WHICH COST ME OVER 617.00 AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN UNTIL THIS YEAR. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR NOW SINCE THIS HAS HAPPENED SO MANY TIMES TO ME. I COULD'VE BEEN IN VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS OR DIED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

BACKED UP CAR IN PARKING GARAGE AND BRAKES DIDN'T DECOMPRESS AT ALL, PEDAL WAS HARD, KEPT BACKING UP NARROWLY MISSING ANOTHER CAR- KEPT TRYING TO DECOMPRESS PEDAL AND EVENTUALLY IT STOPPED THE CAR BUT IT WAS HARD TO. LET CAR SIT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES PRESSING BRAKE PEDAL ON AND OFF AND TESTING IT. IT SEEMED TO BE BETTER AFTER AND I DROVE HOME VERY SLOWLY RELYING ON LETTING OFF THE GAS TO SLOW AND STAYING FAR BEHIND EVERYONE. VERY SCARY- IT COULD'VE HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY. IT ALSO HAPPENED THE WEEK BEFORE BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS ICE UNDER THE CAR WHEN I STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, IT WENT PAST THE STOP ABOUT 2 FEET. I THOUGHT IT FELT HARD BUT IT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY I THOUGHT IT WAS THE ICE/SNOW. *TR

BRAKES, PADS, ROTORS REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES, CAR STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES HORRIBLY WHEN BRAKING ,BRAKES SQUEAL HORRIBLY WITH BRAKING (METALLIC) . ROTORS VERY CHEAP, HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY 20,000 MILES FOR $400.00. HAD COMPLETE REAR BRAKES, ROTORS DONE LAST AT 90000,THEN AT 121,000, METALLIC NOISE AGAIN AT 125,000-SERVICED, 130,000 SQUEAK AGAIN, 200 MILES LATER BRAKES BAD AGAIN, ROTOR TURNED, NOW AT 130,000 BRAKES SQUEAKING AGAIN, CAR VIBRATES WITH BRAKING AGAIN AND CARS BRAKES DON'T RESPOND AS WELL. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE DANGEROUS BRAKES, ROTORS, ETC .I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR NEED NEW ROTORS EVERY BRAKE JOB!!!!!! *TR

DRIVING 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA ON TWO-LANE COUNTRY ROAD, WEATHER CLEAR, NO TRAFFIC. CAR SPED UP, DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES, CAR SPED FASTER, DRIVER REPEATEDLY & FIRMLY APPLIED BRAKES. CAR OVERCORRECTED TO THE LEFT, CROSSED ROADWAY, CROSSED ONE DRY DITCH AND MADE IMPACT WITH INSIDE WALL OF AN IRRIGATION DITCH FULL OF WATER. DRIVER RECEIVED INITIAL CARE AT THE SCENE AND WAS TAKEN TO EMERGENCY ROOM VIA AMBULANCE. DRIVER SUSTAINED BROKEN BACK, HEAD AND EYE TRAUMA, BROKEN RIB, DISLOCATED SHOULDER JOINT, MULTIPLE CUTS REQUIRING STITCHES, GLASS EMBEDDED INTO SKIN. DRIVER SPENT SEVERAL DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL AND WAS DISCHARGED UNDER CONTINUOUS FAMILY CARE. CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THERE WAS RUST ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE UNDER CARRIAGE WAS DAMAGED AND THAT IF THE UNDER CARRIAGE WAS REMOVED THE BOLTS MAY FALL OFF. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE FUEL CAP AND THE REAR SUB FRAME WERE CORRODED. ALL OF THE ROTORS ON THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STATE AND OCEAN LOCATION MAY BE A FACTOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,000.

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2003 NISSAN. THE FIRST TIME I HEARD ABOUT A RECALL ISSUE WITH THE 2003 ALTIMA, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. THE CAR WILL SPORADICALLY NOT START. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES EARLY ON, THE PLUGS WERE ALSO REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS MISFIRING, THE BRAKES WERE SQUEAKY AT ABOUT 20,000 MILES, THE AC AND THE HEATER DID NOT WORK (AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES AND WE HAD TO REPLACE THEM), WATER SLOSHING SOUNDS, AND HAD TO REPLACE THE ROOTER. AT ABOUT 55,000 MILES THE CAR STARTED STOPPING SPORADICALLY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD FIXED IT. ON MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY, (3 MONTHS LATER) THE CAR STALLED ON US ON THE ROAD AND SHE MISSED HER OWN 3RD BIRTHDAY PARTY. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE BATTERY (LESS THAN 3 YEARS FROM THE TIME IT WAS REPLACED). 2 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, I WAS ON THE ROAD WITH MY 11 MONTH OLD INFANT, MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND THE CAR JUST STOPPED!!! THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS JUST INCHES AWAY FROM REAR-ENDING ME WITH MY INFANT IN THE BACK SEAT FACING BACK. I CALLED NISSAN HEADQUARTER AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF MY 2 YOUNG CHILDREN AND MYSELF IN THE CAR. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT WE DRIVE ON ONE OF THE BUSIEST FREEWAY IN THE COUNTRY (CA ? 405). MY CHILDREN'S LIVES ARE IN DANGER EACH TIME I DRIVE THEM IN THIS CAR. I REQUESTED A REPLACEMENT CAR FROM NISSAN AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DO THAT. THIS VEHICLE IS MY MAIN MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. I AM VERY FRIGHTENED ABOUT DRIVING THIS CAR. I FEAR BEING KILLED WITH MY CHILDREN IN THIS CAR; THIS CAR IS A DEATH TRAP JUST WAITING TO HAPPEN. WHY HAS NISSAN REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND DO SOMETHING TO PREVENT SOMEONE FROM BEING KILLED IN THEIR POORLY BUILT-MALFUNCTIONING VEHICLE? *TR

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKES LOCKED IN COLD WEATHER. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED IT COULD HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS ONLY HAPPENED AT SPEEDS UNDER 40 MPH. *AK

NAR 04/28/2003 MR THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A MECHANICAL FAILURE, THAT WOULD REQUEST A NEW VEHICLE UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. *CB