2003 Nissan Maxima cam sensor failure. Car shut down in traffic.

- Norwood, PA, USA

On April 28th 2011, I was driving on the highway when my 2003 Nissan Maxima SE vehicle engine sputtered and cut off in the middle of traffic and an engine light came on. I was very lucky there was a police office a few cars behind me to stop traffic otherwise I avoided an accident by a hair! needless to say I had to have the vehicle towed. An engine diagnostic report later indicated the a P0340 and P1564 code which is related to the crank shaft and camshaft position sensors. My vehicle only had 63215 miles on the odometer when this happened. I called Nissan after an online search indicated they had a recall for the problem but when I called Nissan North America Inc to get approval for the recall fix, they gave me the run around.

- Decatur, GA, USA

The contact owns 2003 Nissan Maxima. The contact was driving 55 mph when the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the catalytic converter was faulty and caused the engine to fail. The dealer advised that he was unable to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted who offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 120,000.

- Brewer, ME, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Maxima. While driving 35 mph the contact noticed that the vehicle had suddenly shut off without warning. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was informed that the cam shaft sensor needed to be replaced. There were no prior warnings. The vehicle was not repaired. The current and failure mileages were 174000.

- Aurora, IL, USA

Approximately a week after a remote starter was installed the check engine light in the vehicle came on, indicating a problem with the cam position sensor. The remote starter was removed (bypassed by installers) and the condition being experienced continued. The result is the car failing to start properly and at times cutting off while in operation including while the car is in motion, which can cause a crash. The failure is still being experienced and the cam position sensor will have to be replaced.

- Upper Marlboro, MD, USA

I have a 2003 Nissan Maxima and am hearing an engine whine noise when the car is reaching higher speeds. I do not yet hear it when idling but I am told its only a matter of time before I do. The noise sounds kind of like what an alternator hum in a poorly grounded sound setup makes. You can turn off the radio and A/C but you can still hear it.

- Brandon, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Maxima. While driving approximately 35 mph and proceeding to come to a complete stop, the engine shut off. The vehicle restarted after several attempts. There were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The failure recurred on a separate occasion and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The failure was related to the cam sensor and the vehicle was repaired. The failure and current mileages were 69,000.

- Garner, NC, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that her engine light continues to illuminate, causing the vehicle to fail inspection. She called Nissan and they informed her of NHTSA campaign id number 03V455000 (engine and engine cooling), but her VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 81,000.

- Conyers, GA, USA

Loss of power.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

While the consumer was driving at an undetermined speed check engine light appeared on the dash, causing the vehicle to stall. Consumer contacted dealer on two separate occasions but the problem still occurs.

- Mason, OH, USA