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-   -   Altima Coupe 3.5SE Issues and complaints (https://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/altima-coupe/6331-altima-coupe-3-5se-issues-complaints.html)

Dr. Laplace 02-19-2008 10:36 AM

Altima Coupe 3.5SE Issues and complaints
 
On Feb 03 I received my Altima Coupe.

I found a few problems with the car that I want to share with the rest of the forum here.

1) Headliner is loose: There is a large gap between the moonroof and the headliner. This causes the headliner to rattle and squeak all the time. If I push the headliner with my finger, where the light dome is, the thing moves up about 2 inches.

2) The trim on the door zone module (DZM) on the passenger side is not completely seated: There is a line, perpendicular to the door panel that meets the padded handle on the door. Here, a sensible "lifted" area on this trim is felt and seen. On another altima coupe 3.5 that the dealer had on the showroom I notticed the same issue, this time on the driver's module.

3) The little door on the central console, close to the shifter, rattles: this was not observed on another altima coupe, 3.5SE that the dealer had in the showroom.

4) The stereo continues to produce sound even when it's off: When the car is running, or on ACC position, there is an audible hissing sound from the speakers. This could be a poorly grounded wire.

5) The garage shift is rough: when shifting from P to R, and D to N, the car shakes. This could be low transmission fluid or a loose mount.

6) There is a loud clicking noise on the brake pedal: during the travel of the pedal there is an audible and sensible clicking noise. The dealer says it's "normal" because there is a switch in there that it's actuated by the pedal. I said B.S. because that noise and clicking feel to the pedal makes you think that the thing is not working properly and might cause an accident.

7) Vibration on the gas pedal: feels like a damaged wheel hub bearing, when at certain speeds a vibration and rough feel to the pedal is present. I know that this car is drive by wire, but there should be no vibration or roughness on the pedal.

8) Rough Idle after engine warm: A very soft sputter is felt after driving the car for a while and then coming to a stop. The dealer has not said anything about this. In another thread, Plee52 said that a mechanic was able to adjust the idle on the car. I am still waiting on the dealer to find out if they took the roughness away.


There are some areas of opportunity for Nissan on this car:

1) The design on the seatbelts: The mating part of the seatbelts is very poor, since it's only a metal plate with the buckle on it. This design causes the whole thing to oscillate like a leaf spring when you undo the seatbelt. Adding mass to the metal plate will fix the problem.

2) The seatbelts rattle: The position where the buckle on the belt itself is makes the thing clang and bang against the interior trim. This drives me nuts.

3) The vacuometer should include a readout to see the average fuel economy while looking at the instantaneous performance (the moving orange bar). I recently bought a 2008 Lancer GTS and it has that gauge. I love it! Also, having the scale decreased would help...

4) It should have a memory function for seating and mirror position. Also, It would be nice if at least the driver's seat would back up automatically when you turned off the car and opened the door.

Other than that... I love my car!
I'm just picky...:)

AltiKris 03-16-2008 12:16 PM

I have a vibration in my gas pedal as well!

I have a 2007 3.5se 6 speed manual 4 door, but they are of the same design.

It looks to me like the vibration is being caused by the brake pedal. Since the Altima is drive by wire, the gas pedal is attached to the brake pedal assembly and in turn transferring all road and brake vibrations to the gas pedal at all speeds!!!

I have been to my dealership 6 times with no remedy as of yet.

If you figure out how to fix this problem, let me know man!

solow 03-17-2008 12:03 PM

thats why u get a maxima lol

i think it has all of that listed above^^

kemsyko 04-22-2008 03:45 PM

I also have the 3.5 SE Altima Coupe. I have noticed the "Rough Idle after engine warm: A very soft sputter is felt after driving the car for a while and then coming to a stop." Although I haven't noticed (that I can remember) when I use Premium gas. As far as your other complaints and issues, I haven't noticed any. Of course I might not be able to hear the rattles since I almost always have music playing (not too loudly of course). I do agree that there should be a memory function for the seats. Every time I have taken my car to the dealer for an oil change I have to play with my seat positions to get it just right again. (probably being a drawback from being 6'1")

Another thing to improve in the Coupe would be to add a hard drive or allow you to stream/control music via Bluetooth A2DP and AVRCP profiles. Although with XM Radio, I don't hook my mp3 player up as much as I did when I owned my '97 altima.

Let me tell you, my 2008 Coupe is a huge improvement in performance from my '97 Altima. I love my coupe!!! :)

nrob88 08-11-2008 04:58 AM

Hey all, I've got an 08 2.5S 6 speed, which suffers from the same strange running issues, as a matter of fact a large percentage of new altima owners experience the pedal vibration, rough idle, etc... I have experimented and discovered that using higher octane gas will usually eliminate these issues. I say usually because I can't test this theory on every new altima, but it fixed my car, and others. I would encourage everyone to try it, i use 89 in my 2.5 as opposed to 87 the difference is shocking, 3.5 owners should use 93. Good Luck.

sergey85 08-11-2008 12:38 PM

you just use what is says to use in the manual mine is 91 or higher and i use 93

holbrook795 08-26-2008 02:04 PM

I have a 2003 Frontier and the Brake pedal clicks when i push it to actuate the taillights For the most part it doesn't bother me. Also, if you want a car with the automatic features then you should consider an Infinite, you will probably find the cars more satisfying.

tech22 08-27-2008 06:06 AM

Take this list to the person you bought the car from and have them fix it.

Dr. Laplace 08-28-2008 07:24 AM

Well, I did take the car to the dealership.
Allegedly they have changed the headliner and the door panes speakers, however the issues with those components remain: the headliner comes loose and the speakers still make ground noise.

Also the center console, where the armrest is located has bagun to squeak which is unacceptable. The nosie is just too much... makes the car seem like it's a cheap car and not a quality vehicle. I have already complained to the dealer and will take the car in again next week.

It really sucks... I paid 30,000 USD for the car. For that money I could have bought an Acura TSX (which came out a few months after I got the Nissan) for the exact same amount. Needless to say I am pissed.

Any other Altima owners complaining?

stevewaclo 09-02-2008 04:48 PM

Coupe issues
 
Hello Doctor!

"I'm just picky...:) "

Hey, don't beat yourself up...leave that to the rest of us on the Forum:biggrin2:.

Really sorry to hear about all the shortcomings of your new Coupe:cry:. Must be one of those "Monday Morning" cars you hear about on occassion. We took delivery of our 3.5SE, 6sp in late January and I'm pleased to say it has been flawless. Other than getting used to that "digital" clutch, it's been a joy. In May, we drove from NV to our ancestoral home in PA and back, and, using the "miles/gallons" technique never saw less than 29mpg hwy. The computer showed as high as 34mpg on the flat in Kansas (doesn't get much flatter) with multiple resets as confirmation. Also, leaving NV, I was able to check the speedo with an NVHP officer, and we both agreed that 92mph was accurate:cry:. Will tell the happy ending to that story some day.

One of the patented solutions to the "they all do that" excuse is, "OK, lets go drive another one, and you can convince me". The other annoyances should certainly be fixable, cuz I can guarantee you, "They don't all do that". Clearly a matter of getting the shop's top diagnostician on the job. Nissan probably only pays $2.75/hr for warranty work, with the dealer picking up the difference. No surprise that the top guys are out on another car "making more $$$ with a pencil, than with a wrench".

On the subject of annoying noises, NVH on modern autos has gotten down to such a minimal level that sounds that used to be "under the radar" are now much more obvious. One reason we got the "dual mass flywheel" on the 6sp.

Great suggestion for improvements!

"...having the (MPG)scale decreased would help... " That area between 40 and 99mpg doesn't come in handy too often, does it?

"memory function for seating and mirror position" My wife only let's me drive "her" car on alternate Tuesday's following a full moon:no:, and it such a pain to adjust everything.

Anyway, with your intelligence, determination and a quick rereading of Dale Carnegie's book, I predict ultimate success:clap:.

Finally, you said "I love my car!". My momma always told me not to love anything that can't love me back:biggrin2:.

Cheers,
Steve

cynbar1 08-02-2009 07:15 PM

I have an 09 Altima Coupe 2.5s and I have numerous rattle noises.
1) passenger side dash speaker area
2) headliner and/or sunroof area makes a rattle sound and the clanking sound when going over harsh bumps
3) door panels are noisy when going over bumps
4) knob to adjust side mirrors rattles when the radios' bass is loud or even at the "3 level". I hold the knob with my hand and the rattle goes away.
5) it sounds like maybe a rattle coming from the rear of the car, possibly the a-pillar in the back or trunk/3rd brake light area..
6) Drivers' side window was making noises going up/down...had a new regulator put in..now passenger side is doing the same thing.

There are so many noises and rattles and the dealer hasn't fixed one of them yet! They attempted to fix the sunroof rattle; took the entire headliner off and didn't put it back on in the same condition (it was greasy and full of fingerprints and not secured all the way and the noise is better but not gone) I think I may take the car to another Nissan dealership. I guess it doesn't matter if it's the same dealership that sold you the car as long as the car is still under factory warranty?

whitco 09-24-2009 09:50 PM

You can take it to any Nissan Dealer for warranty. As far as finger prints I'd take the service manager out and show him, then tell him you want it cleaned, its a new car!!
Steve, I love the part "Also, leaving NV, I was able to check the speedo with an NVHP officer, and we both agreed that 92mph was accurate:cry:. " LOL thats great. I have a 2009 Alt.2.5s and KNOCK WOOD I have no weird rattles. I do agree with the Dr. about the seat belt tapping the piller. I wrote in another post that I got one of those soft seat belt slip-ons and slide it over the metal of the passanger seat belt. It keeps the tapping away. I just have to slip it back over when my passanger gets out or the tapping is back. I've felt the Bass on the radio in the steering wheel and gas pedal too. Minor, I just ignor it and it really does go away. You can put more sound to the rear speakers too. I will try a higher Octane if I feel any eng. Vibs, sounds feasable to me.

ptsurfrider 02-25-2010 04:07 PM

2009 Nissan Altima Coupe brake problems
 
I bought my 2009 Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5 in October 2009 with 80 miles on it. At only 4000 miles on it, ALL 4 rotors were warped and all 4 brakes were bad. The Nissan dealership replaced everything under warranty. At 6200 miles, there was a clunking noise upon braking and my brakes eventually failed (sounded like a "ssssss" sound) as I skidded off the freeway at 50 mph. Another Nissan dealership machined the rotors but this didn't resolve the issue. At 8400 miles, the car is still experiencing brake failure and has crashed (very minor damage) at 47 mph off the freeway and into another parked vehicle.

Nissan North America has been notified ever since I had 4000 miles on it and has yet to come up with a resolution. This may turn into a legal issue as this still remains an unresolved brake failure issue.

stevewaclo 02-25-2010 10:13 PM

Brake Issues
 
:Welcomeptsurfrider:

Sounds like some terrifying issues with the Coupe! Although you did not ask, here are some unsolicited observations from the local "shade tree" mechanic...me:yak::

For many years, manufacturers have bee doing all they can to cut vehicle weight in an effort to meet increasingly stringent CAFE standards. One of the many areas they have found to lose pounds is brake rotors. As you know, brakes do their job by converting the kinetic energy of a moving car into heat and as long as that heat is continually and evenly dissapated, all is usually well. The quite thick (and heavy) rotors of years gone by had adequate mass to absorb and then dissapate the heat under most circumstances (see brake fade). When rotors were lightened, ventilated rotors, like the fronts on just about all cars now, helped considerably as well, by allowing more cooling air to flow within the rotor.

It's my understanding that warpped rotors happen under primarily two major circumstances: the first is when lug nuts are not properly torqued, causing uneven forces on the rotor that are amplified when they get hot, and later as they cool. Since you lost all four rotors, I'm going to rule out that option.

The second circumstance also relates to the heat issue and I'm wondering if something in the ABS/Stability Control System is malfunctioning, causing the rotors to drag more than they usually do and overheat. When you park, the area of the rotor covered by the pads will cool much more slowly than the exposed portions, and here comes the warping effect. (BTW, I mentioned drag, and yes, pads in a disk brake system actually do maintain just a very light contact with the rotors...normally not even enough to be noticed or to heat the rotors beyond only the slightest amount). As far as machining warped rotors, it's my understanding that once rotors have seriously warped, there are fundamental metalurgical changes that will quickly result in the problem returning. Guess it depends on who's paying for the repair...manufacturer warranty = machined rotors; customer out of warranty = new rotors. You gotta wonder tho, if machined rotors are probably going to fail again anyway, why bother?

Also, I mentioned brake fade above, and that happens when overheating (dragging?) rotors/pads/calipers get so hot they boil the brake fluid, causing bubbles in the lines and...no brakes:hmm:. Sound familiar? Notice any funny smells?

Just some things for you to think about and research further.

Finally, our '08 3.5 SE, 6sp just clocked 25k and looks runs like the day it left the dealer. In fact, we're leaving Saturday for a Vegas/Grand Canyon/Page and Sedona, AZ vacation. My only gripe has been with the Bridgestone Turanzas, that will be replaced when we return. Wear bars in sight:cry:.

Best wishes on a happy outcome...and don't let'em tell you "they all do that".:biggrin2: Cuz they don't. Nissan makes a great product (and three taps on the START button will shut them off every time! Sorry, Toyota).

ptsurfrider 02-26-2010 07:08 AM

Thank you so much for the information! We'll see what the Nissan dealership has to say this 3rd time around. They told me they replaced the rotors (and not machined them) when they discovered that all 4 rotors were badly warped.

As for the braking, I only noticed that it smelled like something (more metallic, than plastic) was burning underneath my car when the brakes failed. I will have them check everything thoroughly-including the ABS/stability control, "bleed" the lines, and replace the rotors and brake pads again.

Have fun on your NV/AZ vacation! :)

plee52 03-19-2010 10:53 AM

Altima coupe issues
 
I have been on this forum before and Dr Laplace knows who I am. I had the issue with the rough idle which after numerous trips to the dealership and no fix, i brought it to a Nissan Z mechanic. He put it on the computer and adjusted the idle which nissan wouldn't do. He raised the idle and NO MORE ROUGH IDLE.
But since then, here is what has gone wrong on my car: (it has 23000 miles on it)

Had to replace the sunroof
Rack and pinion stearing went out and had to be replaced
Motor for the driver seat went out (still waiting for the part)
AND the brake brackets are loose and need to be replaced.

WHAT NEXT??

But i still LOVE this car. It drives like no other!!

stevewaclo 03-19-2010 12:58 PM

They Don't All Do That
 
Yo plee52:

Sorry to hear about the shortcomings of your Coupe (model?). It appears the inevitable problems that appear with just about all cars seem to be not randomly distributed among Coupe's and end up in a limited number of exceptionally troublesome vehicles. My sympathies...

Just completed 2200 miles through Arizona, beginning in Carson City to Vegas, South Rim, Page and Sedona and recorded 27mpg overall (on regular gas and with 250# of cargo, I might add). Trip computer showed long stretches at low 30's while cruising at 70mph. Zero oil consumption and at 26k, except for minor cosmetic issues, the car looks and drives like new. As previously mentioned, the Potenzas by Bridgestone are just about gone and will be replaced shortly with these: Dunlop SP Sport Signature (H&V). Have not committed just yet, so still open to suggestions.

BTW, we have a 3.5SE w/6sp (and yep, the digital clutch still has me stalling way too much..the wife needs to let me drive it more:biggrin2:.)

Best wishes on getting your Coupe put right :clap::clap: and let us all know how the situation develops.

And ptsurfrider...wazzup with the scary brake issues?

Finally, as a special bonus feature (this offer may not be repeated) here's a link to the Coupe Factory Service Manual, for those who have yet to track it down:

Index of /FSM/Altima/2008

The table of contents is a bit difficult to navigate, but not a BFD. You can thank me later:biggrin2:.

Steve

ptsurfrider 03-21-2010 10:59 AM

My 2009 Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5L V6
 
Thank you all for your valuable information. Nissan North America's Consumer Affairs has failed to take action on my multiple brake failure issues, so I now have legal representation on this matter as my 2009 Nissan Altima Coupe is officially considered a lemon. The brakes have failed 3 times and there have been 4 unsuccessful dealership attempts at repairing them, the battery suddenly died at ~8600 miles (possible short in the electrical system) while my car was parked at work, the fuel gauge reads empty when my gas tank is full, the paint is still peeling from the trim, both driver's and passenger's side view mirrors stopped working, and now my seatbelt light comes on intermittently (even though I'm wearing my seatbelt) - all this at under 9,000 miles. Nissan has horrible customer service and this will drag their company down. Their regional specialists are here one month and gone the next, their representatives state that they care when they don't, and they try to give you the run around on something as serious as the brake failures! Since this is a serious safety issue, I am taking action NOW because I CARE about the safety of other innocent drivers and their passengers of lemon cars such as this.
I am now considering going back to Toyota. I still trust Toyota, even after their recent major recall because our own NHTSA should've jumped right onto the reports of brake failures and reported these directly to the manufacturer in Japan about this!

stevewaclo 05-21-2018 09:38 PM

Looking for some parts for the Coupe and this ancient thread turned up on page 5 of my search!

115k miles and although our '08 3.5SE MT Coupe had been running like day 1, on Friday, the clutch pedal went to the floor, accompanied by a sound like you hear when you hold the clutch down and let it pop back up. Seems the $75 concentric release bearing (aka slave cylinder) failed catastrophically and the worst part, it's 13.5 hours away, if you know what I mean. The Dual Mass Flywheel should be replaced, as well as the clutch plates and clutch master, so the $$$ are adding up fast. Discovered I can make about $25/hr searching the web for parts :).

Always knew a clutch would be in our future...just not this soon...

An update, if anyone is still interested. Total replacement cost for the $35 (!) clutch release was $2400 :cry::cry::cry:.

I learned recently a 3.5 with 6sp was only optioned by about 3,000 buyers, making our SE one rare duck. That being said, buying all the parts I needed on short notice turned troublesome and, with the car on the lift and wrong parts sent, I had to get overnight delivery on the DMF @ somewhere around $600.

We’re at 126k now, and the car is still wonderful and will likely be kept for as long as possible. I’m slightly troubled that I continue to run OEM iridium plugs, mainly because the may be a hassle to remove if they bind to the head, but no codes, smooth idle, excellent performance and mpg is 22 combined with high 20’s highway.

Working on a paint refresh (DA polish and wax) and polish sticking in the hood paint dings created tiny white marks all over the front of the hood. Oh well, cosmetic...

Before I forget, I also debadged and put in LED’s across the rear. A flasher for the upper brake lamp was only $5 so put one of those in too. First kid on my block!

No regrets on purchase of this excellent car!

Best


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