I got this car in Mar03 and was happy with it as it offered more interior room and more power than my previous VW Golf 94. The exterior look was amazing and the handling of the car was OK for an old geezer like myself (31 years old).

However, in Aug03, I was on the highway when I had a flat tire (Conti tires). It turned out that my tire was completely shredded. It was as if someone took a knife and cut the tire all around from the back. I thought it was a road hazard until I read, on the internet, the following from other Altima 2003 owners:

- "Do not buy this car!... The car had 2 tires shred within the first 2 months of ownership. To top it off, the tires put on the Altima are not only cheap, but very rare, and impossible to find."
- "3 sets of tires in 5000 miles is outrageous"
- "Disappointment due to noise, premature wear and defective sidewall on one tires after only 9,000 miles"
- "I own Nissan Altima 2003. Just bought it (3 months),... and now service found that tire is totally bad"
-"The Conti guy mentioned to my tire guy that there is a problem with the Altimas..."

I guess I was not the only one with this problem. I had to pay for the tire replacement, as it is not covered by the warranty.

What annoyed me the most is that I sent a letter and an email to Nissan Canada quoting the comments above and reciting my story. I also attached pictures of the terribly shredded tire. At the end of my letter, I asked the following from Nissan:

"What I am looking for is a reassurance that the Nissan Altima 2003, a car manufactured by your esteemed company, is safe and that the tires installed have been tested, certified and matching your standards of quality"

Guess what? Nissan Canada never replied.

I totally recommend AGAINST buying this car!!! Yes, do not buy this car. It is either the tires are very cheap and unsafe or Nissan is an extremely irresponsible company.
Amount Paid (US$): 20000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: 2.5 S with conv. package (manual)