2008 Nissan Altima Brakes Problems

Brake switch or Stop Light Switch goes out which causes brakes to become very stiff and not light up the brakes which causes car’s push start to not start car more than 5 times a week. I will always have to stomp the brake petal to activate the brakes to start the car.

I have had my cars rear brakes completely replaced once in the last 6 months and completely replaced the front brake system TWICE in 6 months. I’ve had to pay close to $4000 in repairs on only the cars front end so at this point any part that could be causing the excessive wearing out of my brakes could not possibly be doing so without me knowing about it from many inspections (mainly done by different Les schwab locations and my local Nissan dealership in Salem, OR). For some reason within a month of having the brakes replaced, they have began to squeal worse than ever before, I’m not exaggerating when I say that my 2008 Altima has brakes that are almost twice as loud as any city or school bus brakes that I’ve ever heard in my life. Something within the brake system is causing all these brand new parts to wear down to metal on metal screeeching

'TAKATA RECALL' BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN DRIVING. U CAN PUT IT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE AND CAR WONT MOVE. FEELS LIKE BRAKE IS ENGAGED BUT ITS NOT.

BRAKES FELT AS IF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ON ALL THE TIME AND VEHICLE WOULD ONLY GO IN FIRST GEAR AND IF I LET OFF THE GAS THE CAR WOULD COME TO A HALT. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER FOR MASTER CYLINDER CHANGEOUT. NISSAN CLAIMS MY VEHICLE ID WAS NOT A PART OF A KNOWN SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS VEHICLE 2007-2012. I THINK THIS MATTER WARRANTS FURTHER LOOKING INTO AS MY SON IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, AND SUDDENLY THE ABS VDC AND SLIP ILLUMINATED. THEN I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED. THAT GUY TOLD ME THAT MY BRAKING LIGHT IS NOT WORKING. LUCKILY I WAS INSIDE MILITARY BASE AND PEOPLE WERE ALERT. IT HAPPENED ON THE STREET WHILE I WAS DRIVING.

VEHICLE, IS MAKING A RUBBERISH NOISE IN THE BRAKE BOOSTER WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED DOWN, BRAKES IN THE VEHICLE ARE RELATIVELY NEW AND WHEN REQUIRED TO A HARD BRAKE VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND WELL. I HAD TO REFILL THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR WITH A LITTLE BIT OF FLUID NOT MUCH. I BELIEVE IT MIGHT BE LEACKING SMALL AMOUNTS OF FLUID TO THE BOOSTER OVER TIME, I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM SOMEONE ELSE KNOWN TO ME, SO I HAVE KNOWN THE CAR FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND ITS BEING HAVING THIS ISSUE FOR A WHILE NOW. I HAVE SEEN MANY THREADS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, WHICH MUST BE SOLVED WITH NISSAN. THIS SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM AT 53 000 MILES.

PURCHASE CAR 2010 ABS BRAKE CAME ON ALL TIME DEALER TRY TO RESET ABS LIGHT IT WOULD TURN OFF FOR FEW DAYS AND COME MAKE ON THEY DONT NO WHY IT DOING IT :( ITS 2015 AND LIGHT STILL ON. 2014 I WAS ON INTERSTATE GOING 65 MPH THEN ALL SUDDEN MY NISSAN STARTED LOSING POWER FAST WHEN I PUSHED ON GAS WAS NOT READING. HAD TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD AND WE HAD CHECKED ALL FLUIDS AND LOOKED FOR ANY LEAKS WHICH ALL WAS GOOD. I HAD GOTTEN AND MY OIL CHANGED BEFORE MY TRIP. SAT ON SIDE INTERSTATE FOR 20 MINS TRY TO RESTART IT STARTED OK JUST HAD NO POWER LIKE GAS WAS NIT FLOWING RIGHT. WAITING ANOTHER 10 MINS TRYING AGAIN. FINALLY GAIN POWER AND WAS ABLE TO GET TO MY DESTINATION. HAD IT CHECKED BY SHOP COULDN'T FINE PROBLEM. THE CAR SOMETIME DON'T TURN OVER ON PUSH START AND I HAVE TO SLAM DOWN ON MY BREAK TO START IT ABOUT 5 TIMES TOOK TO NISSAN DEALER SAID THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHY IT KEEPS STICKING AND NOT TURNING OVER I ALSO HAD TO CHANGE MY BATTERY 3 TIMES FROM 2010 TO 2014 . WHICH THAT'S NOT GOOD. I SEE ALL THESE 2008 NISSANS GETTING RECALLED THEN I LOOK AT THE MY CAR AND HOW MUCH MONEY I HAD TO PAY OUT POCKET FOR THE SAME RECALLS ON OTHER NISSAN . FOUND OUT EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAS BEEN RECALLED ON MANY 2008 NISSANS BUT MINE AND THAT IS ONE OF PROBLEMS WRONG ! *TR

IT ALL STARTED A COUPLE MONTHS PRIOR WHEN MY BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON AND I COULD NOT FIND A LEAK OR FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEN I NOTICED THE BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING JUST COULDN'T FIND WHERE. WE REALIZED IT WAS THE MASTER CYLINDER AND REPLACED THAT AS WELL AS THE BOOSTER BOX (WHERE IT WAS LEAKING.) THAT MASTER CYLINDER WAS FAULTY AND WE HAD IT REPLACED AGAIN. IN MARCH I WAS DRIVING 12 HOURS BACK TO MY HOMETOWN FOR VACATION AFTER BEING TOLD MY CAR WAS OKAY AND MID TRIP I LOST MY BRAKES GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO MY TOWN USING THE LITTLE BRAKE I HAD LEFT SINCE THIS HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. THE SHOP THEN DOES MY PADS, CALIPERS, ROTORS THINKING THAT IS THE ISSUE SEEING AS I'VE BEEN THROUGH 2 MASTER CYLINDERS; THAT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM IT WAS ANOTHER FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER. THAT FINALLY WAS REPLACED AND SO FAR SO GOOD. THANKFULLY NOTHING HAPPENED TO ME BUT I COULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO A BAD ACCIDENT. I ALSO CALLED NISSAN TO BE REIMBURSED LIKE THE CAMPAIGN SAYS AND WAS DENIED. EVERYTHING ABOUT MY SITUATION FITS THE CAMPAIGN AND SEEING AS THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE I SHOULD AT LEAST BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR

RAMSEY NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED MY WORN ROTORS WITH "WARPED" ROTORS...I NEED REPLACEMENT OF BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS, ACCORDING TO RAMSEY NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INSTALLED, ALLEGEDLY, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURED BRAKES AND ROTORS TO REPLACE MY WORN PARTS. THE DAY I PICKED MY CAR BACK UP FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, I DROVE OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP PARKING LOT ONTO THE HIGHWAY - IT ONLY TOOK THE FIRST BRAKE, LITERALLY, GOING AT AROUND 40-50 MPH TO NOTICE THAT MY CAR WAS SHAKING. CONFUSED, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED NISSAN SERVICE TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT I WAS EXPERIENCING. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS THE NORMAL "BREAK IN" PERIOD FOR THE BRAKES AND THAT I WOULD LIKELY EXPERIENCE THIS FOR THE NEXT 500-1000 MILES; KEEP IN MIND THAT I HAD NO REASON TO NOT BELIEVE THEM AS I WAS CONFIDENT THEY HAD AT LEAST TESTED THE BRAKES/ROTORS BEFORE GIVING THE CAR BACK TO ME. APPROXIMATELY 5-6 WEEKS LATER, I WAS STILL EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE; NISSAN SERVICE LATER CONFIRMED THAT MY FRONT ROTORS WERE "WARPED". NISSAN SERVICE HAD ULTIMATELY INSTALLED INADEQUATE AND FAULTY ROTORS IN MY CAR. ACCORDING TO A INDIVIDUAL AUTO MECHANIC WHO RUNS INSPECTIONS, MY CAR WOULD IMMEDIATELY FAIL INSPECTION. CLEARLY, WITH THESE FAULTY ROTORS, MY BRAKING ABILITY WAS SEVERELY DIMINISHED; IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THE LAST THING I WOULD WANT TO BE UNSURE OF IS MY BRAKES/ROTORS, WHICH SHOULD BE WORKING 100 OUT OF 100 TIMES IN EXTREME SITUATIONS. THESE WERE ROTORS WOULD CAUSE MY CAR TO FAIL INSPECTION AND THUS PUT IN DANGER THE LIVES OF ME, MY FAMILY, AND THE PEOPLE AROUND ME. HAD I KNOWN THAT THESE WERE FAULTY ROTORS, I IMMEDIATELY WOULD HAVE HAD THEM REPLACED. BUT I DROVE AROUND FOR OVER A MONTH WITH A BRAKING SYSTEM THAT WOULD FAIL INSPECTION. *TR

IN DECEMBER OF 2012 MY CAR STARTED TO GIVE ME PROBLEMS WITH STARTING. (45000 MILES)I PUSH THE BRAKE AND PUSH TO START BUTTON, BUT ONLY THE LIGHTS COME ON. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT IS A BRAKE SWITCH PROBLEMS, AND THAT OTHERS HAVE COME IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE 2007 AND 2008 ALTIMA. THEY FIX THE PROBLEM FOR $268 WHICH WAS A COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY, BECAUSE IN APRIL 2013 AND THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENING AGAIN.(48000 MILES) I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACE THE BRAKE SWITCH FOR ME FOR FREE THIS TIME, AND SAID THAT IT MAYBE A BIGGER PROBLEM SUCH AS THE SUB HARNESS FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. BUT I WILL HAVE TO PAY $125 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS CHARGE AND I TOLD THEM TO CALL THE CORPORATE OFFICE HAVE THE ALTIMAS RECALLED AND SOME OTHER "KIND WORDS". I READ ONLINE FROM VARIOUS POSTS THAT OTHERS ALTIMAS 2007 AND 2008 ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. SO FOR NOW I AM LEFT TO PAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM OUT MY POCKET WHICH IS A COMPLETE HEADACHE, BECAUSE NISSAN SHOULD BE FULLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I HAD NOTICED MONTHS AGO THAT THE BRAKE PERFORMANCE WAS NOT UP TO PAR, BUT AS CONDITIONS WERE GENERALLY DRY, IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. I DID HAVE NEW ROTORS AND PADS INSTALLED AT 50,000 MILES, BUT HAD NO BETTER BRAKE PERFORMANCE. AS SOON AS WE EXPERIENCED SNOWY/ICY CONDITIONS IT BECAME A PROBLEM AS THE VEHICLE WOULD THEN SLIDE WITH THE BRAKES LOCKED, EVEN THOUGH SNOW TIRES WERE INSTALLED. I THEN DETERMINED THAT THE REAR BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AT ALL, AND THE HASH MARKS FROM MANUFACTURES GRINDING ON THE NEW REAR DISCS WAS VIRTUALLY UNTOUCHED. THE REAR BRAKES WERE BLED, AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AIR IN THE LINE WHICH POINTED TO A PROBLEM UPSTREAM. WITH THE REAR OF THE CAR RAISED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FULLY DEPRESSED, THE REAR WHEELS COULD STILL BE TURNED BY HAND. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER IS WEEPING AT THE BOOSTER. *TR

MY BRAKE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ON AND OFF. I HAD LESS THAN 25K MILES ON MY CAR. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE I HAVE READ OF NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS RE THIS ON THE INTERNET BUT NO KNOWN RECALL BY NISSAN. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND BRAKE FLUID IS LEAKING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE START THE VEHICLE AND TOOK IT TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,310 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKES BECAME UNRESPONSIVE, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEFT HAND AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL HOWEVER SHE WAS UNABLE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED BECAUSE THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY PARTS TO COMPLETE THE RECALL REPAIR. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS HAD ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO USE THE PUSH BUTTON IGNITION START AND APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES SEIZED ABNORMALLY AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THE CONTACT PLAYED AROUND WITH SEVERAL WIRES ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET THE VEHICLE TO START HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

PRESSED ON THE BRAKE WHILE PUSHING START BUTTON TO START CAR. CAR COULDN'T RECOGNIZE PRESSURE ON BRAKE AND WOULDN'T START. THIS HAPPENED ON 20+ OCCASIONS. AFTER A PERIOD OF 10-30 MINUTES EACH TIME, CAR WOULD EVENTUALLY START. *TR

THE PUSH START ENGINE IGNITION DEPENDS UPON PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO START THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START BECAUSE THE BRAKE PEDAL COULD NOT BE PRESSED COMPLETELY IN ORDER FOR THE PUSH START TO OPERATE CORRECTLY. THIS HAS SINCE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. WE MUST PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL A NUMBER OF TIMES IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. ACCORDING TO THE AUTO DEALER THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEM BUT UPON SEARCH OF THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND MANY CASES OF SIMILAR PROBLEM. NISSAN DEALER OFFERS TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PART AT A FEE. REQUEST THAT NISSAN TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAULTY BRAKE BUTTON THAT APPEARS TO BE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM ON MANY NISSAN ALTIMA VEHICLES. *TR

PURSUANT TO APPEARANCE OF BRAKE WARNING LIGHT VEHICLE TAKEN TO NISSAN DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT OF LEAKING MASTER CYLINDER. *TR

WHEN I PRESS ON THE BRAKE TO START THE ENGINE, IT WILL NOT START AND THE LIGHT ON THE DASH COMES AND SAYS PRESS THE BRAKE TO START. THE SWITCH DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THAT I AM PRESSING THE BRAKE. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT MAY HAPPEN EVERYDAY FOR A WEEK AND THEN MAY NOT HAPPEN AGAIN FOR 3 WEEKS. IF YOU PRESS THE BRAKE IN AND PRESS THE BUTTONS UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT HELPS TO RECOGNIZE THE PEDAL IS PRESSED. I HAVE CHECKED SEVERAL ON LINE FORUMS WHERE MANY CAR OWNERS HAVE POSTED THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH ALTIMAS OF SIMILAR YEAR MODELS 2007 TO 2010. *JS

THE FOOT BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON RANDOMLY DURING DRIVING. *TR