# 2003 Nissan Altima - Brake Problem

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-nissan-altima-brake-problem/15076>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [June 9, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-nissan-altima-brake-problem/15076 "2008-06-09T17:29:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![douglaae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c89c15/32.png) [@douglaae](https://community.cartalk.com/u/douglaae)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-nissan-altima-brake-problem/15076/1 "2008-06-09T17:29:05Z")

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Hello,  
  
  
  
 I recently got back from a 1 week vacation. My car sat in the hot airport parking lot all week. When I started it up and accelerated, it didn’t move but tried to lurch forward as if the emergency brake was on. I checked the brake to make sure it was off, tried again, and still was stuck. I accelerated hard, heard a loud “thump” and finally was moving. Now, when I decelerate, my brakes “pulse” where they were fine before. What the heck could’ve happened with my car just sitting there? It’s a 5-speed manual if that makes any difference… I left it in 1st gear, but didn’t have the emergency brake engaged while it sat. I also checked to see if anyone hit my car in the parking lot, but it looks fine. Could it have something to do with the very hot (90+) and humid temperatures in Cincinnati last week? Any help is greatly appreciated!  
  
  
  
 Thanks,  
  
  
  
 Andy

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**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-nissan-altima-brake-problem/15076/2 "2008-06-09T17:38:39Z")

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Sitting for a week should resulted in only some surface rust on the rotors, which would have been scraped off very quickly.

Brakes are nothing to fool with. Get them checked, pronto.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-nissan-altima-brake-problem/15076/3 "2008-06-09T22:53:42Z")

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Heat and humidity accelerate rusting. On Guam we could almost HEAR rust form! Sounds like the spots where the pads were now have a different coefficient of friction than the rest of the discs.

I agree with NYBo, get this checked and corrected. Brakes are nothing to fool with. You may just need new rotors.

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**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-nissan-altima-brake-problem/15076/4 "2008-06-09T23:12:27Z")

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While I agree with both mountain and NYBo I suspect that just driving it and using the brakes will clear it up. At most I suspect you will need a easy re-service of the two rotors that the parking brake works on.

The problem is that brakes are so important, I can’t recommend not getting it checked out by a professional As Soon As Possible and drive there carefully. At most it will mean a couple of new rotors.