Nissan Altima Reliability Problems

Front 3/4 view of a Nissan Altima

Altima owners have made 4,814 complaints over 28 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it dead last in overall reliability, with significant engine and transmission concerns.

13 Common Nissan Altima Problems

A list of some of the most common issues Altima owners have to deal with.

  2. Visor Keeps Falling Down

    Cars are complicated and can break in many ways. So it's nice to have a couple things you can just rely on #working. Outside of the stalwart cup holder, I'd argue that another hero of the interior is the humble sun visor. And yet Nissan fou…

    Continue reading article "Visor Keeps Falling Down" A busted Nissan sun visor with a headslap emoji

  5. Altima Rusted Floorboards

    Altima owners have a dangerous problem lurking beneath their feet. The 3rd generation (2002-06) sedan has floorboards that seem particularly susceptible to corrosion. The result? Widespread rust that’s often concealed by the interior carpet…

    Continue reading article "Altima Rusted Floorboards" I see London, I see ... OMG is that the road?

  6. Sunroof Rattles and Explodes

    Heads up, Nissan owners! That giant piece of glass above your head may soon be on its way down in a thousand little pieces. Lawsuits accuse Nissan of using a faulty tempering process for their sunroofs since 2008.

    Continue reading article "Sunroof Rattles and Explodes" Nissan sunroof with giant shards of glass missing

  7. Altima's Dim Headlights

    The low-beam headlights in the 5th generation Altima are dangerously dim, and it has nothing to do with the bulb. The problem is worst in the 2013-2015 model years as material inside the assembly breaks down creating a less effective headla…

    Continue reading article "Altima's Dim Headlights"

  8. Timing Chain Defects

    Nissan says their timing chains are just noisy, but not defective. Try telling that to the owners who have seen loose timing chains rattled their engines apart, resulting in thousands of dollars in damages.

    Continue reading article "Timing Chain Defects" Overhead view of a busted timing chain

  9. Inaccurate Fuel Gauge

    That's because a wide swath of Nissan vehicles have gas gauges that never read full even after filling up, stop working below 1/4 of a tank, or show a low fuel warning even when there's plenty of miles to go. In other words, they're complet…

    Continue reading article "Inaccurate Fuel Gauge" Fuel gauge with the arrow on empty

  10. Steering Wheel Locked

    Nissan owners are fed up with not being able to start their cars due to a ESCL defect. A new service campaign means defective steering locks will be fixed (at least in some models)…

    Continue reading article "Steering Wheel Locked" Push start ignition with start crossed out and replaced with stop

What Altima Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

Full Lists on CarComplaints.com

Altima Generations

The Altima has 6 generations, each with their own issues. Using the same PainRank™ system we've determined that you're better off avoiding the 5th generation (2013–2018).

Altima Key Numbers

  1. 4,814 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  2. 589 service bulletins

    Documenting the process of troubleshooting common problems.

  3. 55 recall campaigns

    Time-sensitive, free repairs for widespread safety problems.

Altima Class-Action Lawsuits

The Altima has been named as a class vehicle in the following lawsuits.

  • Miller, et al., v. Nissan North America, Inc.

    1. Case Filed

      A Nissan Altima hood latch class action lawsuit alleges a recall hasn't done anything to fix the cars, and neither have three other hood latch recalls for Altima cars. The class action alleges 2013-2018 Altima drivers are in danger from hoods that suddenly fly open while driving, allegedly a problem Nissan doesn't know how to properly repair.

  • Motion to dismiss

    David Turner, et al., v. Nissan North America, Inc., et al.

    1. Motion to dismiss

      A Nissan AEB (automatic emergency braking) malfunction class action lawsuit will continue after the federal judge ruled against most of Nissan's motion to dismiss the complaint.

    2. Case Filed

      This forward emergency braking lawsuit alleges the system malfunctions,suddenly and unexpectedly braking on railroad tracks, bridges, intersections and other locations. Instead of protecting drivers, the Nissan lawsuit alleges the systems create perfect conditions for rear-end and side crashes.

  • Settlement

    Duncan, et al., v. Nissan North American, Inc., et al.

    1. Settlement

      A Nissan timing chain lawsuit has been preliminarily settled after vehicle owners accused Nissan of selling six models with defective primary timing chain tensioners, timing chain guides, secondary timing chain tensioners and tensioner shoes.

    2. Case Filed

      A Nissan timing chain class-action lawsuit is working its way through the court system as the automaker succeeded in getting some claims dismissed while the judge allowed other allegations to continue.

    Problem
    Timing Chain Defects
    Class Vehicles
    • 2004-2006 Altima
    • 2005-2010 Frontier
    • 2004-2008 Maxima
    • 2004-2009 Quest
    • 2005-2010 Pathfinder
    • 2005-2010 Xterra
    Location
    Massachusetts
  • Settlement

    Vincent Chiarelli, et al. vs. Nissan North America Inc. and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

    1. Settlement

      Nissan timing chain lawsuits have been consolidated and preliminarily settled after vehicle owners accused Nissan of selling six models with defective primary timing chain tensioners, timing chain guides, secondary timing chain tensioners and tensioner shoes.

    2. Case Filed

      A Nissan timing chain lawsuit accuses Nissan of manufacturing some of its most popular models with defective timing chain tensioning systems.

    Problem
    Timing Chain Defects
    Class Vehicles
    • 2004-2006 Altima (with 2 VQ35 engine)
    • 2005-2010 Frontier (with VQ40 engine)
    • 2004-2008 Maxima
    • 2004-2009 Quest
    • 2005-2010 Pathfinder
    • 2005-2010 Xterra
    Class Members
    Residents of New York or Florida or Maryland or New Jersey
    Location
    New York
  • Settlement

    Gann, et al., v. Nissan North America.

    1. Settlement

      The lawsuit was consolidated as part of a Nissan CVT settlement which was preliminarily approved after an owner alleged the continuously variable transmissions in 2013-2016 Altimas are defective.

    2. Case Filed

      A Nissan Altima transmission recall should have been ordered long ago, that's according to a proposed class-action lawsuit that alleges 2013-2014 Altimas shake, shudder, make noise, hesitate and finally fail from transmission failures.

Recent Altima News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. A lawsuit claiming Nissan's automatic emergency braking (AEB) system has dangerous defects will continue in court

    following a U.S. District Court judge tossing out the automaker's motion to dismiss. AEB systems monitor the road and can apply the brakes if the system detects a collision is imminnent. But according to the lawsuit, Nissan's AEB detects items that aren't there and can randomly bring the car to a screeching halt.…

    keep reading article "Nissan Wanted An Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Lawsuit Tossed. It Didn't Work."

  2. Nissan says error code P0087 could be a sign your Altima is about to go up in flames

    which is problematic. That's why they're recalling the 2019 model year to prevent possible fuel leaks and, subsequently, possible fires.

    The automaker learned that retainer clips meant to hold the low-pressure fuel lines onto the high-pressure fuel pumps weren’t locked into position during manufacturing. That’ll likely cause fuel to leak out and error code P0087 to trigger the check engine light. Of course, you might not notice the light since you’re too distracted by the wall of flames where your car once sat.

    keep reading article "Nissan Error Code P0087 Means Your Altima is About to Go Up in Flames"

  3. Nissan is recalling 341,000 Altima sedans for the second time to stop the rear doors from unlatching when the windows are rolled down.

    The door’s latch-lock cable is interfering with the window regulator and previous attempts to re-route the cable didn’t work.

    Nissan’s new plan involves a different route for the cable and harness clips to keep everything in place. Whoever came up with the first plan should be shown the door.

    keep reading article "Altima Doors Are Still Unlatching Despite Previous Recall"

  5. Nissan wants a judge to toss out a CVT lawsuit that they claim doesn’t point out any specific defects.

    The Massachusetts lawsuit says Nissan promoted their CVT as having a fluid-like performance, but that couldn’t be further from the truth for owners of the 2013-2014 Altima.

    The judge says the allegations are plainly sufficient and will allow the case to move forward.

    keep reading article "Altima CVT Lawsuit Allowed to Move Forward in Massachusetts Court"

See All Altima News

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