Your vehicle report
2011 Nissan Altima
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 242
- Received Mar 2011 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares24 complaints · 9.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2CVT transmission fails or loses power24 complaints · 9.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips16 complaints · 6.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #11V371000Nissan is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 nissan altima sedan vehicles manufactured from april 25, 2011, through june 10, 2011 at the canton, mississippi plant. The transverse link bolt may not have been torqued to the proper specification. This condition could cause the bolt to become loose while the vehicle is being driven, creating a rattling noise and vibration.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 11 crashes, 5 fires, 9 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 7 |
| 2012 | 15 |
| 2013 | 16 |
| 2014 | 12 |
| 2015 | 17 |
| 2016 | 21 |
| 2017 | 24 |
| 2018 | 38 |
| 2019 | 37 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 15 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 3 |
| Total | 242 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares | 24 | 9.9% | – | |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 24 | 9.9% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 16 | 6.6% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 14 | 5.8% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 13 | 5.4% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 12 | 5.0% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 7 | 2.9% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 7 | 2.9% | – | NHTSA recall #11V371000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Hood latch fails and hood flies open | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Dashboard cracks near passenger airbag | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 3 | 1.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #11V371000July 19, 201120,000 vehicles affected
suspension
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Nissan Altima sedan vehicles manufactured from april 25, 2011, through june 10, 2011 at the canton, mississippi plant. The transverse link bolt may not have been torqued to the proper specification. This condition could cause the bolt to become loose while the vehicle is being driven, creating a rattling noise and vibration.
If the bolt comes out completely, the driver may experience difficulty controlling the direction of the vehicle which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Nissan will replace the transverse link bolts and nuts and tighten them to the proper torque specification free of charge. The safety recall began on august 8, 2011. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2011 Nissan Altima.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN