Your vehicle report
2017 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
- 393
- Received May 2017 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Unintended acceleration despite braking45 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbag warning light stays on35 complaints · 8.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3CVT transmission fails or loses power30 complaints · 7.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #20V315000Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
- Recall #18V915000Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. The door latch-lock cable may not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied. As a result, the cable may interfere with the window regulator causing the rear passenger door to unlatch and inadvertently open without warning when the window is lowered.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Airbag warning light stays onFirst signal: Feb 2022 · Recent surge
- CVT transmission fails or loses powerFirst signal: Jul 2019
- Engine won't start or cranks intermittentlyFirst signal: Jul 2026
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 24 crashes, 7 fires, 23 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
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
1 more problem
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 |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 23 |
| 2019 | 38 |
| 2020 | 78 |
| 2021 | 46 |
| 2022 | 45 |
| 2023 | 50 |
| 2024 | 44 |
| 2025 | 38 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 22 |
| Total | 393 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 45 | 11% | 2.2× | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 35 | 8.9% | 28.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Feb 2022 · Recent surge Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 2.1% |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 30 | 7.6% | 49.7× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jul 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.3% |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 24 | 6.1% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 21 | 5.3% | 2.2× | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 16 | 4.1% | 3.5× | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 15 | 3.8% | 3.4× | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 9 | 2.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 8 | 2.0% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 8 | 2.0% | – | |
| Hood latch fails and hood flies open | 7 | 1.8% | – | NHTSA recall #20V315000 |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 6 | 1.5% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 5 | 1.3% | – | NHTSA recall #17V040000, #18V915000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 4 | 1.0% | 13.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jul 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.6% |
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 #20V315000May 28, 20201,831,818 vehicles affected
latches/locks/linkages: hood: latch
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. If the primary latch is inadvertently released again and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a stronger release spring in the hood release lever, a warning label near the secondary hood latch, and an Owner’s Manual addendum card with instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: Recall 16V-029 remains open for any unremedied 2013-2015 Altimas and this recall applies to all vehicles covered by 16V-029 even if those repairs have already been performed.
NHTSA recall #18V915000December 19, 2018341,003 vehicles affected
latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch; structure: emergency: escape/egress/exit
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. The door latch-lock cable may not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied. As a result, the cable may interfere with the window regulator causing the rear passenger door to unlatch and inadvertently open without warning when the window is lowered.
If the rear passenger door opens while the vehicle is moving, the rear passengers have an increased risk of injury.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will secure the latch-lock cables in the correct position using the new remedy procedure, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7669.
NHTSA recall #17V040000January 18, 2017341,005 vehicles affected
latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles. The rear door latch/lock cable on the vehicles may have been improperly routed. As a result, lowering a rear window may inadvertently cause that door to unlatch and open.
If the rear passenger doors inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, it may increase the risk of injury to the rear passengers.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will correct the rear door latch/lock cable routing, free of charge. The recall began on February 16, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service 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 2017 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