Nissan Altima Complaints (2018)

226 consumer complaints on file.

#11671170July 3, 2025
ENGINE
There is a recall for altimas from years 2019-2021 with an issue where the engine will not start after the battery light on the dashboard comes on. After a few minutes the car will start up and ride like normal. This also happens in the 2018 model of the altima. This happened to us multiple times. The battery is good, and there is no reason for the engine not to start right aqay. Why is there no recall for the 2018 models?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670362June 30, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The driver's side door lock actuator stopped working around June 2024. Haven't replaced it yet, but bought another part. Read where others are having same issue. Just in the last couple of weeks, around June 15th, 2025, my rear driver's side door actuator stopped working as well. I have to crfrawl in from the other side and unlock the doors. Safety issue since the doors do not lock or unlock.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666391June 11, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Anytime I pull my hood release, my hood never opens & I hear no click .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665217June 6, 2025
AIR BAGS
The airbag light in the dashboard always stays lit. It has been worked on at the dealership multiple times and they get it to go out only for it to come back on. It’s concerning not knowing if there is a problem with the airbags itself. This has been on going for years. It started around when my car had 34000-35000 miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664048May 30, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES
I’ve had to replace the break sensor a few times and it’s unusual… My check engine light came on and it reads the code for the catalyst converter.., the auto part store saw a recall on this for my make and model but not seeing it here . The code was cleared and hasn’t came back on yet but I’m anticipating it will .. these two issues need to be further looked into please
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11660953May 14, 2025
POWER TRAIN
It seems to be the transmission intermittently. I'd stop, push down on the accelerator and would go like a few MPH. Then it would lunge forward and I'd have to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me. The other thing was it didn't seem to shift from first gear - I ended up redlining it at 7000rpm when only going 45mph. I've read that there is a problem with Nissan cars and the CVT. In answer to your questions: You can inspect it. At a stop/light, I'm always afraid the accelerator will start out slow and then lunge forward and eventually I'll hit another vehicle. The dealer couldn't reproduce the issue after having the vehicle 6 days. After 3, they "re-programmed" as the service manager said it was out-of-date and that doing so may fix the problem. They then tested for a further 3 days and couldn't reproduce it. Vehicle has only been inspected by the local Nissan dealer. There were no warning lights or messages before or after these incidents.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661002May 14, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Took car for inspection check engine light on will not pass mechanic said same issueue as recall PC716. Said was under recall nissan recall does not include the vin so would not repair need to add vin to recall since it is same issue. Can not drive until repaired.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11649572March 20, 2025
AIR BAGS
I’m getting an Air Bag warning light showing up on my dash. i took it to the Nissan dealer and its error code B0020-13 which comes up as a Left seat side air bag open error. Apparently the wiring going from the connector under the seat up to the side air bag is intermittently opening up depending what position the seat is in. Nissan said the entire top part of the seat needs to be replaced, very expensive, $2,500.00 to $3,000. This is a big safety problem since this is a common problem with this model from all the research I have done. This is obviously an engineering problem with how the cable is ran or quality of the cable and should be Nissans responsibility not the owner of the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11648348March 14, 2025
AIR BAGS
The airbag light appeared on my dashboard in late December. On 1/8/25, I took it to Auto Nation Nissan in Tempe to have it checked. They determined that the driver's side seat back needed to be replaced. That is where the airbag sensor is located. As of today, 3/14/25, they still do not have an ETA for the seat back. I have been driving for almost 3 months now without the airbags working. I also contacted Nissan corporate, and get the same response - they can't get an ETA for the seat back that is needed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646012March 3, 2025
AIR BAGS
Shortly after purchasing my 2018 Nissan Altima (new), there was a recall concerning the passenger side airbag. I took the car to the dealer and had it serviced. Months later, there was a second recall and I took it back promptly; however, the dealer said that nothing was wrong. It was already serviced. I indicated that I had received a second notice. Some time passed, and the same airbag light indicator came on and stayed on. I took my vehicle back to the dealer. This time, they wanted to charge me thousands of dollars. I indicated that this is the same problem from the beginning and I was going to file a lawsuit. The dealer claimed to have fixed the sensor and told me it was a complimentary charge based on "goodwill". The same sensor light is on again. I have had no accidents and I have not had my car serviced for any electrical issues. It was inspected and passed with a warning to get the sensor taken care of. The original dealer has now sold to another Nissan dealer. I need to be sure that I am safe should I have a situation where the passenger side airbag needs to deploy. This is not fair to me. I have never bought a used car and this is the first car I have continuously had unresolved issues with. Please advise.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11635108January 9, 2025
ENGINE
Vehicle turned off on a red light. The vehicle was on drive, my foot on the brake waiting for the green light, the car then died while waiting. Check engine light is on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632878December 28, 2024
SUSPENSION, POWER TRAIN
For the transmission I was driving at normal speed in the freeway when out of no where the car started to jerk and lost power I almost got hit by the car behind me it was a traumatizing experience for me and my son I haven’t gotten my car to get repaired because as a single mother it is very hard on me and with the suspension it had been making loud squeezing noise from my rear suspension and it has gotten worst now it’s embarrassing to be driving my daughters father in law also had an Altima and it had the same suspension issues
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11618172October 4, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My back doors do not lock with the FOB or the interior door lock/unlock button. I have to manually unlock and lock my rear doors. This is a defect that Nissan is well aware of and seems to not care. My car only has 63,000 miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11613307September 8, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Cvt transmission, yes its available for inspection. Loss complete horsepower on highway after it jerked. Kids in car at time. Took it to the autozone to get printout after check engine light came on, then took it next morning to dealership which did confirm that my transmission is in failure. Have printout confirming my concern. No lights were on I had just an oil change before getting on the highway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11612448September 3, 2024
POWER TRAIN
I want formally lodge a complaint regarding a serious issue with a 2018 Nissan Altima that I purchased from a Nissan dealership on [XXX]. The vehicle, which had 107,000 miles at the time of purchase, has exhibited a critical failure. On [XXX], while I was accelerating to change lanes in rush hour traffic, the car began jerking and suddenly slowed down. This malfunction nearly resulted in a dangerous collision with an 18-wheeler and caused me to be run off the road. This incident could have been catastrophic, and it deeply concerns me, especially since this vehicle was intended for my daughter's commute to and from school. Following this, I had the car towed to the Nissan dealership and was informed that it requires a new transmission. I am shocked to learn that the cost to replace the transmission is $6,200. This is particularly distressing given that I purchased the car less than four months ago and was unaware of the known issues with the CVT transmission. It is unacceptable that vehicles with faulty transmissions are still being sold without adequate warning or extended warranties. Nissan should be required to provide clear disclaimers about potential transmission issues before a sale. The lack of transparency and the high cost of repairs are deeply troubling. Given the severity of this situation and the potential risks involved, I believe that Nissan should take immediate action to address these concerns. The warranty should be extended, and there should be clear warnings provided to potential buyers about the risks associated with the transmission. The current lack of empathy and action from Nissan is disappointing and unacceptable. I urge you to review this situation promptly and provide a satisfactory resolution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11603820July 22, 2024
AIR BAGS
UNKNOWN air bags lights turn off and on on the passenger side. No air bag light remains on all of the time of the driver side
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11602463July 15, 2024
AIR BAGS, SEATS
Air bag dash warning light came on. Brought to dealer. They"fixed". Light came back on few days later. brought back to dealer. They said drivers side seat frame with air bag needs to be replaced. they ordered part & said 2 week wait. Called dealer back 2 weeks later & they said part not released by Nissan. Called Nissan consumer affairs. They informed me they have no ETA when parts will be available/shipped. Been about 2 months since first contact with dealer & have no idea if/when will be repaired. See recalls on older Altima & am wondering if this is an issue Nissan is not addressing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11596286June 24, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights were not functioning properly. The contact stated that the headlights were very dim. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11595112June 18, 2024
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the hood latch inadvertently unlatched, and the hood raised up and fell onto the windshield and cracked the windshield. The contact was able to drive a short distance to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the windshield was replaced. The contact stated that she was informed by the Insurance provider that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the contact never received the recall notification letter. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11594085June 13, 2024
AIR BAGS
My airbag light is on..
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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