Nissan Altima Complaints (2017)

393 consumer complaints on file.

#11716581February 8, 2026
AIR BAGS
No initial incident created this problem. The airbag light randomly comes on for driver left side airbag. It has never been deployed, nor has the vehicle had any impact or damage. The computer shows fault code B0020-13 (AB Side Module Open). Despite resetting it, the light will only stay off for a while. It appears as occasional short in the sensor but I have been told to replace the whole seat. Several owners discuss the same issue on this car in Nissan forums. I've never gotten the code to show as "active" only "past" but nobody can tell me if this will impact whether the airbag will deploy in an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11715966February 5, 2026
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the hood unexpectedly opened and struck and cracked the windshield. Additionally, the driver’s and passenger’s side fenders were damaged. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,217.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701902November 28, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Just bought a 2017 Nissan Altima SR. Took it for a ride. Attempted to merge into traffic and the car had zero acceleration once I merged and then the transmission seemed to completely disengage. The RPMs week to around 3500 so I quickly had to pull off so as not to get rear ended. Brought the car to a stop and attempted several times to push the gas but the car would not pick up any momentum. I eventually turned the car off and waited a couple minutes. I restarted the car and placed it in drive and the car accelerated like a turtle but eventually got up to 30 mph. I turned around and headed back home and parked the car. Calling my mechanic to see if he has any knowledge related to these damn CVT transmission. Not sure why these cars aren't barred from being resold like they did with the Volkswagon. I feel raped.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700092November 18, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linnkages) for the hood latch and was taken to the dealer, who completed the remedy on June 3, 2025. After the remedy had been completed, while decelerating and coming to a stop at approximately 20 MPH, the hood of the vehicle suddenly lifted, hitting the windshield, causing it to fracture in many places, with some pieces of glass completely detaching. The rear-view mirror had detached as a result. The contact received many cuts from the glass. The contact contacted the police and later filed a police report. The vehicle was towed to a friend's home. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who had not diagnosed the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 242,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11697998November 6, 2025
ENGINE
Check engine light came on will not go off transmission fluid burnt replaced transmission fluid because transmission was slipping out of gear not finding the correct gear I do believe it was starting off in second gear instead of first. Drive slightly better in manual after fluid gets warm but not overheating the car will start jerking and threatening to kill losing power in the accelerator and going uphill also having trouble with the car going into reverse and drive. I had no choice but to replace the transmission fluid myself due to lack of funds and now dealership refuses to touch my vehicle for repairs. I called Nissan to make a complaint and they hung up on me. Car was just paid off October of 2024. This situation with my transmission began November of 2025.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696679October 30, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Check engine light came on at approximately 96,000 miles in which vehicle would have a delayed acceleration upon stepping on gas pedal or going up hills. Took it to 3 different mechanics including Nissan dealer and all confirmed a CVT failure and need a replacement. Nissan of America is refusing to help even after there have been documented lawsuits and known issues with the CVT failing. This is unsafe and a recall is needed not just an extended warranty that doesn’t help consumers who are over the 7 years but still under 100,000 miles like me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687696September 16, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, POWER TRAIN
My CVT transmission has been replaced three times by Nissan. I am currently on the third CVT transmission and it has failed requiring a fourth CVT transmission replacement. I was in a few different situations each time the trasmission failed that were unsafe. I've been at intersections, trying to accelerate forward when the stop light turns green causing me to stop in the middle of intersections or accelerate slowly through the intersection which is very dangerous. I've been on the highway going normal highway speeds over 60mph when I would lose power and try to keep my speed and my car would stay in the 15mph - 40mph, having to turn my hazard lights on so other drivers know I'm having issues accelerating. The first time I took my car to the dealership, they could not recreate the issue after having my vehicle for 30 days. I received my car back and the engine light finally came on after some time and I immediately took my car to the dealership where they confirmed the CVT transmission was the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685278September 5, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front headlights failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the front headlights were dim. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an Extended Warranty Program for the failure; however, the Extended Warranty had expired in 2023. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,850
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685138September 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
The 2017 Nissan Altima has a delay in acceleration when the gas pedal is pressed. I couldn't accelerate pass 35-40 mph when I was driving. Thankfully it was bumper to bumper traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681512August 19, 2025
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the overhead console dislodged from the ceiling and fell downward, striking the driver on the head. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who determined that the clips attaching the console to the interior ceiling of the vehicle had failed, causing the console to detach and fall. The contact was informed that the console needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 64,300.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680760August 14, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Transmission
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677018July 29, 2025
AIR BAGS, SEATS
As appears to be the case with many other 2017 Nissan Altima drivers, the light indicating the Passenger Side Air Bag is OFF remains on even when adults are in the seat. When the dealership took a look at the issue, they said the Occupant Control Sensor System required replacement, and quoted ~$1,000 to fix this issue. This is a cost we weren't able to bear, and so we have had to use the car with NO functional passenger side airbags for several years. The OCS failed approximately 5 years after the car was purchased. For a safety-critical feature, it is concerning that there is no remedy for the public. This issue appears identical to the OCS problem identified in NHTSA Campaign #16V-244 (Reference #NTB16-054b) from August 25, 2016. It appears that the 2017 Nissan Altima was excluded from this recall, despite suffering the same manufacturing issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676744July 28, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective air bag sensor and was informed that the air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The dealer reset the air bag warning light, but the warning light returned. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 82,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675649July 23, 2025
ENGINE
The 2017 Nissan Altima has a delay in acceleration when the gas pedal is pressed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674744July 19, 2025
ENGINE
2017 Nissan Altima with CVT transmission losses acceleration while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673064July 12, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
A few months ago, while at a stop light my car would not acceleration, I depressed the pedal all the way to the floor and there was no movement but rpm’s went up to 4000. I was almost rear ended as I was attempting to go. The car suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed and drove normal. This occurrence happened intermittently a couple times, and is really dangerous while making left hand turns and almost being hit in the intersection. I took it to a shop to get a diagnostic but the mechanic said that since there was no check engine light or codes he’d “just be guessing.” I have been driving the car for sometime now without any issues. Last week I went an hour out of town and my car suddenly loss power on the highway while going 70 mph. It decelerated to 40 mph and would not go faster. I had to pull off the highway crossing 3 lanes of traffic barely going 40 mph. When I got to the shoulder, I turned my car off and waited a few minutes before turning it back on and the car drove fine for maybe 10 miles before it lost power again. I noticed a loud whining noise while accelerating and a smell of transmission fluid. It took me 2 hours to get home being I had to continue to pull over every 5-10 miles which seemed to reset the transmission. I had it towed to a different repair shop the next day and once again no check engine light, no codes and the car had not shown any reported symptoms, so the mechanics hands where tied but he did say that the CVT transmission in Nissan Altimas have been a major issue and of it is indeed the transmission it would cost 3k-6k for repairs. If this is truly an issue with Nissan’s CTV transmissions then there needs to be a recall and the repair should be covered. The sudden failure of engine mechanics is a safety risk for all drivers and needs to be investigated before Nissan is hit with a wrongful death suit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672902July 11, 2025
STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:SUN VISOR
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side sun visor independently detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with sun visor failure. The contact was informed that the driver's side sun visor assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the failure impaired driving visibility. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671582July 7, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the engine and oxygen sensor warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the oxygen sensor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired, the oxygen sensor warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken for an oil change and the certified mechanic determined that the spark plugs, and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the #4-cylinder head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the warning lights remained illuminated. The contact stated that the gear shifter seized, and the contact used a key to unlock the gear shifter. The contact also became aware that the oil level was continually low. The vehicle was taken to a Certified Mechanic again, who tested the cylinders and diagnosed and determined that the cylinders had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671226July 4, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Transmission was completely replaced by Nissan 8/2023 after failing. June 2025 transmission fails again is needs yet another complete replacement. Nissan will not assist. Claims "warranty period" expired. BRAND NEW transmission fails in under 2 years and around 10k miles???
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669034June 24, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, POWER TRAIN
When driving down the street car shuts off lights flicker on and off continuously sometimes it don’t turn back on sometimes it does but I usually just coast until it turns back on very dangerous if on freeway or heavy traffic also the brake light and and trac lights go on when this happens. When stepping on gas the rpm’s go up really high like the transmission is going out
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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