Nissan Altima Complaints (2020)

161 consumer complaints on file.

#11717040February 10, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This is my second Altima I bought. A 2016 and a 2020. Both vehicles had issues where the car door wouldn't open from the inside or outside due to the lock system. If my car is "locked" and I go to open the drivers door,. it sets off the theft alarm system. These issues cause major issues because if I get into an accident and am not able to open the car door I could possibly die from not being able to get to me fast enough, sitting too long, etc the possibilities are endless. Not to mention I get up pretty early sometimes so to hear a theft alarm at full maximum volume is frustrating to say in simple terms. Other issues include the volume on my car will randomly turn to max volume or turns off. Essentially an error electronically that affects numerous aspects and integrity of the vehicle itself.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714289January 29, 2026
ENGINE
Message popped up while driving saying “engine malfunction power reduced service now”. Pairs with the check engine light coming on
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709354January 7, 2026
ENGINE
I received a Recall # R25B1 for my Nissan Altima 2020. I visited my local Nissan Dealer in Chelmsford, MA, on December 30, 2025. They explained that they saw an issue and that I would need a new engine. There are 32,000 miles on this vehicle. They began the process but were then told by Nissan Corporate that it did not meet the requirements of the recall, and they would not be replacing it. I am in the process of heading on a long driving trip and am very concerned with how this was handled. Nissan Customer Relations explained it wasn't covered under warranty, which has nothing to do with a recall. I am very frustrated and disappointed in Nissan. The mechanics at Nissan in Chelmsford took photos and sent them to Nissan, and they still denied it. With the car only having 32000 miles on it, it was probably if anything at the beginning of the failure. Please advise on going forward.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708655January 4, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Door lock actuator will not function properly, causing my car to “lock” with my keys inside the vehicle. This is available for inspection upon request. This is a safety hazard because my drivers side, and both back doors do not lock properly and can be accidentally opened when driving. Mount Airy Nissan has been notified of this problem and have inspected my vehicle, and agrees there’s an issue. There were no warnings or notifications displayed prior to them going out. I bought the vehicle in October of 2024 unknowing the back drivers side door lock actuator was already broken. After going into a store, and accidentally locking my keys inside the vehicle, I realized there was a problem with the lock since I was able to open the back driver side door without needing to press the unlock button on my key fob. After this realization, my back passenger side and driver side door lock actuator broke.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707102December 26, 2025
ENGINE
Need a new engine / gasket confirmed by pep boys. Been at the dealership a lot more than usual lately and they kept telling me everything is fine with my vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705488December 17, 2025
AIR BAGS
On October 31, 2025, I noticed the Check engine light was on, after inspecting the car at the closest car shop the technician noticed white powder on the driver side knee airbag cover. Next morning I brought my vehicle to Temecula Nissan telling about airbag powder leakage. But this issue was completely ignored by the Advisor, who for some reason decided to fix another issue but ignoring my airbag issue concern. When I tried insisting to inspect the airbag saying:" I worry it may unexpectedly deploy or not deploy in case of a car accident. And my nose and throat are very irritated possibly because of inhaling the powder", the advisor looked at the airbag cover finally noticing the powder and said:" It's not a problem, we will wipe the powder off", despite my concerns. When I came to pick up my vehicle, I asked if my airbag issue was taken care of and documentations have been provided, I was told "Yes, we sent you a link". But it was no information about airbag inspection request or what work was done on it. I immediately went to speak with General manager of Temecula Nissan, who promised to inspect and fix the airbag issue next workday but nobody contact me since then and message I left for the manager on the phone was completely ignored. After filing a complaint to Nissan Consumer Affairs, I was told that nothing they can do about it and advised to get a second opinion from another Nissan dealership. So I did. Pedder Nissan Advisors took my concerns seriously, they said that it is dangerous to drive my vehicle in that condition, they did an inspection and took my car to replace the defective airbag.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703886December 9, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the expressway. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the engine started knocking significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to slowly pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was later driven to the dealer, where it was test-driven. The dealer informed the contact that there was smoke coming from the vehicle, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703595December 7, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Locks no longer work with key fob or button within car and sometimes even takes multiple attempts to manually unlock. This poses a danger if needed to enter or exit the car in a hurry.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701365November 24, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am writing to request immediate assistance regarding the recall inspection for my 2020 Nissan Altima Platinum. Last week I received a letter notifying me of an open recall and instructing me to have my vehicle inspected. I brought my car to my local Nissan dealership on Saturday. During the inspection, I was told that metal debris was found in the engine and that the vehicle would need a full engine replacement. I was asked to leave the car at the dealership and was told I would receive a loaner vehicle on Monday. After waiting all day today for an update, I was informed that Nissan declined the engine replacement because the debris found did not “qualify” under the recall. I was told the dealership would clear the debris out of the engine and that I could pick up the car tomorrow. I am very concerned about this decision. Metal debris inside an engine—especially during an active recall related to engine failure—raises serious safety and reliability issues. Simply clearing out the debris does not address the root cause or provide confidence that the vehicle is safe to drive. This matter is urgent, as I must drive more than 1,000 miles soon to take my medically complex daughter to a children’s hospital. I need to trust that my vehicle is safe for long-distance travel. I am requesting a prompt review of my case and a second evaluation to determine whether an engine replacement or another appropriate remedy is necessary to ensure my vehicle’s safety.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700858November 21, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3 out of 4 of my doors have to be locked and unlocked by hand instead of using my Nissan key button to unlock my car. 3 of the motors are bad or it's some kind of electrical issue that goggle says is common in 2019 to 2020 Nissan Altimas. I feel like I shouldn't have to pay out of pocket myself to get this fixed if it's a noted common issue on goggle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11699694November 16, 2025
ENGINE
Unknown. The engine started have overheating issues but never was ran in the overheated zone. We took the car to the dealer and was told the head was cracked. We questioned how that was possible if we never ran it in the overheated zone. We were told they did not know but that several other Customers in the last few weeks have had the same issue. Then we heard about the recall but was told our car was not affected. It needs to be reevaluated. We never ran the car hot.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698768November 11, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
All 4 door lock actuators have failed, no warning lamps indicating this issue, first appeared in 2024. Car has been broken into as a result
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695757October 27, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA, STEERING
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695190October 23, 2025
AIR BAGS
2020 Nissan Altima involved in a 3 car collision. Altima was rear ended by a vehicle travelling approximately 50 MPH and forced Altima to rear end the vehicle in front of it. Vehicle is a total loss. No air bags deployed.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690643September 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My driver door does not lock and unlock automatically. This poses a risk because my door remains unlocked when I think that it is locked. Also, I have to go in through the backseat of the passenger seat in order to get in my car posing risk of someone coming up behind me. I had the back actuators replaced a couple of years ago, I asked about the front since the car was still under warranty and I was told they would not replace them since they were not acting up at the time. I was told at one point it would be around $800 to have the front ones repaired. The lock has been working intermittently probably for the last year and a half, but have now completely quit working.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687718September 16, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
THE VEHICLE HAS ACTIVATED A FALSE AEB ON SEVERAL OCASSIONS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT BACK TO NISSAN AND THEY STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO HAVE NO ISSUES. I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 5 YEARS AND IT CONTINUES TO OCCUR, NEARLY CAUSING A TRAFFIC COLLISION. TWICE THIS YEAR, THE VEHICLE MADE A COMPLETE STOP ON THE HWY AND TOOK A MINUTE BEFORE I COULD RESUME DRIVING.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685498September 6, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Many times while I'm driving, I feel a jerky motion. when I am at a stop light, and proceed to hit the accelerator, it will not pick up. I have lost power, the car will jerk while I'm driving. The RPM will rave go up. It's very dangerous because I can be driving and the engine will lose or reduced power. I get a whining sound, like my transmission, is gonna go out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685315September 5, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and a case was filed. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684292September 1, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, SUSPENSION, ENGINE
I been having issues with my car stalling out and not wanting to start I got the spark plugs replaced by a mechanic and then my car starts over heating I have my car looked at by a mechanic again and I’m told the engine is corrupt by oil and the fuel pump is bad my car can be inspected for this issue as it is having a lot more issues due to the Nissan recalls but my vin doesn’t cover it
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684347September 1, 2025
ENGINE
I’ve received notice that my car is subject to engine failure. I’m afraid to drive it and I need this issue fixed ASAP. What should I do?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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