2014 Nissan Altima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Exterior lighting is the leading concern among 1,113 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 26 Altima model years with reports.
Of the 2014 reports, 51 involved a crash and 8 involved a fire. 58 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchMay 28, 2020
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.
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 Owners 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.
Campaign 20V315000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationDec 19, 2016
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant.
If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 16V911000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationApr 26, 2016
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
Campaign 16V244000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchJan 22, 2016
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 6, 2012, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
These vehicles were previously included in recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116, however the previous remedy plan may not have been performed consistently to remove the safety risk. To correct this issue, Nissan will re-notify all affected owners and dealers will replace the hood latch with a new one, free of charge. The recall began on February 17, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116.
Campaign 16V029000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalOct 20, 2015
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 15V681000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasolineAug 4, 2015
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 18, 2015. On October 14, 2015, Nissan expanded the recall to cover an additional 41,388 vehicles, including certain model year 2013-2015 Altima 3.5 vehicles equipped with a V6 engine manufactured March 30, 2012, to August 18, 2015 as well as the vehicles covered by the July 31, 2015 notification. In the affected vehicles, due to an improperly installed o-ring that may not have been seated correctly at the time of assembly, fuel may leak during a crash from the area where the fuel sending unit attaches to the fuel tank.
If fuel leaks from between the fuel sending unit and the tank, it may increase the risk of a fire in the event of a crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer ring between the fuel tank and the fuel sending unit. The recall began on September 28, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 15V486000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchFeb 27, 2015
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will be instructed to modify the bend angle of the hood actuation lever to eliminate potential interference with the hood inner panel. In addition, dealers will clean and lubricate the latch joint as needed. If significant corrosion is observed, the latch assembly will be replaced. This repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 14V-565.
Campaign 15V116000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareMar 25, 2014
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 14V138000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: exterior lighting
299 reports, newest first. Show all
Exterior lighting, Feb 9, 2022
IT'S A ROAD HAZARD YOU CAN NOT SEE AT NIGHT DUE TO THE LOW CAPACITY OF LIGHTING ON THE VEHICLE. THE LOW BEAM IS NOT ACTIVE DRIVING WITH A HIGH BEAM ON THE SHINES AS IF YOU HAD THE LOW BEAM ON. ON A VEHICLE AND HAVING TO CALL FOR A RIDE AT NIGHT. THE LIGHTING SYSTEM CLEARLY HAS SOME MALFUNCTIONING. NISSAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PROBLEM IT NOT THE BULBS IT IS ACTUALLY THE HEAD LAMPS
Exterior lighting, Jan 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the headlamps failed to illuminate as needed for safe driving. The contact stated that the high-beam headlights were used while driving at night. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to a website informing him of a previously settled lawsuit. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000. The VIN was invalid.
Exterior lighting, Jan 27, 2022
The low beam headlights are almost non existent. The only way to get sufficient lighting for nighttime driving is to use the hi beam lights exclusively. There is no safe speed to operate vehicle with only the low beams. It is not an issue with bulbs, but rather the entire headlight assembly. I will put a date in the "additional details" box, but it is an issue that has been an ongoing degradation of the lights and not a date specific problem.
Exterior lighting, Jan 27, 2022
My 2014 Nissan Altima has dangerously dim headlights. At night driver and passengers cannot tell the lights are on. In foggy, rainy, and snow conditions at night, they are virtually useless. I have had new bulbs installed, which did not improve the problem. I have been told the problem emanates from a manufacturer defect in the headlight assembly. Both headlight assemblies must be replaced, which is very costly. This safety issue could cause a traffic accident. We often must turn the high beams on just to see the roadway. This could also cause another driver to be blinded.
Exterior lighting, Dec 12, 2021
The headlights are failing. We have replaced the bulbs and it does not fix the issue. When driving at night, we must use the high beams. This issue is a hazarded and could lead to hitting an object in the road due to the failure of the head lights.
Exterior lighting, Dec 9, 2021
My headlights are dimming. I’ve had the bulbs replaced, my battery replaced and the wiring checked. No one can seem to find why these are dimming
Exterior lighting, Dec 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the contact noticed that the headlights were very dim, making it difficult to see the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the dealer refused to repair the vehicle. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
Exterior lighting, Nov 27, 2021
Lights are very dimmed at night even the high beam. Can barely see at night when driving. Lights need to be changed to a brighter set ASAP before an accident or death happens.
Suspension, Exterior lighting, Nov 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, a grinding sound was present coming from the rear of the vehicle. While driving over a bump in the road, the rear of the vehicle collapsed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear suspension had detached, and the front and rear axles were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. Additionally, the front low-beam headlights had stopped operating and the bulbs were replaced but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not yet contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000
Exterior lighting, Nov 15, 2021
WITH HEADLIGHTS ON DIM IT LOOKS AS IF THE LIGHTS ARE NOT ON AT ALL VERY DIM TO NO VISIBILTY. HAVE TO DRIVE WITH LIGHTS ON BRIGHT.
Exterior lighting, Nov 8, 2021
Front lights very dim, cracked light covers
Exterior lighting, Oct 31, 2021
Headlights are very dim to the point it's a safety issue. Only getting worse over time and it looks like I have no headlights on . Have to drive with brights on to see road and other cars can see me .
Exterior lighting, Oct 23, 2021
Lowbeam headlight projector malfunction. Even with replacement, low beam lights are not lighting the road.
Exterior lighting, Sep 26, 2021
Head lights are not visible when on low beam at night
Exterior lighting, Sep 26, 2021
dangerously low headlight visibility. replaced headlight at Nissan a month ago and still dim headlight.
Exterior lighting, Sep 22, 2021
As many other complaints I have seen on here, the headlights on the car go dim over time. If we can switch the bulb, that would be great but that doesn't solve the issue. I can barely see at night when driving. I avoid driving at night because of that reason. The manufacturer should be responsible for replacing these for the customer. We shouldn't have to wait for someone to get hurt or worse before something is done about this.
Exterior lighting, Sep 15, 2021
Low beam head lights are not bright enough. I have replaced the bulbs 2 times, but no improvement at all. it is dangerous to drive with this light at nights.
Exterior lighting, Sep 14, 2021
The lights are horrible on a Nissan Altima 2014. I have changed the bulbs 3 different times and it does not help. I am forced to drive with my bright lights on just to be able to see. This is a huge safety hazard because I am not able to drive without them on bright so it blinds the other drivers but I have no choice.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Aug 24, 2021
When I bought the car the headlights were dim they driver side headlight keeps burning out they said it wasn't covered under the warranty whatsoever but yet you can't see at night to drive if it is dark I cannot drive my car never have been able to since about it but yet Nissan says nothing's wrong with it hit the repairs on me this is not the first time I've made a complaint about this but it does no good
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Aug 10, 2021
Low beams are too dim while driving at night they look like they are practically not even on at all.
Exterior lighting, Jul 30, 2021
The headlights have deteriorated so badly that I cannot see to drive at night. A quick search online reveals this is a very common problem with this model. I bought the car new and it has been very well maintained. The reflective internal coating on the headlight assembly deteriorates apparently due to the high heat of the halogen bulbs. This is a tremendous safety issue. Please due the right thing and force them to recall these cars to fix this very dangerous situation.
Exterior lighting, Jul 10, 2021
Low beams are extremely dim, truly making this vehicle unsafe to drive at night and at night while raining and seems the only way to correct is to replace with the same projector lights which are still defective.
Exterior lighting, Jun 14, 2021
Low beam lights extremely low, I almost hit the median because I could not see it ahead at night , even when the low beam lights were turned on. I notice the low beam light are very dim and I often have to use the Hi beam lights to be able to see the road at night. This extremely low light issue has been going on for years even after I replaced the light bulbs with brighter light bulbs. The problem is really bad , both when driving in the city and driving on the road, .
Exterior lighting, May 16, 2021
The low beam lights offer NO light, which is extremely dangerous when driving at night and also in hazardous weather conditions. I can't see the road at all and am forced to use my high-beams. I have replaced the bulbs at least twice now and still no improvement. It is a critical issue Nissan needs to address because you can't see the road, other cars, wildlife, etc. They are putting everyone who has this model in life-threatening danger.
Exterior lighting, Apr 11, 2021
THE LIGHTS ARE DANGEROUSLY DIM. THEY DO NOT LIGHT UP THE ROAD AT ALL CAUSING A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THIS ENDANGERS THE DRIVER, PASSENGERS, OTHER VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL.