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: suspension
132 reports, newest first. Show all
Suspension, Nov 20, 2023
Left rear control arm broken and unable to move!
Suspension, Oct 28, 2023
On the October 28, 2023, at 2pm, I, was in the process of performing a backing maneuver into my driveway. As I was reversing, I suddenly felt a strong vibration and experienced an inability to move the vehicle further. I promptly exited the vehicle to inspect the situation. Upon examination, I observed that the issue was attributed to a complete failure of the Passenger Side (PS-R) lower control arm. This failure was caused by extensive rust, which had resulted in the control arm being completely broken. The severity of this structural failure rendered the vehicle inoperable and unsafe to drive.
Suspension, Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 22, 2023
It smells like gas when I start the car. It's also wasting alot of gas. I have to put gas every couple of days. I spend more money putting gas. The steering and suspension and the tires keep giving me problems to where the brakes locked up on their own and now it drives really bad especially on the freeway. The steering wheel moves alot when I'm on the freeway sometimes feel like I'm loosing control of the car. The gas pedal gets stuck and the gear shift gets stuck in park. I have to use a nail filer the metal ones and push and hold the shift lock for it to move into gear. The car keeps saying Key not Detected even tho it's in the car with me. I just got the car from a small dealership in pomona in April of 2023
Suspension, Sep 7, 2023
Broken drivers side rear control arm due to corrosion.
Suspension, Jul 12, 2023
Vehicle brought to independent mechanic to investigate popping/creaking sounds from driver's side rear (DS-R) wheel area. While test driving to investigate, the mechanic indicated that the DS-R lower control arm experienced complete failure (rusted through/snapped).
Suspension, Jun 28, 2023
While driving the Nissan Altima listed about my daughter began to experience severe vibration to the steering. It was so bad she had difficulty keeping the car on the road and was able to pull into a parking lot. After being reviewed by a repair center it was determined that the lower control arm on the drivers side was broken and caused the upper control arm to be damaged. It was further found that the passenger side rear lower control arm had a crack approx. 75% through. The repairs cost me over $2,200.
Suspension, Jun 8, 2023
Rear lower control arm broke from mount. Broke just before reaching a secondary rd with a speed limit of 55
Suspension, May 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound while going over a bump. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the driver's and passenger’s side front lower control arm needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Suspension, May 2, 2023
On our 2014 Nissan Altima, the left rear lower control arm broke apart and the right rear lower control arm was badly cracked; both are integral parts of the suspension. This happened on a 350 mile trip to visit my father, driving at top speeds of 70 mph, 80 miles of which were on a two-lane highway. I was fortunate to be driving only 15 mph and just a few blocks from my destination when the rear end "fish-tailed" with no ice or rain on the road (it didn't totally break through until I was in my dad's driveway and backed up to put the car into his garage on a flat surface in order to jack it up to see what the problem was). I had heard no unusual noises, nor did any warning lights appear. The car was towed using a dolly system, since it was no longer drivable, to an auto mechanic shop. If I had been driving any faster and this part gave way I (and my dog who was not restrained in any way) could have veered into oncoming traffic, or gone into one of the many deep ditches where the highway is built up through a large bog, or off a 120 foot high bridge into the Duluth Harbor, which could have resulted in severe injury or death to myself, my dog and others. The mechanic verified that Nissan has a "service agreement" instead of a full-on recall of these defective parts for cars driven in the "salt-belt" regions of the USA, WI and MN being two of those states. Because of this issue, I had to stay an additional week in order to have our car completed for driving. As of today, we have sent a reimbursement form and all pertinent information to Nissan. My husband and I strongly feel that Nissan should have sent out notices to all owners of these vehicles with this potentially deadly defect. We do not understand why there has not been a full recall!
Suspension, Apr 17, 2023
rear control arm rusted , broke off
Suspension, Feb 2, 2023
I was merging on to I-94 from Grand Avenue in Gurnee, IL. I felt the rear end of my car hop. One merged, I noticed my steering was at 2:00, vs straight. After exiting expressway and hitting bumps in the road, I noticed my car "floated". Parked the vehicle and went to work. Left early to avoid traffic. Made it 1/4 mile and the car had a horrible hop to it. Parked the car to investigate. The rear control arm was completely rusted through and broken. I called the Nissan Dealership after reading there is a campaign to replace these under "warranty". Apparently this is an issue with 2013-2018 Altimas in areas where is salt used to help clear roadways in the winter. The dealership has my vehicle now and called to tell me the other one was bad as well. I could have seriously hurt or killed others or myself. This should be a recall and not an extended warranty. I received notification about the hood latch recall, nothing about a campaign regarding the rear control arm.
Suspension, Dec 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 38 MPH, the traction control warning light illuminated, and the rear suspension lowered abruptly. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear lower control arm had snapped from excessive corrosion. The contact was able to drive to her residence at a reduced speed. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the rear passenger’s side lower control arm needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not safe to drive until the repair was performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer was contacted and advised as the dealer. The failure mileage was 110,000. The VIN was not available.
Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Dec 2, 2022
Rear control arm broke while driving.
Suspension, Nov 22, 2022
Both rear lower control arms broken
Suspension, Other or unspecified, Oct 23, 2022
The right rear suspension rusted from the frame of the car ,making the car unable to drive!
Suspension, Oct 11, 2022
My right rear control was completely broken when I was driving 70MPH on the expressway and I was nearly in a major accident. The car swerved to right severely. The other rear control arm was cracked.
Suspension, Aug 31, 2022
2014 NISSAN ALTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO BROKEN REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE RECALL REPAIR, DUE TO IT BEING A KNOWN DEFECT.
Suspension, Lane departure, Aug 5, 2022
Was driving then noticed car made awkward movements the steering wheel started to turn sideways. Blind spot warning light then came on. I pulled car off street into safe area then noticed rear driver side wheel caved in and rear lower controll bar broken
Suspension, Jul 19, 2022
Rear left lower control arm broke while vehicle was in motion almost causing a loss of control. Vehicle was towed to a local repair shop for inspection and repairs
Suspension, Jul 17, 2022
Left rear lower control arm broke alsoknow asl link arm right rear lower link arm has cracks
Suspension, Jul 9, 2022
Was going into the turn lane and heard a thunk. Around 35mph. After turning I noticed my car wasn't driving straight. Looked under my car and found the lower control arm broken. Was rusted out.
Suspension, May 28, 2022
Rear left lower control arm broke due to severe corrosion. Causing loss of control of car and almost a bad accident
Suspension, May 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle veered to the right. The traction control warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the passenger's side lower control arm had fractured and the driver's side control arm was corroded. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
Suspension, May 16, 2022
Rear control arm fell off while driving.
Suspension, May 16, 2022
Right rear lower control arm separated from frame. Vehicle pulled right toward adjacent lane. In construction zone with no shoulder to utilize. Had to cross into an acceleration lane then slowly make way to safe pull-off. Problem confirmed by visual inspection. No warnings. Nissan did not notify me of a replacement program. Notification was to begin in 2019. Consumer was not informed of a replacement program and had to deal with a failed component and a tow from a construction site.