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
1,113 reports, newest first.
Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Jul 7, 2025
While driving, the Altima’s rear control arm and suspension links broke due to corrosion resulting in loss of safe control of the vehicle. Nissan is aware that this is a problem with this year and make vehicle. They issued an extension of the warranty for this issue. This should be a mandatory recall for safety concerns, not simply a warranty extension. This is a very dangerous issue that can lead to serious injury! Very upset that money is valued over human life. When these parts fail, the vehicle is not safe.
Air bags, Other or unspecified, Jul 3, 2025
Airbag readiness lamp does not turn off, steady illumination
Wheels, Jun 30, 2025
Rear passenger wheel has been rattling for a year. While driving (right now), car began to fishtail going approx 35mph. Was able to pull off and avoid accident. Upon examination, described wheel is no longer facing forward and is facing inward. Likely that the rear controller snapped. There is a service campaign for this exact issue. Nissan is no longer covering the cost of this repair which is insane given that I was never notified of this issue.
Wheels, Other or unspecified, Jun 22, 2025, crash
I just bought auction, Door was crash, I had it fix Wheel sight now are good. My name is [XXX] [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Suspension, Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while reversing at approximately 4 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear driver's side wheel well of the vehicle. The contact stated upon shifting to drive(D), the contact noticed that the vehicle was wobbling from left to right in the lane. The traction control warning was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered violently and nearly became uncontrollable. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that both the rear driver's side and passenger's side lower control arms had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Nissan Campaign Number: P9324. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
Exterior lighting, Jun 10, 2025
My headlights are so dim, that I’m forced to drive with my high beams at night or not drive at all. I’ve replace the bulbs and there has been no improvement.
Exterior lighting, Jun 6, 2025
The headlights are extremely dim due to Nissan's design flaw. There was a settlement in 2022 to have these replaced for free. However, the Nissan dealership conveniently passed my headlights (as well as many others, as stated in online forums), and we were unable to qualify for the replacements despite the lights being so dim that I had to switch to my high-beam lights in many situations. Now, after the settlement has expired, Nissan has failed my headlights and is asking for $1360 to replace the assembly. I find this action from Nissan to be in bad faith.
Suspension, May 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle hit a curb, and the driver's side rear tire tilted inward. The contact continued to drive the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the control arm had fractured, and the sway bar was rusted. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle warranty had expired. No further information was available. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Exterior lighting, May 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights were significantly dim. The contact stated that the VIN was previously included in Nissan Campaign Number: PC807. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that an appointment could not be scheduled due to the pandemic. The contact stated that upon contacting the dealer later, the dealer informed the contact that the warranty extension had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure had worsened. The contact stated that he had installed an additional light bar on the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Air bags, Apr 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
Suspension, Apr 18, 2025
Was driving one day hit a pothole and my control arm dispositioned itself. Apparently my car had an extended warranty that expired last year. However, with the information that I’m able to provide, I’m not sure if Nissan will be able to work with me to get that fixed, but I do recognize that it is a common problem. I have looked under the car, and I did see the corroded piece from the control arm linked to the staring system. I know not too many people still even have a 2014. However, I do feel it is unfair for a part that led to safety issues for several people to be considered a warranty.
Exterior lighting, Apr 4, 2025
Hi. 2014 Nissan Altima S Problem is whith Low Beam light. At dark time this are no lighting enough putting in risk driving at night time.
Exterior lighting, Air bags, Mar 30, 2025
Went and started my car and the air bag warning light on the dash came on. I am worried that the air bag won't deploy properly also when the lights are on dim they don't shine very good and the lens are cracked
Exterior lighting, Mar 6, 2025
Low beam headlights produce very little light. They do not illuminate the road, a safety hazard. Driving full time high beams is the only way to drive this car at night, a safety hazzard.
Engine, Mar 4, 2025
I was driving on a 2 lane highway when my car starting bucking and completely went dead. I walked to a station where i got help. after that it happened again and I had to be towed. After having car looked at by 2 mechanics I found out it was the transmission. The mechanic said he was surprised as I didn't even have 70,000 miles on car. It cost me over $5,000 for the transmission and then I came to find out about all the Nissan recalls. I wrote a letter to them and attached articles and my proof of receipt from transmission place, and explained that I am a senior on a fixed income and just wanted the money to cover expenses of what the transmission costs due to their faulty transmissions. They said they could not help me. Also, my sons car came to have the same transmission problem but he got rid of it.
Steering, Feb 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became firm and difficult to turn in either direction. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that both front suspension control arms needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic for a second opinion where it was diagnosed with the same failure. The vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,333.
Engine, Feb 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Service Station where the contact used a self-diagnostic tool to determine that the Transmission Control Module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Suspension, Jan 23, 2025
We own a 2014 Nissan Altima. We are the second owners. About a month ago, my son was driving and the left rear lower control arm (Link) broke in half. After repairing and researching, there was an extended warranty offered by Nissan for 10 years from the manufacturer date. We are 13 months over that. When calling, I spoke to Chelsea and Trainsha (Who is the Northeast Regional supervisor) and both told me we are out of warranty and can do nothing. We were never contacted by Nissan to advise of this warranty. This was a known problem by Nissan back in 2018 they knew this was an issue on 2013-2018 Altimas in snow belt states. We are one of those states. I questioned why we were never contacted and why it wasn’t a recall. They said they do not decide on recalls and there are not many incidents. There is nothing they can do. So they are not only allowing all these vehicles to continue to drive on the road with risk of breaking and causing accident and possible injury, but they are also ok with not letting people know there was a problem to begin with. Why after 10 years can they say “Too bad for you” and risk peoples lives? This is a metal control arm. They acknowledge they made it incorrectly. Metal suspension components should last well beyond 10 years. Only the bushings and ball joints should need to be replaced. Why is a corporation allowed to get away with this. I am asking that someone look into this. They are saying they do not have a lot of incidents. Well, if they never let anyone know there was a problem, how would they know how many incidents they really had. We need to hold auto manufacturers accountable for their vehicles. Not just when they are brand new but for longer on metal components that are not wearable parts.
Power train, Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle shuddered uncontrollably and stalled. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle 20 minutes later, the failure recurred while driving, and the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact exited the highway; however, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The vehicle was towed to Young's Cheltenham Auto Service, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance in covering the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered because Nissan TSB Number: NTB17-039K had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Suspension, Jan 3, 2025
REAR, DRIVERSIDE CONTROL ARM BROKE CAUSING UNCONTROLABLE DRIVING.
Air bags, Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the wiring in the front driver's side seat was damaged, and the rear of the driver's side seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Air bags, Dec 30, 2024
When an adult is riding in the front passenger seat the airbag on the passenger turns off and on randomly while riding. If in an accident I am worried that the airbag will not go off properly. I have not contacted a dealer about this issue yet. I have not seen any other warning lights other than the passenger airbag is off.
Other or unspecified, Dec 26, 2024
The left rear arm snapped completely and is now dangling along with the spring link and other parts connected to it. The car is not drivable and I have to have a on-site mechanic come out to fix it. I had been driving the car on the highway the day it happened and luckily made it back to my house, then about 20 minutes later I had to go back out but when I put the car into reverse and started backing down the driveway a loud snap followed by scraping metal occurred. Now the car is stationary on the curb. The right rear arm's condition is also bad, showing signs of snapping in the near future as well. My mechanic along with research I've conducted has informed me that this is an extremely common problem with nissan sedans that happen frequently. I had insurance on this exact part of the car but it unfortunately expired May of this year. I filed a claim with Nissan directly and they proved to serve no help. If the rear arm had snapped just a little bit earlier in the day when I was on the highway it would have most likely resulted in major accident that would have left me injured.
Suspension, Dec 17, 2024
when driving on a highway the rear upper suspension control arm broke, left side causing the tire to wobble. The car was undrivable. A tow truck was called. The repair shop had to replace both the right and left control arms. They told me that this is a common problem with nissan altima 2014. Why has not nissan had a recall on this issue?
Seats, Dec 11, 2024, fire
Drivers side seat heater switch caught fire and burned winter jacket sleeve. Fire was extinguished before car was lost.