2015 Nissan Altima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Exterior lighting is the leading concern among 953 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 26 Altima model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 46 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 27 people were injured.
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
Structure, emergency, escape/egress/exitDec 19, 2018
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. The door latch-lock cable may not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied. As a result, the cable may interfere with the window regulator causing the rear passenger door to unlatch and inadvertently open without warning when the window is lowered.
If the rear passenger door opens while the vehicle is moving, the rear passengers have an increased risk of injury.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will secure the latch-lock cables in the correct position using the new remedy procedure, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7669.
Campaign 18V915000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, doors, latchJan 18, 2017
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles. The rear door latch/lock cable on the vehicles may have been improperly routed. As a result, lowering a rear window may inadvertently cause that door to unlatch and open.
If the rear passenger doors inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, it may increase the risk of injury to the rear passengers.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will correct the rear door latch/lock cable routing, free of charge. The recall began on February 16, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 17V040000 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
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, disc, caliperNov 5, 2015
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Altima and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured October 6, 2015, to October 7, 2015. The affected vehicles have front brake calipers whose mounting bolts may not be properly tightened.
If the bolts were not properly tightened, the caliper may detach and reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will check the brake caliper mounting bolts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 15V733000 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
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
55 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Electrical system, Air bags, Feb 27, 2016
MY ALTIMA IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD AND DID NOT START 4X ALREADY. IT SEEMS TO DO THIS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING WHEN THE CAR IS COLD. MY STEERING WHEEL IS VIBRATING CONSTANTLY AND I CAN FEEL A VIBRATION WITH MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. THERE IS A LOUD NOISE LIKE A CONSTANT DENTIST DRILL UNDER MY HOOD THAT IS LOUDER EVERY TIME I TURN. THE DEALERSHIP JUST REPLACED MY POWER STEERING PUMP AND THERE IS NO CHANGE! MY PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. IT WILL GO OFF DURING DRIVE TIME. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF I HAVE MY PURSE, A BAG, HEAVY BOOKS OR A PERSON-IT SPORADICALLY GOES OFF AND ON WHILE I AM DRIVING. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE KNOWING THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH! LITHIA NISSAN HAS CHECKED THE SENSOR, BUT IT IS STILL DOING IT. I OWNED A 2008 ALTIMA AND 2011 ALTIMA THAT NEVER REQUIRED SERVICE OTHER THAN OIL CHANGES AND AIR IN MY TIRES. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS 2015 PIECE OF JUNK! I CAN HEAR WIND NOISE NO MATTER WHAT SPEED I AM DRIVING. I FEEL LIKE I AM IN A CRASH TEST EVERY TIME I SLOW DOWN. NISSAN TECH SAID IT IS THE NEW CVT TRANSMISSION. HONDA, LEXUS, TOYOTA, MERCEDES AND AUDI HAVE CVT AND IT IS A SMOOTH RIDE! WHY DOES NISSAN CVT JERK YOU AROUND? THE CAR IS SO CHEAPLY MADE THE SPEAKERS ARE POPPED UP AND PAINT IS CHIPPING. I HAVE REPORTED MY ISSUES TO NISSAN CORP. AND BBB. THE NEWEST ISSUE IS THE RPM REV UP AS I SIT AT RED LIGHTS. I WANT NISSAN TO REBUY THIS CAR BACK!
Power train, Electrical system, Air bags, Dec 21, 2015
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE CHANGED GEARS WITHOUT NOTICE. THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED INTO GEAR AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEYLESS ENTRY FAILED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURES RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,500. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Steering, Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Nov 3, 2015
I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW NISSAN ALTIMA 2015 CAR. MY CAR HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES. RIGHT NOW, ITS MASS AIR FLOW (MAF) SENSOR FAILED WHICH HAD CAUSED SAFETY CONCERNS INCLUDING DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS. THE CAR AT TIMES DIES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND ITS HARD TO CONTROL THE CAR. I HAVE INFANTS IN MY CAR AND I FEEL IT IS NOT SAFE FOR A BRAND NEW CAR TO HAVE ISSUES. ACCORDING TO MY DEALER MAF SENSOR IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH NISSAN CARS. TWO DAYS AGO I NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE.
Electrical system, Engine, Sep 1, 2015
NISSAN ALTIMA 2015 PURCHASED ON 8/15/15 WITH 6 MILES ON THE ENGINE. ON 8/19/15 CAR WAS DEAD WITHOUT POWER. BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND TWO DAYS LATER IT STARTED POWERING OFF AGAIN AS THE VEHICLE WAS WARMING UP, AND AS I WAS IDLE AT RED LIGHTS. HAS TURNED OFF 6 TIMES TOTAL SINCE PURCHASING CAR 17 DAYS AGO. CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND FINANCE WHICH AUTHORIZED RETURN OF THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP DID NOT COMPLY STATING THAT I HAD TO MAKE REASONABLE ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR PER THE LEMON LAW. DO NOT PURCHASE NISSAN, THEY HAVE WORKED THE LOOPHOLES TO GO AGAINST THE CONSUMER, PROTECT THEMSELVES, AND NOT CREATE RECALLS FOR THIS. OTHER COMPETITOR DEALERSHIPS ACCEPT RETURNS ON VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONS WITHIN 30 - 60 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE. NISSAN DOES NOT OFFER THIS SAME OPTION BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEIR PRODUCTS HAVE FAULTS.
Electrical system, Air bags, Seats, Mar 26, 2015
WHILE DRIVING ALONE ON 03/12/2015 NOTICED THE AIRBAG AUXILIARY LIGHT COME ON IN MY NEW 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE ALTIMA WAS SERVICED FOR THIS ON 03/18/2015 AND THE LIGHT WAS RESET WITH THE TECHNICIAN STATING THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR WAS UNDER RECALL. THEN, WHILE DRIVING ON 03/22/2015 THE AIRBAG AUXILIARY LIGHT CAME ON ONCE AGAIN, ALSO WHEN I WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT IN THE VEHICLE. THE ALTIMA WAS SERVICED AGAIN FOR THIS ISSUE ON 03/25/2015 WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED OBJECTS LEFT ON THE PASSENGER SEAT (LAPTOP BAGS, ETC.) CAN CAUSE THE SENSOR TO GO OFF AND THAT IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE. THEY RECOMMENDED TO NOT PUT ANYTHING ONTO THE PASSENGER SEAT ASIDE FROM AN ADULT PERSON. ALTHOUGH I HAVE PLACED A BAG ONTO THE PASSENGER SEAT A COUPLE OF TIMES WHILE DRIVING, THE AIRBAG AUXILIARY LIGHT NEVER CAME ON WHILE ANYTHING OR ANYONE WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THEN AGAIN TODAY, 03/26/2015, THE AIRBAG AUXILIARY LIGHT CAME BACK ON IN MY 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA WHILE I WAS DRIVING WITH NOTHING/NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. *TR