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: exterior lighting
270 reports, newest first. Show all
Exterior lighting, Feb 21, 2022
The headlights are so dim due to delamination, it's a serious safety Hazzard because you cannot see more than four feet in front of you at night. I try to avoid driving at night like the plague. I've read where people have had accidents and have been pulled over by the police because the light output is way too low. I'm also aware of Suarez vs Nissan lawsuit due to this issue.
Exterior lighting, Feb 8, 2022
I have a 2015 Nissan Altima that was purchased brand new in 2016. Over the past few years the headlights have become very dim. It looks like the lights are not on while driving at night. You can barely see the lights on the road which makes it a safety hazard. It's even worse when it's raining or foggy outside. I've taken my car to the dealer a couple of times for them to check out the lights and replace the bulbs. They told me that replacing the bulbs wouldn't do any good and that the headlamp assembly will need to be replaced. Recently I received correspondence in the mail in regards to a class action lawsuit against Nissan for the defective headlamps. The same issue I'm having with dim lights caused by delamination of the reflective surface inside the headlamp assembly. I took my car back to Nissan and told them about the lawsuit which directs Nissan to replace the headlamp assembly. The Nissan dealer inspected the headlamps and did some kind of test and told me that my headlamps are fine and didn't meet the criteria that Nissan gave them to replace the headlamps. This is still an issue with my vehicle and it is still a hazard to not be able to see the lines on the roads while driving at night. I've also talked to the Nissan Consumer Affairs but they didn't offer me any solutions other than to call the number for the Nissan Settlement Administrator. No one answers the phone and I only get the recorded messages with information about the lawsuit that I already got from the website.
Exterior lighting, Jan 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the low-beam headlights were inadequate to provide illumination for safe driving. The high-beam headlights were activated for safe driving. The vehicle was not taken to the local dealer to be inspected. The contact contacted the local dealer and it was stated that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Exterior lighting, Dec 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the front headlights were dim. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer to be inspected. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Exterior lighting, Dec 22, 2021
The low beam headlights on my 2015 Nissan Altima S are dangerously dim. I can barely see the road at night unless I have my high beams on. I have replaced the bulbs with high performance bulbs and there was no improvement. I cleaned the headlight covers with no improvement. I have read online that this is a problem with 5th generation Nissan The low-beam headlights in the 5th generation Altima are dangerously dim. The reflective material inside the projector headlights can wear down, drastically reducing the beam's power In December of 2018 this problem ranked 10th in CarComplaints.com top problem trends list.
Exterior lighting, Dec 17, 2021
dim headlights are very, very dim
Exterior lighting, Dec 10, 2021
Headlights have become so dim I nearly ran off of the road. When it rains at night I have to pull over because the factory headlights do not supply enough light to drive on the roadway.
Exterior lighting, Nov 22, 2021
Headlights are excessively dim and do not effectively light the roadway. Replacing the bulbs does not remedy the situation.
Exterior lighting, Nov 7, 2021
The headlights on my 2015 Altima are so very dim. It is as if they are not even on. All passengers that ride in my car ask if my headlights are on when they are in the car. I started to notice this dimming about 2018/2019. I took my car to the dealership where I was told (the first time) that I must have put too bright of headlights in the unit. (Which is not the case as I know it takes H-11). The next time I took it to the dealership they told me that they are dim because my windshield has tint on it. (Which I know was not the cause as I tinted the windows and windshield shortly after purchasing my Altima). The next and last time o took it to the dealer they said it was the housing that was cloudy (from the inside of the headlight). I was told my only option was to replace the whole headlight units for about $1,300.00. That was a hard NO since I was not responsible for any of these issues. So I decided to get fog lights installed. Even looked into getting LED headlights. The LED headlights made no difference in visibility. The fog lights help very little. But a little is better than nothing. And that only cost around $200.00 at a mom and pop shop. Way more affordable than replacing both headlight units. So the shop I took my Altima to informed me that the projection piece of the headlights was the actual problem. That my only option was to replace the entire fixture. (Of course the mom and pop shop would do it for wayyyy less but still an expensive repair I didn’t want to have to do. I felt eventually enough 2015 Nissan Altima owners would complain and this would turn into a recall. My car is available for inspection, has been inspected by Nissan’s OWN certified mechanics, and then also by another shop. The visibility is so poor I’m afraid to drive at night. I’m afraid of hitting an animal or even a person! I can’t see pot holes to avoid them. And I can’t just go around driving with my high beams on! This needs fixing ASAP! Unacceptable! 2nd Nissan I have purchased
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Oct 29, 2021
Head lights, very dim/low visibility. Marker/daytime running light went out. I’ve been having to use high hi beams at nights because my low beams are very dim which can be a safety concern for other drivers as well as not being able to see more than 10 feet in front of me. The AC E knob also stays on when trying to turn it off and does not start the compressor to make the air cold
Exterior lighting, Oct 15, 2021
The headlights on dim only project 5-10 feet, thereby forcing the driver to use bright lights at all times. This problem was first noted in December, 2018 and again the summer of 2019 when another driver used the car. I do not generally drive at night. However, other family members are now greatly concerned as the problem has only deteriorated. Headlights were restored this summer at the dealership and bulbs were replaced in September. Bulbs were then replaced with high intensity bulbs. Neither attempt to fix this problem has helped in any way.
Exterior lighting, Oct 3, 2021
The low beam headlights are not bright enough to see clearly at night. Replaced both low beam bulbs with HID bulbs and they are still too dim to drive safely at night.
Exterior lighting, Sep 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated the driver's side low-beam headlight was inoperable. The driver used the hi-beam headlights while driving the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 142,348.
Exterior lighting, Sep 21, 2021
I believe the headlights need to be recalled & re-done due to you cannot see to drive the car very well at all at night. I purchased this car in April 2021 & I have had this issue since I bought this car. I have had it inspected by the dealership auto garage & they did check & said there was no recalls in the headlights so I would like the whole headlight be replaced before I have a major accident due to not being able to see the road ways at night. There are no warning lights on so this is just a poor design in the headlights! Please replace!!!!!
Exterior lighting, Sep 9, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at nighttime, he was unable to see the road while using the low-beam headlights. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000.
Exterior lighting, Sep 7, 2021
Purchased vehicle used. Test drive prior to purchase was at daytime. The first time vehicle was driven at night the low beam lights were noticeably dim. Had to switch to high beams in order to adequately see enough to safely drive. Research indicates this is a know issue with this year model.
Exterior lighting, Sep 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds at night, the headlights low beam did not function properly, and the contact had to use the high beam to see the road ahead. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the contact could not recall the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty and did not provide financial aid. The failure mileage was unknown.
Exterior lighting, Aug 28, 2021
In the dark, low beam headlights are too dim. I have to use high beams all the time, causing other drivers to have limited visibility due to high beams being on.
Exterior lighting, Aug 25, 2021
The headlights were so dim that I basically could not see at night. Replacing the bulbs did not help. This is a significant safety issue.
Exterior lighting, Aug 24, 2021
There was no incident, but the halogen projector beam headlamps have become progressively more dim over time due to a manufacturing defect which caused delamination and degradation of the reflective surfaces within the headlamp assembly. The problem has gotten so severe that it is unsafe to drive the car at night because of reduced visibility due to the dim headlamps. This is NOT due to hazy or cloudy plastic lenses of the headlamp housing, which is common to all vehicles with plastic lenses. My lenses are still clear and even in vehicles I've driven with very cloudy lenses, the lamps are much brighter than mine. Apparently, this is a widespread issue with these Nissan Altima halogen projector beam headlamps. Nissan has refused to acknowledge this problem. This is a life safety issue that should be addressed by a recall. Please provide a complaint number or confirmation of this report in the event that an incident related to this issue should arise which may require litigation.
Exterior lighting, Aug 19, 2021
The headlights are not bright which causes it to be difficult to see. Also headlights keeps going out with constant replacement of bulbs. The headlights ballast are not durable
Exterior lighting, Jul 11, 2021
My concern is the headlights when driving at night. I have been stopped twice because od dim headlights.
Exterior lighting, Jun 11, 2021
Just purchased this car used from a dealer. Upon driving it at night I’ve found the low beam headlights are significantly dim. This is a serious safety concern.after doing research on this issue I’ve found that the reflector bulbs inside the headlight assy burn off the reflective coating thereby rendering the bulbs ability to broad at light very poor.
Exterior lighting, Jun 6, 2021
The lights on the vehicle are too dim which are a safety hazard, making it difficult to see at night.
Exterior lighting, May 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at night, the headlights were very dim, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The contact continued driving to his residence. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who inspected it. The contact was informed that the reflective material inside the headlight housings had greatly deteriorated and no longer provided adequate luminescence while driving in low light conditions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximate 95,000.