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: power train
161 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Jun 14, 2026
Subject: Dangerous Transmission Failure in 2015 Nissan Altima While my 2015 Nissan Altima has always exhibited questionable performance—including abnormal acceleration, hesitation during throttle response, and mismatched RPMs relative to acceleration—the transmission has now begun to severely slip. I have also experienced sudden loss of power, pronounced shuddering, and complete power failure while driving. On multiple occasions, these issues have placed me in dangerous driving situations. It is important to note that I have regularly maintained the vehicle and kept it in mechanically decent shape throughout my ownership. I believe it is critical for other drivers to be aware of these ongoing problems, especially since Nissan appears to be avoiding responsibility for manufacturing such faulty powertrains. New car buyers and those purchasing used vehicles are becoming victims of this defective transmission, which poses a serious risk to passengers, drivers, and others on the road.
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 20, 2026
The transmission failed in my 2015 Nissan Altima. The check engine light is currently on due to a defective transmission. While I understand that Nissan extended the transmission warranty by two years or 24,000 miles following a class action lawsuit, I find this coverage completely unreasonable, insufficient and irresponsible, and most importantly unsafe. My vehicle has only 83,800 miles and has been well-maintained, yet the transmission still failed. While driving in the freeway in San Diego, the vehicle suddenly lost complete transmission engagement and power. My vehicle was almost rear ended by multiple cars. The check engine light appeared after the transmission failure. A Nissan dealer later confirmed the vehicle needs a new transmission. Nissan and NHTSA should have done a complete recall after the class action lawsuit against Nissan for putting faulty transmission on Altimas 2015.
Suspension, Power train, Nov 25, 2025
Right rear passenger rear tire assembly broke off from frame of vehicle
Power train, Nov 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle failed to accelerate from a complete stop and jerked. Additionally, the vehicle failed to respond as intended while in reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed on the vehicle, and it was confirmed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 68,000.
Power train, Oct 10, 2025
Car began shuddering when trying to accelerate. Car periodically will stop running or not start. No dash lights came on until recently when car would not start the battery nd engine light came on This all started end of September. Has been diagnosed by Nissan Dealership with 2nd diagnosis by an automotive shop close to my home. Informed this is a known issue with this make and model. Researched online and found this the be true. I received no notification. Both came up with transmission and CVT internal problem. Safety hazard for car to die in traffic. I have cancer and heart failure which makes general mobility an issue. I can’t quickly exit the car nd get out of the way of traffic. Informed only the dealership can address the issue. Quoted $6700 to repair/replace
Power train, Jul 9, 2025
Transmission issues
Power train, Electronic stability control (ESC), Engine, May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle jerked and made an abnormally loud sound. The vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact stated that the check engine and stabili-trak warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and then was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The repair was pending. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the VIN was included in Nissan Manufacturer Recall Number: PC490. The contact was advised that a manager would reach out. However, the contact was awaiting a call from the manager. The contact was advised that the dealer was refusing to repair the vehicle, because the vehicle was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 190,300.
Power train, May 18, 2025
Car was driving fine went to work on January 2nd 2025 and when I went to leave I put it in reverse it went and when I put it in drive the car would not. Shift into drive . Had it taken in where they quoted me $7,776.00 For the transmission to be replace my Altima has been taken very good care of it was bought at 31k and it has 141k all high way miles. Nissan said it was under warranty and I missed it by 20k miles I was never notified of a recall on the transmission they sent out recalls for the hood latch amd a Reprogramming issue with the cvt. Prior to that. That was fixed at a Nissan dealer ship.
Power train, Feb 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle failed to accelerate immediately. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with CVT judder, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,737.
Power train, Engine, Feb 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and made an abnormally loud sound. The check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the key fob failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The vehicle remained at the residence and had not been driven since the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Exterior lighting, Engine, Dec 14, 2024
I purchased my 2015 Nissan Altima in July, 2022 with 56,530 miles on it. At this date it has approximately 71,500 miles on it. I have driven it 14,970 miles in 2.5 years. On [XXX] I was driving home from Thanksgiving in East Brunswick, NJ to my home in South Philadelphia on [XXX] in New Jersey when my car suddenly began to have a slow down in ability to accelerate. I ended up pulling over after a moment of slowing down and not knowing what was happening. When I got to the break down lane, the car stalled. I ended up getting road side assistance to tow me to Ward's Automotive in Mt. Laurel, NJ, where my family and I have brought cars for many years (we used to live in Moorestown, NJ. Ward's ended up telling me the following Monday that my engine was "bad." I have no idea how my engine died after only 71,500 miles on this car! I got oil changes on it every 5,000 miles. I did report to the dealership in December, 2022 that I was hearing weird noises coming from the right front side but they told me they heard nothing. What can I do??? I am still paying for this vehicle (approx. $3,100 left on loan). I did not purchase an extended warranty when I bought it used. I have learned my lesson, but I need help understanding what rights I have. I don't know if there is any Manufacturer's Warranty on the car. Please help me! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Dec 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and failed to properly shift gear. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 30, 2024
I was using cruise control on the highway. My RPMs started going up and down and my speed slowed. I took it off cruise control and the speed was irregular. The car responded slowly to my pressing the accelerator. My car started squealing and I pulled over on the turnpike. I tried to press the accelerator after I stopped but the car would not move. I was unsafe because my car was on the shoulder of a highway and it was 85 degrees. I was also unsafe because my speed was not consistent and there was traffic around me. Lastly, I had to wait an hour for a tow truck. Two mechanics confirmed that this is a CVT judder problem. There were no warning lamps and no signs of a problem before this occurred.
Power train, Aug 19, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Power train, Aug 13, 2024
The contact called on behalf of her daughter who owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate and respond as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Power train, Jul 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle failed to immediately start after being driven for more than one hour. Additionally, while driving at various speeds the vehicle would not properly accelerate and shuddered while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the CVT was faulty. No further information was available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 67,000.
Power train, Jun 26, 2024
AUTOMAKER REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH THE CVT RECALL.
Power train, May 16, 2024
Vehicle has problem accelerating after a stop, this doesn't flash codes and so dealer claims vehicle is okay to drive... upon asking in forums this is a common issue relating to the Step Motor and has been replicated across various model years with varying mileage. This issue has been happening for approx the last 60k miles and the dealer cannot replicate.
Power train, Mar 15, 2024
While stopped at a light, pressed gas pedal and car wouldn’t go for some time. After it started going car wouldn’t shift out of first. I revved the car a few times to get it to shift then car wouldn’t shift out of second. Took into mechanic and had diagnosis around a pulley in the CVT transmission. Also was told that the mechanic sees this model many times a year for transmission issues
Power train, Electrical system, Mar 11, 2024
I have a issue with my vehicle going into LIMP MODE due to a safety issue with the TCM loosing programming with the transmission. This is a BIG SAFETY as I'm on the Hi way. Car will go from 75 mph down to 20mph and can cause for severe car accident. I spike to your warranty department and they gave me the run around. I gave them Info in reguards to a Campaing ID# Which is a clear issue that these NISSAN CARS are still having. A recall was terminated in late 2016, yet a bulletin was posted online of it being active as of 1/ 2017 still. I was told that it's MY PROBLEM NOW AND MY ISSUE TO HAVE NISSAN CHARGE ME FOR A REPROGRAMMING of the TCM when Clearly this issue is still present in. Vehicles in 2024. Many of times I came close to averting a major accident due to car loosing communications with TCM. AGAIN this is very unfair as to how a dealership can brush this SAFETY ISSUE UNDER THE RUG BY SIMPLY TELLING A NISSAN VEHICLE OWNER, SORRY RECALL WAS CLOSED, AFTER LESS THEN A YEAR OF FINDING OUT THE ISSUE ON A CAR. NISSAN must want someone to end up DEAD in there cars due to a TCM MALFUNCTION WITH TRANSMISSION SO THEY CAN BRING THIS TO LIGHT AGAIN. THE SERVICE BULLETIN IS STILL OUT THERE ON THERE FORUMS AND STATES NOTHING ABOUT WARRANTY, MILAGE OF VEHICLE OR ANY TIME FRAME, YET DENY THAT THE ISSUE STILL EXIST IN THERE VEHICLES. I HOPE YOU ALL CAN INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER AND HAVE NISSAN CORRECT THERE WRONGS AND NOT ALLOW SOMEONE TO DIE ON ANY AMERICAM ROAD DUE TO THERE NEGLECT OF A STILL PERSISTANT ISSUE...
Power train, Nov 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound. The check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle later failed to start and was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the variable valve timing (VVT) solenoids. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,287.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Oct 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 25–35 mph. The contact stated that the engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was shuddering. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed her that the alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced and that there was no warranty coverage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
Power train, Engine, Aug 1, 2023
Vehicle has a current defected transmission that Nissan is aware off and fixed vehicles within a certain warranty period. Customers should have received letter making them aware of the defected transmission, I explained to Nissan I never received a letter. I am assuming this happened because I purchased the vehicle used, the person I spoke to from Nissan said unfortunately this happens. Nissan should be required to fix the vehicle as they failed to notify me of the defected transmission.
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 24, 2023
Transmission codes showing check engine light , CVT transmission
Power train, Mar 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally and failed to properly accelerate. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. After several minutes, the vehicle started to operate as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the contact was unsure what needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.