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
953 reports, newest first.
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.
Structure, Feb 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the driver’s side sun visor would independently lower, causing a visibility hazard. The contact initially spoke with the dealer who referred him to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was then notified and referred him to NHTSA to report a safety complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000. The consumer stated the vehicle was serviced and sun visor was replaced on Aug. 30, 2022.
Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Feb 13, 2022
Took car in and asked Nissan dealer to inspect rear lower links as there was a creaking noise and had just received extended 10 year warranty from manufacturer on components. Said completely fine. 3 weeks later driving down the road heard a thump in back end and car became impossible to control even at less than 20 miles an hour causing it to fishtail from lane to lane. Took car back in for repair and passenger side lower link completely rusted and snapped. Drivers side was also completely corroded and upon removal was also cracked. This could not have happened in 3 weeks time if inspected and had nothing wrong. Dealer told me even though they were completely corroded, which was what the warranty stated, they could not repair until physically broken as per Nissan. Dealer has stated they have had others with issues similar to mine but manufacturer will not replace until physically broken, which then creates a serious hazard to cars occupants and others on the road. I do not feel the perimeters of this recall are at all safe, as if I had been on a major highway doing 65 with this vehicle a serious accident would have occurred.
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.
Power train, Feb 6, 2022
My engine service light is on and I have scanned with diagnostics. The code P0101, C119A, and C1155 with the most likely solution is to reprogram the power train control module(PCM).
Air bags, Feb 3, 2022
Airbag light came on in September 2021.Took to dealership on October 5, 2021. They ran a diagnostic test and charged me $160 to tell me that code B0020 Aide Airbag Module Left Side is open. I purchased extended warranty when car was purchased new. Platinum plan $2098. Nissan is unwilling to do anything to help with airbag situation even though they have a very long history of airbag issues. They quoted $1900 for the repair. Extended warranty company does not cover any repairs on safety equipment!!! How can this be? Nissan encouraged me to purchase extended warranty because, and I quote “the sensors and all of the electronics are very expensive to replace if something goes wrong”. So I fell for it. Is there anything you can do to help. The car is 7 years old and I really don’t want to spend $1900 on this. Right now I can’t drive it, or sell it and it won’t pass inspection. Do I have options? Thank you for any help or suggestions.
Air bags, Jan 23, 2022
The air bags were repaired ( non-accident related ) and now the airbag light has come back on.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 22, 2022
On my 3rd transmission since March 2021 1st one was April 2nd one was June Then car was in shop for over 2 months drive it for 1 week 3 transmission was put in November so yeah this car is bad also corp wont help not even anything after a manager called me a crazy [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Steering, Jan 19, 2022
2015 Nissan Altima power steering. 1. While driving the vehicle does not track steady. I constantly must correct as it sways on a straight road. 2. Periodically the steering goes out, the steering becomes stiff, it is an extreme safety issue to maintain control of the vehicle. Vehicle was take to a dealer for inspection the faulty power steering pump was confirmed, quoted $1800.00 including labor to replace. These issues occur without warning at any time. Proper fluid and fluid levels have been checked. The first occurrence of the steering becoming stiff was approximately January 2021. The swaying started probably about a month to two months earlier.
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.
Structure, Jan 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the front driver’s side sun visor fell down. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the front driver’s side sun visor to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,500.
Air bags, Jan 17, 2022
There is no incident. My airbag light is on and the dealership does not know what the issue is. It's been on over 2 years. First they said it was the airbag module then they said it was the seat. They want over $1000 to fix it. I contacted Nissan and they said since it was not a recall it was my responsibility. It passes inspection so I am leaving it and only hope the airbags deploy if I have a wreck.
Electrical system, Air bags, Jan 5, 2022, crash
Got hit in a magor accident airbags did not deploy on side or driver front or side and lighting on automatic handle lights wetw out reverse drive the lettets on handle think there wad a defect
Power train, Dec 30, 2021
Transmission went out with no warning. Ran fine the night before, the next morning I couldn't go anywhere. Shop has confirmed by code that is being thrown the transmission has went out, $2900 fix.
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.
Air bags, Dec 9, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that with a passenger seated in the front passenger’s seat, the “Passenger Air Bag Off” warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V244000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Suspension, Dec 6, 2021
Rear passenger control arm separated from frame due to corrosion.
Power train, Dec 5, 2021
Nissan refused to pay for transmission of $5,221.38 replacement they should have replaced it due to their crappy cvt design and I have made multiple phone calls and they said we can’t help you.
Vehicle speed control, Dec 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 53 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but failed to respond and the vehicle started decelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and other unknown warning lights also were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle and switched gears to drive but the accelerator pedal failed to respond, and the vehicle would not move. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and then towed to another independent mechanic. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
Steering, Suspension, Dec 2, 2021
The control arm broke due to rust. This happened while I was driving. I read that Nissan recalled 2013 and 2014 Altimas due to this exact same problem. My car is 2015 but experienced the same problem and it is very dangerous. The arm might have had a crack in addition to rust. I don’t know when the crack happened since I bought this car used. When I examined the break, the rust and crack have been there for a long time.
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 28, 2021
I was on the highway and my car would not accelerate at all, during up hill or flat portions of the highway . This was was super scary because I’m on the highway in Pennsylvania so there’s semi’s flying by. So I pulled off an exit turned the car off waited, unplugged the battery and after a few mins I plugged the battery in and started the car. This did not work at all, so I took a backroad home, later on the car started working correctly. I made an appointment to get the car looked at (thank goodness for extended warranties) but it happened again while I was getting on the highway, I almost got hit by a semi hauling a reefer, almost peeled myself swerved into the side of the highway. Cause a ton of traffic, cuz I could not get home any other way, so I took it in that same day freaking out cuz I almost died. The said it was a bad O2 sensor and that it was covered under the warranty. So they fixed it and everything was fine until last year I got sideswiped by this old lady in a old af Hyundai suv. And she literally took my entire front fascia so my insurance covered all the repairs and the rental I needed but once they gave it back I noticed the car was hesitating again I legit took it right back. I think I only had the car for 20mins. So they took it to a Nissan dealership so they could run their own test because the O2 seemed fine. Turns out the tranny needed an update… didn’t know that transmission could get an update like my iPhone. Anyway the car has been working perfectly fine since I did have to buy aftermarket head lights since the oem are trash and in PA there’s tons of deer everywhere. I do take very good care of my car it is currently at almost 180,000 and still runs super well. I do keep up with all maintenance since I do it myself. Haven’t had any real issues that I can’t fix. With the exception of the AC not working but the car is obviously out of warranty and I haven’t had the time to get under the beauty cover to look at it.
Air bags, Nov 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving with a passenger seated in the front passenger’s seat, the air bag warning light illuminated with the “Air Bag Off” message displayed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and stated that the air bag switch needed to be reconnected. The switch was reconnected to attempt to fix the failure however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.