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, 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.
Electrical system, Air bags, Aug 24, 2021
Airbag sensor warning lamp is on. Has happened in the past as well but Nissan fixed it since there was a recall. Now the car is outside the warranty, Nissan does not want to fix their defected airbag components/sensors and is asking for $1700 to start with a replacement part on the back of the driver seat and does not even guarantee the fix, they say more diagnosis/repairs might be needed after the first fix. I need help. Nissan North America refused to help and told me if I want I can reach out to NHTSA since there is no recall at the moment. The air bags will not work in the event of a crash and my wife drives this car everyday with my 2 little girls. Can NHTSA help with this safety issue? I purchased this car brand new from Nissan, I am the only owner and this car has never been in an accident.
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
Power train, Aug 12, 2021
While driving on the highway at a speed around 65 mph, the traffic suddely stopped ahead, so hard braking was performed and the car came to a complete stop, and afterwards the vehicle didn't respond to any gas pedal input for few seconds. I took the vehicle to my local Nissan dealership for check up, but they claim the vehicle drives normal. Knowing that this generation of Nissan Altimas has defective transmissions and a class action lawsuit was settled with an extension of transmission warranty for 2 years or 24,000 miles. Thank you
Air bags, Aug 11, 2021
Air bag light stays on doesn't blink...got diagnostic done it read B0020-13 front seat ..now light still come on
Other or unspecified, Aug 8, 2021
On Sat. 8/7/21 I was driving on a bridge overpass on Roosevelt Ave. in Carteret, NJ at approx. 8:15pm when the HOOD of my 2015 Nissan Ultima suddenly popped wide open, obstructing my view. There was only as tiny gap between the hood and car that I could peak through. I tried not to panic. I slowed down hoping and praying I wouldn't the car in front of me and the cars behind me wouldn't slam into me. The immediate car behind me was able to swerve around me into the other lane and the others were able to stop without hitting me or hitting each other in a domino effect. As cars were whizzing by in the left lane and cars were stuck behind me, I waited for a safe moment and got out to see if I could shut the hood. With effort I managed to shut down the hood, but it wouldn't lock properly. I had no where to pull over so I decided to drive very slowly with emergency lights down the road overpass and then pulled over. I was eventually able to drive slowly and get home without further incident. Several months ago I took my car to the dealer after receiving a recall letter from the manufacturer about this problem. There was only a temporary fix at the time and was told I would receive notification when a permanent fix was available. I was assured the car was safe to drive. I did not receive any further communication from the manufacturer or the dealer. I thought it okay to drive and never imagined this would happen. It was a miracle I didn't crash my car; it would have been a terrible outcome for myself and others. I will be calling them and demand a tow to the dealership for the hood latch repair. The car is absolutely not safe to drive! I just found out on your website that there is now a permanent fix. As of yet I have not been notified! Why is that? This is very negligent and inexcusable! They need to be held accountable! Thank you for your help in this matter.
Air bags, Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Jul 29, 2021, crash
I was driving and the vehicle started to accelerate on its own as I proceeded to press the brakes the vehicle got faster
Air bags, Jul 15, 2021
Driver's Air Bag light came on, staying on. I took it to the dealer on appointment. After having vehicle 2 days, they were unable run diagnostic tests, too busy. I was told to bring it back next week. It seemed that he was hesitant to proceed because of the probability of not easily finding the problem even with diagnostics. I called another dealer and he patiently explained the numerous tests involved in tracing down the problem only to often not identify the exact problem resulting in additional costs to the consumer sometimes at great expense. He did say the air bag will not deploy if the warning light is engaged. I feel this is a safety defect that should be recalled. The manufacturer should ensure that their repairman have the ability to quickly identify the source of the problem. At present this is not a recall item. I am reluctant to proceed with repairs that have so many unknowns yet also afraid to dirve the vehicle in its current state.
Exterior lighting, Jul 11, 2021
My concern is the headlights when driving at night. I have been stopped twice because od dim headlights.
Other or unspecified, Jul 11, 2021
Aloha Sir/ Ma'am, I am very upset that my car has recall and the nissan dealership is not able to resolve the recall issue. I am not being able to use my car for any commercial purpose like turo, uber, lyft due to recall. Please assist me to get rid of this problem. I took my car to Tony Nissan at Wapio Hawaii. They told me that nothing needs to be fixed but they were not able to remove my car from recall list. They told me to contact to the manufacturer. Please help. v/r,
Steering, Jul 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 mph and making a left turn, the vehicle shifted from power steering to manual steering mode making it difficult to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle regained power steering functionality momentarily however, the failure recurred. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was made aware of the failure however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 19,000.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 26, 2021
I was in turning lane and when traffic cleared enough to turn I pushed gas, and nothing happened it was just idle, no rpm, no movement let go of gas pushed again barely moved and then didn’t go anywhere. Oncoming traffic at that point was approaching then it engaged and was fine! It did it two more times as I was sitting at light and once while just driving
Air bags, Jun 17, 2021
Airbag light remains on after being checked
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.
Power train, Jun 10, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the transmission seemed as if it was experiencing a failure since the vehicle would jerk while driving with an abnormal odor of coolant burning. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,200.
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.
Other or unspecified, Jun 1, 2021
Hello, I have a 2015 Nissan Altima. I was driving my son to school on May 28, 2021 when my car began uncontrollably shaking. I had to pull over and stop. I took it to a garage in Pleasantville, PA as there is NOT a Nissan Certified dealership near me. The closest one is 1 hour away in Erie, PA which is where i purchased the vehicle. The garage told me the rear control arm broke. I did some research and the internet is full of information regarding recalls for this SAME EXACT issue in the 2013 and 2014 models. Especially in areas that are highly salted in the winter time, which northwestern PA is. A quick reviewof the 2013 to 2015 Nissan Altima model will show you there is not much difference in the models. The difference is mine is a bit newer and the rear control arm should have NEVER broke. I contacted Nissan via email and they stated that there is no recall and therefore nothing they can do. I persisted and they said they would have a specialist review the case. I spoke with the specialist on the phone and they stated that they MAY be able to reimburse me for the PART but not the labor since I didn't take it to a Nissan Garage. I explained to them that the closest garage is an hour a way and so then on top of that, they would have (or I would have) had to pay a tow bill of over $200 as well. There is NO reason this should have broke and is a HUGE safety concern. My son and I were in danger when this broke, which is why the 2013 models have had a recall on this part. The fact this is a 2015 is irrelevant because it's even newer than a 2013 and STILL BROKE, so there SHOULD be a recall. Luckily i was on a highway going pretty slow compared to an interstate. I most definietly would have crashed my car if i would have been on the interstate or going any faster than i was. Please consider declaring a recall. Thank you for your time.
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.
Exterior lighting, May 25, 2021
The dim headlights are a safety issue. I can't see how to drive at night or in the evening. I have to turn bright lights on, and it is putting other drivers at risk. Nissan is aware of this issue and wants to say that if you are out of your basic warranty you may not be able to get the light repair under goodwill. This is not the fault of their customers and they should be responsible for their additional money-making tactics. I have owned many vehicles and have never had this issue. I am not the only person who is experiencing this problem. I do not have the $1250 they are requesting to get my headlights repaired so they stuck two dim headlight bulbs in, and I still can't see. This is a dangerous issue for me and other drives. I want them to repair this issue. I just paid off my car this month $30,000 with no late payments. They should be happy to repair this safety issue. I checked for a recall and I see that there is a current investigation regarding dimming headlights for 2013-2019 Nissan Altima's. The vehicle was inspected, and they want me to pay. The vehicle was inspected, and they want me to pay. It is not fair that I have paid all that money and can't drive my car at night.
Exterior lighting, May 21, 2021
The headlight assemblies "chrome" reflective material for the low beam bulbs has faded and blackened. This has resulted in very low light being emitted from the low beam light setting. This is a very dangerous problem that Nissan needs to address.
Power train, May 20, 2021
MY 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. WHILE I AM PRESSING ALL THE WAY DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL ; THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE ; THEN A FEW SECOND LATER IT WILL JUMP OUT. I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND A CAR WAS COMING; BUT LUCKLY HE NOTICE I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SERVERAL TIMES. DATE HAPPEND 5/7/21 - Millage - 54,700 DURING THAT TIME.
Other or unspecified, May 19, 2021
UKNOWN. There is a metal piece under the vehicle that has broken and now scrapes the ground making the vehicle undriveable as this is a safety hazard for sparks and fire. The problem is persistent. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. No warning lights or messages appeared. I was driving in my neighborhood all of a sudden heard a terrible metal grinding noise coming from under my vehicle. I got out and looked and could see something metal had broke and is now dragging the pavement.
Latches/locks/linkages, May 13, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V315000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE HOOD UNLATCHED, OPENED, AND DENTED THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.