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.
Structure, Jul 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side sun visor independently detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed sun visor. The contact was informed that the driver's side sun visor assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the failure impaired his vision while driving. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally strong gasoline odor inside the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel tank. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V112000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 146,000.
Power train, Jul 9, 2025
Transmission issues
Other or unspecified, Jun 26, 2025
None
Exterior lighting, Jun 10, 2025
(NOT RELATED TO CURRENTLY OPEN HOOD LATCH RECALL) I’m the current owner of a 2013–2018 Nissan Altima, a model range known for a headlight delamination defect. This issue causes the reflective coating inside the headlamp to degrade, severely reducing light output. It’s a major safety risk for drivers, other motorists, and pedestrians—especially at night. A class action lawsuit acknowledged this and led to a limited repair program. However, I—like many others—only discovered the issue after that window had closed. As a second owner, I reached out to Nissan requesting a “goodwill repair,” which they define as a discretionary repair for issues outside normal coverage. Nissan declined. I was told by Erica on the executive team that goodwill repairs are more likely if there’s a history of maintenance at a Nissan dealership. In other words, if the previous owner spent money at a dealership, Nissan would be more willing to repair a known factory defect. This policy is unfair. Routine maintenance should have no bearing on a company’s responsibility to fix a well-documented safety defect. That logic leaves many current owners—who had no control over previous maintenance decisions—without support. Over 1.5 million affected Altimas are still on U.S. roads, many now in the hands of second or third owners. These drivers may be unaware of the issue or unable to afford repairs for something that should never have occurred in the first place. I’m asking Nissan to re-open the repair program or evaluate on a case-by case basis, considering fairness and safety. This could be offered to anyone who purchased the car after the repair window. Until then, I—and many others—are left to drive with dangerously dim headlights, putting ourselves, our passengers, and the general public at unnecessary risk. This is about more than customer service. It’s about corporate responsibility and public safety.
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.
Exterior lighting, May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the contact became aware that the headlamps failed to provide adequate illumination. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with both headlamp assembly, observing that the headlamp assemblies had delaminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Exterior lighting, Apr 29, 2025
My regular headlights are not bright and cannot see 10 feet in front of my car without my high beams on. I have had my headlights "restored" by professionals and I can still not see in front of my car with my regular running headlights. This has now been an on-going issue and I am unable to drive at night because I cannot see in front of my car and I feel VERY unsafe in doing so. I feel like I am at risk because I cannot see unless my high beams are on and then that puts the oncoming traffic at risk as I am blinding them. I feel like oncoming traffic cannot see my normal headlights and at a risk of getting hit. I fortunately have NOT had any accidents but I cannot drive at night because of this issue. I do not feel safe for myself, my family or other drivers at this point.This has been an on-going issue that seems to be getting worse as the brightness continues to deteriorate as more time goes by.
Exterior lighting, Apr 15, 2025, crash
The head lights don’t illuminate properly and the headlight assembly was never changed. You are more than welcome to inspect them please do. I can’t see at all if normal lights are on only if high beam are. I have been pulled over for riding with my high beams on citing it’s a hazard but when I put my normal lights on I was also pulled over because they couldn’t tell my headlights were on. I could potentially crash or cause a crash trying to drive at night. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by an independent service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police or insurance. There were no warning lamps or messages and the problem first appeared in 2023
Service brakes, Apr 12, 2025
Our Nissan Altima has been experiencing the brake lamp relay switch issue, where the brake light will be on when brakes are not pushed and causes issue with acceleration. There is an existing recall open on this exact issue for the 2013-2015 models, however when I called a Nissan Service Center was advised our VIN is not part of the recall and would not be covered. Obviously the manufacturing date for our vehicle and others likewise should be included as it is the same exact issue. This puts a huge risk that this faulty product will cause an accident when you are unable to get up to speed because of the faulty parts.
Exterior lighting, Lane departure, Apr 8, 2025
the headlights are very bad and have to basically drive with the high beams on in order to see because on low beam i almost ran someone over i changed the bulbs a few times but it has not improved any and while changing them that it seems as the bulb burnt something. I have been on the nissan forums and theres many complaints saying that nissan knows something is faulty and they refuse to recall and fix it
Air bags, Feb 28, 2025, crash
Failure of Airbags to deploy after a rear end collision by another car. On 01.31.2025. My vehicle - a Nissan Altima 2015 was hit by an SUV while stopped at an intersection behind another vehicle. My Altima was thrust forward into the vehicle stopped ahead ome causing significant rear damage to the rear and front bumper, the trunk, and left tail lights. Despite the force of the collision and the resulting hit of the front car ahead, none of the Altima airbags deployed to protect me from serious injuries which can be potentially fatal. This indicates that the airbags may be faulty and non-operational. The car has been deemed a total loss and insurance has declined my claim and cannot compensate me because of limited collision coverage for the vehicle, and the offending driver fled the scene and cannot be identified. The offender almost ran me over as I tried to exit the vehicle to identify them. There are no warning lamps on the dashboard except - "trunk open" warning after the incident The police inspected the vehicle and details are in the police report attached
Other or unspecified, Feb 27, 2025
Myn hood Latch is not operating properly. If hood is completely closed it is very hard to reopen with the latch. Apparently there was a recall but I did not receive any notice.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Feb 24, 2025
i am original owner. Twice now in the early morning I have found my trunk automatically opened with out reason. I thought maybe i did it by mistake but i clearly did not after 2nd time. Never has this happened in my life to any of my cars. After looking online I found other owners also experienced same occurrence with this 2015 Altima. I understand it could be anything, bad battery in hand clicker, faulty electrical switch, etc. I located the on/off switch in the glove compartment and turned it off. Now, i just have to remember to turn it on/off all the time so i don't find the trunk opened again. I could get my car stolen if i leave my car out side and go out of town. 1) if there is a recall to get this electrical fixed, please let me known. Thank you
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.
Suspension, Jan 29, 2025
Driving down highway, hit dip at bridge seam, when the car bounce up from dip, the right rear control arm snapped in half. Car lost control to right, fortunately I was able to maintain control somewhat and avoided accident. Right rear wheel tilted at 45 degree angle. Car currently at repair shop with snapped lower rear control arm
Suspension, Jan 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his son was driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and vibrating abnormally. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle felt as if the vehicle was drifting to the left and was bouncing. The contact stated his son was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that his son drove the vehicle back to the residence. The contact looked under the vehicle and became aware that the driver's side rear control arm was fractured. The contact stated that the driver's side rear wheel was leaning into the wheel well. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jan 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while her daughter was driving approximately 65 MPH, the hood unintendedly opened. The roof of the vehicle sustained cosmetic damages, causing debris to fall onto the contact's daughter while she was still driving. The contact's son was in the passenger’s seat and had to direct the contact's daughter through traffic to merge onto the shoulder safely. There were no physical injuries; however, the contact's daughter was in emotional distress due to the failure. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,180.
Exterior lighting, Dec 28, 2024
Headlight brightness has diminished to levels below safe operation of vehicle in darkness. Changing bulbs, adjusting beam pattern and restoring outer shell of headlight assembly did not increase brightness. Internal reflectors, which cannot be cleaned or replaced, have lost their effectiveness over time. Driver, pedestrian and all other driver’s safety are at risk. Independent observation and multiple video streaming service videos have reported similar issues. The only recourse is assembly replacement at the expense of the consumer.
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)
Air bags, Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while in reverse (R), an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the air bag warning light was illuminated, and the contact was advised to see the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,900.
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.
Suspension, Other or unspecified, Dec 2, 2024
My husband was pulling in a parking spot and heard a pop like noise and went out to inspect the car and saw the rear tire was falling off the car. We are told it was the lower suspension link