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 1, 2023
I am the original owner of this 2015 Nissan Altima and I am having difficulty seeing when driving at night. The headlights are very dim. I recently (12/9/22) took my car in for service for a separate recall dealing with the hood latch. I mentioned the issue with the dim lights to them at that time and they inspected my headlights. They inspected my lights and agreed that they were dim and they informed me that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. They even provided me a copy of a Nissan Service Campaign (Ref PC861) dealing with halogen headlights dimming due to quality defect on the vehicle causing the delamination of the headlight assembly. However, they told me that it would not be a covered repair because the campaign had expired about 10 weeks prior to my visit. They recommended I call Nissan USA and see if they could help me. I did that and they basically told me No. I spoke to several people in the organization. I feel like this is a safety issue when driving the vehicle at night and since it is a known defect and I am the original owner I believe it should be covered. The cost of the repair is $1,300. I will attach my service department paperwork from 12/9/22 where it states the lights are bad, a copy of the Nissan Service Campaign that the dealership gave me, and a copy of a Class Action Settlement concerning this same issue for your review. I have spoken to Nissan USA several times without success so I am hoping you can help me resolve this problem. I even tried to resolve it through the Better Business Bureau but they are being told by Nissan that the car is outside the warranty. I believe a safety issue like this should be covered outside the original warranty. Thanks in advance for your help.
Suspension, Jan 30, 2023
I changed out my sway bar links cause I keep hearing a klunk sound ( metal on metal) and noticed how rusted and brittle the rear control arms. I'm afraid to drive the car.
Exterior lighting, Jan 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speed, the front driver’s and passenger’s side low-beam headlights were extremely dim. The headlights failed to operate as designed. Due to the failure, the contact used the high-beam headlights while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that he had replaced the front driver’s and passenger’s side light bulbs however, the failure recurred. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that he had not filed a warranty extension. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
Exterior lighting, Jan 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the headlights were very dim while activated; there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where she was informed that there was an unknown recall on the headlights; however, the parts for the repair were on backorder. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000. The VIN was not available.
Suspension, Jan 22, 2023
The left back lower control arm broke into while I was driving . There is not a recall on it yet. I was traveling over a bridge with light traffic when the traction control light came on and I was hearing a lot of noise coming from the Vechile .I turned my emergency flashers on And looked around the Vechile but did not see anything . So I drove with the flashers on to my car repairman . When he lifted the Vechile up he showed me what had happened it had rusted through. I consider myself very lucky if there had been heavy traffic I would have most likely been in a crash . The part too replace it is very hard too find .
Other or unspecified, Jan 10, 2023
Acceleration isn’t steady. Sometimes at a stop, the car won’t go for a few seconds and when it does, it jolts. When driving, the RPM also seems to go crazy, it doesn’t stay steady like other cars I’ve driven. Someone can inspect the car but I don’t have money to pay, and I can’t travel to a dealership for inspection either. When the acceleration decides to mess up, it’s dangerous especially at stop signs or stop lights that there are blind spots in, I’m terrified of getting hit because of the car failing to accelerate. The car hasn’t been inspected by anyone that I know of. It is a salvage rebuilt vehicle so I’m assuming the dealer that I bought it from checked everything before selling it. There was also no warning message whenever these things happen.
Exterior lighting, Jan 4, 2023
MY COMPLAINT IS INVOLVING BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHTS. WHILE DRIVING FROM THE EVENING ON INTO NIGHT TIME AND WHILE HAVING MY LIGHTS ON I CAN NOT SEE THE LIGHT IN FRONT OF ME THEY ARE VERY,VERY DIM. SO I HAVE TO RESORT ON PUTTING ON MY HIGH BEAMS WHICH CAUSES ONCOMING MOTORISTS TO BE BLINDED BY MY HIGH BEAM LIGHTS WHICH CAN CAUSE THEM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THIER VEHICLE AND CRASH INTO MINE. I ALSO CAN NOT SEE IF THERE IS ANY PEDESTRIAN IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE OR A DISABLED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME UNTILL I AM WITHIN A FEW FEET FROM THEM. I CAN NOT FOR SAFETY CONCERNS DRIVE MY VEHICLE AT NIGHT.
Exterior lighting, Dec 27, 2022
Headlight assemblies are so dim, even after replacing headlamp bulbs, that the vehicle is unsafe to drive at night. Nissan and dealer are unwilling to correct under the class actio Suarez vs Nissan eventhough vehicle was presented and confirmed needing repair during the time period
Exterior lighting, Dec 15, 2022
I am referring to my 2015 Nissan Altima headlight dimness. The car has been apart of a settlement which i was approved for. The settlements website is listed here: http://www.altimaheadlightsettlement.com/ I have been approved for headlight repair for more than 6months. I purchased the vehicle in December of 2019, without the knowledge of any headlight issues. I work late some times and simply cannot drive this vehicle with its headlights, it is a major safety hazard not only for myself but also for other drivers. Nissan Dealership that i purchased the vehicle at, had approved me for free headlight repair as listed in the settlement, and i had actually gone to the location, they performed an inspection / test and i had qualified for repair. Now it has since been 6+ months with no repair, and no timeline on when headlights will be replaced. I cannot continue to be at risk of driving the vehicle at night with non adequate lighting for myself to see and others to see me. The issue occurred immediately after purchasing the vehicle and has caused me to not be able to drive it at night. The issue as mentioned above, has been confirmed and a settlement has been reached but my problem is, that the settlement has been reached and i've been approved but i keep getting the work around from the dealership putting blame somewhere else and making me wait for new headlights. It is unsafe and wrong.
Exterior lighting, Dec 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights were extremely dim. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact notified the dealer of the failure and confirmed that the failure was a known issue; however, there were no recalls for the failure. The contact was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was also contacted but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Latches/locks/linkages, Dec 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hood latch inadvertently disengaged. The contact then stated that two days later she received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches, Locks, Linkages). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the hood latch was replaced; however, the failure recurred. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the latch unlatched, and the hood flew up and cracked the windshield. The dome light was knocked out of position. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was no repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,336.
Exterior lighting, Dec 4, 2022
I recently purchased a 2015 Nissan Altima for my 17 yr old son as a first time vehicle at a local dealership. Unfortunately and unbeknownst to me, this vehicle had a class action lawsuit in which the deadline ended prior to me purchasing the vehicle for having "halogen headlamps (“Class Vehicles”) defect that causes an interior reflecting surface of the headlamp to deteriorate, resulting in dimming of the low beam headlights". This vehicle is STILL NOT recalled by the manufacturer, Nissan. It puts drivers and passengers in extremely dangerous situations on the road. We have driven this vehicle twice at night and even with the high beams, you can hardly see ahead of you. I am shocked that these vehicles have not been recalled. Because I purchased this vehicle a week ago, I had no idea of the recall and when I looked up the VIN, the deadline passed. I contacted Nissan who said they will not do anything because the deadline of the class action lawsuit passed. I contacted the attorneys for the class action lawsuit who also stated nothing could be done because the deadline passed. So here we are with my son's first vehicle, now having to dish out more money to get this manufacture defect repaired because the manufacturer refuses to accept responsibility and recall these vehicles to repair this issue.
Exterior lighting, Nov 29, 2022
Nissan is aware that there is a problem with the headlights. There was a class action suit against them for this defect. They need to be made to issue a recall. It's very dangerous as the lights are incredibly dim making it difficult to see. I tried to get them repaired by Nissan but I missed the class action suit deadline by 5 days.
Exterior lighting, Nov 28, 2022, crash
This is one of the absolutely worst kind of problems that fundamentally affects the safety of the car when driven at night. Problem: Delamination of the headlight reflective material resulting in severely degraded headlights. A multitude of accounts including at least 2 YouTube videos with many comments confirming the problem state that there is so little light the car is or is next to undrivable at night. This is a MAJOR safety issue which I am currently working around by driving with my high beams on all the time after causing a blowout on the passenger side tire by hitting an object I couldn't see and replacing the halogen with xenon bulbs before I knew what the problem was. I also nearly hit a pedestrian one night. NISSAN settled a class action lawsuit that required NISSAN to notify all owners of 2013-2018 NISSAN Altimas and remedy the problem one of 3 ways but only up to Sept 2022. The website that describes the lawsuit is at http://www.altimaheadlightsettlement.com/case-documents.aspx The problem for me specifically is that because I purchased this car in Sept 2022, I didn't become an owner of the car until the very month the last remedies specified in the class action lawsuit expired. I can say with surety that every 2013-2018 NISSAN Altima not already fixed is a timebomb for potentially fatal accidents of all types hitting any person or object imaginable at night. I question the logic of a time limit for this problem because it will most likely occur depending on how often the car is driven at night. I have just contacted NISSAN USA and they refuse to voluntarily extend the warranty provided under the terms of the class action settlement, but the problem is so extremely bad that there should have been a recall done from the beginning and I hope this case is addressed by the DOT with expedience. Imagine all the Altimas that haven't been fixed which are on the road today at night. Every time it happens, there is a major possibility of death to someone.
Exterior lighting, Visibility/wiper, Nov 16, 2022
Fatally flawed Nissan headlight assembly. The dim low-beam headlights of my 2015 Nissan Altima have been the subject of a class action lawsuit against Nissan. They may or may not have been the subject of a proposed or actual recall. My dealer is now telling me that I missed some deadline under an “inspection recall.” Apparently to confirm whether my headlights are dim or not. My vehicle was in a Nissan service center for other repairs in Jan of 2018 and again in June of 2021, they ran my VIN number. They should have told me there was some arbitrary deadline to meet to fix their fatally flawed headlight assembly. Someone at Nissan consumer affairs tells me that my VIN number isn’t included in the lawsuit/recall. This is irrelevant. My headlights are certainly UNSAFELY DIM. My 17 yr old Toyota and 19 yr old dodge both have brighter headlights than my 7 yr old Nissan. I expect Nissan to do what is right. This is a defective part that will lead to injury. I’m only asking for my vehicle to be safe again. This should be a wide recall with NO arbitrary deadlines. I fear for the safety of my wife and my children.
Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Nov 10, 2022
My headlights are very dim (very dangerous) to the point I can’t see 10 feet when the sun goes down. I never got a recall notice for Nissan 2013-2018 dim headlights. I need Nissan to remedy my car and have the headlamps replaced ASAP since I use the car to drive my elderly parents to their appts because I am their caregiver.
Exterior lighting, Nov 5, 2022
Purchased a used 2015 Nissan Altima 2.5S and discovered that low-beam headlights are very dim. We almost hit a deer due to low visibility. Internet search reveals this is a known problem. We are too late to benefit from the class action lawsuit. A safety recall should be issued.
Air bags, Nov 5, 2022
THE VEHICLE CONSOLE INDICATES AN ISSUE WITH THE AIRBAG. AIRBAG ERROR LIGHT IS CONTINUALLY LIT AFTER THE VEHICLE STARTS. NISSAN DEALER CONFIRMS THE LIGHTED ERROR AND REQUESTS REPLACING THE AIRBAG AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE.
Steering, Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Oct 28, 2022
The cruise control doesn’t work at all, then I’ve only had the car for always two years and the power steering is giving me issues. Also when I roll the window up or dwn the lights will flicker
Exterior lighting, Oct 26, 2022
I brought my 2015 Nissan Altima SL additions on local Nissan dealership back in March and I was told nothing was wrong with my last driver side headlamp, and I am experiencing delamination where it’s not so bright, I believe my vehicle has been affected by the recall but now it’s past the recall deadline date
Exterior lighting, Oct 26, 2022
2015 NISSAN ALTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO DEFECTIVE DIMMED HEADLIGHTS.
Latches/locks/linkages, Oct 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hood unexpectedly opened, striking the roof, front windshield, and two front fenders. The vehicle veered off the roadway and was swiped by several bushes and trees. No injuries were sustained. An independent mechanic was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) which included the VIN. The contact had not yet received notification. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
Air bags, Oct 21, 2022
For the past year in a half I have had my airbag light on. I took it to Nissan they told me I needed a new seat which; the seat moves fine and theres no actual known problem with it. I then took it to a different Nissan and they said it was a side airbag module coming from the left side. So from there they checked it then cleared the light and said everything should be all set. Few weeks later the light came back on so I returned it to them and they cleared the light again and said it was a petty reason that it kept coming back on. Months later it came right back on and I took it back and they still have yet to find a solution other than clearing the light. This is really frustrating and frighting because if they don't know why it keeps coming on I am left to think of the worst things that can happen especially when the airbag is suppose to save me in an accident.
Air bags, Oct 20, 2022
The are warning lights coming up for the passenger side airbag system. The dealership in Rockville Maryland confirmed the problem and said they would charge a lot of money to fix it. I have studied this problem on line and noticed that there are a lot of cars just like mine had a recall for this issue and were covered with no charge since it it a safety issue.
Air bags, Oct 19, 2022
On my 2015 Nissan Altima, the SRS warning light came on and my dealership advised me that there is an OBD error code of B0028-13 for the Passenger Seat OCS. Upon researching recalls for my vehicle, I discovered several NHTSA Campaign Numbers, including 15V681000 and 16V244000, which appear to cover this problem with 2013-2016 Nissan Altimas. However, when searching my VIN for recalls, I get a zero. I'm trying to learn why four model years of Altimas are covered for this problem, but mine doesn't seem to be. Thanks for any guidance.