2016 Nissan Altima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 553 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 10th highest complaint count among 26 Altima model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 28 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 32 people were injured and 1 person died.
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 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
Representative owner complaints: exterior lighting
42 reports, newest first. Show all
Exterior lighting, Aug 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the driver's side headlight had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal headlight failure, and it was determined that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Exterior lighting, Jul 21, 2026
The headlights on this vehicle are very dim because of a defect by the manufacturer. The inside of the headlight has delamination and causes the lights to be very dim which is a hazardous situation when driving at night. A recalled was issued, but has since expired. Dealer wants to charge over 1800 to replace both headlights.
Exterior lighting, May 11, 2026
Headlights on vehicle are very dim and often do not appear to be on causing bright lights to be used in replacement. Lights are not burnt out.
Exterior lighting, Mar 15, 2026
My headlights are not putting out very well at all. I have to drive on high beams at night to be able to see which I’m sure is disrupting others driving but when I have my lights on low beams it’s almost like my lights are off or like fog lights. It’s super dangerous. This is been going on for months and I have to avoid driving at night all the time because it’s so bad.
Exterior lighting, Feb 5, 2026
This vehicle has unusually dim lights that have gotten worse over time, the local dealership told me I missed the recall on the headlight assembly
Exterior lighting, Dec 30, 2025
Headlight lowbeams are dim. Replaced with new bulbs, no improvement. Headlight lens are crystal clear from being clear vinyl wrapped when purchased new.
Exterior lighting, May 25, 2025
Head lights very dem and I have replaced with new and still can not see far with lights on
Exterior lighting, May 11, 2025
Unknown
Power train, Exterior lighting, Feb 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving up an incline at 65–70 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and briefly lost automotive power. The vehicle returned to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the stop lamp switch and wiring had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. Most recently, the contact stated that while driving up an incline at 60-70 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and briefly lost automotive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Exterior lighting, Nov 20, 2024
Nissan issued a notification of a safety issue with dimming headlights caused my a manufacturing issue. It's not a recall, however an extension was provided to address the concern. The problem is the letter is not clear when that extension starts, it indicates it's began January 2022 and is covered for an additional 3 years, however per Nissan the start date was the end of the manufactures warranty. I have a vehicle driven by my son that has dim headlights. This is a safety defect, created by the manufactures flaw, and should be covered by Nissan. Both headlights would need to be replaced and they should be held accountable for their safety issue.
Exterior lighting, Oct 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the headlights failed to properly illuminate the roadway while driving. The contact stated that the headlights were very dim. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who replaced the headlights; however, the failure persisted. The contact learned of a Class Action Lawsuit regarding the poorly illuminating headlamps. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the lawsuit was no longer active, and the remedy would not be provided. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Oct 4, 2024
Headlights staying dim to the point of not being able to see after dark even after replacing the headlights
Exterior lighting, Jun 1, 2024
I am concerned about the safety of my headlights. I haven't had my car long but noticed how dim the headlights were in comparison to my other car. I frequently would drive my old car with the fog lights illuminated due to wildlife concerns. My Nissan, though ten years newer, has lighting that is way worse. Sure enough, an animal ran out across my part that I could barely see. I looked into replacement bulbs when I stumbled across a class-action lawsuit regarding dim headlights. However, since I recently bought this car used, I apparently have no recourse. This is most definitely a safety issue. Furthermore, if the issue is due to the projector lens, then the repair should be made at Nissan's expense. Additionally, several people say that changing the bulbs do not help. I haven't had my car looked at by anyone because they just want to change the bulbs. How do you fix headlights when charging the bulb isn't the fix? How am I going to be able to see at nighttime? There needs to be a recall for these lights. It is a safety issue. It cannot be fixed by a consumer by changing the bulbs.
Exterior lighting, Dec 27, 2023
The headlights on the Nissan Altima are dangerously dim. In dry weather the only way to see at night is with the high beams on. When it is raining even that doesn't help. I paid several hundred dollars to have the bulbs replaced at a Nissan dealer and they advised they likely will not help. At no time did the Nissan dealer tell me that there was a recall on the headlights, so I found this out too late to be included. We have purchased four Nissans through the years, and this will likely be the last due to how unsafe this is. Nissan needs to fix this.
Exterior lighting, Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the headlights were extremely dim. The contact used high-beam headlights to see the road ahead. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the headlight bulbs; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
Exterior lighting, Nov 1, 2023
The headlights are extremely dim and unsafe to drive on the road at night. We first began noticing it a few months ago and it looks like there was a settlement online for this exact reason, but we didn't find out about it until the aforementioned few months ago, well past the settlement window. This is a safety issue and needs to be addressed with a proper recall as, looking around online I'm seeing reports of not just it being a safety issue, but I'm seeing people actually being cited for the lighting being insufficient for it passing inspection. This should be ranked right up there with the vehicle being undrivable during nightfall. It apparently is not fixed with a bulb replacement and it has to do with the makeup of the lighting housing materials melting or becoming deteriorated over time.
Exterior lighting, May 14, 2023
#1. Both headlights are very dim on low beam, even after bulb replacements. High beam seems more dim than other autos I have driven in the past. I usually have to drive with my high beams on if possible #2. When in reverse, my screen to view the rear view camera doesn't show a clear picture like my previous Nissan. Sometimes when first shifting into reverse the video loses its complete picture for about 2-3 seconds. I have cleaned lens and tried to adjust screen to no avail.
Exterior lighting, Apr 21, 2023
Low beam light is dim.
Exterior lighting, Mar 20, 2023
The low beam headlights is very dim. It is almost impossible to see using that and driving at night. Whatever reflecting coating nissan put inside of the low beam headlight has faded away causing the light to not reflect properly and thus providing little to no light when you try to use the low beam headlights. This is extremely dangerous because this significantly reduces the visibility when you are driving at night. The car does not give you any warning about how dim the light. I have not gotten into an accident yet mostly because I avoid driving at night because of these dim headlights. I replaced the headlights on my car and that seems to have done almost nothing to help with visibility.
Power train, Exterior lighting, Feb 15, 2023
No injuries or accident but this vehicle has two serious problems . 1. The head lights are almost non existent. you can not drive faster than 25 mph with out over driving you lighted area... I consider this a serious issue. .2. when car was new i almost always was getting in the low 30s and as high as 40 mpg now it is always getting in the low 20s consistently ... When i check this on you tube they say that is a warning that the CVT is not working properly . With only 48000 miles on the car , I ask if this is a problem that Nissan should correct ?
Exterior lighting, Aug 31, 2022
The safety of the vehicle and individuals are put into a potentially dangerous position due to the knowledge that Nissan has concerning the headlamps of Nissan Altima. This is a known issue that the headlamps are defective and are dimming due to deamination, they have already settled a class action case of Suarz v. Nissan North America, Inc. My car is affected by this issue but I never received notification of the settlement. If this is a know issue and has been settled once already and poses a danger to the general public why has there not been a recall on this issue? The lights on my car were inspected by a certified Nissan dealer and failed inspection, I had reached out to Nissan about having this issue resolved and they have denied any remedies to correct this and make it safe. What needs to happen for this to rise to the level of have Nissan recall and fix this know danger?
Exterior lighting, Visibility/wiper, Aug 23, 2022
The headlights are very dim. It is available for inspection upon request. It is a safety hazard at night time due to low visibility. The problem has not been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacurer, police, insurance or others. There were no warnings, it seemed to happen gradually. I discovered there was a class action settlement, but I was not receive notification and had already missed the deadline.
Exterior lighting, Jul 13, 2022
Head lights have become dim to the point of even with bright lights on it’s difficult to see. I read of a head lamp recall and contacted the dealer. I was informed there is a recall on the Altima head lights which did not include my vin number.
Exterior lighting, Jun 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the headlight bulbs; however, the failure recurred several times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Exterior lighting, Apr 10, 2022
The headlights are really dim .. can barely see when driving at night .. I took it to the dealership and it says it failed inspection but im out of warranty extension .. there was a class action lawsuit for this problem and nissan replaced the headlamps for free instead of a 1,200 $ fix .. but I literally bought the car March 23rd of this year , not even a month ago and had no idea about any of this until it was too late to get it fixed with financial help .. since I just bought the car is there any way to get any help with this or maybe I can get lead in the right direction because I do not have $1,200 for the headlights but they are bad .. I even got pulled over the other night because I had to ride with my high beams on and got a ticket ! please help just bought car and it is very scary to ride at night .. and due too I work in a restaurant and I am a closer I have to .. please help as to safety is a big factor here and i currently dont have that $ due to i just bought this car but need it fixed asap as to need to be safe .. http://www.altimaheadlightsettlement.com/ I fall into one time replacement for out of warranty (4)