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: power train
235 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Aug 16, 2026
To recap: •Nissan manufactured defective transmissions. •Nissan granted me a warranty extension with a fleeting expiration date (2023) to shift the cost away from them. •In 2020, Nissan performed work on my car. The work they performed masked the problem, didn’t fix it. And it deferred the problem, “kicking the can down the road.” •In 2026, Nissan denied my claim for goodwill approval. •I paid for a piecemeal fix on the car, leaving all the other transmission components still at risk. •My car, with 44,000 miles, is not safe.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Aug 3, 2026
My 2016 Nissan Altima has approximately 68,900 miles. When I am stopped and press the gas pedal, the vehicle sometimes hesitates before it begins moving. It does not accelerate normally, which is dangerous when I am pulling into traffic, crossing an intersection, or making a turn. At other times while driving, the vehicle will not accelerate properly and appears to become stuck in a low gear. The engine RPM may rise to approximately 4,000, but the vehicle does not shift or increase speed normally. Turning the vehicle off and restarting it may temporarily make the problem go away, but it can happen again without warning. There is currently NO CHECK ENGINE light or other warning light that has ever come on. So I had the auto parts store attach an OBD-II scanner and the ONLY error code was P0776. This prompted me to research further and that is when I learned of the CVT issues with Nissan. Because the loss of acceleration and failure to shift are intermittent, I cannot predict when the vehicle will hesitate or fail to respond. I am concerned that I could be struck by another vehicle if this happens while entering traffic, crossing an intersection, or attempting to maintain speed.
Power train, Jun 16, 2026
My daughter was driving down the road and came to a 2-wayy stop. Went to pull out and the car stalled and started shuddering. On down the road leaving a red light it did the same thing and not wanting to really go.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 26, 2026
Delayed gear change from 1st to 2nd/delayed acceleration 1-5 seconds mid-traffic because the car overheats soon after driving which causes the car to not properly accelerate causing more RPMs than necessary during longer drives with frequent stops (within urban/suburban areas).
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Nov 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond while the engine was running. The contact stated that the vehicle responded and returned to normal functionality after depressing the accelerator pedal several times. The contact stated that the failure was more evident while driving in cold weather. No warning light was illuminated. 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 84,000.
Power train, Nov 23, 2025
While i was driving the transmission felt as if it was slipping and didn't want to switch gears. When i stopped at a red light it didn't want to kick into drive it took like 3 -4 minutes to kick in no warning lights came on it just started messing up when I took it to get it looked at the code p17f0 came up. Im still paying a 429 car note on this vehicle and can not drive it plus the Carmax Care coverage i had on the car, is unusable!! So now im stuck with a broken car that im still paying on.
Power train, Sep 30, 2025
The transmission started slipping at 70,000 miles on the Altima, even after getting a preventative transmission service at 30,000 miles. A mechanic revealed a judder code, which means the transmission will stop working within weeks. A repair would cost more than the car is worth. My wife could have been stranded in traffic. This is unacceptable. No warning lights appeared on the dash.
Power train, Sep 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal a second time, the vehicle responded as intended; however, the failure recurred at the next stop. The contact stated that the gas cap warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspecting the gas cap, no issue was found. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where the failure was linked to the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Aug 21, 2025
-Nissan made their Altimas and other vehicles using a CVT transmission that was of poor design and quality. -Nissan has admitted to this in several class action lawsuits, [XXX] ) and has extended their powertrain warranty and time period as a result. -The extended powertrain warranty is to cover up until 84k miles, the mileage on the Nissan Altima in question is just over 82k, well under the mileage limit. -Nissan corporate has denied repairs for this particular Nissan Altima under both their financial assistance and goodwill programs, despite having done so for many other Altima, Murano, Maxima, etc... owners. -Nissan is denying assistance based on two points: First, they claim that the time has expired. My claim is that transmissions fail due to poor engineering and quality, as well as wear and tear - NOT due to an arbitrary point of time when the clock hand strikes 12 midnight. In other words, transmissions due not wear out based upon an arbitrary time schedule. Secondly, Nissan is denying assistance and suggested that the warranty is void due to a lack of dealer maintenance, in violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which protects consumers' rights to choose where they have their car serviced without voiding the warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Jul 16, 2025
My 96 year old mom purchased 2016 Alltima 8 years ago. It now has 59,000 0riginal miles on it and the CVT transmission is failing we were told at the nissan service center where the car was purchased. Nissan has refused to help pay for any repairs. So 96 year old woman living on fixed income has to pay. Go back to Japan NISSAN
Power train, Jul 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate, and the vehicle was jerking and lurching while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Power train, May 12, 2025
Sometimes when you push the gas to take off after coming to a stop my 2016 Altima will not accelerate for several seconds. The RPMs will go high but the car won't move for several seconds and then it moves very slow for several more seconds. If it doesn't straighten up on its own I've discovered I can turn the car off for a few seconds and restart it. When I do this the transmission will work again. I've almost been struck by another car more than once when I attempted to pull out of a business and my car "stalls". I think Nesaun should fix this problem before someone is killed or seriously hurt. This has been an ongoing problem since I got the car in 2019 with 35000 miles on it.
Power train, Apr 25, 2025
As I was driving on the highway , I experienced loss of power, acceleration issues, slipping between gears, whining noise, hesitating, and jerking I had no warning signs no lights come on on my vehicle to notify me of any type of problems. This all happened when I was driving on the highway. My car went from driving perfectly normal to no longer working. I took my car to a mechanic they run a diagnostic. They also test drove in and inspected the car and said my transmission is failing and it needs to be replaced and that this has been a common issue in Nissan Altima between 80,000 and 100,000 miles
Power train, Mar 19, 2025
I am the new owner of a 2016 Nissan Altima with approximately 179,000 miles, and I am experiencing a complete transmission failure despite Nissan’s claims that their CVT transmissions are reliable. After researching, I discovered that Nissan has faced multiple class-action lawsuits regarding faulty CVT transmissions, which led to warranty extensions in the past. However, I was told by Nissan Customer Affairs that those extensions have ended, and they refused to offer any assistance, even though this is a well-documented, known defect. As a new owner, I do not have access to the vehicle’s full service history, but there are no reported service issues or previous transmission failures according to the BAR website. Regardless, this failure is consistent with thousands of other complaints from Nissan Altima owners, and it is unacceptable that Nissan refuses to take responsibility. Additionally, there are two active recalls on my vehicle (hood latch and door handle issues), but I cannot even bring the car in for recall repairs due to the transmission failure. I am requesting that Nissan takes this matter seriously. If Nissan continues to ignore its responsibility, I will escalate this complaint further.
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.
Power train, Feb 19, 2025, crash
I purchased this vehicle from Drivetime in Las Vegas off Decatur Blvd in December of 2021. I was not advised these particular make and models could have CVT Transmission failure. It has the SR Sports Model transmission, so I always thought when I had it in sport mode that the RMP's stayed high and the car would jerk if I let off the gas not knowing the transmission was actually faulty. In March of 2024 the vehicle stalled multiple time while at the gas station after filling up my gas tank. There was a Meineke in the same parking lot, I got the car going and quickly parked. They ran the codes since the check engine light had came on and told me P0776 was a faulty transmission. That these cars have known problem with transmission failure. They cleared the code and said if it comes back on it's going to go out quickly. I was told to baby the car, I barely drive anywhere but for work purposes and to the grocery store until last week the car had some major issues and check engine light came on. Ran codes and it was P0776 again. This last year I have experienced loss of power while driving and making a left turn. I did get hit once but the person left the scene, and I did not know what to do. So, I kept driving as the vehicle was not to the point of not being driven and I don't exactly have a large bank account to fix things like this as they come up. I have been ill paying for medical out of pocket and my deductible is $1500. Plus my father passed and I had to help pay for funeral and other expenses. I was told to reach out to NHTSA about this issue to see what could be done to help me out.
Power train, Feb 9, 2025
Hello, I own a 2016 Nissan Altima 2.5L SL with 100,000 miles on it. We've owned it since new and have taken very good care of it. Always kept in garage. All maintenance schedules have been followed, and the oil has been changed every 5,000 to 7,000 miles with full synthetic oil. About a year ago, at 90,000 miles, stepping on the accelerator pedal would do nothing, then, it would lurch forward at high RPM after 3 to 5 seconds. This occurs after coming to a complete stop. This only happens if the vehicle has been driven for at least an hour or so - especially on hot days. No check engine lights were coming on. After shutting off the vehicle and letting it cool down completely, the issue goes away until it is driven for an hour again, then the problem presents itself again. I've nearly been killed at some intersections as the vehicle will not accelerate for a few seconds. I have taken the vehicle into Tuffy Auto in Waukesha - they replaced the O2 Sensors, the Brake Light Switches (both), and the Mass Air Flow Sensor. This cost me about $1500 but the problem still remains. They've checked for codes, but nothing can be found. I like working with those guys, but they were unable to find the issue. I also took it into Nissan in Waukesha and they charged me $150 to diagnose the problem. they said nothing could be replicated after keeping the vehicle for a day. They instructed me to bring it back when it was reproducing. One day last summer, it would not accelerate at any stop. Taking 5 to 10 seconds before it would accelerate. I limped it over to Nissan Waukesha at 3pm in the afternoon and their service advisor immediately said there was nothing he could do for me. He was extremely rude and unhelpful. I explained that I had brought it to them while the issue was present, but he insisted there was nothing he could do for me. After doing some research, I've discovered hundreds, if not thousands of Altima owners with the same issue. Various forums and online postings of th
Power train, Jan 17, 2025
2016 Nissan Altima has approximately 89,300 miles and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) had to be replaced. Nissan is well aware of the CVT issues. A few years ago, due to class-action lawsuits regarding the CVT, Nissan offered extended warranty for all impacted vehicles for 7 years and 84,000 miles, whichever comes first. Our vehicle was less than 6,000 miles outside of that warranty. And went out about 1 year after that warranty. Due to a separate warranty we purchased at the time the Certified Pre-owned Altima was bought (with about 9,200 miles on it), we were covered for 7 years or 100,000 miles additional warranty, whichever came first. For the warranty we paid for, we were over by 1 year and 3 months but under in mileage; Nissan agreed to pay half of the CVT replacement cost. We have copies of the warranties and receipts. Car began to skip/stall in late 2024. Check engine light came on. Code was run at Nissan Dealership in January 2025 that said CVT was bad. We had the CVT replaced at a Nissan Dealership and had to pay for 1/2 the CVT replacement. Impacted Nissan CVTs should be mandatory recalled and Nissan should be required to pay full cost of CVT replacements for those Nissans due to the widespread and known issues.
Power train, Jan 17, 2025
REPAIR SHOPS ESTIMATE STATES; AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (3102M3VX0CRE) NEEDS TO BE REMOVED & REPLACED, (Combination) CRANKSHAFT MAIN OIL SEAL REMOVE & REPLACE, (Combination) TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER & LINES - Flush - FRONT WHEEL ALIGNMENT, CVT PROGRAMMING which is totaling $5,714.48. This cost will cost me a hardship as I am a person with disabilities. I don't feel it is fair that the extended warranty has a time limit as this was not a good solution for those that don't drive much. I am being told it expired in 2023. Had I driven more this recalled CVT would have damaged sooner and been covered. I am extremely afraid to drive this car like this.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Nov 16, 2024
Car enters lymph mode, transmission failure car fails to move. Incident occurs randomly while driving on the highway placing driver and passengers at risk of being hit from behind. Nissan transmissions are notorious for transmission failures. This is the second Nissan Altima I have owned with the same transmission problem Vehicle only has approximately 60,000 miles and already failing. No warning lights came on nor other indications of malfunction. Transmission has been serviced by Nissan oil and filter have been changed. Transmission is warranted for 100,000 miles or seven years. The vehicle is a 2016 and has just passed the warranty. Previous Altima transmission was warranted for 100,000 miles regardless of the number of years. This is the third time transmission has fallen into safe mode on the freeway
Power train, Nov 11, 2024
I opened Complaint Number 11539204 on 08/17/2023 concerning issues with the car stalling, delayed shifting and gear slippage. I had the transmission replaced with a new one on 08/18/2023 at Tri-State Nissan Winchester, VA, and now I'm experincing the same issue with this new transmission. I was told that the warrenty for the enw transmission was only 12 months/12K miles. I paid over $5K for this new transmission and in a little more than 14 months, the same issues are being experienced. I was told Nissan changed their warranty on 07/2024 for their new transmissions to 36 months/36K miles. I called 1-800-Nissan-1 and got a case created, but they are not able to help in covering the cost to replace this 2nd transmission. There needs to be a recall on these Nissan's CVT.
Power train, Oct 14, 2024
While driving on interstate 80 RPM started fluctuating as the MPH started decreasing. I had to pull to the side of the freeway and drive at 5mph because that’s all it would let me do. Car had to be towed from Colfax California to the AAMCO in Auburn, California. Had to rent a car that cost me $609. I found out today that the transmission needs to be replaced and the cost will be $6949.03.
Power train, Sep 28, 2024
The transmission failed in the middle of a traffic controlled intersection. I was almost hit a few times (flashers engaged). No motion was possible in either direction. Was later replaced at a cost of $6100 by a local transmission shop.
Power train, Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated independently. On several occasions, the vehicle stalled and failed to immediately restart. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 113,000.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 2, 2024
After driving the vehicle for about an hour, when coming to a stop, the vehicle will not accelerate. Stepping in the acceleration pedal does nothing. No RPM increase, nothing. After 10 seconds the vehicle suddenly takes off. After angry drivers honk. The RPMS rev up and will not decrease to normal. I am limited to 25 mph with very high RPMs. Same thing repeats after every stop. The problem goes away intermittently after restarting the car. I've almost died trying to make turns in front of oncoming traffic when it will not accelerate.