2017 Nissan Altima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 391 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 13th highest complaint count among 26 Altima model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 24 involved a crash and 7 involved a fire. 23 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
Representative owner complaints
391 reports, newest first.
Air bags, Seats, Jan 24, 2024
Took vehicle to get an oil changed & was informed that air bag light was on. Driver side air bag light came on with no warning & noticed now that the air bag seems deployed in the seat. Shop inspected & reset computer but could not find issue.
Power train, Jan 22, 2024
CVT transmission has gone out and it is a road Hazzard. The vehicle doesn't accelerate, jolts, and sputters. There was no warning or reason for a well maintained car under 97k mileage to be having this issue. Upon further investigation it is a common problem with Nissan but nothing is being done to get these cars fixed and off the road before there are bigger problems.
Air bags, Dec 18, 2023
Airbag light came on with no previous conditions that should have caused that. Dealership in Dothan, AL originally said a bad connection under the passenger seat caused it. They supposedly cleaned the connection and reset the light. The airbag light came on again days later. The same dealership now says the entire passenger seat and airbags sensors/connections will have to be replaced at $2500+ out of pocket costs.
Air bags, Dec 5, 2023
Driver search airbag warning light illuminated Took vehicle to authorized Central Houston Nissan whi SCANNED VEHICLE AND FOUND DTC B0020-13 STORED IN AIRBAG SYSTEM. PRINTED AND FOLLOWED THE ESM DIAGNOSIS PROCEDURE AND PER ESM WILL NEED TO START REPLACING THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG MODULE WICH IS PART OF THE SEAT ASSY This is of no fault of my own and not the result of normal wear and tear. My car is not safe to drive and will not pass state inspection due to this safety hazard. Without costly repair which is not covered by Nissan, airbags will not function properly and pose significant road and passenger safety hazard
Air bags, Dec 2, 2023
UNKNOWN; Someone rear-ended me Monday, Nov. 27, 2023 and damaged my driver side taillight/corner of bumper. It was an impact of about 20mph, and believed to be a result of black ice/the other driver following too closely. Today, Saturday, December 2, 2023 the airbag warning light appeared. It didn't come on with Monday's impact, so I am concerned that it could suddenly deploy while I am driving.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 20, 2023
Multiple times the car will brake while triggering the forward collision warning, sending the car into a limp mode of 40mph. This occurs at a stop sign/light, or while passing a car. I had the part replaced and the problem continues.
Other or unspecified, Nov 16, 2023
The inspection i change lamps the head light 2023 this year my car Still no warning the police officer
Air bags, Nov 15, 2023
My airbag malfunction light came on randomly. Never have I been involved in an accident. I have only had this vehicle for 2 years. I took it to Nissan dealership in Chandler AZ to have it inspected. They told me the recalls for Nissan Altimas only go up to 2016, mine is a 2017. This puts me, my passenger and my children at risk and it is not safe to drive. I have a teenager that was trying to learn how to drive with his permit and now due to this issue, it is not safe for him to do so. If there were recalls prior to the 2017 Nissan Altimas, obviously the 2017s are affected as well. Someone needs to address this issue asap.
Other or unspecified, Oct 23, 2023
When I am driving this vehicle, I get to a stop sign or red light or even stopping at a drive-through window and when I need to go the car will not accelerate I have to shut the car off and turn it back on to get it to accelerate and go. This keeps happening and is very dangerous especially when I have my children in the car. The car also has trouble shifting into gear and jerks when I get onto the hwy. The car dealership last year told me it was nothing that they could not locate any issue with the vehicle. No symptoms prior to failure of the car sometimes it does it and sometimes it doesn't
Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 21, 2023
When driving my Nissan I had stop at light/ stop sign.My car notify me with a check engine light. It wouldn't accelerate in a matter of seconds I was able to continue driving. I notice it happens every time I have to stop at lights and or stop signs frequently. It first started at about 85,000 miles. I bought it at 65,000 miles I still owe for the car I took it to Nissan and they told me that it no longer had a warranty for the transmission. It has alittle over 100,000 just think that if there's alot of consumers complaining about the same issue it needs to be investigated and stop selling it until the issue is corrected.. In my opinion..
Power train, Oct 7, 2023
When operating my Nissan Altima 2017 I was alerted with warning lamp annd it notified me to check engine and then it went away. The car started to jerk, also the car rpm’s went up and took it awhile to reset while at a stop light…I then parked the car and when I tried to start it, the shift would shift to drive and reverse but the car wouldn’t move…so I towed the car home and after almost 3 weeks I was able to save money to tow it to a Nissan dealership and they confirmed I needed a new cvt transmission…quoted me 7,800 for replacing and labor fees. I have read about the 2017 Nissan settlement after doing a lot of research on the vehicle, I need help with the next steps. Cause that price to fix it isn’t affordable for me while making car payments still. Car is still in my possession currently, just have to pay it to be towed back to my residence
Air bags, Sep 22, 2023
I purchased my 2017 Nissan new and have always serviced it according to recommended guidelines. It has 31,103 miles on it and my airbag light came on and was blinking. I took it to Faulkner Nissan and was told I would have to pay 179.00 for diagnostic test which showed 2 codes one 00 for blinking light and 12 which online states requires a reset but I was told I need a new seat back assembly which would be $2700.00 and not covered under warranty. I have never had an accident and never had them deploy. This sounds bizarre to me considering the age and condition of the vehicle but am now seeing this same issue on multiple sites and feel this should be recalled due to the nature of the safety concern. I also requested a copy of the diagnostics and my request was denied.
Other or unspecified, Sep 22, 2023
I experienced My 2017 Nissan Altima having a delay accelerating after I stop at lights then it took a couple of seconds of my foot pushing down on gas petal to get going with it taking off very fast! It happened 3 times in a 2 week timeframe, then on Sunday, 9/17/2023 my daughter was driving and I was the passenger and it happened 4 separate times in 1 hour! I took it into Nissan in Salem, NH , (where I purchased the vehicle), on 9/18/23 and it isn’t giving a Code so they say they can’t fix it until they get a code by replicating it! That is unacceptable because it happens sporadically so unless you give me a loaner car so they can drive it all the time that to see it happen. So right now my car is at that service place! I need a “loaner car” and for Nissan to FIX this problem NOW or I will be force to file a lawsuit and I will make sure everyone I know doesn’t buy a Nissan!
Power train, Sep 18, 2023
The transmission failed as I was entering a highway and accelerating. The speed went from 45 mph to 0 in a matter of seconds. Once the car died, I could not put it in any gear, drive or reverse, and get the car to move.
Air bags, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 9, 2023
Lights just came on . Never had accident.
Power train, Sep 7, 2023
Called Nissan to advise them of how dangerous it was to drive my car because the transmission was not responding. All they read to me was it is your problem Nissan cannot repair your vehicle. I advice them of this problem way before my vehicle had 100k miles.
Air bags, Aug 27, 2023
My vehicle had 46,765 miles on it when the airbag warning light came on. I contacted Nissan dealer in Oak Ridge TN (where I purchased the vehicle 1/18) and the stored code they found was B0020-13. I had purchased the extended warranty and my paperwork showed 72 months with replacement vehicle provided and 100.00 deductible. I was told they had to clear it through finance prior to ordering the part. I waited 5 days and had to contact Nissan to see if they were going to fix it. I was told it was approved and they had the part (but failed to contact me). When I asked about a replacement vehicle as I had already gone 5 days without a vehicle as I felt it was not safe to drive I was told unless the repair took over 4 hours it did not qualify for a replacement vehicle. They replaced the Left seat back/side air bag assembly. My concern is it was over 2200.00 for the part not including labor on a car that had less than 50,000 miles. I was lucky I had purchased the extended warranty so my out of pocket was 100.00. However, I should mention that the warranty at the time of purchase was 2,100.00. Had I driven the vehicle and been in an accident one of my airbags would not have deployed. This is a safety feature and should not need an extended warrranty to cover repair.
Power train, Aug 24, 2023
My car only has about 113,000 miles and the CVT transmission is completely ruined. It’ll cost me over $3,200 to repair, and this is a very common and known issue to Nissan. See other Class Action Lawsuits.
Air bags, Aug 16, 2023
AIR BAG LIGHT is on and Dealer diagnosed and could not identify the problem Nissan dealer of Rolla charge me $145. Dealer irresponsiibly reset the airbag code ( erase code) and return the vehicle that there is no issues. But AIR BAG Light came back on in few days. It is showing code B0020 but with no additional information. Dealer is not taking responsibilty on faulty airbag system and it is recurring issue of 2016 Nissan Altima Air bag recall. You need to force the manufacturer to address this issue before safety is comprised. Nissan does not know the issue with AirBag problem of 2017 Nissan Altima
Power train, Aug 11, 2023
I changed the transmission fluid at 60K on my 2017 Nissan Altima SV. At 70,500 miles while driving on the highway my car started slipping, jerking off wears. I had no warning lights or signs that it was overheating. We pulled over for 30 minutes and continued. We were 45 minutes from home. It didn’t take long before it started again. The car would come out of wear and it would only run at 40mph going up hills. Once we got off the highway, the car wouldn’t go into gear. We didn’t make it home. I called my local Nissan dealership and they informed me I had no warranty at all. We had the car towed to a local transmission repair shop. My transmission was done. I put in a used transmission in for $3,300. 2 months later I get a notification from Nissan that the cvt transmission warranty has been extended to 84000 miles or 84 months, whichever came first. I called Nissan consumer affairs and they basically said, you repaired your car on your own there’s nothing we can do. Nissan has class action lawsuit which the time limit that has already expired. I still filled my paperwork proof with no answer what so ever. I can assure you I will not buy another Nissan vehicle again!
Air bags, Aug 8, 2023
The airbag malfunction light has turned on, this puts me at risk as a driver. The airbag assembly on the drivers side has failed. It has been inspected by Auto Nation Nissan in Chandler, AZ. This car was not involved in any accident. I was simply told the airbag failed.
Power train, Aug 4, 2023
I was driving on the freeway 8/1/23. There was a bit of traffic so my speed varied. I was attempting to accelerate at one point and the car wouldn't go any faster than about 60 mph. I started hearing a sqealing / screeching noise too. I was scared my car was about to stop. I didn't know if I should pull to the shoulder or just continue to my offramp. I managed to get off the fwy and make it home a few miles away with some lurching / jerking. On 8/3/23, the next time I drove the car, I was trying to pull my car out of my garage for a mobile mechanic to look at. It wouldn't reverse, and was just still when I pressed the gas. It wouldn't do anything in drive but rev. The mobile mechanic got there and managed to drive it a bit and I heard it making a super load noise and saw the car lurching and jerking He told me the transmission was bad. The car is not safe to drive. It has 52,000 miles on it and I have barely drove in the 4 years I've had it. I spoke to Nissan Consumer affairs and they told me to take it to the dealer for a diagnosis. The car got towed to the dealer to see if it qualifies for the Nissan extended warranty for CVT transmissions. I am afraid to drive the car now. I thought I was buying a solid car. I didn't think I could go wrong with Nissan mechanically at such an early stage in the car's life.
Air bags, Aug 3, 2023
The airbag light came on solid. I got it checked at the dealership and they informed me that my driver side airbag module which is located in the side/rear of the driver's seat needed to be replaced. This would include changing the entire top section of the driver's seat. Quoted me at $2,850 with tax. They said that none of my airbags would deploy if I was in an accident due to this one faulty module. The dealer mentioned that this is a very common occurrence they see a lot with the 2017 Altima. Based on research I've done so far, this seems to be a universal fact, many have this issue. I'm not sure why this isn't considered a recall, I hope this report leads to an investigation. My Altima, as many others report, is in great condition otherwise and all recommended maintenance and service is done according to the manufacturer. This doesn't seem like something that should be the fiscal burden of the consumer.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Jul 29, 2023
Was driving and came to a stop. Went to accelerate and car stuttered and acted like it didn’t want to accelerate. This is not the first time, but it was about a month ago when it last did it and almost caused me to wreck. Car is only at 99k miles.
Power train, Jul 12, 2023
Driving down the highway at 12AM the vehicle lost power and slowed immediately to 20MPH. I pulled over, shut off the engine and waited 5 minutes. Restarted the engine and the vehicle ran fine. Recently while driving the vehicle I have noticed delays of 2-3 seconds in throttle engagement before acceleration. My son, Preston Hodnett was on the freeway and the vehicle slowed down to 10MPH. He pulled over, turned the vehicle off and restarted the vehicle and was able to return to normal freeway speeds. This occurred with no check engine light at the time. The vehicle is a 2017 with 65.4K miles. The manufacture is saying it is a transmission issue and will take $6.2K to repair. I cannot afford the replacement cost and this is a continued known issue with Nissan vehicles and the Nissan representative advised a transmission shop separate from Nissan that they cannot replace my transmission due to a current lawsuit with consumers in the state of California. In my opinion, this vehicle is endangering me and my family and this appears to be a class issue. The first issue occurred over two years ago and then went away entirely. Recent issues have arisen that resemble or exceed the first incident which are causing severe safety concerns. No warning lights were present during these issues.