2020 Nissan Altima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 179 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 19th highest complaint count among 26 Altima model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 16 involved a crash and 7 involved a fire. 15 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Engine and engine cooling, engine, hard parts internal/mechanicalJun 27, 2025
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.
Engine failure increases the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire.
Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.
Campaign 25V437000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraSep 8, 2023
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.
Campaign 23V628000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresMar 11, 2021
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Altima and 2018-2021 Titan vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC798.
Campaign 21V169000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, linkages, tie rod assemblyMar 4, 2021
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Nissan Altima vehicles. The tie rod ball joint fastener was not tightened properly, which could result in the tie rod ball joint detaching from the steering knuckle.
A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the left and right-side tie rod ball joint fasteners, or install new fasteners as necessary, free of charge. The began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PC795.
Campaign 21V138000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresNov 5, 2020
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima S grade vehicles equipped with Continental ProContact TX tires, size 215/60 R16 H, with TIN date code 3320 and Mold ID S-419149. The tires may have been over cured.
Over cured tires can result in a sidewall break causing a sudden loss of air or the tread separating from the tire. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle's tires to see if they are affected, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 10, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-8677669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC765.
Campaign 20V685000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, glass, side/rearSep 22, 2020
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.
Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.
Campaign 20V570000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
179 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Jun 13, 2024
Trunk latch broke entirely, cannot shut trunk and cannot repair myself. Did not slam trunk lid, just shut normally.
Power train, Engine, Jun 1, 2024
Engine failed prematurly with less than 40k miles. All service was completed in a timely fashion. Nissan is taking a long time to get back to me with what next steps are. They are still investigating after 10 days. Pls help.
Structure, May 28, 2024
Unable to open driver’s door from the inside of the vehicle. To exit the car I have to climb over and exit through passenger door or roll down the window and open the door from the outside handle. This is a potential safety concern of not be able to get out of the car in an emergency or injuring myself when I have to climb over the console to exit through passenger door. This issue has bot been resolved and is still a concern.
Power train, May 25, 2024
Unpredictably vehicle acceleration is delayed by approximately 3-4 seconds. Car then proceeds to take off after transmission kicks in. I almost got hit by a semi during a left turn. And similar near miss incidents have occurred. Car also fails to accelerate in a predictable manner when needed rpm goes up but vehicle will stall/hesitate. The vehicle is under warranty and has been to the dealer 3 times. They will not perform any maintenance on the vehicle. Saying it needs to be replicated in person. The Issue is not easily replicated, but when the issue presents itself, it poses a great safety risk to occupants in the vehicle and all drivers/pedestrians on the road around the vehicle. This seems to be a known issue by Nissan but they fail to implement a recall or any other corrective action. I can provide invoices/Statements of work but will have to retrieve them from the dealer. I also have video evidence of the issues occurring. Dealer has seen the videos but refuses to repair, replace, or recompensate for the issues listed above off the videos alone.
Other or unspecified, May 8, 2024
All four door lock actuators have failed when the car was only 2 years old. We have lived with it but this seems to happen and could be a safety issue.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, May 8, 2024
This has been happening multiple times since December 25th, 2023. Presently, it's in the shop for the 6th time. This orange light comes on and then right after the vehicle just stops or slows down. Nothing is in front of or behind me. It's random...happens at night or anytime during the day and it stops itself while driving. It has been taken to the dealership 6 times since December and the problem has not been remedied. It is scary getting into the vehicle every time because I wonder, will it happen today? And what if someone is behind me? That could cause a major accident with injuries.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the forward collision avoidance system chimed and the vehicle started braking. The contact stated that there was no vehicle in front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the forward collision avoidance system system engaged after several school buses had driven past his vehicle in the opposite lane. The contact stated that he was able to disengage the forward collision avoidance system, and he continued driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a local dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 13, 2024
I can be driving and all of a sudden the collision symbol starts flashing,it has done it at least ten times
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 5, 2024
AEB system malfunction for front end. Will not allow cruise control to be used because of it.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 27, 2024
Front crash warning malfunction on my dash
Suspension, Wheels, Engine, Feb 26, 2024
My 2020 Nissan Altima is having issues with the transmission . When you accelerate the engine Jerks, Vibrates , Shutters. It hesitates even when stopping acts like it doesn’t want to shift into another gear . My Tires are always loosing air as well . The Front of my car is always making a sound think suspension issues .
Engine, Feb 22, 2024
Vehicle goes into limp mode (shows all engine warring signs flashing ) and my speed goes down to 5-15 miles. This happens instantly and my car will jerk and basically stop where it is at. This is happening when the temp. is below 0 and it is snowing. There is no warring or time to get out of the way of traffic and on the hwy cars are coming up on you. Someone can hit you from behind instantly when this happens. My vehicle has been towed twice to the dealer and i have filed 3 complaints with NIssan consumer care but this is not resolved. All they can do is reset the computer each time. The dealer tells me this is happening all the time but they can not get it do duplicate when they have it . I have 18K miles and this has happened 3 times in total.
Steering, Wheels, Other or unspecified, Feb 16, 2024
I bought a used (7,000 miles) 2020 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV. Bought the car January (18-19th) 2022. The same week I bought it I noticed a noise coming from the right side of the car. I would later come to find out it was a wheel bearing, which when not fixed can lead to some serious safety concerns. The wheel can potentially come off during driving! At high speeds in particular, that is dangerous. I am glad it did not happen to me, but it could have caused fatal accidents. Anytime I made turned my wheel to the right I heard a low droning/humming/vibrating noise from the opposite side. It was more pronounced with speed and depth of turn. These turns do not have to be very deep; most highways have curves in them, and this is when I would hear the noise. It usually began at speeds of 50-60mph, but as the issue became more pronounced over time (this took a whole year to resolve) this changed, and I was able to hear it from 30-40mph. Nissan did not want to warranty this at first, at multiple dealership locations. More time passed and I noticed the wheel bearing noise getting more and more pronounced. I brought it to another dealership that was not a Nissan dealership, and they said it’s clearly the wheel bearing. That’s the first time I had been told what this could possibly be. I brought it to the local Nissan dealership after this, so I could get this done under warranty. Remember, this has been happening since I bought the car, and I am at less than 17k mileage. I told them I was concerned about the wheel bearing and that I thought this was the issue, and it was more pronounced now than in the past. They said, "the car is fine" and that the noise it’s “normal.” I asked how a loud noise happening only conditionally and to only one side of the car was “normal”, and he had no reply for that. Months later the noise is became incredibly disturbing, and I spoke with the manager, and they finally fixed the wheel bearing under warranty.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Feb 16, 2024
I bought a used (7,000 miles) 2020 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV. Bought the car on January (18-19th) 2022 with a clean Car Fax. Then, on August 12, 2022 at 17,500 approximate miles the transmission failed. I was driving and suddenly the engine light came on and the car was being strange. Slight shaking, vibration, and delayed acceleration plus a few other details I cannot recall. I immediately went to the dealership since I was nearby and I did not feel that the car was safe to drive. Then I left it there for over a month (all with no loaner vehicle because they had none) and they said they needed to get me a new transmission. Needing a new transmission so soon, is not normal. The dealership even said this, but also said it is unfortunately an issue they see with their CVT transmissions. I had no prior symptoms, and this was very sudden. I had even called them to let them know I was on the way, and they said if I was not close-by that I should tow the car in because it might not be safe. It could have caused an accident if I had driven for longer, so I consider myeslf lucky and hope that other people do not have the same expierence.
Power train, Dec 26, 2023
Transmission went out at 145k miles
Steering, Service brakes, Dec 13, 2023
1. Power steering cuts off while driving. Occurs intermittently -- once every two weeks or so. I am guessing that the intermittent nature of this is why more have not reported it. Warning lights show on dash indicating ABS, etc. but codes disappear when car is turned off and back on. Yes, you can inspect this. We bought a BlueDriver OBDII with an app because we couldn't capture this and the dealer couldn't recreate the problem. I have the records of the codes. We were able to get the vehicle to the dealer while still running and they are fixing it by replacing the ABS computer (at significant cost). 2. Sudden loss of power steering could result in a major accident -- especially in emergency situations, at higher speeds or if the driver was weaker/smaller. My wife drives this car, and it was a major shock when this happened. Fortunately, she was moving less than 30 mph when this happened -- and she was not trying to avoid an accident. 3. The problem has been reconfirmed by Regal Nissan Service at this time. [XXX] See above for description of how hard it was to capture this condition. 4. The component has been deemed unworking. I believe that the dealer is just replacing it, however, vs, in-depth diagnosing at the corporate level. 5. The warning lights come on at the same time the power steering stops. There is absolutely no pre-warning. We have no idea if the ABS system also stops working because conditions were dry, speed was low, no slamming on of brakes -- but I am guessing that the ABS also wouldn't work. That's a guess. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 1, 2023
The forward emergency braking system on my vehicle disables itself. I receive a message stating "front laser obstructed". There is no obstruction on vehicle. I relly on the emergency braking system to give me a heads up on possible forwars collision. Problem started around 50000 miles. It went away for a few months then came back
Steering, Engine, Nov 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel to the left or the right there was an abnormal clicking and grinding sound coming from nearby the front-end passenger’s side tire. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to a certified mechanic who stated that the Automotive electromagnetic compatibility system needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 185,165.
Back over prevention, Nov 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse, he became aware that the back-up camera was not functioning. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the rear camera wiring harness. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V628000 (Back Over Prevention), and the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 4,500.
Steering, Suspension, Structure, Oct 27, 2023, crash
Tie rod ball joint snapped and broke at 15mph causing vehichle to loose control and forced off-road into a fence post. No Collison warning or lane departure warning. I had the vehichle towed back to dealership Nissan Wesley chapel. I was in process of possibly purchasing vehichle. Couldn’t find financing for me so received a letter rescinding their transaction. My ins agency Esurance concluded it a tota loss. Never heard back from Nissan or my ins. agency on what caused it to break. Everytime I asked I was never given a response. I have several photos of vehichle and found a recall for tie rod and ball joint fasteners on same make and year. Would like some answers to this safety issue being if I was going faster I could have been killed. 2 days prior to accident began hearing clicking noise when going over speed bump. Took vehichle for private inspection and a vehicle system scan reported systems w/codes for intelligent cruise control/advanced driver assistance system and laser/radar.
Steering, Oct 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the steering wheel operated as needed; however, the failure recurred while making a turn. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and drove to AutoZone and was informed that the vehicle was designed with an electric power steering. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving, and the steering wheel failed to operate as needed after turning off and restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was in the process of being towed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V138000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,578.
Electrical system, Sep 25, 2023, fire
The contact owned a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that her husband had driven the vehicle and had parked the vehicle in the driveway. The contact stated that 25 minutes later, the vehicle alarm sounded persistently. The contact stated that the husband opened the front door and saw that the driver's side of the cabin was in flames. The contact's husband used a water hose to extinguish the fire. The fire department also assisted the contact's husband in extinguishing the fire. A fire department report that indicated that the fire had started in the dashboard due to electrical shortage, was filed. There was no police report filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle remained at the contact's residence, awaiting to be totaled. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was a thermal event; however, the vehicle was not inspected. No assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 18, 2023
The information system head unit crashes (reboots) on demand when a MS Teams call is answered or initiated via CarPlay. Crashing of the head unit is 1) very distracting to the driver 2) avoiding it requires attention and ability to first determine incoming call is from MS Teams and then reaching down and unplugging the phone prior to answering it, causing a loss of Navigation and yet more attention loss 3) This loss of attention can cause lane deviation, lack of following traffic signals and other incidents. Problem is universal in Nissan head units in this series, google Nissan Head Unit Teams for tens of thousands of hits. Dealer and Nissan corp notified and ignore the problem. Nissan's partner in infotainment, Renault had the same exact issue and corrected it with an over the air update so it is easily fixed. Dealer inspected, MS and Apple as well, both say head unit firmware is at fault. Failure has occurred from day one, car is defective because of this significant cause of distraction. Please get this fixed before people die (if they have not already)
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 12, 2023, fire
Vehicle caught on fire while inside home @ 4:00am cst. Fire department and police department were at the scene as well. Fire department was forced to pry open the trunk to stop fire from spreading. Police gave police report at the scene due to the incident. State Farm is involved as well as the investigation team currently. State Farm insurance informed me to provide this information.
Electrical system, Aug 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the key fob not available message displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stopped at a service center. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed and stated that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 21,171. The VIN was not available.