2016 Nissan Altima problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (183) · Vehicle Speed Control (63) · Air Bags (51)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Nissan Altima model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
295 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch 2020-05-28 · campaign 20V315000 · 1,831,818 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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 app
Structure:emergency:escape/Egress/Exit 2018-12-19 · campaign 18V915000 · 341,003 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the rear passenger door opens while the vehicle is moving, the rear passengers have an increased risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch 2017-01-18 · campaign 17V040000 · 341,005 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the rear passenger doors inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, it may increase the risk of injury to the rear passengers.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification 2016-04-26 · campaign 16V244000 · 3,296,947 vehicles
Defect: 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 incorrec
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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 par
Service bulletins (323)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Structure:body 2026-04-13 · NTB09-131C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certification label and vin plate replacement service information because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “certification label” or “vin plate/label” may be needed. hint: certification label = fmvss (federal motor vehicle safety standards) label. these items may be availabl
Structure:body 2026-04-13 · NTB09-131C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certification label and vin plate replacement service information because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “certification label” or “vin plate/label” may be needed. hint: certification label = fmvss (federal motor vehicle safety standards) label. these items may be availabl
Service Brakes 2025-02-20 · NTB19-033G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
intelligent cruise control inoperative and aeb/feb warning light on or radar obstruction message displayed with dtc c1a16 or c2582 if you confirm important: the purpose of action (on the next page) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be performing. you must closely follow the entire ser
Air Bags 2024-09-19 · NTB19-071D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
dtc b00a0-00 stored this bulletin has been amended. see amendment history on the last page. please discard previous versions of this bulletin. if you confirm dtc b00a0-00 (occupant detection sensor unit) is stored, and ocs zero point reset cannot be performed, (continued on the next page)
Power Train 2024-06-07 · NTB12-103I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
cvt/tcm calibration data “write” procedure this bulletin has been amended. see amendment history on the last page. please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
Electrical System 2024-05-21 · NTB13-107G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
vehicle key not detected / authenticated, engine will not start this bulletin has been amended. see amendment history on the last page. please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 323 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-23 · Seats“the airbag light on my 2016 nissan altima model came on, showing code b0020-13. this airbag code indicates a problem with the driver side airbag system, typically caused by damaged wiring, a malfunctioning seat sensor, or a loose connector beneath the driver's seat. the repair quote from my local nissan dealership ranges from $1500 to $3000 to repl…”
2026-10-13 · Air Bags“i have a 2016 nissan altima, its airbag light is on. diagnose say the driver side airbag has problem. nissan has recall, but not include my vin: [xxx]. how?? information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)…”
2026-09-08 · Unknown Or Other“the hvac system in my 2016 nissan altima produces cold air, but the airflow is not properly directed through the dashboard vents toward the occupants. instead, the airflow is primarily directed toward the floor and windshield. this problem has continued throughout the summer of 2026. i have two children, ages [xxx] and [xxx], who ride in the vehic…”
2026-08-16 · Power Train“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 …”
2026-08-10 · Exterior Lighting · 165,000 mi“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 th…”
2026-08-03 · Vehicle Speed Control“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 proper…”
2026-07-30 · Air Bags“there is an active recall for the generic 2016 nissan altima ocs sensor, but it does not apply to my specific vin apparently. this sensor is a problem with other vehicles of the same year, make, and model, but i am apparently on the hook for almost $1000 repair cost because the recall did not extend to my vin. again, same year, make, model, and iss…”
2026-07-23 · Structure:body“hood popped up while driving and smashed windshield and did additional body damage. secondary hood latch safety mechanism was non operable according to mechanic who looked at it after incident. hood latch was replaced as part of recall in 2022. spoke to nissan but they are dismissing because there is no open recall and because it was already fixed.…”
2026-07-21 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“upon impact driver's side and passenger side airbags did not deploy.…”
2026-07-21 · Exterior Lighting“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.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.