2020 Nissan Altima problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (19) · Power Train (14) · Electrical System (13)
🧭 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
28 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (6)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/Mechanical 2025-06-27 · campaign 25V437000 · 443,899 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 2023-09-08 · campaign 23V628000 · 153,376 vehicles
Defect: 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."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Tires:sidewall 2021-03-11 · campaign 21V169000 · 36,141 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly 2021-03-04 · campaign 21V138000 · 2,407 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Tires 2020-11-05 · campaign 20V685000 · 2,214 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Visibility:glass, Side/Rear 2020-09-22 · campaign 20V570000 · 150 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (146)
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
Electrical System 2026-03-30 · NTB15-049CC · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
telematics service information hint: this bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 4g network compatible tcu. tcus compatible with 3g network only are no longer supported. service information the applied vehicles that come equipped with a factory installed sos switch, located near the overhead m
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings 2026-01-16 · NTB26-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
false activation of aeb or fcw if you confirm the customer states they have experienced false activation and/or unexpected braking of the automatic emergency braking (aeb) or forward collision warning (fcw) system, and there are no related dtcs stored. action follow the service procedure in this bul
Service Brakes 2025-02-20 · NTB19-042F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
automatic emergency braking warning light blinking applied systems: vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see figure 1) service information if the automatic emergency braking (aeb) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and there are no rel
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 146 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-25 · Unknown Or Other“continuously throws a malfunction warning. saftey sensors pick and choose when they want to work or when they want to “malfunction”…”
2026-10-19 · Engine“subject: improper recall remedy denial – nhtsa recall #25v437000 (nissan r25a8/r25a9) vehicle: 2020 nissan altima 2.0l vc-turbo mileage at failure: 147,540 incident description: the vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic engine failure resulting in a permanent no-start condition. the vehicle had been parked normally and completely failed to star…”
2026-10-17 · Electrical System“multiple door lock actuators have failed, potentially trapping occupants in the vehicle. …”
2026-08-27 · Tires:sidewall“i leased and then bought a new 2020 altima in 11/19 with 4 continental tires. on 8/27/26 i saw a hole and fissures in the sidewall of the right-rear tire (continental pro contact tx 215 / 55 r 17. all 4 tires had 7/32 wear on 11/30/25 and were rotated front to back. threads are good. …”
2026-08-13 · Engine And Engine Cooling“the contact owns a 2020 nissan altima. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "engine malfunction" was displayed. additionally, the vehicle experienced excessive coolant consumption and the engine overheated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the thermostat was replaced; however, the failure…”
2026-07-30 · Unknown Or Other“i currently own a 2020 nissan altima with 49,186 miles and i am reporting a recurring power door lock failure. this vehicle was inspected at the nissan of cumming location this morning to confirm the issue. three of the passenger-side door lock actuators have failed within a short period of time. the two rear door locks stopped working at the same…”
2026-07-26 · Engine“when i am driving my car randomly states check engine and makes a beeping noise and then the engine starts to make some type of combustion noise and then slows down and then turns off.…”
2026-07-20 · Electrical System“both passenger-side and driver's side rear door lock mechanisms ceased working. they do not work when attempting to lock/unlock the doors from the inside controls in the front seat. these doors also do not lock/unlock when using the remote key fob either. both rear doors have to be lock/unlocked manually from the inside of the door. …”
2026-07-15 · Engine“the warming lights for different items come on at random. examples :low washer fluid, gas cap open, speedometer digital speed not showing.…”
2026-07-14 · Service Brakes · 120,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 nissan altima. the contact stated that the auto-braking system unexpectedly activated, and there was a grinding sound coming from the brakes; however, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. the abs warning light was illuminated. while driving approximately 60 mph, the brakes suddenly activated, and the instrument panel illumi…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.