NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Nissan Altima. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Suspension and steering issues purchased many new tires throughout the yrs to find out it had suspension issues. There are 4 recalls listed on my insurance policy that describes exactly what's been wrong with my car since purchased. When calling nissan and checking your data base my vin # has never had any recalls for these issues but is obvious this make and model has been affected as well. Please look into this some more car is not safe and we were sold a lemon from day 1. Going back and forth to dealership lies and mechanics to find out it's always been a suspension issue I don't know the exact terms but suspension and some type of electric issue just as the recalls stated on my insurance policy description. Please advise or help Nissan make this right to keep our streets and cars safe while on the road. I need to gather all documents from places I've gone in for these very same issues of recalls shown. Financially this has been a burden investing in a used car to just have to fix right away with these same exact issues of recalls listed but to say our vehicle was not affected by those recalls is ridiculous it's obvious I been dealing with the same exact issues. Please help. Thank you for listening and hopefully you can help make a difference with this safety issue. I bought the car during covid year and been having issues since then but today's date on incident because I'm not sure of an exact date 4-5 yrs ago when issues started. Dealership lied to us I'm sure they were experiencing same issues with suspension that lead to issues with steering wheel control arms into motor mounts and tires getting bald fast and always having to change out front tires not straight or balanced out of control all the time.
After driving over a hour or so the rpm will stick at 3 and the mph will not go over 60. The car occasionally lose power as well. I have already had the throttle body and the alternator recently done.
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V521000 (Air Bags, Electrical System). The contact called the dealer and made an appointment; however, the contact was informed that the part might not be available for the appointment. The contact arrived for the appointment and was informed 3 hours later that the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact was informed by the dealer that several other dealers and was informed that parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that other dealers would be contacted for parts availability, and a case was filed. The contact stated that a week later, the contact called the manufacturer again and was informed that the part was found and sent to the local dealer. The contact called the dealer and was informed that there was no knowledge of parts being sent to the dealer location and that there had not been any communication with the manufacturer about parts. The contact stated that upon sitting in the passenger’s seat, the air bag sensor failed to recognize a passenger seated in the passenger’s seat. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.
Dashboard material defective melted sticky and very reflective. No idea how toxic could be.
The drive train I believe it’s called Or transmission is malfunctioning and yes it is available for inspection upon request Our safety was put in risk when the vehicle started driving at a low speed and would not accelerate eventually stopping completely The problem hasn’t been inspected or confirmed by a dealer or service center There was no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure
The dash is melting from the heat and is very sticky. It’s really unsafe due to the glare that affects the driver vision. It has already caused me to have one near miss when a tractor pulled into road and I was unable to see him until the last second. Then I jerked the steering missing the tractor.
My 2008 Nissan Altima's dash is degrading and has caused a sticky residue to form on it. This stickiness is very shiny and causes a glare to occur on the windshield. I live in Kentucky and when the sun is shining, and actually basically anytime driving, the glare makes it nearly impossible to see. I almost hit another vehicle because I could not see but instead went off the road to avoid a collision. This is very unsafe.
Parked car due to electrical and transmission issues had left it for a couple hours to receive assistance and the car was gone it had no plates because I was attempting to register the car that same day
The contact owned a 2008 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at approximately 80 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff, and the contact lost control of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. As a result, the contact crashed into a concrete barrier. The front of the vehicle was severely damaged including the front driver and front passenger side doors. The air bags were deployed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard where it was deemed destroyed and discarded. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed for the failure. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a concussion, whiplash on her neck, and bruising on her nose that required medical attention. The contact currently was still recovering from her brain injury and receiving treatment from a neurologist. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V363000 (Suspension) as possibly being related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
215/60R16 This is the second tire that failed at the sidewall needing to be replaced. First failed after less than 4000 miles. And the second w sidewall failure at about 10,000 miles of use. i have photographed the second tire failure. Seems odd that out of five brand new tires have sidewall failures 2 (40%) have very low use failures.
At first, the passenger airbag off light always turn on when a person sit on the seat(never turn off). Then few months later the Airbag light on dashboard starts flashing with no reason, 1 long 5 shorts.
Passenger airbag warning light is blinking Took to repair shop and tech said OCS is bad and needs replacing Code B1018 comes up I do not understand why there is not a recall because this is a safety Issue
Was driving and heard a knocking sound similar to taps coming from the engine. Pulled over turned car off and turned it back on and knocking sound stopped. Drive about another mile and black smoke came out the vents. Pulled over and got out of vehicle. By the time I was out of the vehicle the car was on fire. By the time the fire department arrived car was completely engulfed. No check engine light was on and car gave no previous warning as to what could have happened.
Glare off dash board is blinding on sunny days. Dashboard is melting, the melted dash reflection is distraciton/ binding on sunny days, and smell from dash is not pleasant. Not knowing actual product that is melting is concerning since melting plastics and vinyl can be toxic. Took car out for ride on sunny day had to pull over because of glare dashboard. Tried to contact Nissan about any products to resurface and contain the melted mess an smell. They offered no solutions besides take in to local dearliship. Not shelling out 500 dollars for nationally known defective material. You can contact any quality managment firm or producer that have working knowledge with plastics and vinyl to confirm that this is a major quality defect. I can not even find out what actual material was used to cover for soft dash.
While pulling into a parking spot and coming to a halt, I put the car into park mode. My foot was still on the brake. Instantly the engine went into "overdrive" and lurched forward over a parking curb and through heavy brush and finally came to a stop after hitting a pine tree. The engine was still screaming and the tires still spinning until I hit the off button. I had my foot on the brake the entire time to no avail. The heavy brush slowed the car somewhat. The airbags didn't deploy. I had several witnesses and they all stated they saw my brake lights on. I plowed approx. 50 feet through the brush before hitting the tree. I was the only one involved and was not hurt. This was Thurs. Sept. 28, 2023. It was in a state park and no police report made. Park Ranger took down info.
The dashboard is sticky and melted down. Also has cracks from the heat.
The hood under car is messed up and makes noises while driving. I heard there was a recall on the hoods underneath. I need fixed as I live on disability. Tire light won't go off sensor is not working right.
Passenger air bag indicator light has been on for 2 years and have been unable to locate issue. All air bag systems test good except error code for passenger side air bag.
Leaking power stearing fluid. The seems to be an issue with fuel system. No light just does not seem to accelerate properly.
The dashboard is melting. It's sticky and shinny. On sunny days it causes a glare on the windshield making it hard to see out of it.
The passenger air bag has failed. If my passenger has an accident, the air bag will fail to deploy and could be seriously injured. When I took the car in Nissan confirmed the bag was not operational. The insurance company was notified. I had the dealership check the warning message.
I purchased a crankshaft from CarID and had a friend replace it with the old one in my 2008 Nissan Altima. Immediately after the repair, I noticed my steering power was gone. I had them put in the old crankshaft and regained my steering. I told CarID that the part was either defective or the wrong part despite their website claiming otherwise. They told me it wasn't under warranty and refused to refund or exchange the crankshaft. Well, this isn't a warranty issue, this is a defective part issue. On their own website they list the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which my situation falls under. Their part (WVE 5S11487 - Crankshaft Position Sensor) led to the failure of my steering. I called WVE, who said they do not sell directly to CarID and the part was most likely bought from a third party, hence the lack of warranty. The last I heard from CarID on this issue, they told me they would assist within 24-72 hours. That was 7 days ago. I emailed them a follow-up email yesterday that has gone ignored as well. CarID has not only shown any interest in resolving this issue amicably but shown willful disregard for the danger that their defective parts pose to their customers.
I’m having to replace at least 2 sensors every 6 or 7 months.
2008 Nissan Altima: Noticed this year a shiny gleam on the dashboard. This windshield gets hazy. The dashboard is melting, it is sticking and shiny. When a fingernail is pressed, it will actually sink into the dashboard and leave a mark. The dashboard cannot take any cleaning or friction. When the dashboard is touched it leaves fingers sticky. Became more of an issue this year now that I have a grandchild. MY other vehicle is a mini cooper 2 door which is not feasible to hold a car seat and baby. I now have the carseat in the Nissan and now it has become more of a problem because i cannot use the other car as alternative transportation when I have my grandchild. It is very difficult to drive with the glare it causes, and it is a safety issue not only for me but for others. When the sun is out and it is hot (this summer) it is worst and causes the windshield to get hazy. Not sure if it is leaking chemicals as the dashboard is now soft, shiny and cannot be removed by cleaning. The glare is very dangerous and difficult to drive under the conditions. Thank You, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
I pulled into Regions bank parking lot to use ATM machine and before I could even park my car accelerated for no reason. I had my foot on the brake but it just made it go faster. I crashed into the building and airbag deployed. This was the scariest driving experience I’ve ever had. The car is totaled and caused serious damage to bank. I escaped by the grace of God with sprained wrist and elbow and knee abrasions.
The passenger side air bag is faulty due to AN INTERRUPTION OF SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT. This has been verified by an independent service center and puts passengers at risk. The airbag will not work without the entire seat being replaced. The airbag light shows that the system is “OFF”. This make and model had a recall issued but my VIN was not included but should have been included.
The dashboard of this vehicle has become sticky to the touch and excessively shiny, and appears to be melting in spots, causing glare on the windshield that obstructs vision while driving.
The dashboard in this vehicle similar to other Nissan models that have already been recalled is cracked, sticky, shiny and glossy. It’s dangerous to have cracks in the dashboard in case of airbag deployment. The glossy shiny dashboard creates a blinding glare and is extremely dangerous while driving. It creates a glare that makes the front windshield appear black and unable to see through.
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while making a left turn into a parking at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s side tire detached from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that each of the lug nuts had sheared off the wheel. The wheel was underneath the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to his home. The contact then called the manufacturer and was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V363000 (Suspension). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
When I start my car and let it warm up, then reverse then put it in drive, I put my foot on the gas and the RPMS SHOOT UP TO 3 to 4 RPMS, I have to remove my four from the gas then my car is very slow and stays at 2 1/2 - 3 RPMS for several miles . Checked Fluids etc and still have the same issue with it every day. Also my passenger air bag is always off , no matter if someone who is 50 lbs or 250 lbs it is always off and I can not get it to come on . Finally when using my turn signals my blinkers work but never go off unless I manually do it myself. And I fo not get a warning sound telling me that my blinker is still on . It will stay on for hours if I do not notice it and I am driving long distance.
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while at a stop light the front passenger's side air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front passenger’s side seat cushion sensor had failed. The dealer updated an unknown software; however, the failure reoccurred persistently. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side seat cushion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V521000 (Air Bags, Electrical System). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The dashboard covering has deteriorated to the point it is sticky and shiny. Sun glare on the dash reflects off the windshield making it difficult to see. This is a known defect of this Make, Model and Year. State of Florida settled with the manufacturer and owner's cars were repaired.
The Dashboard is melting and creates a glare on the windshield, making it difficult and dangerous when driving on a sunny day. The glare is such that anyone or thing in front of the vehicle is very hard to see.
The contact owned a 2008 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 35 mph the vehicle crashed into a second vehicle. During the crash, the front passenger-side airbag did not deploy and the front passenger sustained a fractured nose, a concussion, and bruises. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer(unknown) and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 220,000.
Like many others in this make/model, dashboard is melting, resulting in glare onto windshield, off-gassing of chemicals, and concerns that airbags may not properly deploy. Inspected only by vehicle repair technician, but available for inspection by others at any time.
I have had my cars rear brakes completely replaced once in the last 6 months and completely replaced the front brake system TWICE in 6 months. I’ve had to pay close to $4000 in repairs on only the cars front end so at this point any part that could be causing the excessive wearing out of my brakes could not possibly be doing so without me knowing about it from many inspections (mainly done by different Les schwab locations and my local Nissan dealership in Salem, OR). For some reason within a month of having the brakes replaced, they have began to squeal worse than ever before, I’m not exaggerating when I say that my 2008 Altima has brakes that are almost twice as loud as any city or school bus brakes that I’ve ever heard in my life. Something within the brake system is causing all these brand new parts to wear down to metal on metal screeeching
Brake switch or Stop Light Switch goes out which causes brakes to become very stiff and not light up the brakes which causes car’s push start to not start car more than 5 times a week. I will always have to stomp the brake petal to activate the brakes to start the car.
While driving down the highway at about 60 mph the vehicle shut off and has not restarted in almost 2 weeks. There was no indication or warning of any engine trouble prior to it shutting off. Luckily, I was getting off an exit and nobody was injured. Had I NOT been exciting the highway, there would have most certainly been a MULTI vehicle accident with severe injuries and possibly even death because of the high speeds. Once the car was completely stopped and off towards the shoulder I tried to restart but got a fast clicking noise, but wouldn't start. Let the car sit for a little tried to jump start it, but now the key indicator was being displayed which means the car wasn't recognizing the key even in the slot. This leads me to believe the security system/ immobilizer could've been what caused it to shut off. The car has not been looked at yet. Still waiting for Nissan dealer to diagnose it.
UNKNOWN I have a red flashing light on my right dashboard. Owners manual said to call dealership because of faulty airbags.
Melting dashboard causing sun & lights to reflect in face when driving.
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the “Passenger’s Side Air Bag OFF” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that he needed to pay out of pocket for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front passenger's side air bag seat sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
Dash board melting , becomes sticky and puts off a severe glare in the windshield. Class action lawsuit in Florida identified this as a design issue and made Nissan responsible due to dashboard melting under heat from sun.
I JUST PURCHASED MY NISSAN NOT EVEN 3 MONTHS AGO AND I'VE HAD TO HAVE IT IN THE 4-5 SHOPS BECAUSE NOBODY COULD FIGURE OUT WHY IT WAS GIVING THE CODE P0335. FINALLY FOUND OUT IT'S THE TIMING CHAIN. I CANT DRIVE MY OWN CAR BECAUSE OF IT AND I FEEL LIKE I GOT ROBBED OF MY MONEY. THE DAM CAR IS STUCK IN LIMP MODE. WE WAS DRIVING ONE DAY AND ALL OF SUDDEN THE CAR JERKED REALLY HARD AN LOST POWER DIDNT HAVE A CLUE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
PURCHASED 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA ON MARCH 6, 2021 FROM THE CAR HOUSE IN BUTLER, NJ. SINCE THE MOMENT I DROVE OFF THE LOT, MULTIPLE LIGHTS TURNED ON WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE ALTERNATOR AND MULTIPLE 02 SENSORS. THE NEXT DAY I HAD A GARAGE DO AN INSPECTION AND IT TURNED OUT THE CAR NEEDED A REAR CONTROL ARM, SHOCKS, BRAKES AND ROTORS IN ADDITON TO THE LIGHTS. THE DEALER SAID THAT I HAD A 90 DAY WARRANTY BUT WHEN I CALLED THE COMPANY THEY HAD NO RECORD OF THE CONTRACT. THE DEALER FIXED THE SENSORS AND ALTERNATOR SUPPOSEDLY, BUT HAVEN'T CONTACTED ME BACK ABOUT FIXING THE OTHER ISSUES AND EVERY TIME I CALL THEY HANG UP.
THE DASHBOARD IS ACTUALLY MELTING AND BECOMING STICKY NOTHING IS ABLE TO CLEAN IT THIS CAUSES A VERY SHINY REFLECTION OF THE SUN THAT BOUNCES BACK ON THE WINDSHIELD MAKING IT HARD TO SEE AT TIMES THEREFORE BEING A HAZARD
MY WIFE'S CAR SHUTDOWN ON HER LAST MONTH AND I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEY INDICATED THE FUEL PUMP WAS BAD SO I ORDERED A NEW ONE AND THINGS WENT FINE FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND NOW THE FUEL HAND JUST FLUCTUATS UP AND DOWN AND JUST SUDDENLY DROPS TO (E) WHEN IT HAS GAS OR FULL TANK OF GAS IN IT. ALSO THE MILEAGE DISPLAY IS SHOWING INACCURATE READINGS AND BLINKING ON THE DASH ON AND OFF AND MY WIFE IS SCARED NOW TO DRIVE HER 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA ON LONG DRIVES WITH THIS PROBLEM GOING ON!! IT HAPPENED WHILE IN MOTION ON A BUSY HWY 278 IN BATESVILLE,MS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FAILED TO REGISTER THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS IN USE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE RECALL ON THE VEHICLE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. TWIN CITY NISSAN (3247 ALCOA HWY, ALCOA, TN 37701, (865) 970-4132) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED AND THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,430.
I HAVE THE TRANSMITION CODE P7044 (DEFECTIVE TORQUE CONVERTER) CAR HAS ONLY 97000 MILES DANGER IS AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT MOVE
THE TRANSMISSION IS GIVING ME PROBLEMS
THE DASHBOARD HAS MELTED CAUSING DANGEROUS SUN GLARE. THE DASHBOARD IS STICKY, GOODY LIQUID LIKE REFLECTIVE SURFACE. THE EXTREME REFLECTIVENESS OF THE MELTED SURFACE MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD WHEN DRIVING IN SUNSHINE.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026