NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Nissan Altima. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Hi, my name is [XXX] . I rented a car through [XXX] , and I need to report serious mechanical issues. All of the spark plugs are not secured, as they are missing screws, and oil is present. The only reason i know is because of the check light engine being on one minute and off the next. I chose to get it looked at and when being examined it was a noticed Additionally, the cooling reservoir tank is missing its top, leaving the system exposed. Please advise on next steps as soon as possible, as this is a safety concern. Thank you.” INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Headlights on Nissan Altima started to dim, even when replacing bulbs. There was a settlement to get the bulbs replaced: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Air bag light stays on and seatbelt light comes on even when nothing is in seat.
In my altima I've noticed over the few years of ownership occasionally the passenger airbag light wouldn't go off for a few minutes sometimes like it wasn't recognizing a passenger was occupying the vehicle. Then it started occasionally not recognizing the occupant, now it will not recognize an occupant and the airbag light is permanently stuck on the dash. This puts any occupant in the car at risk, when I hookup my own abs/airbag scan tool it shows no faults. It would appear to me the occupant sensor in the seat isn't functional because this is a common fault with this vehicles and it typically exhibits these symptoms. This is such a problem and replacing it is so difficult people have come up with seat sensor emulators which bypass the sensor making the system think there's always an occupant so the airbag goes off, a quick google search will show what I'm talking about. I called my local dealer sutherland nissan and they refused to help me, they said they were going to charge me a diagnostic fee and if it's anything other than the sensor I'd pay thousands, they're known for lying at that dealer so I know they'll tell me it's something else even if it isn't. So essentially I cannot have a passenger safely in my vehicle because nissan is going to make it a financial hardship for me. This is a known safety defect in this vehicle, I shouldn't be paying for anything. It shouldn't be this difficult to have a known safety defect fixed, I shouldn't have to be playing mind games with Dealership employees who are trying to steal my money and I shouldn't have to make complaints about this.
I was reversing out of a spot and I heard a loud bang. When I looked my rear control on my passenger side had broken due to rust and corrosion. I reached out to Nissan because I saw there was a voluntary recall and I had never received any information. When I contacted them they told me I was outside of the timeline but the website doesn’t explain that. They never notified me about the safety issue and there was never a formal recall but there should’ve been.
After a month of purchase this car from a buy here pay here lot they offer no help my transmission slipping going cost about $4000 to get repaired
Sept 1 2025 hood latch failed causing hood to fly open to full vertical position causing body damage to both fenders and completely taking away visibility of roadway. Latch was replaced by Nissan dealer in 2022 for recall. Nissan dealer verified failed component and replaced at no charge but NISSAN USA would not repair body damage.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the air bag might deploy at any time, and that the clock spring, the steering wheel, and possibly the driver’s seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Supplemental Airbag Warning Light solid red, does not go off. Occurred after oil change done at dealership 1/13/2025. Dealer found code B0020, recommended part 87650-3TD6G, seat back replacement, parts and labor for repairs $2,950.
My transmission blew out of nowhere on my 2014 Nissan Altima. It’s 6,200 to fix… I had to get it towed.
I am writing to formally escalate a serious safety issue with my 2014 Nissan Altima. My vehicle is affected by the known halogen headlamp delamination defect, which Nissan has previously acknowledged in a warranty extension and service campaign. Recently, because of the dangerously dim headlights, I struck a speed bump and damaged my vehicle. More importantly, I nearly hit pedestrians crossing the street because I could not see them in time. This is a life-threatening safety hazard directly caused by the defective headlamps. When I contacted my local Nissan dealer, they refused to honor the warranty/service campaign. I was told I would need to pay approximately $2,300 for repairs because the warranty extension expired in 2020. However, I did not begin noticing headlight visibility issues until 2022, well after the coverage period had ended. This demonstrates that the defect often develops after the expiration period and should still be addressed as a known, documented safety defect.
My son purchased a used 2014 Nissan Altima 4 months ago from a dealership. He noticed it shuttering, delayed acceleration and not having power as well as a noise from the transmission. It had no check engine light but the code P17F1 CVT Judder came up. We looked for recalls and there have been so many on 2014 Nissan Altima's. His VIN number didn't come up for a recall. He paid $6000 for the car and only had it for 4 months, now he is out of a car. The dealership basically said its out of our hands. We can't afford to take it to a transmission shop and have them work hours on it. It is very unsafe to drive and I am concerned what he is going to do. Is there a chance that NIssan would help in this case? It is unfair that he has the issue that so many were recalled but for some reason not his. If you have advise please help. Thanks
Rear passenger wheel has been rattling for a year. While driving (right now), car began to fishtail going approx 35mph. Was able to pull off and avoid accident. Upon examination, described wheel is no longer facing forward and is facing inward. Likely that the rear controller snapped. There is a service campaign for this exact issue. Nissan is no longer covering the cost of this repair which is insane given that I was never notified of this issue.
While driving, the Altima’s rear control arm and suspension links broke due to corrosion resulting in loss of safe control of the vehicle. Nissan is aware that this is a problem with this year and make vehicle. They issued an extension of the warranty for this issue. This should be a mandatory recall for safety concerns, not simply a warranty extension. This is a very dangerous issue that can lead to serious injury! Very upset that money is valued over human life. When these parts fail, the vehicle is not safe.
Airbag readiness lamp does not turn off, steady illumination
My headlights are so dim, that I’m forced to drive with my high beams at night or not drive at all. I’ve replace the bulbs and there has been no improvement.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while reversing at approximately 4 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear driver's side wheel well of the vehicle. The contact stated upon shifting to drive(D), the contact noticed that the vehicle was wobbling from left to right in the lane. The traction control warning was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered violently and nearly became uncontrollable. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that both the rear driver's side and passenger's side lower control arms had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Nissan Campaign Number: P9324. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
Went and started my car and the air bag warning light on the dash came on. I am worried that the air bag won't deploy properly also when the lights are on dim they don't shine very good and the lens are cracked
Low beam headlights produce very little light. They do not illuminate the road, a safety hazard. Driving full time high beams is the only way to drive this car at night, a safety hazzard.
I was driving on a 2 lane highway when my car starting bucking and completely went dead. I walked to a station where i got help. after that it happened again and I had to be towed. After having car looked at by 2 mechanics I found out it was the transmission. The mechanic said he was surprised as I didn't even have 70,000 miles on car. It cost me over $5,000 for the transmission and then I came to find out about all the Nissan recalls. I wrote a letter to them and attached articles and my proof of receipt from transmission place, and explained that I am a senior on a fixed income and just wanted the money to cover expenses of what the transmission costs due to their faulty transmissions. They said they could not help me. Also, my sons car came to have the same transmission problem but he got rid of it.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Service Station where the contact used a self-diagnostic tool to determine that the Transmission Control Module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
We own a 2014 Nissan Altima. We are the second owners. About a month ago, my son was driving and the left rear lower control arm (Link) broke in half. After repairing and researching, there was an extended warranty offered by Nissan for 10 years from the manufacturer date. We are 13 months over that. When calling, I spoke to Chelsea and Trainsha (Who is the Northeast Regional supervisor) and both told me we are out of warranty and can do nothing. We were never contacted by Nissan to advise of this warranty. This was a known problem by Nissan back in 2018 they knew this was an issue on 2013-2018 Altimas in snow belt states. We are one of those states. I questioned why we were never contacted and why it wasn’t a recall. They said they do not decide on recalls and there are not many incidents. There is nothing they can do. So they are not only allowing all these vehicles to continue to drive on the road with risk of breaking and causing accident and possible injury, but they are also ok with not letting people know there was a problem to begin with. Why after 10 years can they say “Too bad for you” and risk peoples lives? This is a metal control arm. They acknowledge they made it incorrectly. Metal suspension components should last well beyond 10 years. Only the bushings and ball joints should need to be replaced. Why is a corporation allowed to get away with this. I am asking that someone look into this. They are saying they do not have a lot of incidents. Well, if they never let anyone know there was a problem, how would they know how many incidents they really had. We need to hold auto manufacturers accountable for their vehicles. Not just when they are brand new but for longer on metal components that are not wearable parts.
REAR, DRIVERSIDE CONTROL ARM BROKE CAUSING UNCONTROLABLE DRIVING.
Drivers side seat heater switch caught fire and burned winter jacket sleeve. Fire was extinguished before car was lost.
The left rear arm snapped completely and is now dangling along with the spring link and other parts connected to it. The car is not drivable and I have to have a on-site mechanic come out to fix it. I had been driving the car on the highway the day it happened and luckily made it back to my house, then about 20 minutes later I had to go back out but when I put the car into reverse and started backing down the driveway a loud snap followed by scraping metal occurred. Now the car is stationary on the curb. The right rear arm's condition is also bad, showing signs of snapping in the near future as well. My mechanic along with research I've conducted has informed me that this is an extremely common problem with nissan sedans that happen frequently. I had insurance on this exact part of the car but it unfortunately expired May of this year. I filed a claim with Nissan directly and they proved to serve no help. If the rear arm had snapped just a little bit earlier in the day when I was on the highway it would have most likely resulted in major accident that would have left me injured.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle shuddered uncontrollably and stalled. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle 20 minutes later, the failure recurred while driving, and the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact exited the highway; however, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The vehicle was towed to Young's Cheltenham Auto Service, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance in covering the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered because Nissan TSB Number: NTB17-039K had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Unknown
While driving on a highway at approximately 40 mph. My car lurched and felt like I lost control of the steering. I slowed down and it felt like the car was straight but the steering wheel was turned. I thought maybe I had a flat tire. I drove again slower and the same thing happened. I heard a sound that sounded like a flat tire- a constant thumping noise. I had the car towed to a repair shop and the repairman said I had rusted lower control arms that should be covered by an extended warranty that I was never notified of an issue from Nissan. When contacting Nissan they said the extended warranty ran out and I would have to wait approximately one month without a car for them to do an inspection. Had this incident happened 2 months ago I beleive the repair would have covered. I'm so upset that something might have happened more tragically. I wanted to make the NHTSA aware of the problem. Do I have any recourse? The said it would take a month to have an inspection done by Nissan. How does one go without a car for a month?
when driving on a highway the rear upper suspension control arm broke, left side causing the tire to wobble. The car was undrivable. A tow truck was called. The repair shop had to replace both the right and left control arms. They told me that this is a common problem with nissan altima 2014. Why has not nissan had a recall on this issue?
While driving, my transmission stopped accelerating, and started making a scraping/ticking noise. The car almost cut out in traffic, nearly causing a rear end collision!
Was making right hand turn and heard clunk as if hitting pothole. There was no pothole. After examining vehicle I noticed left rear wheel was out of alignment. Control arm had rusted through and broken off. I’m fortunate that I was not driving at highway speed. This is really a serious problem considering how many of these vehicles are still on the road.
Control arm snapped on the highway. Caused me to swerve into another lane. After researching this is a known issue with this make and model. Nissan had an extended warranty for the issue that ran out last year. Nissan claims its not a safety issue yet my mechanic confirmed it is extremely dangerous and I almost caused an accident.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance. While the vehicle was on the lift, the contact became aware that the driver's side lower control arm was cracked. Additionally, both sides were heavily rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 55,200.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became firm and difficult to turn in either direction. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that both front suspension control arms needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic for a second opinion where it was diagnosed with the same failure. The vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,333.
The dash indicates the driver side air bag is not operational. After the car starts, the air bag indicator stays on, indicating the driver's air bag is defective. If I were in an accident, the Nissan dealership told me the air bag would not deploy. The car was inspected by the dealer. The car has never been in an accident and the air bag has never deployed. But after the air bag sensor came on, it has been on since each time the car is started. My other car (2011 Tahoe) does not have this problem, nor do any other old cars I know of. Per an internet search, it seems there are lots of other Nissan Altimas with this problem. Nissan should fix this, it's a safety hazard for their customers.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the rear end of the vehicle suddenly became unstable. While inspecting the vehicle it was discovered that the rear driver's side wheel was slanted inward. The vehicle was slowly driven to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear driver's side lower suspension linkage had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Rear lower control arm snapped this model isn't under recall it really should be
There was an airbag recall around 2016 for airbags. I took it to the dealer and they checked it out and said there was no problem. Now my air bag light stays on and the dealer says I need a new air bag in the driver's seat. Is this airbag covered under the recall?
Rear lower control replaced on recall repair. Dealer diagnosed front control arm needed repair but refuse to complete repair. I paid out of pocket for front. When both front and rear control arm should have been replace under recall
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle swerved into the next lane. The vehicle was steered into a parking lot where several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was then shifted into reverse(R) and the contact heard a loud bang coming from under the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear control arms were fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear control arms were fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the wiring in the front driver's side seat was damaged, and the rear of the driver's side seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
My Nissan Altima would not accelerate properly. I was told that to drive the car could put me at risk as the car might totally stop. The dealer diagnosed that the CVT transmission failed. It cost over $5,000 to replace the transmission. 1. Is there any recourse as a consumer? 2. I understand that Nissan has been involved in several class action lawsuits, but I don't know what happened. Is there agency that can help me with information?
The rear lower suspension link on our car cracked and completely separated causing the car to be un-drivable. My husband was pulling out of a parking lot with our son and my son’s friend [XXX] and [XXX] old) and the car started fishtailing. We were lucky this happened at a very low rate of speed. The next day my husband would have been on a highway and I’m sure we would be talking about injuries or worse instead of just a tow. Nissan knew about this issue but failed to tell their customers directly of the issue. They extended the warranty to 10 years and unlimited miles but DID NOT inform owners of the defect, warranty extension OR the ability to get it fixed (and Nissan admitted to this that they didn’t have to tell customers). They told us that in midwestern states (we are in Illinois) the rear lower link could rust quicker with the salt and break. There were no warning signs of the issue that we noticed and no one mentioned any issues when we’ve had it in the shop. Nissan however only agreed to pay half of the cost to fix it since we are 4 months past the date of the extended warranty. This is a problem that should have been communicated to us in the first place so we could have had it fixed before it completely separated. The regional specialist who made this decision was completely uncaring when expressing concerns of how this could have had a much worse outcome. We asked for towing to be re-imbursed and for a rental car and both were denied. Rental car we were told was at the dealerships discretion to which they said they would need to get approval from the person who told us the dealership decided that. So we have been without our car for 2 weeks now having to juggle around 2 kids and their activities and our own jobs. We are very lucky that this issue known to Nissan didn’t end in a far worse outcome with injuries to my family. Unfortunately we don’t have the invoice for the repair cost yet as it’s still in the shop. They said it would be around $500. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
When an adult is riding in the front passenger seat the airbag on the passenger turns off and on randomly while riding. If in an accident I am worried that the airbag will not go off properly. I have not contacted a dealer about this issue yet. I have not seen any other warning lights other than the passenger airbag is off.
The hood of my car flew up while I was driving and hit my windshield
Was driving one day hit a pothole and my control arm dispositioned itself. Apparently my car had an extended warranty that expired last year. However, with the information that I’m able to provide, I’m not sure if Nissan will be able to work with me to get that fixed, but I do recognize that it is a common problem. I have looked under the car, and I did see the corroded piece from the control arm linked to the staring system. I know not too many people still even have a 2014. However, I do feel it is unfair for a part that led to safety issues for several people to be considered a warranty.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the hood unlatched, rose, and cracked the windshield. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle hit a curb, and the driver's side rear tire tilted inward. The contact continued to drive the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the control arm had fractured, and the sway bar was rusted. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle warranty had expired. No further information was available. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while in reverse, the rear driver’s side tire felt abnormal as if the tire was going to detach. The contact lifted the vehicle and noticed that there was a crack in the rear suspension control arm. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026