NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Nissan Altima. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
MY AIR BAG LIGHT STAY ON WHILE IM DRIVING
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine RPM increased; however, the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The contact stated that a transmission software update was performed, and the transmission fluid was flushed and refilled. The contact stated that after retrieving the vehicle, the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 97,000.
In November 2023 vehicle had an airbag warning light, took to Nissan Dealer. Inspected by Nissan service. Diagnostic and "repair" performed on driver side airbag. 8 months later in mid July -SAME airbag warning light came on. Needed an oil change in a few weeks and was not driving the vehicle due to out of town vacation. Took Vehicle to the same Nissan Dealership on 8/5/2024. Nissan again inspected and we were again charged for a diagnostic and told needed to fix by replacing the entire seat for $3000. When we asked the service manager why it wasn't fixed he stated perhaps the service in 2023 caused "corrosion" or a faulty airbag or faulty electrical. This is an internal issue inside the seat. Dealership would not help fix. Called Nissan Corporate and filed a case. This vehicle has never had any accidents or damage. Half of the national average of mileage. Meticulously cared for and taken only to Nissan for oil changes. Never touched the seat . After owning this vehicle for less than 7 years it has 45,142 miles . Filed a report with BBB a week ago and have not had any response. Was hoping in good faith Nissan would do the honorable thing and replace this seat as this is our family car. We take our children. to school in it. Go to church in it. Drive to family for get together in it. Now we are worried that the airbag may randomly deploy, or not deploy at all. It is a huge safety concern. We are worried that there may be other 2017 Nissans out there with similar issues. And we cannot sell , as we would never want to put another family at risk . Bottom line , Nissan is being negligent. There is a vehicle that clearly has faulty manufacturing / parts - and they do not wish to do the right thing. We do not feel we should be responsible for something that is not our fault. We hope this can be investigated, as this is an extremely popular vehicle - and there may be many more families at risk. Thank you
The airbag light turns on whenever someone else drives the car and moves the driver seat. The light stays on until we clear the code and then starts over again when someone moves the seat. The airbag code said that there was a problem with the sensor in the driver seat and the airbag may not deploy. The dealer wants more than $3,000 to fix this problem but I believe it is a manufacturer defect that affects safety and there should be a recall. I have read that there are many other drivers of 2017 Altimas who are having the exact same problem as I am having.
I left for work, acceleration at slow speed around 30 mph within 40 seconds, the car began to gain speed, I let off the gas pedal, still accelerated. I tried slowly using brakes to slow down - no response. At this point, I notice that cruise control light, was lit up, on the dashboard but not set. I'm now gaining speed of 72 MPH. Not even 1 mile, from turn off. I literally fish tailed three times, then the car slowed down and I ended up sideways, in a ditch. Chipped hubcap and some plastic piece hanging, from underneath the car. I had a bystander, whom was headed towards me - stop in fear of what happened. Got the car out of ditch. I parked, checked for leaks, nothing. Since this incident, I'm in fear of this happening again. I'm assumption was the accelerator stuck. No brakes is dangerous, let alone feeling like my life was gonna end. I cried. Thinking Jesus my children were home. I have noticed that both airbag "warning" signs have displayed and won't go off. I would hate to have or hear of a fatality, from this. Please look into other reports. I felt like I couldn't even explain this bizarre, unlikely/impossible event to happen but it did.
Loss power on the interstate would not excell at all no warning lights on very dangerous with getting hit by several cars
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking, inadvertently shifting between gears, and then lost motive power. The contact was able to drive a short distance to the residence with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,960.
my transmission went bad at 80,000 miles it is a 4 cylinder cvt and my car shudders when shifting and at random times when i press on the gas from a stop the car slowly rolls forward. my safety is at risk because if it happens when I'm turning onto a road or major road it can cause me to get hit because the accelerator doesn't work at random times. it is because my transmission is slipping. But i don't understand why because i have taken great care of my Nissan Altima. this issue needs to be fixed with Nissan before someone gets seriously injured or killed. the least Nissan could do is help pay for a new transmission.
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while exiting a car wash, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence where a handheld diagnostic scanner retrieved DTC code: P0130 (Oxygen Sensor). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 153,000.
The vehicle airbag light malfunctions and stays on. It can cause the airbag to deploy or on deploy in a crash. This is an issue with many 2017 Nissan Altimas.
Was driving and when we stopped and was ready to pull out the car wouldn’t move. The gas pedal was all the way to the floor after several seconds it shot across the road a then wouldn’t get above 20 mph. The rpm gauge shot all the way, pegged out. Drove for a few miles and pulled over. Turned the car off and then it took off just fine. Shortly afterwards it bogged down again and would get over 20mph again. Something needs to be fixed right away
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the interior dome light assembly detached from the ceiling of the vehicle and fell striking the head of the driver. No injury was reported. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the interior dome light assembly clip had failed, and the entire assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 42,000.
While driving the care for a minutes to an hour. While stopped at a light or stop sign, the car does not want to accelerate. It takes about 3 sec for the car to finally go. When it does finally moves the car takes off and the RPM goes all the way to about 5 or 6 then drops back down. I will have to pull over and turn the car. I guess it restarts it self and I am good to drive again until it happens again. No check engin light come on.
Last week, the air bag warning light came on in my 2017 Nissan Altima - the very same day as the recall was published about the recall on older Nissans - but my vin was not among those recalled - I called the dealership and was told it would have to be replaced at my cost - I have done nothing to cause this problem and do not feel I should be responsible for repairs concerning this matter - I regularing service my car and this is not among the items that require regular servicing .
The airbag warning light began going off October/November 2023 and was intermittent at first and became constantly on. I took it to the dealership in December of 2023 and they said that the airbag sensor plug had become disconnected under the front passenger seat, they said they reconnected it and the warning light was out. It was also stated that this is a common issue when items get under the front passenger seat. In May 2024, the airbag warning light again started to come on intermittently and then became consistently on. Took the car back to the same dealership which diagnosed the fault as an airbag sending unit in the passenger seat. The dealership stated that there was no way to tell if the airbag would operate as intended. The repair would require a new seat as Nissan does not make a replacement airbag unit and would cost $2800. If this, by the dealership's own statement, is a common problem with an important safety feature it would seem that Nissan should be responsable for making any vehicle affected safe.
Transmission: this is the 2nd transmission in about 22,000 miles. Car will start to stall out and then high rev the rpm’s. This has caused significant power loss suddenly in traffic. Issue has been recreated by mechanic and has been inspected thoroughly. Previously transmission was rebuilt with the torque converter being replaced. No indicator lights have come on prior or during sudden loss, only check engine light once. Shutting off vehicle for approximately 5 or so minutes resolves the issue but only for a limited amount of time.
I own a 2017 Nissan Altima. This vehicle has been having similar issues that other owners have reported with the vehicle failing to accelerate after stopping or sitting ideal while running the and you go too take off, barely moves to a crawl even if the gas pedal is to the floor. It will also loose power (speed) without warning while driving. The vehicle will not register any warning lights when this occurs not even a check engine light comes on when this occurs. It does not register any issues in a diagnostic test to which one was completed by a Nissan dealer in Lebanon Pa. (Moyer Nissan). Because of this the Service advisor/mechanic indicated that they would be "guessing" as to what the issue was even though it is clearly a issue with the 2017 models; it hasn't been the first time I'm sure that someone came to that Nissan dealer with the same problems and knowing that the 2017 have complaints with CVT Transmission. I'm no mechanic but I think it is a blatant disregard for human life if that they do NOT recall this vehicle or at the very least replace all equipment (transmission; throttle, pertaining to the accelerator) at no expense to the owner.
In January 2024 my airbag light came on, I had purchased an extended warranty and the dealer replaced the Drivers Seat back assembly. April 2024, same airbag light came on, dealer diagnose it being the passenger seat back needing replaced this time. No longer covered by my extended warranty, wanted over $1000 to repair. This is obviously an ongoing issue and should not be a responsibility of the owner, this is a costly repair but more importantly a safety hazard!
Sun visor part number 96401-9HT2A needs replaced and Nissan has not had any available for this past year.
The CVT transmission stopped working there was no warning or anything it just stopped. There was no warning light or anything, we took it to a mechanic and they confirmed that the transmission went out. I called the dealership where i bought it and they said they can’t do anything and i have no warranty. We were driving on the interstate and it just randomly stopped working which was incredibly dangerous.
No initial incident created this problem. The airbag light randomly comes on for driver left side airbag. It has never been deployed, nor has the vehicle had any impact or damage. The computer shows fault code B0020-13 (AB Side Module Open). Despite resetting it, the light will only stay off for a while. It appears as occasional short in the sensor but I have been told to replace the whole seat. Several owners discuss the same issue on this car in Nissan forums. I've never gotten the code to show as "active" only "past" but nobody can tell me if this will impact whether the airbag will deploy in an accident.
The car had been acting odd and the dealership would not listen. I then noticed an engine light come on after my incidents. My transmission was failing in traffic!!!! I need a new transmission, I have had the diagnosis at Nissan.It needs a total replacement , $6000. This was right in the extended warranty period and Nissan refused to fix this at 100 % like they are supposed to My safety was at risk because I was on the freeway and my car was slowing down and joking around.
Check Engine light is on and has been diagnosed twice at different Nissan dealerships. Once the car stops, it hesitates to accelerate. I have to press the gas more than once and then it zooms off. Cleaning the Mass Air Flow Sensor and Throttle Body worked for 3 days and light went out. I am back were I started with slower acceleration than before. Today I drove with my emergency flashers, after cars started honking at me for not moving. I have 3 kids with me most of the time and fear being rear ended. The car is being towed back to the dealership since its no longer safe to drive. This is a Safety Hazard due to the possibility of being rear-ended.
CVT transmission has gone out and it is a road Hazzard. The vehicle doesn't accelerate, jolts, and sputters. There was no warning or reason for a well maintained car under 97k mileage to be having this issue. Upon further investigation it is a common problem with Nissan but nothing is being done to get these cars fixed and off the road before there are bigger problems.
The contact's mom owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his mom was at a stop light, a one-ton truck crashed into the vehicle. The driver attempted to reverse from the intersection. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had previously reported an incident for acceleration and throttle issues. While his sister was driving and reversing, the vehicle was slow to accelerate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The driver sustained facial injuries, and her forehead and eye were bruised. The patient was taken to the hospital for an MRI and ocular examination. The contact called the same local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop. The insurance company informed him the vehicle would be towed to a salvage yard. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 73,501.
Airbag light came on randomly. Dealership says the unit needs to be replaced. 2900 dollar cost. No reason light came on, airbag was never deployed. Clear safety risk driving the vehicle if the airbag would not deploy.
Airbag light came on with no previous conditions that should have caused that. Dealership in Dothan, AL originally said a bad connection under the passenger seat caused it. They supposedly cleaned the connection and reset the light. The airbag light came on again days later. The same dealership now says the entire passenger seat and airbags sensors/connections will have to be replaced at $2500+ out of pocket costs.
The car has problems changing gears which also came with a weird sound. Eventually the car wouldn’t excel when pressing the gas, eventually the car stop working all together. This problem started at 95,000 miles and each service center I went to claim their wasn’t a problem until 107,962 miles it completely stopped and now I’m paying for a car that I can not drive and Nissan knows their is a problem but won’t fix it under the warranty.
UNKNOWN; Someone rear-ended me Monday, Nov. 27, 2023 and damaged my driver side taillight/corner of bumper. It was an impact of about 20mph, and believed to be a result of black ice/the other driver following too closely. Today, Saturday, December 2, 2023 the airbag warning light appeared. It didn't come on with Monday's impact, so I am concerned that it could suddenly deploy while I am driving.
Driver search airbag warning light illuminated Took vehicle to authorized Central Houston Nissan whi SCANNED VEHICLE AND FOUND DTC B0020-13 STORED IN AIRBAG SYSTEM. PRINTED AND FOLLOWED THE ESM DIAGNOSIS PROCEDURE AND PER ESM WILL NEED TO START REPLACING THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG MODULE WICH IS PART OF THE SEAT ASSY This is of no fault of my own and not the result of normal wear and tear. My car is not safe to drive and will not pass state inspection due to this safety hazard. Without costly repair which is not covered by Nissan, airbags will not function properly and pose significant road and passenger safety hazard
Nissan had a extended warranty on their headlight assembly. I didn't know this until 2023. I than went to Riverhead Auto Mall and had it tested, they said it passed This was on 11/28/2023. Finally based on my disbelief they agreed to have it retested pro bono at Nissan 112. It did fail the test in May of 2024. I have a daughter with a condition that requires me to drive her to and from work in inclement weather. At night I can barely see and I am putting ourselves and others at risk. They are now claiming the warranty ended in 2024 and they want me to pay half of the replacement cost. My contention is that if the first dealer had done the right thing I wouldn't be in this position.
Took vehicle to get an oil changed & was informed that air bag light was on. Driver side air bag light came on with no warning & noticed now that the air bag seems deployed in the seat. Shop inspected & reset computer but could not find issue.
Multiple times the car will brake while triggering the forward collision warning, sending the car into a limp mode of 40mph. This occurs at a stop sign/light, or while passing a car. I had the part replaced and the problem continues.
The inspection i change lamps the head light 2023 this year my car Still no warning the police officer
2017 Nissan Altima. First time it happened was November 2023. Air bag warning light came on and when reset it stayed off till August of 2024. Another reset and a few days later the light was right back on. Nissan has not been helpful with this problem to find a solution to this problem without big price tag. They want to replace the seat, other components etc. that will cost over $3,000. Other owners are complaining of this as well. Recall only goes up to 2016 models however I feel that the 2017 models probably have the 2016 parts. Time for Nissan to do a recall for this model as well.
When operating my Nissan Altima 2017 I was alerted with warning lamp annd it notified me to check engine and then it went away. The car started to jerk, also the car rpm’s went up and took it awhile to reset while at a stop light…I then parked the car and when I tried to start it, the shift would shift to drive and reverse but the car wouldn’t move…so I towed the car home and after almost 3 weeks I was able to save money to tow it to a Nissan dealership and they confirmed I needed a new cvt transmission…quoted me 7,800 for replacing and labor fees. I have read about the 2017 Nissan settlement after doing a lot of research on the vehicle, I need help with the next steps. Cause that price to fix it isn’t affordable for me while making car payments still. Car is still in my possession currently, just have to pay it to be towed back to my residence
The transmission failed as I was entering a highway and accelerating. The speed went from 45 mph to 0 in a matter of seconds. Once the car died, I could not put it in any gear, drive or reverse, and get the car to move.
I purchased my 2017 Nissan new and have always serviced it according to recommended guidelines. It has 31,103 miles on it and my airbag light came on and was blinking. I took it to Faulkner Nissan and was told I would have to pay 179.00 for diagnostic test which showed 2 codes one 00 for blinking light and 12 which online states requires a reset but I was told I need a new seat back assembly which would be $2700.00 and not covered under warranty. I have never had an accident and never had them deploy. This sounds bizarre to me considering the age and condition of the vehicle but am now seeing this same issue on multiple sites and feel this should be recalled due to the nature of the safety concern. I also requested a copy of the diagnostics and my request was denied.
I experienced My 2017 Nissan Altima having a delay accelerating after I stop at lights then it took a couple of seconds of my foot pushing down on gas petal to get going with it taking off very fast! It happened 3 times in a 2 week timeframe, then on Sunday, 9/17/2023 my daughter was driving and I was the passenger and it happened 4 separate times in 1 hour! I took it into Nissan in Salem, NH , (where I purchased the vehicle), on 9/18/23 and it isn’t giving a Code so they say they can’t fix it until they get a code by replicating it! That is unacceptable because it happens sporadically so unless you give me a loaner car so they can drive it all the time that to see it happen. So right now my car is at that service place! I need a “loaner car” and for Nissan to FIX this problem NOW or I will be force to file a lawsuit and I will make sure everyone I know doesn’t buy a Nissan!
One month Insurance policy lapse and license plate surrender license suspension when I was in hospital emergency room bed time .
My airbag malfunction light came on randomly. Never have I been involved in an accident. I have only had this vehicle for 2 years. I took it to Nissan dealership in Chandler AZ to have it inspected. They told me the recalls for Nissan Altimas only go up to 2016, mine is a 2017. This puts me, my passenger and my children at risk and it is not safe to drive. I have a teenager that was trying to learn how to drive with his permit and now due to this issue, it is not safe for him to do so. If there were recalls prior to the 2017 Nissan Altimas, obviously the 2017s are affected as well. Someone needs to address this issue asap.
AIR BAG LIGHT is on and Dealer diagnosed and could not identify the problem Nissan dealer of Rolla charge me $145. Dealer irresponsiibly reset the airbag code ( erase code) and return the vehicle that there is no issues. But AIR BAG Light came back on in few days. It is showing code B0020 but with no additional information. Dealer is not taking responsibilty on faulty airbag system and it is recurring issue of 2016 Nissan Altima Air bag recall. You need to force the manufacturer to address this issue before safety is comprised. Nissan does not know the issue with AirBag problem of 2017 Nissan Altima
My car only has about 113,000 miles and the CVT transmission is completely ruined. It’ll cost me over $3,200 to repair, and this is a very common and known issue to Nissan. See other Class Action Lawsuits.
My vehicle had 46,765 miles on it when the airbag warning light came on. I contacted Nissan dealer in Oak Ridge TN (where I purchased the vehicle 1/18) and the stored code they found was B0020-13. I had purchased the extended warranty and my paperwork showed 72 months with replacement vehicle provided and 100.00 deductible. I was told they had to clear it through finance prior to ordering the part. I waited 5 days and had to contact Nissan to see if they were going to fix it. I was told it was approved and they had the part (but failed to contact me). When I asked about a replacement vehicle as I had already gone 5 days without a vehicle as I felt it was not safe to drive I was told unless the repair took over 4 hours it did not qualify for a replacement vehicle. They replaced the Left seat back/side air bag assembly. My concern is it was over 2200.00 for the part not including labor on a car that had less than 50,000 miles. I was lucky I had purchased the extended warranty so my out of pocket was 100.00. However, I should mention that the warranty at the time of purchase was 2,100.00. Had I driven the vehicle and been in an accident one of my airbags would not have deployed. This is a safety feature and should not need an extended warrranty to cover repair.
I was driving on the freeway 8/1/23. There was a bit of traffic so my speed varied. I was attempting to accelerate at one point and the car wouldn't go any faster than about 60 mph. I started hearing a sqealing / screeching noise too. I was scared my car was about to stop. I didn't know if I should pull to the shoulder or just continue to my offramp. I managed to get off the fwy and make it home a few miles away with some lurching / jerking. On 8/3/23, the next time I drove the car, I was trying to pull my car out of my garage for a mobile mechanic to look at. It wouldn't reverse, and was just still when I pressed the gas. It wouldn't do anything in drive but rev. The mobile mechanic got there and managed to drive it a bit and I heard it making a super load noise and saw the car lurching and jerking He told me the transmission was bad. The car is not safe to drive. It has 52,000 miles on it and I have barely drove in the 4 years I've had it. I spoke to Nissan Consumer affairs and they told me to take it to the dealer for a diagnosis. The car got towed to the dealer to see if it qualifies for the Nissan extended warranty for CVT transmissions. I am afraid to drive the car now. I thought I was buying a solid car. I didn't think I could go wrong with Nissan mechanically at such an early stage in the car's life.
Was driving and came to a stop. Went to accelerate and car stuttered and acted like it didn’t want to accelerate. This is not the first time, but it was about a month ago when it last did it and almost caused me to wreck. Car is only at 99k miles.
The airbag malfunction light has turned on, this puts me at risk as a driver. The airbag assembly on the drivers side has failed. It has been inspected by Auto Nation Nissan in Chandler, AZ. This car was not involved in any accident. I was simply told the airbag failed.
I'm driving in my car is cool right right left line a nice Crush the part of the car and the front left
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was not functioning as intended. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle stalled. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure continued and became persistent. The contact stated that due to the failure, the contact was almost rear-ended by a semi-trailer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
The airbag light came on solid. I got it checked at the dealership and they informed me that my driver side airbag module which is located in the side/rear of the driver's seat needed to be replaced. This would include changing the entire top section of the driver's seat. Quoted me at $2,850 with tax. They said that none of my airbags would deploy if I was in an accident due to this one faulty module. The dealer mentioned that this is a very common occurrence they see a lot with the 2017 Altima. Based on research I've done so far, this seems to be a universal fact, many have this issue. I'm not sure why this isn't considered a recall, I hope this report leads to an investigation. My Altima, as many others report, is in great condition otherwise and all recommended maintenance and service is done according to the manufacturer. This doesn't seem like something that should be the fiscal burden of the consumer.