2016 Nissan Altima Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Altima years
- Far more complaints than other years 10th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 554 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Altima. That ranks 10th out of 32 Altima model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (235 complaints, 42%), typically at around 64,700 miles. Complaints mention 28 crashes, 3 fires, 32 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.

- 554owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 28complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Nissan Altima problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 235 | 42% | 64,700 | “cvt transmission” (9%) | $5,250 |
| Engine problems | 86 | 16% | 53,000 | “press gas” (7%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 81 | 15% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags problems | 71 | 13% | 52,000 | “air bag” (37%) | $2,300 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 65 | 12% | 61,000 | “stop sign” (15%) | — |
| Electrical System | 42 | 8% | 33,650 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 42 | 8% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 29 | 5% | 31,005 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 27 | 5% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 22 | 4% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 16 | 3% | 45,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 12 | 2% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 11 | 2% | 50,514 | — | — |
| Seats | 10 | 2% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 8 | 1% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 1% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 6 | 1% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 1% | 29,114 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 1% | 71,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 1% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 42,500 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Nissan Altima recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Problem: 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 OwnerÂs 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 applies to all vehicles covered by 16V-029 even if those repairs have already been performed.
Structure:emergency:escape/egress/exit; latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: 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
Problem: 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
Problem: 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 incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
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 parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
- Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure (EA19002) — opened Jul 29, 2019, closed Jun 16, 2025.
- Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure (PE18013) — opened Dec 1, 2018, closed Aug 21, 2019.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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)
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…
To recap: â¢Nissan manufactured defective transmissions. â¢Nissan granted me a warranty extension with a fleeting expiration date (2023) to shift the cost away from them. â¢In 2020, Nissan performed work on my car. The work they performed masked the problem, didnât fix it. And it deferred the…
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…
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…
Other Nissan Altima years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Altima | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 Altima | 7 | 2 |
| 2024 Altima | 41 | 1 |
| 2023 Altima | 30 | 0 |
| 2022 Altima | 31 | 0 |
| 2021 Altima | 70 | 2 |
| 2020 Altima | 158 | 6 |
| 2019 Altima | 233 | 7 |
| 2018 Altima | 226 | 2 |
| 2017 Altima | 391 | 3 |
| 2016 | 554 | 4 |
| 2015 Altima | 955 | 10 |
| 2014 Altima | 1,114 | 8 |
| 2013 Altima | 2,313 | 12 |
| 2012 Altima | 426 | 4 |
| 2011 Altima | 241 | 1 |
| 2010 Altima | 381 | 3 |
| 2009 Altima | 1,547 | 4 |
| 2008 Altima | 1,030 | 4 |
| 2007 Altima | 471 | 3 |
| 2006 Altima | 824 | 3 |
| 2005 Altima | 1,091 | 1 |
| 2004 Altima | 276 | 1 |
| 2003 Altima | 883 | 4 |
| 2002 Altima | 1,047 | 5 |
| 2001 Altima | 159 | 1 |
| 2000 Altima | 160 | 1 |
| 1999 Altima | 87 | 0 |
| 1998 Altima | 123 | 0 |
| 1997 Altima | 108 | 1 |
| 1996 Altima | 92 | 0 |
| 1995 Altima | 180 | 3 |
See all Nissan Altima problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Nissan Altima?
Owners most often report power train, engine, unknown or other problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 235 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Nissan Altima?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Nissan Altima a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Altima model years, the 2016 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.